Did I really just tell her I'm a runner?

Wow, I really did. I just treated myself to an overdue pedicure and found myself saying to the technician, Yes I like my toenails really short because I'm a runner and if I don't keep them short they rub the sides of my toes. It's a bit trippy to think that I now have the confidence to say to a complete stranger, I'm a runner.

This last week was tough, I only got two days of my four training days completed. And one of those days, Monday running with Sheri I had to cut short due to bathroom "issues." Seriously running has become a natural laxative for me and while that's good?!? it's not because it cuts into my running, my times and just generally frustrating. Poor Sheri! Thanks for still wanting to run with me every week! I honestly don't know if I would be as diligent on my weekday runs if it wasn't for knowing she was waiting on me. We've actually made a pact to run a full marathon together next year. We're both going to turn 40, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate.

I definitely felt the impact of not getting all my runs in. Yesterday was an 8 mile run and the first mile or so was really tough. I was breathing extremely hard and I just felt tired. I made my weekend deposit at the Biltmore (thank goodness they never question why I use their bathroom every Saturday - LOL) and felt pretty darn good for the rest of my run. Last Saturday I had moved up to a 4 minute run with a 1 minute walk break and I continued this week with a 4:1 again, however both last Saturday and this Saturday I actually ran for 8 minutes with 1 minute walk breaks. I am finally seeing improvement!!! I'm still not going to break any speed records but I'm okay with that. I'd like to at least finish averaging 15 minutes per mile. My fastest so far has been running during the week where we average about 13 + per mile but to my amazement I hit 13:54 mins/mile on a long run! Before this my long runs were at 16 min/mile. I already feel like I've accomplished so much and I haven't even crossed the finish line yet! 42 days until I can say that I've completed a 1/2 marathon.

Dr Weigand at SpineBuilder ROCKS!

A special thank you to Dr. Weigand and Spinebuilder for donating $1 for every patient seen in March 2010! You are a chiropractor with a heart! http://www.spinebuilder.com/

This Saturday's run was tough. I had to run seven miles and I started out okay but lost steam after I had to take a quick bathroom break. In the beginning I felt ready to try to move my pace to a 3 minute jog with a 1 minute walk break but Saturday was not going to be the day. I stuck with my 3:2 pace. My feet hurt more than normal with my right toes feeling extremely numb. This was also my first week of getting all my training in and as one of the captains pointed out, my feet need time to adjust from running on them so much. I ran a total of 17 miles this week. And to think a short two months ago I was pretty much a couch potato. It's amazing how our bodies adjust.

I actually ran almost a 1/2 mile further than I needed to, I got confused on my turn around point. Due to the pain in my feet, I walked the second half more than I ran but I did manage to jog the last mile all the way without any walk breaks, quite the feat at the end of seven and half miles and I even managed to sprint the last 1/4 of mile. I just visualized the finish line on marathon day. This week I'm determined to get to the 3:1 pace. Wish me luck. Please click here to donate.

Speed Intervals, ugh!

Tonight I met two of my teammates to run speed intervals. Not as much fun as it sounds. We started with a ten minute warmup (code for a ten minute jog), then we run as fast as we can for 400 meters, take a 2 minute walk break, sprint for 400 meters, walk for 2 minutes, sprint for 800 meters, walk for 2 minutes, sprint for 800, walk 2 minutes, sprint for another 800 meters, walk 2, sprint for 400 meters, walk for 2, sprint 400, walk for 2 and finally a ten minute cool down. Not including the warmup and cool down that's a total of 2 and half miles. With the warmup, cool down I ended up running about 3 1/2 miles. It should have been 4 1/2 but I got confused at how many times we were supposed to go down and back on the trail. And I will be honest in saying that while Mike and Sarah really were sprinting, I was jogging and I didn't push myself as much as I could have or should have but at least I was out there. It was my first time running speed intervals, I will do better next week. Please click here to donate.

13 minute mile! Thank you Sheri.

The fastest that I've ran so far!!! For some a 13 minute mile may seem slow but for me it's an amazing accomplishment. I don't think I've ran faster than 16 maybe 15 minutes before this. My new 3:2 pace is working really well. The second half of my run I was feeling like I could take my walk break down to 1 minute 30 seconds. I love running with Sheri because she holds me to it. I accidentally took our last walk break to almost three minutes and when I noticed it she's started running and said we run to the end. Thank you Sheri for keeping me honest! My goal is to get to a 7:1 by marathon. I would be really happy with that. I truly feel like I can get there. I only have 62 more days left to the marathon. No more fooling around, I am hitting every one of my runs. No more running 1 mile when I'm supposed to run 2 and no more skipping a weekday training here or there. This is the time that is extremely critical to get all my miles in. As an added bonus, my clothes are starting to get loose which is giving me even more motivation!

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When nature calls

Saturday was another 6 miles but this time on South Mountain. It was an absolutely beautiful day for our run. There were spring flowers blooming everywhere and I had my new Brooks on. I was ready for my six miles and I was ready to increase my run/walk pace. I moved my jog to three minutes with a 2 minute walk break. It's amazing that seven weeks into my training that my lungs still burn within the first few minutes. It will get better, I know it will. As usual I started off before everyone else since my pace is so much slower and I set off on my own and my coach caught up with me in my first rotation and asked how I was doing. I told him that I was going to try my new 3:2 pace and he told me good job. Then one of the captains caught up with me and she usually has a much faster pace than me and she's running the full marathon but she's been sick the whole week and wanted to take it easier today. Sara and I got into a comfortable rhythm, with her running still a bit faster than me. During the walk break, she would walk back towards me. The first two miles were such a struggle for me, my lungs felt like they were going to burst and I felt like a had a huge boulder in my stomach (note to self do not eat a protein bar before my runs). And of course the first half is mostly all incline so give myself a break it's going to be harder.

Then about two miles in Nature calls, of course I already past the portapotty about a 1/4 of a mile back. Do I go back or do I push forward. Well I pushed forward, in hindsight I should have turned back. So we made it to our three mile turnaround point and and about a mile from the portapotty I just couldn't hold it anymore. I told Sara she could keep going and I'd see her at the end but she said she'd wait for me. So I veered off the road and found big enough bushes sufficient enough to hide me from the road and gathered up as many of those beautiful wildflowers (checking for thorns of course) as I could. Sorry flowers. Well the rest is history, and I felt so much better. I felt like I could run another 6 miles. Another lesson learned, carry tissue in my water belt.

The rest of run was much better, considering it is mostly down hill. I stayed up with my 3:2 pace and felt great afterwards. Thanks to my new shoes, my knees didn't hurt and I just ran 6 miles in the hills on a beautiful morning.

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Oh New Balance how I had high hopes for us. You and I fit like a glove in the beginning, there were many before you but as soon as I met you I knew you were the one. Unfortunately things went wrong from the beginning, but I wasn't ready to give up, I tried different things to rekindle the love affair, lacing differently, wearing different socks but alas I had to give up. I have a new love now, I've traded you in for Brooks. Thank you New Balance for getting me through my first 6 weeks of training.

Seriously though, what a difference a pair of running shoes make. As you have read I have been having trouble with my knees. So on the advice of Dr. Sherman I bought a new pair of running shoes, Brooks Adrenaline. I ran in them on Thursday and they felt pretty good, and I ran in them again on Saturday and I had zero knee pain! My toes still got numb, and I am going up to the next width which should help with the numbness.

I saw Dr. Sherman on Friday. He gave me another adjustment on my knees and gave me electric stimulation treatment. The correct terminology for my knees is that I have slight hyper extension in addition to the tendonitis. Basically my knee bends backward further than the normal person. But with the new shoes and icing my knee caps right after running, my knees feel a whole lot better!!

Thank you so much for donating and if you haven't had a chance to yet, Please Click Here to Donate, every dollar counts.