3 miles for Thursday

To compare my legs to rubber this morning would not be fair to rubber. I think taffy would be a closer comparison. Little stiff at the start and the more they work the less strong they became. And just like taffy my legs are delicious (just kidding....maybe). The run last night really took the life out of my legs. They just got used to always getting that extra rest in between runs. After this marathon I might experiment with breaking some of my runs up between morning and night. Especially during the summer, when getting out is easier and the amount of clothing I need to wear is minimal. The run was difficult I have to admit. Thought I might have to walk a couple of times, but just gritted it out. The weather was definitely cold, but I enjoyed it. The crisp air and the sound of the hard snow crunching off my feet was really nice. I might experiment with not using the Ipod all the time, especially on the short runs. It could be another way to clear my mind. My time was nothing special, but considering the struggle it was to get through it, and all the ice and snow, I will take it. I am donating blood on Friday so I am a little concerned about the 12 mile run on Saturday, hope it goes well.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:E+Willett+Dr+to:41.317238,-105.579171&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3BFShkdgIdJAW1-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

6 miles and life blows at the moment.

So I am under the impression that I want graduate with a degree in computer science. With each day in my Computer Science II class I doubt my ability to achieve this goal. Seems no matter how hard I work I can't get caught up....let alone ahead. I have been working on last week's assignment for a week and a half. It is almost one full week late and I have another due on Friday that I am a little confused about, but that is about par for the course. I spent two hours working on that same assignment last night. Then was so worked up about not being any closer to having it done...I got up at 11:00 pm and worked for over another two hours and was no closer. When I finally went to bed it took well over an hour to fall asleep. I tried to get up at 6:15 to get my run in....but my body just would not do it. So I slept in and past my scheduled run time. I decided to not go into work so I could get assistance with this assignment from the GA. I also have a Spanish Exam tomorrow and 20 workbook pages due so I am really behind the 8 ball. I got that last project completed and all the pages in the workbook done except for the listening. So to give myself a break I decided I would do my run in the late afternoon close to 5. Big mistake.

In general I don't like running when it is dark. My night vision leaves a little something to be desired and Laramie drivers aren't the most attentive in broad daylight let alone dusk/dark. I told myself I was not going to focus on time but rather the run. I felt exhausted and nauseous before I even started. The run itself was not too bad. After the first couple of miles the upset stomach went away and I was able to clear my mind (although by mile 5 my stomach cramps were almost unbearable). I don't like not being able to see drivers clearly. Even if they make eye contact it is hard to see their intentions. Add to this the copious amounts of snow and the fact that for some reason...landlords that own apartments on Reynolds feel no moral or legal obligation to clear their sidewalks made the last 2 miles very difficult to wade through. I tried to start and stop the timer at lights but I could not tell if it was going or not so I ended up way off what I thought. I am guessing it took around an hour....so I will take it considering how crappy the rest of the day turned out. May have to take this class again...but I will be damned if I am not going to keep to my training schedule.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:41.326682,-105.591145+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdgAa1-Q%3BFVtmdgIdylG1-Q%3BFRNZdgIdZTW1-Q%3BFRtbdgIdg8a0-Q%3B%3BFXR1dgIdHf20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.309019,-105.56385&sspn=0.065762,0.153809&ie=UTF8&ll=41.319946,-105.576382&spn=0.016438,0.038452&z=15

-21 Degree Wind Chill and Tuesday 3 miler.

COLD! That is really the only way to describe the weather in Laramie and more specifically during my run around 9 this morning. I wore a couple of pairs of Mizuno cold weather pants and it surely helped. (I almost always wear my black pair in the cold...I highly recommend a pair for cold weather running). I also double up on gloves and socks. I decided to use my old running shoes because I didn't know how much snow would be plowed. Seemed like there was like 6 or 7 inches but I am not really sure. The University sidewalks were all fairly maintained and for that I was grateful. It was definitely not about the time today, but rather getting the distance put on my body. My time with stops was around 27 min and 45 secs so I am not going to get any records...although when I think back, it matched the time of my first 5K in October. I think I am just a tad short of 3.1 but close. We are under a blizzard warning for tonight and early morning. I am sure 6 miles....hope it is do-able tomorrow.

11 mile Saturday (80 miles in 4 weeks)

I really need to eat healthier the night before a long run. Had some McDonald's last night and it did not sit well in my stomach while I ran. So just a weird to the wise (wiser than me anyway) don't eat it! The weather was actually pretty nice. I was hoping for some light peaceful snowfall while I ran, but it wasn't in the cards. There were clouds, but also quite a bit of sunshine(in Laramie....go figure). Think the windchill was in the teens at the start. I felt some odd pain within my inner thigh while I was walking, just stiffness I guess. I went away fairly quickly.

I tried to tell myself at the beginning that I need to not be so concerned with time. The key is to get through these longer runs not blow the doors of them. By about a mile and a half in I was trying to go hard, I need to be better about it.

The run overall went pretty well. By about mile 6 I was pretty beat but kept going. Running up "the hill" seemed to go slow but I did indeed make it to the top. I had another idea about timing with the traffic lights and decided to just stop and start the stopwatch every time I hit a red light. This worked well with the timing...but really hurt me trying to get into a running groove. Almost got tagged by an idiot looking to turn right on red without checking to his left of off 3rd. Really made me mad. I pay attention to crosswalk/lights for a reason wish cars would do the same.

Around mile 8 started to have some chaffing (sexy I know) and that is something that is unacceptable. I hadn't been having this problem before with the pants I wear...but I think the water belt pushed them down too much while I ran. Guess I am going to start rocking the boxer briefs or compression shorts....good times.

I feel that any run over 10 miles is an accomplishment in and of itself...today was no different. This is only the 3rd time I have run at least 10 miles so I will take the pride that comes from it and enjoy it against the deadness in my legs. My time was not quite what I am hoping for, but it was pretty close to I will take it. 1 hr 40 min and 47 secs. Need to keep getting stronger in my core to help when I get tired. I can tell sit-up/crunch work is paying off.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=41.320687,-105.557671&daddr=Reynolds+St+to:S+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:N+30th+St+to:E+Harney+St+to:E+Harney+St&hl=en&geocode=%3BFUuZdgIdvc60-Q%3BFeJfdgIdjMW0-Q%3BFWFVdgId4yq1-Q%3BFaNpdgIdvFG1-Q%3BFRaBdgIdV0y1-Q%3BFap4dgIdPwa1-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5&dirflg=w&sll=41.3203,-105.562048&sspn=0.013827,0.026779&ie=UTF8&ll=41.317109,-105.565352&spn=0.013828,0.026779&z=15

Then after I did that I did this:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=N+30th+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:S+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:41.318689,-105.581703+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=FRCBdgIdUFG1-Q%3BFYlldgId0VG1-Q%3BFTJVdgIdmi-1-Q%3BFedcdgIdMcW0-Q%3B%3BFVZ1dgIdEP-0-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.322621,-105.573463&sspn=0.027653,0.053558&ie=UTF8&z=14

Thursday 3 miles when I have no time.

So I was so spent from yesterday I did not accomplish anything last night except making the imprint in my mattress a little deeper. I had toyed with running in the afternoon rather than in the morning, but once I got up I decided what the heck and went out. My legs are still feeling it from yesterday and it was not looking like a good run from the start. After the stretching I got into a decent groove until the first traffic light. Normally I wait only a few seconds...but with the amount of people driving up the hill after dropping their kids off for school and people trying to get to work by 8 I was at that cross-walk for what seemed like forever. I think it was over a minute...but since I normally don't keep track of that light I don't really know. Once I looked at my stopwatch at the end of the first mile I kind of lost all motivation to push. I did continue a good pace all the way through which is something to celebrate I guess. I am only subtracting 25 secs for the light but I am sure it was a lot more than that....I should have been paying attention. So my pathetic time for my 3 miler today was 26 min and 45 secs can't believe I am that lame. What a crappy day all-around.

Wednesday 6 miles and I am spent

So I have really given up on trying to sleep right at night. It just isn't in the cards for me with everything going on. I got up at 6:30 and rolled out of bed at 6:37. After what seems like an eternity getting dressed I headed outside. The sun was starting to come up and I could still see the moon, which is really nice that early. My first mile I passed by a couple of runners which is always nice to see. The traffic lights really drive me nuts in the morning...it seems to stop me a lot (sidenote...I do calculate the time out of my run when I post my times....full disclosure). Overall the run was ok...I had a bit of pain in my shoulder that last for about 3 miles but that was it until I stopped running and took my shower. I will have to post my time later because I don't have it in front of me...but I know I was a tad better than 9 minute mile, so that makes me happy. The recovery time is something that is starting to concern me. I thought I gave myself plenty of time to relax and get showered but my legs had other plans. They have an overall ache in them that I do not enjoy. I think I need more time resting in the hot water(please don't suggest ice baths...I am not at that point of insanity...yet). I have told myself on Wednesday I am just not going to get anything done during the 1 hour break I have in the morning. I just come home...eat some breakfast....and lay down for about half an hour. Having to work that afternoon makes that down time all the more necessary. Thanks to you that are following (and voting in my poll) I hope you all have a great day. And Happy Birthday Jessica!

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:41.326682,-105.591145+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdgAa1-Q%3BFVtmdgIdylG1-Q%3BFRNZdgIdZTW1-Q%3BFRtbdgIdg8a0-Q%3B%3BFXR1dgIdHf20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.309019,-105.56385&sspn=0.065762,0.153809&ie=UTF8&ll=41.319946,-105.576382&spn=0.016438,0.038452&z=15

ok....so I guess I lied...my time for today was 54:48....so I did indeed miss it (9 min mile) again. Grrrrrrrrrrr!

Week 4 first 3 miler

So I know I tend to complain a lot...but the heater is broke again. Stayed on the whole damn weekend and is still going. Besides for impacting my sleep, it really just sucks the energy right out of me. Called the property manager yesterday and have not heard back. This is seriously starting to piss me off. But I digress....

After I made my butt get out of bed around 8 it took me a little while to get my wits. I sleepily made my way to my starting point and did my stretches. As I started to run my body gave me some definite attitude. I normally don't get a lot of pain on the short runs, but today was different. I ended up with a stich in my side for most of the run which went away about 10 minutes after I was done. The weather was cold but nice. The sun was out and I only had to dodge two groups of people walking. My shoelace did untie at one point. I hate that...it always makes me question my abilities to put on my own clothes. I was happy when this run was over....I had way too much to do today. It did feel nice to keep to my schedule though. My time was 25 mins 23 secs which was solid considering my mood and how I felt. My first bump starts tomorrow with a 6 mile run compared to 5 for last week. Should be good times if I can get some flipping rest. Coincidentally...if any of you that are reading this know someone that is good at Discrete Structures send 'em my way!

My route is the same as all my other 3 mile runs.

Saturday Short/Long Run

So my schedule had me doing a long run of only 6 miles. The thing is the weather is really nice for January so I decided to go a bit farther and run 7.2 miles. I had a hard time enjoying the music today, which was weird for me. Just seemed like my brain was everywhere for the first 5 miles. After that I kind of found myself and got a little more focused. I am really pleased with my time of 64 min and 41 secs. That breaks down to an 8 min 59 sec mile which is 1 sec per mile better than my goal. I am really happy about it. I know 7.2 is barely 1/4 of the distance I need to go...but since I had not been able to break the 9 min mile on my 5 mile runs, this gives me encouragement.

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:Unknown+road+to:41.322428,-105.567369+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdCga1-Q%3BFetudgIdplG1-Q%3BFZZadgIdlDW1-Q%3BFS1bdgIdc8W0-Q%3BFTyWdgIdAtK0-Q%3B%3BFZx1dgIdh_q0-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5&sll=41.320881,-105.569687&sspn=0.032682,0.076904&ie=UTF8&z=14

Thursday 3 miler week 3

So the heater is fixed...still had trouble sleeping. Just need to get in a routine I think. I finally forced myself up at 8:00 am. The weather is still chilly(in the teens) but the sun was out in full force which is nice in the winter. While walking my first couple of blocks I noticed a few people behind me. When I went to stretch before I started running they walked passed me followed by a women who was moving at a pretty good clip. I used her as motivation to get me moving towards that first mile. It seemed to take a little longer than usual to get my breathing where I wanted so that is a little concerning. Once I put that first mile behind me I went into a solid pace. Around mile two I starting feeling a little weak, but kept pushing. Once I got home I looked at the time and I ran my route in 24 mins and 45 secs. This is the first time I have ever broken that 25 minute barrier. I did feel pretty weak for awhile...so maybe I pushed too hard. It is 6 hour later and I feel pretty good. This may sound dumb, but I did not think that my shorter distances would get easier. I am now setting some personal goals for whenever I run my next 5k. School was rough...but running makes it all seem better.

The route is the same as the other 3 milers...if anyone is that curious.

Wednesday 5 miler Week 3

The difficulty of trying to follow a training schedule, attend school full time, and work part time has hit me right in the face. Today was the first day that I had to cut my sleeping time in order to make running time. The heater still is not fixed in the apartment and I am still not getting as much sleep as my body needs. I had to get up at 6:45 to try and make sure I had enough time to get in the run before class at 9:00. Normally I am a morning person, but the last week has just been nightmare trying to wake up. I did get up right when I needed to. I was out the door at 5 after 7 and for that I was proud of myself. It was cold but really quite manageable. I passed a couple of other morning runners and that always motivates me. Just wish they would make eye contact or smile or wave or something. I want to make runner friends. The run itself wasn't too bad. There seemed to be more ice than yesterday...melting snow does that I guess. The early morning smells along Grand and 3rd were not very pleasant today and really got to me. Someone really needs to learn to not burn things yuck. My pace was a fairly constant. I thought that I might be able to hit my 9 min mile goal for 5 miles...but I was still a bit off. My time was 45 min 29 secs.

I have really been struggling the rest of today. My legs feel like rubber and I am really hungry. I had to rush through my shower to get to class on time and did not take the usual time to stretch in the bathtub. Today has really kicked my butt. I am really going to have to want it in order to do this to myself every Wednesday....but I want this as much as I have anything...so bring it on!

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:E+Harney+St+to:41.318141,-105.582519+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFXpldgId0lG1-Q%3BFZZadgIdlDW1-Q%3BFcd7dgIdp9G0-Q%3B%3BFW11dgIdnP20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.317529,-105.579128&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&ll=41.315691,-105.576253&spn=0.016342,0.038452&z=15

Week 3

I went to the gym on Sunday and did 45 hard minutes on the Stairmaster. I was surprised that I could have done a lot more. Just felt like I needed to scale back a little. Monday was the start of a new semester. I was dreading it already, but this semester is really going to be rough. The heater is still going non-stop and I haven't had a decent night's sleep in a week. I have really started to notice that on the days I don't get out to run, my attitude is more pessimistic than on the days I do run. I thought this might be an issue when I started this training schedule...but I need to just push through. We had a lot of snow yesterday, and many sidewalks have not been shoveled. I do enjoy running in the snow. Today was a 3 mile day. It just seems like a little more fun. My time was not quite as good as last week, but it was a really decent run. My time was 26 min 46 sec. I want more days that I run while it is snowing instead of where there is snow on the ground.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:E+Willett+Dr+to:41.317238,-105.579171&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3BFShkdgIdJAW1-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

9 mile Saturday

The weather is pretty cold here today. The wind chill was around 0 degrees when I started. I decided to try to take a little Gatorade with me to try to mix in with the sips of water. Going up the first mile my hamstrings felt tight but about two miles into the run they loosened up. Around 2.6 miles in I came upon an accident on 15th and Grand. I was slowing down to see if they need any help when a police officer came by with her lights on and got out to help them. I decided to stay out of the way and continue on my run. When I got to third street it felt like my pace slowed a little. I am not sure why but I didn't bother to look at the stopwatch. Once I got on Reynolds I tried to kick it up a little bit and it felt pretty good. The big hill between Reynolds and Harney felt like it might eat me up today, but I got up it in a solid pace and continued on for the last two miles which is identical to the last 2 miles of my normal 3 mile run. The last mile and half I kicked up the tempo a bit and maintained that pace the rest of the way home. As soon as a stopped running and went into my walking tempo my legs seized up a little. That is worrisome to me. I stretched a bit before I went it. My time for the 9 miles is 1 hr 23 min 22 sec. It is right in line with what I am working towards so I am pleased. I think tomorrow I am going to go up to the gym and spend some serious time on the stairmaster.

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:N+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:N+30th+St+to:41.313499,-105.557585+to:E+Lewis+St+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgId1ga1-Q%3BFextdgIdqlG1-Q%3BFWhYdgIdUTW1-Q%3BFTZbdgId9sS0-Q%3BFaKZdgIduMu0-Q%3BFUiOdgIdtVG1-Q%3B%3BFQhqdgIdMgK1-Q%3BFWp1dgIdz_20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=6&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5,6,7&sll=41.315788,-105.568829&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&ll=41.315788,-105.568829&spn=0.032684,0.076904&z=14

Ignore the distance indicator...it can't do overlapping very well.

3 mile Thursday

So I didn't sleep much last night. My apartment heater won't shut down and it is really warm in here. I put my fan up in the window last night and it cooled things off...so much that the cat would not let me sleep. When I woke up I wondered about the wind. When I checked the weather it said the wind was calm but would be up to mid 30 mph within the hour. I dressed accordingly and that was a big mistake. Within about 30 seconds I was already warm and knew it would be a long run. I started a decent pace up the hill and reached the top in around 9 min and 50 secs. At this point I switched to the Ipod and a track I downloaded by Rob Dougan. This instantly helped me kick it in gear. There were several times that I wanted stop. I just felt too hot...but I kept pushing. I decided to repeat the song one more time and by the time I was at the 2.5 mile mark my time was 22 min. I kept pushing and by the time I got home my time was 25 min and 17 sec a personal best by far. Although very tired I am feeling great. If you take out the first hill mile I averaged under an 8 minute mile. I am very excited about this. Almost makes me want to jump into a 5-k to see what I can do. Finished off the run with crunches, sit-ups, and more bicep curls. Washed it all down with the tasty smoothie!

My Route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:E+Willett+Dr+to:41.317238,-105.579171&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3BFShkdgIdJAW1-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

Wednesday 5 miler

So I woke up and heard the wind and decided to check the weather. It said the wind was blowing 40 miles per hour. I figured it was going to be a long morning...I have run in wind before, but nothing quite this bad. But the temperature was in the 20s so I was happy about that. The first mile of my run went fast...really fast....the wind definitely pushed me up the hill I had a feeling when I had to run into it on Grand that the wind would have it's revenge...and boy did it. I breath through my mouth when I run...and with all the dirt and dust swirling around it made for a long couple of miles. I also had my first experience with an emergency vehicle. One of my big fears is always that I am not sure how well I hear my surrounding....but the firetruck was a half block away and I heard it. My run time was 45:56. Once I got home I decided to weigh myself and I am down to 191.2 I am hoping I am starting to take more weight off. Overall not a bad morning.

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:N+22nd+St+to:E+Harney+St+to:41.318141,-105.582519+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFXpldgId0lG1-Q%3BFZZadgIdlDW1-Q%3BFcd7dgIdp9G0-Q%3B%3BFW11dgIdnP20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=4&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4&sll=41.317529,-105.579128&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&ll=41.315691,-105.576253&spn=0.016342,0.038452&z=15

Week 2

So yesterday started the second week of my training program. The three mid week runs follow the same pattern as last week...3 miles Tuesday, 5 miles Wednesday, 3 miles Thursday. On Saturday the long run is extended by 1 mile. Last Sunday I did some core building with sit-ups, crunches, and some intense stretching. I am getting tired of my chicken arms so I have started adding bicep curls. Once I am used to that I will also add in some tricep extensions. The run on Tuesday, January 6th went really well. I ran 3 miles in 26 min and 57 secs.

My route:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:E+Willett+Dr+to:41.317238,-105.579171&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3BFShkdgIdJAW1-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

Saturday, Jan 3rd. First long run

Well I did not sleep well last night and had a really hard day at work yesterday. I am looking forward to my first long run, even though it is 4 miles shorter than my longerst distance. I am slowly getting used to running with the water on my belt. I tried to take a couple of sips of water at the 7 mile mark and it did not sit well in my stomach. I am going to have to slowly work liquid into my runs to get my body adjusted I think.

Making myself run someone else's distance is still wearing on me. I am guessing that if I had my druthers, I would have tried to run 13 or 14 miles today. The run itself went decently well. I have to keep telling myself that I need to run 8 miles no matter what and that got to be a little monotonous but overall I thought that I did pretty well time-wise. My time was: 1 hr 18 min 16 sec. and I ended up running 8.1 miles. That is a 9 min 39 sec per mile pace.

Tomorrow is supposed to be a cross-training day, but I am thinking of just doing some solid walking and then resting on Monday.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:41.312758,-105.564966+to:S+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:N+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:Reynolds+St+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3B%3BFRlddgIdOMW0-Q%3BFe6TdgIdIsu0-Q%3BFb2RdgIdVlG1-Q%3BFaJzdgIdY_20-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=2&sz=14&via=1,2,3,4,5&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.032683,0.076904&ie=UTF8&z=14

Day three

This running as far as the schedule says is harder than I thought it would be. I got up on Thursday, January 1st determined to run a solid time. The wind was horrible and it was quite cold. The run itself went pretty well. I think if I had pushed a little farther I could have set a Personal Record/Personal Best for 5-K. As it stands I was pleased with my three mile run and time of 26 min 36 sec. Bummed I am not going to run tomorrow, but my body can use the rest I am sure.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:E+Willett+Dr+to:41.317238,-105.579171&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdHwa1-Q%3BFelqdgIdt1G1-Q%3BFShkdgIdJAW1-Q%3B&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=3&sz=15&via=1,2&sll=41.317464,-105.564494&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

Day two

It seemed a little easier making myself get going for 5 mile run. I thought I should loosen up the belt a little with the water bottles to avoid the stomach pain I was having towards the end of the run the day before. My first mile is always up a large incline. I try to set the pace knowing I will pick up at the top of the hill and try to maintain throughout the rest of the run. I seemed to be going pretty well for the first 2 miles of my run. As I got to around 2.5 I noticed the belt that holds the water was kind of low....when I reached around back to try and fix it I realized my shorts were almost down to my thighs. (I wear shorts to keep a little dignity on top of my running pants). I did not want to stop running completely because this usually kills my momentum so I worked my shorts and belt back up...while doing that I managed to somehow dislodge my cell phone that I keep i the front inside pocket of my pants. It was slowly making its way down my leg. I decided to instantly tighten the belt so it and my shorts would stay and I would deal with the stomach issues later. I then got my phone holder and phone on the outside of my pants and then correctly centered inside. I managed to keep moving the whole time. I am glad there was no one with a cell camera because I looked like a moron. My time ended up being decent and although I didn't feel great I was happy. 48 min 47 sec.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=N+30th+St+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:Business+I+80%2FE+Grand+Ave%2FUS-30+to:N+3rd+St%2FBusiness+I+80%2FUS-287%2FUS-30+to:41.318818,-105.584407+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdgAa1-Q%3BFSR5dgIddFG1-Q%3BFSlVdgIdlDC1-Q%3BFR1bdgIdZMa0-Q%3BFaB7dgIdg8i0-Q%3B%3BFXd1dgId8_y0-Q&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=5&sz=15&via=1,2,3,4,5&dirflg=w&sll=41.319108,-105.578656&sspn=0.016341,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

The first running day

So I went for the 3 mile run on the first running day of my schedule. I recently purchased a belt that holds two water bottles and fits snugly on the small of my back. I need to get used to running with this extra weight an equipment so I fill up the bottles and am off. The weather is windy and chilly, but overall very manageable. I feel like the smaller runs will be harder than my one day a week long runs. It is just really hard to psyche yourself up for distances that are a lot shorter than what you are pushing towards. The reality is this...if I don't do it I may not make the starting line. I end up running 3.1 miles in a time of 29 minutes and 5 seconds. Not great, but considering how I was feeling about the whole thing, I will take it. Feels good to have that first one down.

My route:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=E+Harney+St&daddr=41.318689,-105.557928+to:E+Lewis+St+to:E+Gibbon+St&hl=en&geocode=Fap4dgIdgAa1-Q%3B%3BFZJqdgIdbPq0-Q%3BFXd1dgId8_y0-Q&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=15&via=1,2&dirflg=w&sll=41.317786,-105.57282&sspn=0.016342,0.038452&ie=UTF8&z=15

Training Schedule

After talking to one of my friends (Nolan Orfield) that has run a marathon, I decided to try to use Hal Higdon's training schedule http://www.halhigdon.com/marathon/Mar00novice.htm. I am trying the Novice 2 Level. I started the running so that it will coincide with the Colorado Marathon on Sunday, May 3rd 2009. I started on Monday, December 29th (start with a rest day....nice!) This gives me 18 weeks to try and build up to what I am sure will be the hardest thing I will ever put my body through.

Deciding to run a marathon

On Saturday, December 20th I went out for a run not sure of the distance I would go. The windchill was a hair above freezing. A few days before I had run my personal best of 8 miles. I had hoped to at least match this. The frustrations of the semester had been starting to wear off. As I made my way through the normal 4 mile loop I was accustomed to, I felt pretty good and thought I would try to match the 8 miles for sure. The last incline to the 7 mile mark is something that pushes me every single time to almost exhaustion and once I got up to the top of that hill I decided to go all out. To add the additional 3 miles I would just need to add the next 3/4 of my 4 mile loop. This was hard, but felt incredibly rewarding. I had already decided to attempt a half marathon in May and as I was laying in the tub soaking after my run I just felt like the full marathon was something I could do. Whether I can or not only time will tell.....