Memorial Weekend

Well the weekend is not done by far but had some thoughts running through my head and thought it best to jot them down here.  Yesterday I ran with my 9 year old running buddy Samantha in the Girls on the Run 5k in Coldwater.  We finished in 32:45!  What a great accomplishment for this kid.  She listened to her coach and followed what was asked of her when it came to her training.  She told me "My coach says you have to have a pace."  "My coach says you run the first half of the race a little slower so you can finish fast."  Well this kid held her pace, she was breathing easy and was offended that people would "liter" by throwing their water cups on the road.  I had to explain that this is common in a race and that someone would pick them up after the race was done.  She did great and I hope she sticks with it because she is definately on runner to look out for.

Today I went for my long run, 12 miles.  What a nice 12 they were.  It was very humid and I don't know what weighed more my Fuel Belt or the humidity.  I started out easy and just fell into nice pace and finished my last 2-3 miles in a little bit faster pace.  I am following Hal Higdon's Half Marathon training program for advanced runners.  I have never gone wrong with Hal and I hope this plan gets me where I want to be at the end of June for Pictured Rocks.

Had a very interesting music playlist today and I only listen to music on long runs by the way.  I don't care for music during speed work or just daily maintence runs.  So anyway I had songs from the 70's, 80's and now.  I mixed up ABBA Dancing Queen, with some Twisted Sister and Boston and topped it off with Foster the People and some Coldplay. 

Tomorrow will just be a quick run around the country block and then a cook out at my parents.  The picture is of the Millpond in Concord along the Falling Water Trail I took the trail into Concord ran around the village and went back home down the trail.  It was just beautiful and peaceful this morning.  So happy I am able to partake in my favorite past time in such a beautiful place! :)

TGIF

The best part of waking up today was Folgers in my cup and 3 homemade chocolate chip cookies to go along with it.  Waited until the afternoon to go out and run was hoping for some sunshine but we never got any today.  I am starting to think I live in Washington State rather than Michigan with all the rain we have been getting lately.

So I did an easy 6 today at a 8:40 pace up and around my Grandpa's farm.  I love to run around the farm it brings back many memories and it is just a nice peaceful place to run.  When I run around the farm I can get my thoughts together and work out any worries I may have.  So it was a therapeutic run today. 

I am looking forward to running with Samantha tomorrow in her Girls on the Run 5k.  Sam's mom is pregnant so I am running with her.  She is a good little runner and I hope she keeps on gettin' on with her running!

Rain When Will You Be DONE???

Seems like it has rained all week.  Last night I went out and ran in between thunderstorms.  Tonight I am taking the night off, tomorrow is actually my rest day but I just do not feel like getting out in the cold wet stuff tonight.  Rain and 45 degrees out you would think it was the first of April not the end of May.

I have to share about my Runners World Traiing log book my mom come across while cleaning out her upstairs.  It was from 1987 the summer when I was training for college cross country.  It had my mileage, my times and my wieght!  It was really cool to look back and see the training I was doing back then.  I was of course faster and lighter! 

Well tomorrow I will be back at the grind again in my running probably an easy 5-6 and the nSaturday I will run with my running buddy in the Girls on the Run race.  I bought us matching knee socks to go with our T shirts! Will post pics!  Sunday will be the long run 12-13.

Weekend Follies

What a weekend!  Friday was a rest day and then Saturday morning I wake up and get ready to travel to Marshall for a 5k.  My goal was to get under 24 minutes since i am familiar with the course this year.  I had my new racing flats on, mighty light weight ones by Brooks, and I felt good during my warm up.  Hips were a little tight but they always seem to be so I stretched real good.

So waiting for the 9am start and it starts 9 minutes late.  I hate those people who insist to be in the front even though their pace is a like a 10 minute mile not that mine is all that fast but yeah i am running 2-2 1/2 minutes faster than you lady!!!  So anyway the horn blows and off we go down and around the fountain up Michigan and then we run up one street and get to the street the hospital is on and that is when the weirdest pain creeps up in my belly and rest between my belly and and my lower lungs I go by the first mile marker at 7:49 right where I want to be.  I continue on and up the long climb of the 2 mile marker I am at 16 minutes and say in my head "WTF" I felt like i was at the same pace but I had slowed down so now i kick it in and finish the last mile a little faster.  I finish in 24:40 and i am disappointed.  It was a good run except for that pain that hung in there up until the 2 mile marker.  Maybe that is why I slowed down or it could have been the fact that the guy in front of spit way up high in the air and all his "after spit" flew in my face.  A-Hole I shout in my head. 

But all in all I did not do to bad I am just not where I wanted to be.  So more speed work and pace work for me.  On the bright side I did get a free massage and a cherry Popsicle after the race!

On Sunday I went out to do 12 miles and if not for the song that came on my MP3 player Help is on the Way by Rise Against I don't know if I would have made it.  That song gave me the extra boost I needed right then.  I was a about 23 meters shy of 12 miles but whose counting! 

So now on to a new week with a quick run tonight and some strength training and then tomorrow 4x1600 at race pace.  Goal 1/2 marathon race pace for Pictured Rocks is 8:30.

So lets do this thing! DESTROY YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Runners' High

It's no longer sport, no longer just a game.
It has become a way of life.
Every breath is a stride, every heartbeat a string of silence.
It is a compulsion from deep within.
It is a passion for glory.
To go through the torment.
To last through the waiting.
To gain that one moment, alone with myself.
And only the few, who chance to strive, can know the experience.
To hear nothing but breath.
To feel nothing but heartbeat.
To feel so much like hell, running so close to heaven.
This is the Runners' High.
This is the feeling I live for.
This is the goal I strive toward.
If my chance disappears, part of my life would end.

Opportunities are Knocking and the Dog's are a Barkin'

Well I found out this week that I was picked as an Ambassador for Snickers MArathon Bars.  What does this mean?  It means I get free running gear with the Marathon Bar logo on them and Marathon Bars to hand out at races and events.  I will find out more next week when I attend the mandatory webinar.

This weeks running has been going good I did 4x800's Tuesday night and held a 3:40 pace for all 4 of them!  i was stoked and I felt great.  Today was the first day in quite awhile i was able to run with the sun shining on me.  It has been so cool, rainy and dreary all week.  Sunday i did 10.5 in the cold rain.  I was soaked and chilled to the bone when i finished.

Having some problems with a dog who likes to charge out at me when I run by.  Of course it is across the road from the dog that bit me last fall.  So the owners were warned by the police that if they got another call from me about thier dog chasing me out in the road they would come back and ticket them.  Well the damn thing come out at me again.  I cussed those people out and threatened to call the police again.  How hard is it people to put up a fence or put your dog on a leash??  Well let all my neighbors know that it is not hard for me to go and get my CCW and that is what I am going to do this summer.  Then when any damn dog comes out into the right of way I will shoot it because I am totally fed up with irresponsible dog owners.  It's not the dog's fault its the fault of the owner period.  That is all I am going to say about that.

Back to the running, I run in Marshall this weekend there is a long slow climb during mile 2 and then it is a downhill finish!  Should be fun this year now that I know the course!

Week of May 16th

Well I skipped a week of blogging.  I was running just not blogging!  So anyway this was a tough week to get runs in.  Very busy week and then it went hot humid really quick and now rain and cold.  One extreme to the other!

I was able to log another 30 miles but no speedwork, only a tempo run but I do not consider that a real speed workout.  Tuesday night i ran with my running buddy for Girls On The Run.  We did 3 miles and she did a great job for a 3rd grader.  She told me thier coach was teaching them about having a pace.  Samantha had a pace too!  It was about a 11:30 pace but hey the kid hung in there and only had to stop and take a few walking breaks.  This was great considering it was our first day this year to reach 80 degrees and none of us are use to that weather yet here in MIchigan.  The girl has endurance she will be a great runner one day I hope I can rub some of my passion off on her!

Today was my long run 10.4 miles in 41 degree weather it was rainy and windy and i had one of my best runs yet!  I love to run in the cold and rain does not bother me.  I kept an 8:40 pace for the run i am working on getting down to at least  an 8:30 pace before my first 1/2 marathon this year.  I think i am well on my way!

We will see what this week brings.  My fav song on the long run playlist this week was Flo Rider's "Right Round". 

TTFN!

It All Starts Today

Well the blog does anyway!  This is going to be dedicated to recording my everyday running and training.  Maybe a few quirky stories of what is happening in life at the time too just to spice it up a little bit.  I just a want a place I can record how my training is going, what song is my favorite on my long run playlist, how the race went etc.  This will be my running legacy I will leave behind! :)