Increasing Intervals

I have no scientific rhyme or reason for running the intervals I run. I know that Jeff Galloway has a chart to figure out the best intervals to use, however I have been to comfortable, stubborn and lazy to get my book and look it up.

I probably should...

Anyways, I decide to increase my intervals when I feel like I'm getting too comfortable, or when I feel ready for a challenge/extra push.

I've run 30:1, 45:1, 1:1 and currently 115:1. I do hope to eventually get to running for a few minutes and walking one or less, but I have to work my way up to it.

As I left work today I checked my interval timer. It was still on the 30:1 intervals from the race on Saturday and I made a comment to Lorien that I would run the 30:1 intervals tonight for 30-40 minutes. But as I started driving home I thought about pushing myself and increasing my intervals. 

Instead of adding more time to the running intervals though I decided to take away time from the walking interval. I ran 1:15 and walked :45. It worked well and the first two miles were under 12 minute miles. 

The third mile I told myself to slow down. Way down. And I did. To a 13:46 minute mile. It was more of a cool down than anything because I feel like I went out to fast (like I tend to do). 

I need to stop going for speed and remember that, for now a least, I'm working on building up distance again. 

I'm definitely not a speed runner and probably never will be, but it's something to think about working on. I would like to continue improving and continue to push myself to that next level. At the same time I want to stop taking on too much at once.

For now I will continue to bump up the intervals until I get comfortable. It's been nice feeling proud of myself after a run, no matter the distance.

Running Recap

My first run of the week was on Tuesday. I contemplated going Monday, but decided that I wanted to spend time with my family so I went Tuesday after work at my parents house. I started out going my normal route, but then decided to cross the street so that I could have a slightly different course. I can't even tell you what a difference it made to just be one block over.

The plan was to turn at the normal street in order to get back on track and to continue running the 2.2 mile route. But I felt great and I wanted to keep going. So I did by turning left instead of right. This course would include a lot more hills, but what the heck. I love hills!

I was running along, doing my thing, clearly not paying as much attention as I should have. I ended up running right past a bee hive, which was located at the base of a light pole. So I was literally running through it. My watch beeped at me to walk, but I just kept running. When I finally felt like I had gone far enough I started walking, but I could still hear buzzing. I couldn't figure out where the bee was until I looked back and saw that the sleeve of my shirt was moving.

The bee had found it's way inside of my shirt...

One of my fitness/running goals is to eventually be confident enough with my body that I would be able to run on a hot day in just a sports bra and running shorts/pants.

I may not have been confident, but I don't believe I have ever taken my shirt off as fast as I did. I shook my shirt out and the bee flew away. I lucked out that 1. I wasn't stung and 2. That only one car had the unfortunate experience of seeing me in my sports bra and running pants.

I continued on my run without any more excitement. I feel like it was a good run with a pretty good average pace.

Distance: 4.23mi
Time: 52:33
Avg Pace: 12:25
Elevation Gain: 307ft
Mile 1- 11:57
Mile 2- 12:16
Mile 3- 12:42
Mile 4- 12:27
Mile 0.23- 7:53
Temperature: 72*, 73% humidity

I decided to run again on Wednesday. We were going to go to dinner with the family for our weekly trivia night. The restaurant is probably less than a mile away if I take the shortest path. I decided, however to go the long way around and make it worth my time.

It was definitely a good use of my time and I'm really glad I decided to run there.

Distance: 2.56mi
Time: 30:31
Avg Pace: 11:54
Elevation Gain: 264ft
Mile 1- 11:48
Mile 2- 11:41
Mile 0.56- 7:02
Temperature: 73*, 73% humidity

Patrick and I had plans Friday afternoon so I decided to take the whole day off of work. This gave Patrick and I a chance to take Isabel to school together. Since Patrick's schedule didn't really work to my advantage to run this weekend I decided I would run after dropping Isabel off at school. The first two miles were a little rough with some shin/calf pain as well as a little ache in my knee. It went away though and I feel like I did well in staying strong and slowing down. I'm still not quite where I want to be speed wise on my long distance runs, but I'm learning to listen to my body and let the time figure itself out.

I have a mile time in mind that I would prefer to stay under so anything under that is fine by me, especially since I'm going to need to hold that time for 13-26 miles while in a race.

Distance: 5.17mi
Time: 1:06:04
Avg Pace: 12:47
Elevation Gain: 136ft
Mile 1- 12:31
Mile 2- 12:54
Mile 3- 13:14
Mile 4- 12:41
Mile 5- 12:28
Mile 0.17- 2:14
Temperature: n/a

As soon as I got home from my run Friday morning I really wanted to go out and run again. My next opportunity was Saturday morning, but I wasn't sure what time we would be home from the concert. We ended up getting home after midnight and I didn't fall asleep until close to 1am, however I had already made plans to wake up at 630am and head out for my run.

The course was from my apartment to my niece's soccer game. I mapped it out on map my run and it totaled just over 5 miles. I figured it would be a good distance to run again and since it was my first time running that distance two days in a row it would give me a small idea as to what training for Dopey would be like (on a much smaller scale).

I woke up early and headed out. The course was simple. All I had to do was stay on the wash the entire time and when it ends I would be about a block away from the soccer fields. Unfortunately, and I have no idea how this happened, I ended up going the wrong way. I would love to walk the course again in a few days to see where I should have gone because I've done this run before and I have zero idea as to what happened. Anyways, the run ended up being 6.65 miles due to this little detour.

I felt great. The first mile or two was a little rough starting out. I felt stiff and obviously pretty tired, but I did it and I feel great that I did.

It's weird thinking that I'll be adding another 20 miles on top of that 6 mile run. I often think about that when I'm running and I really need to be kinder to myself. I have to realize that taking two months off means that I am starting over completely. My fitness level is not the same and I have to reteach my body how to run for this amount of time and for these distances. It doesn't take away what I've already done and it doesn't mean that I won't be able to do it again. All that it means is that I have to take training seriously in order to make it.

Distance: 6.65mi
Time: 1:25:04
Avg Pace: 12:48
Elevation Gain: 300ft
Mile 1- 12:43
Mile 2- 13:06
Mile 3- 13:12
Mile 4- 12:44
Mile 5- 12:45
Mile 6- 12:13
Mile 0.65- 8:17
Temperature: 64*, 94% humidity

Running Recap

I am in love...

My new GPS watch is AMAZING! I was pretty disappointed when my watch died and decided pretty quickly on a new one. These decisions normally take me weeks, if not months, so to be so happy with a decision that took me only a couple hours is pretty awesome.

I've used it for every walk and run since getting it on Friday and it is so cool.

I really like that something so small has 1. Already paid for itself and 2. Pushes me to go out even when I don't want to.

The weather has pretty much sucked all week long. I usually get to work around 7am on the mornings when I do not take Isabel to school and it's already 75 or higher. There have been multiple days this week where the weather has gone over 100 degrees.

Fall... Where are you?

I really am trying to not let the weather be a factor into whether or not I get my run in for the day. I know my limits (or at least I think I do, whether I listen is another factor completely).

Tuesday was my first run for the week and I told myself to go slower than normal because of the heat and the course. I ended up faster than any run I've recently run.

Distance: 2.14mi
Time: 25:05
Avg Pace: 11:42
Elevation Gain: 369ft
Mile 1- 11:45
Mile 2- 11:22
Mile 0.14- 1:56
Temperature: 81*, 66% humidity

I didn't feel like I was going that fast while I was running, but I could feel it when I finished. The first mile was a lot faster than I had planned and since it was mostly uphill I pushed myself the second mile in order to be faster than the first.

I ran again on Thursday. It was another hot day so I decided to wait until after dinner to let it cool down a little. Not the smartest decision I've ever made. In fact, I think running after dinner was worse than the heat. But I made it and I was definitely riding the endorphin high afterwards.

Distance: 2.63mi
Time: 32:27
Avg Pace: 12:19
Elevation Gain: 369ft
Mile 1- 12:27
Mile 2- 12:05
Mile 0.63- 7:54
Temperature: 82*, 55% humidity

Saturday's run was a scheduled 4 mile run and I was really looking forward to it. Since Patrick had to work I ran around my parents neighborhood while they watched Isabel. Their neighborhood = hills. Rachel decided to pass up running with me this weekend because of the hills and Lorien was going to go be fitted for proper shoes today since she has been having shin problems.

I stuck with my 1:1 intervals and although it was tough getting through the first two miles since it was mostly uphill I made it through and getting to the top was amazing. I felt so good that the last two miles flew by. That could also be because it was mostly downhill...

I'm thinking of increasing my intervals to 1:15:1 next week, so we'll see how that works out. I am really into watching myself improve and I am happy that I am pushing myself to go farther and faster and longer rather than just stick to what I'm comfortable doing.

Distance: 4.22mi
Time: 53.31
Avg Pace: 12:41
Elevation Gain: 366ft
Mile 1- 13:14
Mile 2- 13:09
Mile 3- 12:17
Mile 4- 11:56
Mile 0.22- 2:53
Temperature: 68*, 94% humidity

Pictures while on my run 9/7

 

 

 

Running Recap

My first run this week was on Tuesday. After taking the weekend off I was kind of jonesing to get out for a run early in the week, but I'm also trying to incorporate strength training and I don't want to fall back into my habit of all or nothing.

It's not ideal for this week as I would prefer to do M/W/F Gym and Strength training and T/Th/Sa Running, but sometimes you have to adjust for life. This week was back to school night (on Wednesday) and Patrick had to be at work early both Wednesday and Friday which means I take Isabel to school and can't go to the gym in the morning.

Unfortunately the weather has been full on summer and it is not very comfortable. I know my limits and I know that I am capable of running in 90 degree heat as long as I stay hydrated. Tuesday I made sure to drink as much water as possible throughout the day because I knew that it was going to be hot when I got off of work and was able to go for my run.

I used to be able to skip a run based on a number of excuses, but my main excuse was blaming the weather. Too hot, too cold, too wet, etc. It really didn't matter what was going on. If I didn't want to run, then I didn't and I could justify it left and right.

Tuesday I told myself as I was driving home that if it was over 90 degrees when I got to my parents then I wouldn't run. But if it was anything under 90 degrees then I would. I was hydrated and I needed to get my run in. As I got off of the freeway it was 91 degrees and I told myself to just go and get it over with.

Yes it was hot. Yes it was uncomfortable. Yes I was dripping with sweat when I was done. And yes I loved every minute of it. I did not regret going and even though I told myself I could go at a snail's pace I ended up sticking with my normal pace and even finished one of the miles under 12 minutes.

Pride..

I had another run scheduled for Thursday, however by the time I got ready to head home it was still 100 degrees and even I know better than to push myself in that. I would much rather take the day off of running than push myself too hard in that heat. That plus my GPS watch breaking was more than enough to exhaust me.

My long run this week was a scheduled 3 mile run with Rachel and Lorien. This was Lorien's longest distance run so far. Rachel has been walking and hiking lately to stay active, but this run was her first in a while. We decided on 30:1 intervals.

I decided to run to Rachel's house (about a mile) at 1:1, run with them for 3 at 30:1 and then run home at 1:1. It was a great run and I felt good the entire time. It was hot and humid out, so that didn't help much, but it's good to run even if the weather is not ideal because you never know what race day is going to bring and you want to be prepared for anything.

I was also able to use my new GPS watch for the first time. I ordered it Thursday after mine died. I decided that it was a purchase that needed to be made sooner rather than later as training has already begun and will be going on for a long while. I bought the Garmin 110.

Today was my first time using it since I had to charge it all night last night. So far I really like it and I love the features it has online. I posted a link to my workout for today and I like that feature a lot. It shows elevation and what the weather was like for my run, my pace and my mile times. It's pretty cool.

Untitled by xxvi.ii at Garmin Connect - Details

In case the link doesn't work...

Summary

Distance:	5.19 mi
Time:	1:11:51
Avg Pace:	13:50 min/mi
Avg Speed:	4.3 mph
Elevation Gain:	177 ft
Calories:	663 C

	Your swim efficiency is calculated by your total time plus strokes normalized to 25 meters (fixed distance). This allows you to compare your swim efficiency to another pool or open water workout.

	Your SWOLF score is the time in seconds plus the strokes it takes you to complete one pool length. For example 30 seconds plus 25 strokes equals a SWOLF score of 55.

 

Details

 

Timing

Time:	1:11:51
Moving Time:	1:10:44
Elapsed Time:	1:17:44

Avg Speed:	4.3 mph
Avg Moving Speed:	4.4 mph
Max Speed:	20.0 mph

Avg Pace:	13:50 min/mi
Avg Moving Pace:	13:37 min/mi
Best Pace:	3:00 min/mi

Speed

Pace

 

Elevation

Elevation Gain:	177 ft
Elevation Loss:	182 ft
Min Elevation:	710 ft
Max Elevation:	823 ft

 

Laps 6

View Splits

Split Split Hours:Minutes:Seconds Time Miles Distance Minutes per Mile Avg Pace Summary 1:11:51.4 5.19 13:50 1 12:16.2 1.00 12:16 2 14:49.0 1.00 14:48 3 14:17.9 1.00 14:18 4 14:38.0 1.00 14:38 5 13:06.0 1.00 13:05 6 2:44.4 0.19 14:13

Weather

75°

Feels like 75°

8 mph WNW wind

Humidity 69%

 

Not a bad run when the sunrise is so beautiful.. I absolutely cannot wait to go for another run to use my watch. So excited and so happy with my purchase.

Running Recap

While I was out for my run this evening I realized that I didn't post over the weekend about the runs that I did do this week because I was too focused on the one that I had scheduled that I didn't do.

I had a 4 mile run scheduled for this weekend, but I gave myself the weekend off. I didn't do much working out due to time, prior engagements and pure exhaustion. I gave myself a break and it was wonderful. After being so consistent with my scheduled runs and gym time it was a little strange doing barely anything, but it helped me to recharge my batteries and I am back at it this week.

My first run last week was scheduled for Monday. I had the day off since it was Isabel's first day of kindergarten and I had an appointment to drop off my car for maintenance. My dad has walked from the dealership to my parent's house many times so I knew it was a good course and I would be able to kill two birds with one stone.

I unfortunately didn't account for the construction on the main street that I needed to run down and the lack of sidewalk for a portion of the route, but it ended up working out well and even though most of it was uphill I maintained a pretty good time.

Total time: 1:04:32
Total distance: 5.07mi
Mile 1- 12:24
Mile 2- 13:23
Mile 3- 12:40
Mile 4- 12:42
Mile 5- 12:34
Mile 0.7- 0:47
Avg MPH: 4.7mph
Max MPH: 6.9mph

The only other run I went on this past week was at my parents house on Thursday. I did my normal course and then Isabel asked to join me so I took her for an extra mile. It felt great and she just wanted to keep going. I would be lying if I said it's crossed my mind a time or two that at some point (when she's older) I would love to run races together.

Total time: 48:03
Total distance: 3.49mi
Mile 1- 12:29
Mile 2- 12.19
Mile 3- 15:56
Mile 0.49- 7:17
Avg MPH: 4.4mph
Max MPH: 6.9mph

At least I know I'm not pushing her to go too fast.

As long as she continues to show interest in running with me then I will continue to add on a half mile to a mile extra to my weekday runs so that she can go with me and as soon as I can find a near by 1 mile fun run then she will be participating as she has shown interest in doing that.

Running Recap

My running week started on Sunday this week. Yes, on my rest day. Which also included an hour at the gym... Hey, when you get the motivation and spare time you don't pass it up!

Saturday's run with Emma sparked a little bit of jealousy in Isabel. When I went to pick her up Saturday morning from my parents (who are beyond amazing for watching her over night so I could get in a morning run) I mentioned that Emma had joined me for a little over a mile of my 4 miler.

Her immediate response was "I want to run with you..."

So I agreed to a one mile run with her on Sunday. She was so excited and her reaction was priceless.

We went for a total of 1.23 miles and she did pretty well. It took us just over 20 minutes to do the whole thing, but she stayed pretty focused and didn't complain too much. In fact, there was one point where she just wanted to run the rest of the way home, but I told her it was better to start off slow and stick with the intervals (saving both myself and her from injury and overheating).

Monday's scheduled run was a quick loop around my parents house (including some of those beloved hills) and I asked Isabel if she was interested in joining me for a bit. She could not believe that I was inviting her to go again. I didn't want to do too much since we had just run the day before, so I took her for a quick half mile. She wanted to race and when I said no to that she asked if we could pretend like we were running a marathon together.

Bless her heart.

She is now starting to ask when she and I can run in a real race together. I'm not quite ready to sign her up for any distance over 1 mile and even then I'm not sure she can focus while in that type of setting (it's distracting to the best of us). But, I think looking into a 1 mile fun run at one of the nearby races would be a great experience for her and I'm really happy that she has found an interest that keeps her active (at least for now).

I don't want to push my interests on her, but it's difficult for her not to be interested in running with me or playing golf with her dad or even rooting for the Angel's because that's what she knows until she can discover her own hobbies and interests...

Total time: 37:05
Total distance: 2.74mi
Mile 1- 12:44
Mile 2- 12:39
Mile 0.74- 11:42
Avg MPH: 4.4mph
Max MPH: 7.0mph

I was thinking about running again on Tuesday to continue the streak I had going, but I know that it is better not to push myself to do too many things at once or I will risk failure and injury. The pain in my shins has yet to go away, so I know better than to push myself for an extra run when it's not necessary.

I skipped Tuesday and decided that Wednesday would be my next training day, which worked perfectly because Emma was going to be at my parents and I could run with her again. I decided that since she is going to be out of town this weekend with her parents that it would be okay to up the mileage for our run. My normal course around my parents is about 2.2 miles and I knew that if needed we could swing by the house at about 1.7 miles and then I would finish the run alone.

It was hot when I got off of work, so I called to make sure that she still wanted to go. I confirmed with her that she had been hydrating all day and told her that we would take it nice and slow so as not to over heat. We had to do it when I got off of work because it was her dad's birthday and we were going to be going out to dinner later. I gave her the option to not go, but she said she wanted to so off we went.

Her first mile (which is mostly uphill) was 55 seconds faster then her mile time with me on Saturday. I could not believe it. Of course this meant that we needed to take it much slower the second mile because we were pushing too hard, but she was very happy that she made it and that it was faster.

When we got back around and could turn off to go to my parents I told her that it was up to her if she wanted to stop now or finish up. She told me she wanted to finish and we agreed that we would finish strong. For it being hot, uphill and in the afternoon I was very impressed with her. She didn't complain once, voiced her needs instead of keeping it in and she still wants to run a half marathon with me at some point. I am one proud Auntie!

Total time: 31:48
Total distance: 2.17mi
Mile 1- 13:50
Mile 2- 15:19
Mile 0.17- 2:38
Avg MPH: 4.1mph
Max MPH: 6.5mph

I had a 5 mile long training run scheduled for today. Since I'm taking care of my sister's dogs while she is out of town this weekend I decided to add that into my run and mapped a run last night on Map My Run to see how far I would be going. The run I mapped out ended up being a total of 5.75 miles.

It's no surprise that I had an internal debate when I started running that I should cut off part of the run and only go just slightly over 5 miles. But I ended up telling myself that I would be proud of myself if I went the whole way. Then I started telling myself that maybe I should not just go the 5.75 miles, but go a little further for a full 6 miles. The plan was, if I made it back to the apartment and was over 5.75 miles I would keep going but if I was under I would just go home.

After stopping at my sisters house to feed the dogs I decided to go the "long" way, adding about two-tenths of a mile onto my distance. It ended up working perfectly because I stopped my watch at my front door with a total distance of 6.04 miles.

The run, overall, felt great. I had my normal shin pain the first couple miles, but they felt much better after that. It may be time for new shoes, or at least new insoles. And maybe it would be a better idea to use a different pair of shoes while I'm at the gym or while walking at work. I should leave my running shoes for running miles only.

I can honestly say that I am happier being a distance runner rather than a speed runner. My miles were faster than they should have been (again, whoops!), but I just get into this comfortable pace and I guess it's not such a bad thing...

Total time: 1:17:49
Total distance: 6.04mi
Mile 1- 12:49
Mile 2- 13:23
Mile 3- 12:42
Mile 4- 13:09
Mile 5- 12:36
Mile 6- 12:23
Mile 0.04- 0:44
Avg MPH: 4.7mph
Max MPH: 7.0mph

Next week I plan on going down to 4 miles for my long training run and then Rachel and I should be starting training together on the 31st with an easy 3 miles. I'm not sure what our pace is going to be. I have been enjoying the 1:1 intervals and am hoping to increase the amount of time I run soon, however I know that Rachel is not ready for that interval and I know that she's not really looking forward to running at all, so most likely we'll start at 30:1.

I'll see what she wants to do though and go with that. At least for my weekend runs...

Running Recap

My first run this week was Monday. I decided to run again by Isabel's swim lesson, which works perfectly. Going between work and her lesson gives me a little over 30 minutes to run, which is just enough time. I found that I was able to get in a great run over 3 miles each day and was only 5 minutes late to her lesson.

Patrick and my parents are so awesome in allowing me to go for my run before her lesson. They are so easy going and supportive of my training that I can't even begin to express my appreciation to them.

Monday's run was a new course for me. I've really been enjoying that. It's really good to mix things up every once in a while and when I'm able to make up the route as I go it makes it more exciting for me.

This run had more hills than I am used to and my shins definitely have been feeling it. But I just have to keep telling myself that I love hills and that I eat hills for breakfast. I can't walk up them if I'm on a run interval because that doesn't benefit me (although I do love when it works out to be on a walk interval when I get to a hill).

Each mile got just a little slower, but I am still happy with each miles time. I think that this is the pace I am going to aim to keep for most of the races I have signed up for next year, at least the ones that I am running alone. LA last year I kept a pace under 14:30 for every mile (my slowest being 14:10), so I think that this would be a manageable pace to try to keep for Mountains 2 Beach if I stay consistent with it during training.

Total distance: 3.04mi
Total time: 37:41
Mile 1- 12:08
Mile 2- 12:21
Mile 3- 12:25
Mile 0.4- 0:46
Avg MPH: 4.8mph
Max MPH: 7.0mph

I ran again on Wednesday as scheduled. I ran in the same area by Isabel's swim lesson but went for a slightly different course. Not much changed other than I took out one of the hills (the biggest one) from my run on Monday. I went just a little farther and ended up going a little faster as well.

My shins were really tight again, so I backed off on the third mile in order to give them a break. I still finished the mile with a good time and felt great when I finished.

Total distance: 3.07mi
Total time: 37:34
Mile 1- 12:03
Mile 2- 11:58
Mile 3- 12:36
Mile 0.7- 0:55
Avg MPH: 4.9mph
Max MPH: 7.3mph

On Thursday I was thinking about going for another run. I had my gym clothes with me and I just felt great and ready to go. So I changed before I left work and ended up going for a third run this week. Still on the same general course.

When I got out there though I felt sluggish and it was a tough run physically. I pushed through and was really proud of myself for finishing. Sometimes I can feel like I'm having a great run and it shows and other times I can feel like my run is awful and I end up having decent mile times. This was one of those days.

When I got to the pool to watch Isabel swim Patrick rubbed my shins and calves for me. I even called a local massage school to see how much their sports massages are. I'm not too concerned about the pain, but it is a good idea to take it easy after my long run. As long as I pay attention to my body then their shouldn't be an issue. It may be time to replace my shoe inserts though.

Total distance: 3.05mi
Total time: 38:16
Mile 1- 12:21
Mile 2- 12:22
Mile 3- 12:35
Mile 0.5- 0:57
Avg MPH: 4.8mph
Max MPH: 6.8mph

Views from running this week:

My long run this week was a total of 4 miles. I am slowly increasing my mileage until marathon training officially starts on August 31st. I decided to start training a month early to get my body ready for the 5Ks I signed up for in September and October.

My niece is nine years old. At this point she has done one 1 mile fun run and a 5K which she ran with her mom. She has voiced interest in running a half marathon with me (as has my bonus/step daughter). I figured the best place to start with that is to sign her up for another 5K race since her last one was over a year ago.

She will be joining my best friend and I in September at the Simi Valley 5K. I bought her her own interval timer and decided that I would pick her up and we would run for part of my long run this morning.

We live less than a mile from each other, so the plan was to run to her house, run with her for about a mile, run back to the apartment and then finish up my 4 miles there. I ended up being ready earlier than I had thought I would be, so I went for a mile before I went to pick her up. I ended up being 0.04 miles short of hitting 2 miles when I got to their house, so I passed it and came back to pick her up. I started my run with 1:1 intervals and changed it to run 30:1 with her.

I didn't want to push her too far too fast, so we started with the slower intervals and went for a total of 1.21 miles. I was pretty impressed with her. She did great and I had to pull her back from pushing herself to go faster. I told her that we can work on speed later, but first we have to get to the distance.

Just after we hit mile 1 I asked her if she felt like she could keep going. She said yes with a smile. I promised her that I wouldn't make her do anymore today but that I was glad that she enjoyed it so far. I asked her if she was still interested in running a half marathon with me at some point. Her smile got even bigger and she said yes.

I was really impressed with her for getting up early on a Saturday to go for a run with me and I think that this is going to be really good for us as aunt and niece to get closer and that it's going to be good for her both mentally and physically. I can't wait to keep running with her and to see her improve.

I did really well on this long run to pull it back and to run slower than I did during the week. I didn't feel like I was going too fast and I just let my body do what it needed to do. I think that this is where I would like to be on future long distance runs that I go on by myself (between 13-14 minutes). I am getting excited to get up into the higher miles again and to get to that first start line at the end of September.

Total distance: 4.13mi
Total time: 55:45
Mile 1- 12:46
Mile 2- 13:21
Mile 3- 14:45
Mile 4- 13:04
Mile 0.13- 1:47
Avg MPH: 4.4mph
Max MPH: 6.5mph

My Beloved Interval Timer- Running Recap

Prior to the beginning of this week I had not been running consistently. Shocker, right?

I mean, I haven't really had a good track record with sticking to something, especially a goal that puts me first. So it was only a matter of time before I stopped something completely. I just didn't think it would be running..

I am the queen of excuses and would use as many as possible to convince others and especially myself to not go for a scheduled run. But I feel committed right now to my training schedule and my weekly workouts and that means running rain or shine, outside or on a treadmill, interval timer or naked.

Tuesday was my first run on my current weekly workout schedule. An easy 30-45 minute run around my parents neighborhood and down to the pool where Isabel has her swim lessons. An easy 2ish mile run. A piece of cake.

Except that my interval timer, my convenient little Gymboss timer that beeped at me when it was time to run and again when it was time to walk went missing in action. This would have been the perfect time for me to make an excuse. No interval timer = no run, right? Right?!?

Not this time. Nope. Not when I have a goal in mind.

Instead I ordered a new one yesterday and decided that I would just count my steps for intervals for my scheduled runs until it came in the mail. Every time my left foot hit the ground I would count and I would do so for 100 steps. Then I would walk for 100 steps and repeat for the entire run. Some what annoying, especially going uphill when my mind was going a few different places and I kept recounting the same step (thankfully it was during a run interval so I don't feel like I missed out on my workout), but it worked and I ended up being able to run more than my normal interval time.

The new interval timer I bought myself to replace my plain black one that I've had for two years.

My run was 32:14 and a total distance of 2.54 miles. Not my best time, definitely not my worst. And I surprisingly was able to handle the intervals just fine. This was exciting for me because I've been very comfortable at 45:1 since my running started.

Mile 1- 12:41
Mile 2- 12:34
Mile 0.54-6:58

I averaged 4.7 mph (thanks to my long legs and my ability to walk at a consistent 3.5-4 mph pace) and my top speed hit was 6.6 mph (most likely while going downhill).

Not too shabby getting back into it..

Wednesday was my second scheduled run and it was a little different than Tuesday's because I ended up finding my interval timer (clipped to my hydration belt of all places- and the last place I thought to check). I decided to change things up and instead of running 45 seconds and walking 1 minute I switched it to running 1 minute and walking 45 seconds.

The run felt slower than Tuesday's run and I was sure that I was going to be running 13-14 minute miles. I kind of let go and just let my body find it's pace while still pushing a little. To my pleasant surprise, I ran both miles less than Tuesday's fastest mile. This course was relatively flat the entire time with maybe a very slight incline for the first half and a very slight decline for the second half.

It felt good to be out running too, not forced. I was a little concerned that I would be taking on too much the first week of training, but I have been able to stick with the schedule fairly well and I know that it will soon become a habit. I plan on switching things up every once in a while to keep my body guessing and to keep it interesting, but at least I know what I am capable of without going too crazy.

Wednesday's run was 31:22 and a total distance of 2.49 miles.

Mile 1- 12:26
Mile 2- 12:20
Mile 0.46- 6.36

I averaged 4.8 mph and my top speed hit was 7.3 mph.

My long run was scheduled for this morning. I decided last night that I would allow myself to get up when my body was ready and I would go for my run then. But even though I had the best intentions to go to bed early in order to be up early I knew my morning run was doomed as I watched the clock tick past 10 and then 11 pm.

I was still up fairly early, but was exhausted. I had about an hour long internal debate with myself about whether or not I should go. The voice telling me to just go and get it over with was louder then the one telling me I could wait until this evening, but somehow the lazy side took over and I laid in bed.

The motivation this morning was also cut short when I weighed in this morning. It should have pushed me to go, but instead it did the opposite and I ended up over eating and not tracking today.

That weigh in also put me in a bad mood for the rest of the day and I really just wanted to push off my run until tomorrow. I knew that wasn't a good idea but I was mad about my weigh in, mad about my attitude, mad about over eating, mad about not just going for my run this morning, mad about so many things. Patrick kept pushing me to go (which was irritating me even more) and I finally got to the point where I got frustrated enough to just go.

What a run!

My long Saturday run is supposed to be at a speed 1-2 minutes slower than my weekday and race day pace. This is to try to prevent injury and to maintain stamina on a long distance run. I went out with the best intentions to go nice and slow with 13-14 minute miles. I changed my watch to run 45:45 intervals just to test it out and to hopefully go slower than Wednesday since I would be running less.

Maybe I need to go for a run when I'm pissed off more often...

Today's long training run was 37:40 and a total distance of 3.10 miles.

Mile 1- 12:20
Mile 2- 12:11
Mile 3- 11:32
Mile 0.1- 1:35

I averaged 4.9 mph and my top speed hit was 7.3 mph.

I'm happy with the improvements of my mile times, not just in this week but since starting back running in May, but at the same time I really need to reign it in on my long distance training run. I am hoping that once my niece starts running with me to train for the 5K in September it will help me to slow down a little.

I think I am going to try to make my weekday runs just a little farther in distance, but we'll see what the week brings. My next training run will be 4 miles next Saturday. Since I'm training for a shorter distance race in September I don't need to increase the mileage too much yet. I am looking forward to getting back into the double digit miles, but that won't be for a month or two.

Directions

I am having a difficult time deciding which direction I want my blog to go in. I want to stick with the health, weight loss, running, fitness theme, however I find that I am consistently setting and failing my goals. I highly doubt that anything I have put out there has been considered inspiring or insightful and that's really not the way I want to go.

I wanted to make a blog mainly for myself. A place to write down my thoughts and my accomplishments. A nice, neat place I could go to that held everything I wanted/needed to remember about this journey I'm on. Keeping a journal didn't seem realistic since I wanted to include photos and I could only imagine what number journal I would have filled by now. So I decided to start this blog.

I will not lie or pretend that I didn't care if I had any followers. Of course I do want people to read what I have to say. I don't consider myself to be inspirational or full of good advice, but in all honesty I was hoping that maybe I could be relatable. I want to share my experiences of successes and failures so that maybe, just maybe one person could know that there is someone out there dealing with similar things (weight struggles, self esteem issues, motivation issues, a love for running, etc).

I honestly don't know if I have been able to do that for anyone. All I know is that the way it's been going has not been working very well for me. My hope was to blog daily or at the very least 5 days a week. There have been weeks where I have had more to say and weeks where I am too exhausted at the end of the day to type out what I had to eat or the silly things that have been going through my mind.

So I'm thinking of changing the direction of my blog. I want there to be a specific thing I talk about each day. One day I will write about my running adventures, successes and failures for the previous week. Another day I may talk about personal training (as soon as that starts up). I am thinking about including a "throw back Thursday" where I include past pictures of myself (granted there are not that many since I'm usually behind the camera). Maybe a "thankful Tuesday" post to list a few things that I am thankful for from the past week (both about myself/my body and about the people in my life who support me along the way). And maybe once a week showing the outfits I've put together for work since dressing up helps with my self esteem.

I think having more of a schedule of things to write about will help with the direction I want to go in and make it less stressful when I'm sitting there trying to think of something to write about and have nothing insightful to say. It may continue to be thoughts that are not insightful, but at least I will be consistently posting and staying on topic.

Keep an eye out for these changes! I'll be incorporating some of them now, however I will be committing to all of these changes starting August 1st.

I am hoping that if I continue to see success with my weight loss and fitness goals then I will become somewhat of a motivation to other people, but more importantly I want to motivate myself. I need to be my number one cheerleader and I need to be the only one holding myself accountable. It is not up to my husband, my mom, a personal trainer..

If I'm not willing to do any of this for me then I know I won't do it for anyone else. I need to want this weight loss for me, my health, my happiness. I need to want this fitness challenge for me, my health, my happiness. And most importantly, I will find success, I will be healthy and I will be happy.

Running Recap

It took me a little longer than I care to admit to get out of bed this morning. The idea of getting up early every single morning to run is not one I like to think about. So it's a simple solution.. Don't think, just do! 

If I set my workout clothes out the night before or even if I wear them to bed, I am more likely to get up after hitting snooze once or twice (or miraculously yesterday, not at all). Today I laid in bed for a whole hour before turning off the alarm and getting ready for my run. 

Patrick was up and out the door headed for work long before my alarm went off and since my parents are amazing and supportive, Isabel spent the night so that I could get in my run bright and early instead of waiting until Patrick got home tonight. I enjoyed the quiet apartment before leaving for my scheduled 4 mile run.

A little before the halfway mark I had to decide whether I was going to keep going or turn around and go home. I take this route often enough to know where certain points are, like distance markers... and dogs... 

Just before the halfway point is a house. Their backyard has two horse stalls and I have been able to pet one of the horses a couple times since it's so close to the pathway. They also have two dogs. They're small, but they're loud and I have been scared more than once when running by this house. Not enough to stop running, but enough to be aware.

Today was different though. As I approached the house I could see and hear the dogs. But instead of coming to the fence and barking at me, the smallest of the two found a spot in the fence that he could get out of. He barked, he growled, he bared his teeth and he followed me down the path.

I walked backwards, facing him the entire time, and I walked down the path so as not to upset him by running away. I yelled at him to go home. He eventually lost interest the further away I got from his home, but I have never been so frightened. I don't think I was so much frightened of the dog, I was frightened because I didn't know how to handle the situation. Time to start reading up on more safety tips!

The rest of the run was uneventful. I thankfully had my GPS watch on, so I didn't take the rest of my planned run since it would bring me by the dog three more times. I kept running, but I took a different course.

My hopes for today were to finish each of the first three miles under 14 minutes and then run the last mile to continue my streak. And... I did it!!!

So my plan is to run my future runs using 45:1 intervals. I will continue using the 45:1 intervals until we start training for LA. Since Rachel and I are training and running the race together we will be using 30:1 per her request. But all other runs will be at the higher intervals.

Total distance: 4.34

Total time: 58:12

Mile 1- 13:57

Mile 2- 13:50

Mile 3- 13:54

Mile 4 (streak)- 11:37

Mile 0.34- 4:52

Saturday Morning Running Recap

It's been a few weeks since I have stuck with my scheduled long run. I know that in order for me to improve my running then I need to actually go for my run.

Today was an easy 3 mile run, 2 miles using intervals and a 1 mile run to continue the streak.

I felt tired just setting my alarm last night for 6:30, already dreading the early morning annoyance of that dreaded beeping sound. But, after pressing the snooze button twice, it wasn't that difficult to get myself up out of bed and dressed for my run. I kept telling myself that I would feel great when I got back, I just had to get myself out the door first.

The first two miles felt faster than they actually were. I didn't experience too much pain like I normally do the first few miles, so I was a little disappointed when the time showed up as 13:59 for mile one and 14:04 for mile two. My goal was to run both miles under 14 minutes because I wanted to increase my time on the running interval to 45 seconds, but I wanted to earn it.

That's not to say that I can't just up the time, but I think I'm going to keep it at 30:1 intervals until I can successfully run two miles using intervals under 14 minutes each. This could be tomorrow, sometime next week or on my long run next Saturday. Who knows! All I do know is that I am really loving my me time out there running and I am excited to keep up with my schedule.

I can definitely tell a difference in my legs. They are getting stronger and I am really excited to see the difference physically. I missed these runners legs the last few months and I am proud of what I've been doing to get them back to where they were and then some.

I really do miss being able to run 11-13 minute miles consistently. I know this is slow to some people, but it was fast for me and I can't wait to work my way back to that. I know that when I do up my running interval time I will be running faster miles just based on the fact that I'll be running farther per mile than I am now. I need to learn patience...

Mile 1- 13:59
Mile 2- 14:04
Mile 3- 11:13
Mile 0.24- 3:15

Total distance: 3.24 miles
Total time: 42:48

Today's run brings my Dopey Challenge Savings to a total of $63.52, which I think is pretty awesome since I've only been at this for a little less than a month.

I started thinking about the Dopey Challenge while out there today and was getting excited thinking about making a training schedule. There are going to be a lot of miles happening next year and I am really excited for the physical and mental challenge. I know it's crazy to start thinking about already since it's a year and a half away, but this is my purpose for running right now and I can only hope that I get a chance to run it.

Logging Miles

I have a tendency to buy a notebook, write in it for a few days, make a mistake or decide that I want to write something differently and then tear out the used pages. This goes on until the notebook is no longer usable and I have to throw it away and get a new one.

I am constantly looking for notebooks, constantly buying notebooks and constantly giving Isabel half used notebooks. She has close to 20 notebooks that she draws in and writes letters or stories. At least she gets good use out of it.



The other day I was in Home Goods when I found a notebook. 

I thought about what I would use it for and couldn't think of anything, but I put it in my cart anyway. It wasn't until I got home that I knew exactly what it would be good for... 

I have yet to start a log for my miles. I kept one all last year, logging every single mile. I started one for this year as well, but I didn't start tracking again when I started running last week.

Instead I felt the need to make a fresh start with it the same way I was making a fresh start with running and my weight loss journey. I've been tracking my miles by using my bank account when transferring a dollar for every mile I've been walking and/or running. But this isn't enough and I like the idea of writing it down in a log format because I can imagine the pride I'm going to feel when I hit major milestones and especially when I fill the whole thing up.

I know it's going to take a lot of days and a lot of miles to fill the notebook up, but I'm looking forward to that because it's the best part of this whole process. Logging my miles after a run is the evidence that you went out and did it. No matter if it was a good run or a bad run, a fast run or a slow run, a walk or intervals or a mile run straight through.. Coming home and writing it down is more than just evidence, it means your run is done for the day! That's a good feeling.

Tuesday May 28th

I had absolutely zero energy, zero motivation and zero desire to workout today.

 

So I turned to some friends and to Patrick to both physically and mentally push me out the door to get in my scheduled workout.

 

It's difficult to get in a good workout when you really don't want to. But I went out, ran my 30:1 intervals for a mile, ran a mile straight (how am I doing this?!?), a (slow) mile with 30:1 intervals and then I walked the last mile home. I had only scheduled 2 miles today, plus an extra mile for the streak, so I didn't feel too guilty about walking in the last mile since it was extra. Plus, it gave me extra money for my Dopey Challenge Savings.

 

I came home and completed level one of Ripped in 30. I followed the modified version because I am still allowing my wrist to heal and because I am just not strong enough yet to push my body that hard. I want to work my way up and this is the best way to do it for me.

 

I am so embarrassed by my menu today. I definitely let PMS get the best of me and I feel weak because of it. But it's just one day and one day is not going to define my success or the rest of my week. It actually helped push me to look online for some help and suggestions and I found an article that I'm planning on reading and hopefully sharing here about running and losing weight. Stay tuned..

Tuesday May 28th
 

Breakfast: 

20 swedish fish
 

Lunch:

Chocolate malted crunch ice cream

Pringles
 

Snack:

Pretzel sticks
Diet dr pepper
 

Dinner: 

Homemade hot wings
 

No fast food: ✔

No regular soda: ✔

No scale: ✔

Water: 6

Workout: 4.32 miles- 1 mile intervals, 1 mile run, 1 mile intervals, 1 mile walk. Level one Ripped in 30.

Positive: I had no motivation to workout tonight so I sought out motivation and an extra kick in the butt and it worked.

I am 2 days into my streak and have successfully walked over 10,000 steps both days so far. Looking forward to seeing how far I can go! And I'm so grateful to both Patrick and my online friends for the push. Without you I probably would have stayed in bed, but instead I am enjoying the endorphins and plan on sleeping very well tonight!

Monday May 27th- Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day!


I've read quite a few posts on Facebook wishing other's a Happy Memorial Day, but by far the best one I've seen says: "Happy Memorial Day! Remember, today isn't just about a day off from work, the unofficial start of summer, and cookouts. It's about remembering those who fight for our right to have all of those things and more... Thank you to all who have served and are serving!" Perfectly said.

After my not so good/not so bad weigh in this morning I decided that the first thing that needs to change are my eating habits. Although I was eating better than I had been in the past few months, it was not enough of  a change and I found myself falling back into bad habits towards the end of the week. Last week I posted about how I found a few smoothie recipes that I wanted to try and I thought there is no better time to try something new.

Today I tried the Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie as part of my breakfast and it wasn't bad. I followed the recipe as best I could, however I had to adjust slightly by using soy milk.

Peanut butter banana smoothie

1/2 cup fat free milk

1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt

2 Tbsp creamy natural unsalted peanut butter

1/4 very ripe banana

1 Tbsp honey

4 ice cubes

Combine the milk, yogurt, peanut butter, banana, honey and ice cubes in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and serve.

I enjoyed the smoothie and feel full with including it with my breakfast. I could definitely taste the yogurt, which I wasn't expecting and may add more banana and peanut butter next time. I am really looking forward to trying some of the other recipes I have saved.

I have decided to track my food and exercise a different way. Writing things down does help me to see what I'm eating and I am able to look back on what I can work on from week to week. The problem is, it's awkward to pull out a notebook and hand write what I'm eating when I'm out with other people. Most everyone I am close with and would do that with knows that I am trying to lose weight, so it's no secret, but at the same time I find that I can be more discreet about it by tracking on my phone.

I'm going to try that this week and see if I find a difference between the two. I always have my phone on me and it's very easy to track on the Notes app and copy/paste into my blog. I think this might be the way to go for me, nice and easy.

Monday May 27th

Breakfast: 

Peanut butter banana smoothie

Banana (left over from smoothie recipe)

2 Kellogg's special k strawberry waffles

1 Tbsp peanut butter 

Lunch:

Smashburger- Fresh Mex chicken sandwich

Sweet potato fries

Haystack onions

Snack:

8 swedish fish

Dinner: 

Hamburger loaf on french bread

Pringles

Diet dr pepper

No fast food: ✔

No regular soda: ✔

No scale: ❌ (weigh in day)

Water: 8

Workout: 2.34 mile walk, 1 mile run, arm workout, ab workout

Positive: I ran a mile straight without stopping!

Today was the first day of streak running. My goal was to go out there and run as much of the mile as I could. About a tenth of a mile in I was huffing and puffing and I felt the need to walk. But I pushed through and I'm so glad I did.

I can think of one time in my life that I've run a mile straight through. One time. In 28 years.

The streak is going to push me to run a mile straight every day for the next 38 days. It's also going to help push me to get in the 10,000 steps a day that I've set  as my goal. 

I feel like today was a good day and I am truly proud of myself.

"It's Time to Start Streaking!"

While checking Facebook this morning I came across this:

Runnersworld.com/streak

I went to the website facts and realized that this is something that I can do. I'm going to attempt to run a mile straight each day, but will only go as far as I can until I incorporate intervals. I'm adjusting it to me and my needs and abilities. Maybe by the end I will be able to run a mile (or more) straight. Who knows!

I know that there is going to be a period of time before the challenge is up that I will find it difficult to get in that mile as we will be on vacation, but I am dedicated to make it happen.

Who knows, maybe I can make this streak last for more than the 39 days (5/27-7/4). Maybe I can make it 50 days in a row. Or 100 days. Or even a whole year straight. Anything is possible, right?

I'm going to start small and just attempt to make it through this challenge before I start getting bigger ideas in my mind. Basically I just plan on adding one additional mile to my already planned out workout schedule for this week and then add it to the following workout schedules I make. I also plan on keeping track of my streak to the right under my Dopey Challenge Savings.

Caution.. Streaking in Progress!

Early Morning Run

Today was my first long run since training for the LA Marathon in March. I wasn't expecting much since my last two weekday runs didn't go as well as I had hoped, but I was also excited to get out there to start increasing my miles again.

It was difficult to get into it, especially the first two miles. But the third mile felt great and I'm really glad that I went out and completed the run first thing this morning so that I don't have to worry about completing it for the rest of the day. I also completed my leg and arm workout as scheduled for the day.

I wish I had something interesting to write about my run this morning. Something funny or a thought that I had while out there that was meaningful. I tend to do my best thinking while out running, which is one of the reasons I don't listen to music on runs anymore...

But this run was just a run and my most common thought this morning was "It's only 3 miles. You can do 3 miles. You're almost done. Just keep going."

My goal this morning was to run each mile under 14 minutes. I know I said that I don't want to focus on speed, but at the same time I want to see myself improve. When I get to the point of obsession with how fast or slow I am going then I will re-evaluate, but for now I'm okay with my goal. I almost made it too..



Total distance: 3.1 miles
Total time: 43:05

Mile 1- 13:56
Mile 2- 14:01
Mile 3- 13:20
Mile 0.1- 1.44

It's a good place to start. I plan on going up to 5 miles next weekend with the same 30:1 intervals. I'm not sure yet when I plan on moving up to 45:1 intervals. I guess I'll know when the time is right.

Thursday May 23rd

Today's run felt better than Tuesday's. I maintained about the same speed as that run even though there were a few different factors.

I ran at my parents house today, which has inclines on the route I go instead of the flat course on the wash. I also went in the afternoon, so it was a lot warmer out. 

To be honest, I felt like I was going faster than I was, and I felt that twinge of panic. I felt like I was pushing myself and still went slower than I had hoped. I felt like it was going to take a lot for me to improve in any way. I felt every inch of my body with each step I took.

I literally almost slapped myself across the face. 

Those things are not important, at least not right now. This is the second run for me. I have room for improvement and I have plenty of time to make those improvements the right way.

The main thing I need to focus on is one of my favorite quotes I've seen on pinterest and I use it often as a mantra while running:
 



Today's run was 2.13 miles and it took me exactly 30 minutes. 

Mile 1- 13:48

Mile 2- 14:23

Mile 0.13- 1:49

 

My eating could have been better today. I felt very snacky all day and couldn't shake that feeling. I know the problem started by me not having breakfast this morning. That plus working out this morning I just didn't do well. I really need to go grocery shopping to prevent this. Usually, if I have the choice, I will pick the healthy food. But since the refrigerator is looking pretty bare I went for the unhealthy choices.

 

Tomorrow is another day. And I'm not going to spend the rest of the night wallowing over my choices for today. All I can do is know that I can make better choices tomorrow. And that's exactly what I plan on doing. I will not let one day derail me for the rest of the week!

Tuesday May 21st

Another successful day, which makes me feel so good about so many things. I feel good about what I'm doing to change my body. I feel good about how I'm going about changing my body. I feel healthier by simply eating better food. I feel happier by simply working out. I feel like I'm worth the time I'm spending on me. And I am not expecting to see dramatic changes in an unrealistic time frame.

I'm simply making manageable changes that I can do for a lifetime.

I decided today to start wearing my pedometer to track my daily steps. Starting next week I will begin to aim to hit 10,000 steps each day. Yesterday I hit just over 8,000 and today I should hit 7,000. I feel like a few adjustments will need to be made in order to get in those extra steps to reach my goal next week.

I didn't take any pictures today other than of my daily tracker, but I did get in my scheduled workout. I started with my arms and legs this morning and completed my 2 mile run right before dinner. Endorphins are amazing and make me happy.

Another tracked day.

 

My run went well tonight. It was nice to get back into it, even if it was more difficult than I would have hoped. It's been 65 days today since I've been for a run and my body could feel it. I took it nice and slow and enjoyed just being out there again. The old me would have been upset or felt the need to justify my time, but this time I am running for a specific purpose. I am running specifically for distance. Yes, there is a finish time that I have to aim for, but I'm about 2 minutes faster than that right now and feel like I will improve by more than that in the next year and a half (I would hope at least!)

 

As of right now, I am aiming to finish each mile under 15 minutes. That's slow enough to avoid injury and gives me a good starting point to get back to my consistent 11:30-13 minute miles for farther distances if I can build myself up slowly.

 

I'm not a fast runner and I will probably never be a fast runner. I only know what works for me and in order for me to finish a run I need to do two things. 1) I need to keep it at a reasonable speed and 2) I need to run intervals. I use the Galloway method and love it! It's what works best for me. I've been able to run one mile straight through once in my life and I just know that it's not something I will be able to do for 26.2 miles straight.

 

Normally I run 45:1 intervals, meaning I run for 45 seconds and walk for 1 minute. I built myself up to 1:1 intervals last year for my solo half marathon, but since I am just starting back up I have taken myself down to running 30:1 intervals for now. Just until I can get my body back into it. I would like to take the next year and a half to build myself up to at least 1:1 intervals for Dopey, if not longer running intervals.

 

Tonight's run was a distance of 2.30 miles on the wash. I walked the first 0.15 to get to the wash, ran intervals for 2 miles and walked 0.15 miles back home.

 

Can't complain for my first time back at it in 65 days!

 

Mile 1- 14:17

Mile 2- 13:45

Mile 0.30- 4:30

I'm looking forward to tracking my improvements with both my strength and my running. I do intend to work on my speed, but it's not my top priority. I am really looking forward to going out again for another run on Thursday. And I'm also looking forward to my first attempt at the Jillian Michael's yoga DVD I recently bought. I have never attempted yoga, and I know that her DVD is not like regular yoga, but it should be a nice change of pace.