Operation Jack

It has been a crazy several days and I'm just plain worn out -- exhausted.  But here I sit at work attempting to get a few things done (as well as get things like blog posts done!!).  More on Christmas stuff later -- but I did want to check in with how the Operation Jack race went yesterday.

The short answer is that it went very well and I'm quite pleased with the results.  Ending time is 1.56.56 which is a 1 minute 38 second PR.

The best part though was that this was a really fun race (confirming yet again, how much I LOVE the small race).  Operation Jack was started by Sam Felsenfeld as a project to run at least a marathon a week in 2010 to raise funds and awareness of autism of which one of his son's suffers.  He needed one final marathon at the end of 2010 to meet his goal and created this one which was supposed to be a one time event.  But apparently the even was so popular, he put it on again and it also attracted satellite races in a few cities and Afghanistan.

Sam and his volunteer crew put on a wonderful race.  It was super well organized and everyone was so friendly and it was just a pleasure to be out there.  There was always a kind word at every water stop and even the runners were the nicest I've been around.  I passed a few people towards the end and each time I got a 'good job'!  I chatted with several people who were just lovely and one guy even waved as he headed back out for the marathon as I was headed in to finish the half.  It was so nice.

Back to the beginning.  Right before we started Sam and his wife reminded us all why we were there and we were told to walk/jog/run our asses off for the cause.   A few more thoughts and we were off.  The race was from the north part of Manhattan Beach to Marina Del Rey and then back. The marathoners then got to repeat the route.  Other than being incredibly beautiful, it was fairly uneventful.  Just nice and pleasant.    I took his picture on Saturday when I did a run at the same beach:

Yeah, it was that beautiful.  (as a side note, if I didn't hate LA so much and if I could only stay at the beach, I'd live in Manhattan Beach or one of the nearby cities -- every time I'm there I want to move -- unfortunately I'd have to leave it to go to a job and then LA becomes awful again).

Anyway, so the run just sort of happened -- my goal was to stay at around a 9 min/mile pace for the first three miles and then bring it down from there and basically that is what I did (other than mile 12 -- not sure what happened there but I do remember at one point looking down at my watch  and asking myself if I thought the run was over because clearly I wan't at the finish and I was able to pick up my pace.  So I think I was just so relaxed I lost track of fact that I should be running fast for me.)  But overall, these splits cause me joy:

1	9:03.7	1.00	9:04
2	8:59.5	1.00	9:00
3	8:56.7	1.00	8:57
4	8:49.3	1.00	8:49
5	8:50.7	1.00	8:51
6	8:54.7	1.00	8:55
7	8:45.7	1.00	8:46
8	8:51.1	1.00	8:51
9	8:46.7	1.00	8:47
10	8:44.4	1.00	8:44
11	8:40.8	1.00	8:41
12	8:56.2	1.00	8:56
13	8:35.1	1.00	8:35
14	1:52.6	0.23	8:06

And honestly, I think I was being a bit cautious throughout the end of the race. I remember thinking during mile 10 that I really should pick up the pace as I still could have carried on a conversation -- wouldn't have been easy but I probably wasn't working as hard as I could have -- but I was still scared from Disneyland and SJRNR where I felt so miserable during the last miles in those races so I just played it safe.

So all in all, a fantastic morning -- a great experience on all accounts from a terrific race to a performance I'm pleased with.  If I'm in LA next Christmas I'll do this one again -- and I'd highly recommend it to anyone nearby (Caroline - I'm talking to you ;) )

A bunch of ramblings...

Can you count the miles you run in your sleep?  No?  Dang.

I pulled another DNS on the scheduled morning run today (alarm goes off, think I'm going to die, roll over and go back to sleep).  I remembered doing this fairly recently and it was about a month ago (the benefits of the weekly recaps). I'm seeing patterns in my insomnia and that is good -- it seems to be cycle driven (damn hormones) but thankfully with a pattern I can plan around it all when I'm in full force marathon training.  The sleeping thing (or lack of sleeping thing) is still what scares me most about the marathon training.

But I have to say over all I feel very good at the 37 miles per week range -- was hoping to have a 40m/p/w week by end of year and maybe I'll make it next week as it isn't looking so good this week.  But overall I'm pleased with myself for actually getting out there and running (and realizing the more I run, the more my body expects to run and the grumpier I am on days where I don't) and I'm also pleased that my body is doing okay.  With running on average 22 m/p/w for a year and a half, I just wasn't sure what this old body would be up for dealing with -- but I think it likes running more and can handle even more so I feel like I'm in a very good spot to start training.

The other few running things that are making me happy are:

1.  A lot of my morning runs are FINALLY at an under 9m/m pace.  Or if the entire run isn't, the later miles are.  Whew.  

2.  Many of my runs are naturally turning into progression runs.  I like that.  I'm running a lot of the same distance runs and naturally starting to start slow and build speed as the run goes on.  Of course I start most of them still asleep so that might have something to do with it  However, since I'm doing a lot of the runs in the dark, I'm just doing this by feel vs relying on my garmin.  Surely this is a good thing?

3.  Oh oh oh -- take a look at this:

Split	Time	Distance	Avg Pace
Summary	52:39.0	6.01	8:46
1	9:18.2	1.00	9:18
2	9:17.5	1.00	9:17
3	8:55.1	1.00	8:55
4	8:38.9	1.00	8:38
5	8:32.5	1.00	8:32
6	7:54.3	1.00	7:54
7	:02.5	0.01	7:32

Notice mile 6 -- an under 8 mile!!!!!  Happy Dance as this was Sunday and mile 24 in three days.  Three months ago I could not have done this.  It felt so good too -- to just kind of blow off steam.

4.  Last Saturday -- mile 12 of 12 was also mile 1000 for the year.  I also managed NOT to get hit by a car during that mile though  it was close.  Can you even imagine how bad that would have sucked.

I'm a bit nervous about the race I decided to do on Monday -- I really want to just have it be a check of where I am so I don't have any big goals. But I do have a little mini goal -- finish with an official time of under 9m/m pace.  Apparently I like to run my half marathons longer than 13.1 miles (!!!) because the three I ran in the fall had a Garmin pace of less than 9m/m BUT the official pace was greater than 9m/m (and they were all well over 13.1 miles).  Anyhow so that is my only goal -- but, the race is gun time vs chip time so I'm not sure how that will all work out.  It is a super small race so I'll just get as close as I can to the front without being right up front and hope I'm not in anyone's way.  This is a flat race (maybe a 25ft climb right in the middle -- probably going over a freeway) so my strategy is to keep a 9m/m (or very low 9's) for first three miles and then just keep it under 9 after that -- gradually dropping pace.  As long as I don't go too far over 9 in the beginning, and assuming I can do this, it should get me my goal.  But I'm going to be tired after three nights not sleeping in my own bed (not that I actually sleep in my own bed half the time but still) and from all the Christmas festivities so we'll see how it all goes.

Enough fussing!

Happy Holidays!  

Friday Five -- Merry Holidays

1.  I used to be fantastically good about getting the family Christmas card and letter out.  Then in 2005 I sort of fell apart and stopped doing the pictures, letters, card, whatever.  Then in 2008 I had a good year and needed to get some family changes out to a lot of people so did a Christmas picture of the three of us and sent it off.  I just knew I was back in the game -- but alas, I wasn't.  2009 and 2010 and no card, no nothing from me.

And now I'm off most people's list which makes me so sad.  I get it, I haven't been a good card sender but for some people I really really really enjoyed getting their annual cards and letters.  It was a nice way to stay in touch with people I just don't see often (or at all).

So I'm on it -- not perfectly mind you.  But on it.  Since I was a bit late getting my act together (like yesterday), I decided to go with the New Year's theme and ordered these:

Aren't these two darling?  This was taken last summer at the Boy's graduation from Marines boot camp.  I'm sure she'll be upset that I used this picture since she doesn't have braces anymore but I just love this shot so she will just have to deal.  

The cards arrive sometime between the 20th and the 24th so I made the right choice.  I can leisurely send them out right after Christmas.  AND, I've got the letter written to go along with them.  I'll have to post that some other time.  

2.  I just realized by deciding for an LA Christmas (where family is), I've made this weekend my last opportunity to get EVERYTHING done.  That's a bit overwhelming since not much is done so everything is really everything.  

3.  We got the tree last weekend.  It is still naked and now we are leaving. I suppose we'll get the lights on and decorated just in time to leave.  Maybe it can be my New Years Tree. 

4.  Those lovelies above only want money for Christmas.  Now I get it -- teenager=money.  But really?  Christmas?  Usually I'm good at ignoring them and doing something else but they've given me NO ideas. Nothing.  Nada.  So it may be money.  Maybe I'll do the box wrapped in a box wrapped in a box thing so at least the opening will be amusing.  

5.  All week I carried around a package that needs to be mailed to my brother and never got it mailed.  Now it may be late.  SIGH.

Have I mentioned I have to do EVERYTHING christmas related this weekend?  Including mailing packages that I should have mailed this week.  

I need to get the to do list written.... nervously yours....

All signed up

All signed up and ready to run on the day after Christmas.  I'm actually kind of excited -- no pressure.  Just a nice little half marathon to see how I'll do now that I've built up some mileage on these old legs.  I've done no speed work in the last 10 weeks nor will I taper -- so I'm just going to go have a good time and see what happens.

Whoo hoo.

A Dec 26th race?

Jeeze, I've got so much to say but no time.  I'm almost at the end of my miles building phase and it has been going to well -- better than I hoped and I want to get some things down.  But work's been crazy (hate budgeting!) so I've not and I'm not going to now.

I'm thinking about running the Operation Jack half marathon.  I can't think of a downside:

• we are going to be in LA anyway for Christmas
• staying 15 mins from the start
• I was planning on running on the Manhattan Beach strand on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day anyway (yeah this goes the other way but still).  
• if I run the day after Christmas, I can take Christmas off
• I LOVE running near the ocean.  

The only downside is that I usually get on the road early to make my way back and we are coming back on the 26th.  But what the heck -- race starts at 7.30.  I'm done by 9.30 -- even with minimal dilly dallying I get back to my sister in law's house, shower and am on the road by 11.30.  Heck, make my kids go with me (horrors) and we can leave right after -- who needs a shower to sit in the car for 6 hours.  The boy can drive.  

Oh oh oh -- good cause.  Small race.

I'm not seeing a downside.  

I think I'll do this.  Only 40 spots left according to the blog post -- so I guess I'll go sign up now!

(just had to think it through)

Miscellaneous Ramblings

.....and a bit of a catch up.

Well well well -- I've now read quite a few RNRLV recaps and that is one race I'm not sorry I missed.  I had a bib and everything and was bummed that it wasn't going to work out for me but now I'm just thankful.  I miss that I didn't get to meet a bunch of fun nice people but I honestly would have absolutely fallen apart at the end. I guess you just handle it but not fun.

This morning's run was fantastic!  Cold (legit cold - 37F when I got home) but fantastic none the less.  I was FINALLY able to get sub 9min/miles in the dark.  Whoo hoo!  I was just not able to do it before now -- flat out couldn't bring my pace down no matter how much I tried.  I think I was adjusting to the miles build up because I've gone from 24 miles per week to 34 in 10 weeks which I think is very conservative, but still required adjustment.  Last week was my slowest week ever -- I just couldn't move on those early mornings.

Anyway, It was kind of fun running faster in the dark -- the sidewalks suddenly become like a technical trail with things to leap over and dodge -- I live in an older part of town and the sidewalks are a mess.  I run in the street where safe but there are parts that require sidewalks.  So I just focused like I do on the more technical trails I do and went for it.

I think it also helped I was freezing!  I spent 6 miles trying to warm up.

We'll see if I can do a repeat performance tomorrow morning.

The other thing I'm loving is this Yoga for Runners I'm doing through Sportskool on my Roku box.  Sportskool has a bunch of different yoga videos and many for crosstraining.  I found the one for runners and love love love it.  It really stretches every muscle used in running and I feel so much better when done.  They also have one that is ab specific that I want to try and one for golfers I'd like to check out.  I've been having a bit of lower back pain and the write up for the yoga for golfers says is works the lower back to improve swing.  I'm thinking anything that helps my lower back at this point is good.

Anyway -- a quickie recap of last week.

Monday (a week ago - 29th) -- Yoga day

Tuesday - 6.3 miles at 9.30 avg pace (the fastest pace of the week) maybe the fog slowed me down

Wednesday -- 6.3 miles at 9.58 avg pace (getting slower) a bit foggy but not as bad as Tuesday

Thursday -- yoga -- was supposed to be running day but it was so WINDY so I just went back to sleep.  I managed fog, wasn't going to manage wind apparently.  Tried to go out again in the afternoon but when I walked outside I was blown over by a gust and just bagged it.

Friday -- 6.3 miles at 10.04 avg pace (over 10?  really?) the weirdest thing -- I felt fine all week, slept better than I had in ages and yet my legs would not move.  Oh well.

Saturday -- 7 hilly miles at Rancho.  Well hilly isn't right.  More like one big hill up and one big hill down.  I got so chilled during the first mile that I was in tears at the potty stop my hands hurt so bad. I've got this stupid Raynaud's Phenomenon and it hurts beyond description when I let my hands get too cold.  My own fault -- I have big thick gloves but wore my thinner ones because I thought it was warmer than it was.  Lesson learned -- error on the side of warmer gloves given the chance.

Sunday -- 8 neighborhood miles at a 9.01 avg pace. Thank god for sunshine.

And that is a grand total of 34 miles!!  Most ever for me in a week.  Very exciting and my body and I are still friends.

Fog!

The funny thing about this running thing is that I constantly find myself in situations doing something that is so unlike me.  I've mentioned being wimpy and oh boy, I define the word.  Scared of my own shadow as a kid, never one to try many new things that put me out of my comfort zone and certainly not one to actively seek out physical discomfort, I'm still a bit surprised when I go ahead with something I'd never had done before.  

It had been foggy the past two mornings so it didn't surprise me when I checked the weather first thing this morning and saw the Dense Fog Alert.  I debated, I did. But then I reminded myself I said I only wouldn't run because of rain.  And then I remembered all the bloggers that run in ice, snow, freezing temps, rain and the like and I decided I could handle a little fog.  

Let me tell you though, fog in the dark is creepy.  

But I did it, yes I did.  

When I walked outside it was eerily silent except the trees were cackling -- I think it was the moisture on the branches.  The cackling was so loud because everything else was so quiet. Visibility was about 50ft. so not too bad.  But when I turned on my headlamp, all I saw was water floating all around me and I was instantly chilled.  There was nothing to do at that point so off I went.  

It wasn't that bad but it was still creepy -- every time a leaf would fall I'd jump and I constantly felt like someone was going to jump out at me.  Also the run itself was difficult -- I'm terrible in the dark anyway and the headlamp was absolutely no use so I was even slower.  But it was also very very peaceful -- even more so than regular.  I never did warm up though and was very happy I'd worn my big thick gloves so my hands didn't turn white (which is always nice).  

So I guess this means I can run in fog.  A few modifications to what I wore and I'm set.  

Weekly Recap and Misc Ramblings

Okay -- 5 weeks left of base building and I'm not really any closer to deciding what formal training plan to use.  Or if I get help.  I just can't decide what I want to do.  Ah well....best be making up my mind soon.

Last week was lovely.  My stepmom came into town on Tuesday and didn't leave until this morning (very early this morning I might add).  We had such a good time -- she's such an easy house guest and I love her to pieces.  We did a smidgen of shopping on Saturday in my little down town -- but otherwise avoided any big crowds in favor of drinking and eating.  Lots of drinking and eating.  Fun.

I still managed to get 32 miles in last week and 4 of the 5 days were when she was here.  I call that a success -- the old me would have just blown it off -- but the new, OMG, I have to run 26 miles in 23 weeks me was all about getting out for the run.

I did, however, miss the Turkey Trot.  My first DNS.  I had slept terribly the night before and woke up at about 4 and couldn't go back to sleep.  My stomach just hurt like hell too -  so I was praying for the rain that was predicted -- but when I got up at 6, no rain.  So I got dressed, ate a bit (usually that settles my stomach) and thought I'd be able to manage it all.  Then I got in my car and the rain started.  I hate running in the rain -- it just makes me cold and miserable.  I can handle it when it starts while I'm running but to start running in the rain is difficult for me.  This comprised with feeling miserable and tired, I just started to cry.  Pathetic I know -- but I took that as a sign I just wasn't up for it (mentally this time) so I called my friends and went back to bed for a couple hours.

Ended up being the best decision ever:

• I got two more hours of much needed sleep.
• Stomach was fine when I woke back up
• The rain stopped (I think it stopped before I went back to sleep)
• I missed a 21,000 person run/walk/chaos morning
• and best of all I ran 5 miles later that morning with my boy!!!!!!

Happy Dance -- will take 5 miles with my boy over anything any time.  

So I pronounce my first DNS a success :) -- however, I don't plan on making a habit of it.  Until I got to the run with my boy part, I was feeling very guilty and pathetic.  

Okay -- weekly run summary (thank god for dailymile -- I already have forgotten what I did when):

Monday:  yoga.  Felt wonderful  -- 

Tuesday:  6.2 miles -- was off of work that day so did it when the sun was out.  That was nice.

Wednesday:  rest, was maybe going to do a small run but never got around to it.

Thursday: 5 miles with my boy!!

Friday:  6.2 miles.  Posted on DM that I was feeling the previous three days of drinking and eating!  ha

Saturday:  10 miles.  Felt decent though a bit slower than the week before when I did 14.  But overall lack of sleep this week was catching up to me.  Not sure why I had such a bad sleep week but I did. 

Sunday: 5 miles.  Thought I should go 6 and wanted to go 4 so split the difference with myself.  Not particularly pleasant but I got it done.  

Just going along pretty well for me.  Trying to decide how to up the miles to 40 -- do I add a day and run 6 days a week or do I just run longer on the 5 days I'm running.  

So many things to decide.  

On to the week....

Weekly Recap

pic stolen from website

I just signed up for the Shamrock'n Half marathon in March.  Aron suggested it on the run a week ago as the timing is good for a half before Eugene and she said it was fun. Sort of looks like fun from their website and it looks like they cap it at a reasonable number of people.  Or at least a number I can manage without loosing my mind.  So what the heck -- I'll definitely be looking to measure how I'm doing along about then.


I'm still researching what kind of marathon plan I'll use -- or if I want to find a coach.  There is so much freaking information out there it is a bit overwhelming.  At some point, I'll pick something -- I have to by Jan 1.  But until then, another build miles week.

Monday -- Scheduled Rest (note to self -- please do yoga on this day going forward, thanks)

Tuesday - 5.59 miles -- I was still feeling very tired from the previous weekend and I just cut the run a bit short.

Wednesday -- unscheduled rest.  I woke up at 4.45 (alarm goes off at 5) and felt so absolutely exhausted and remembered Tuesday and remembered that this miles build is a new concept to this old body and figured there was no time like the present to step back so I immediately passed out for an hour and a half.  I think it was the right choice.  I felt almost human the rest of the day.

Of course, as soon as I woke up I was ready to run but unfortunately I have this job that likes to see me by around 9am and there was no time.  (boo)

Thursday -- scheduled rest.  Wednesday was a wine night which means a nice dinner party with friends where we might just drink more bottles of wine than people who attend.  The day after one of those is always a slow mover and a planned rest day.

Friday -- 6.3 miles -- whoo hoo -- back in the game.

Saturday -- 14 miles -- was sort of thinking I needed to make up some miles from my extra day off and also not sure of what Sunday was going to be like weather wise and I also just needed to see if I could do it.  Kept a steady 9.30ish pace throughout the whole thing.  I thought I'd fade and while I certainly got tired and was extremely happy to be done -- this pace seemed doable.  It was conversational (!!) though I was all alone (sob).  I was going to try to keep it a bit slower but it seemed to be what my body wanted to run.

Sunday -- 4 miles.  Just to loosen things up again.  Was fine though the run ended in the dark and boy do I slow down in the dark.  I think because I just feel so unsure of my footing -- I dunno.

Anyway total was just shy of 30 miles (29.98 -- now if I'd realized I'd have run that .02 for sure!!).

Pretty low key week coming up.  A Turkey Trot on Thursday along with Thanksgiving being my favorite holiday of the season!!  All the good eats and no presents!!  Love.

Happy Happy.

Saturday Fun Day and quick weekly recap

Saturday Fun Day

If you call this fun:

We apparently did!  On Saturday I met up with XL MIC and  Aron for a nice 12 mile trail run around Lake Chabot.  XLMIC and I had been emailing a bit back and forth about coordinating our spring marathon efforts (my first, her first in a long time) so we could get together for some long runs.  She's been twittering and texting with Aron as well and as luck would have it, we all showed up to run.

And boy what a run it was -- I mean, mile 3 -- really?  That was the first point I thought I might die.  As I'd run the 11k the day before, I was already feeling a bit tired -- and when we got to that hill I really wanted to cry.  But the fact that I just met these guys kept me quite and I didn't fuss at all.

The views at the top were just lovely making it all worth while.    As did the company -- I really enjoyed getting to know these woman.  They are both fantastic and the conversation didn't waver once.  This was my first experience meeting online runners and it was a definitely a positive one (though I have had online friends become very dear real life friends as well so I suspected it would go well).  I look forward to running again with these guys and since Aron is training for a 50miler I think we'll all have plenty of opportunities to scale Mile Three again!


Oh and here's the gratuitous pre run shot of the three of us.

Last week's quick recap:


Monday -- rest day.  Seems to be the pattern.

Tuesday -- 6.2 miles early.  Enjoyed the bit of daylight afforded by coming off daylight savings time.  I know it won't last but I liked it just the same.  And I notice I speeded up as it got light out.  I apparently can't run in the dark.  Even with a headlamp.

Wednesday -- 4 miles -- nothing eventful

Thursday -- slept

Friday -- Veteran's Day 11k -- super fun as already mentioned in previous post.  They still don't have the official results posted -- tomorrow apparently.

Saturday Fun Day -- 12 miles.  12 hilly miles.  12 Killer HILLY miles.  (I forgot to mention above that after I drove home, I almost couldn't get out of my car -- limped into my house -- pathetic)

Sunday -- easy 4 miles just to prove I could.

So I did 33 miles last week -- most weekly miles EVAH!  And other than a bit of quad soreness today, I'm fine.  So project build miles is going as planned.

Whoo hoo.  

National Veterans Day 11K

What a fun way to spend a Friday morning.  Yet another small event reminding me that I really really just love the small local events.

That being said, this was organized by a company out of Dallas and run in 9 cities and virtually across the country.  And as an inaugural event, they did pretty well.  It felt a bit disorganized at first (my bib didn't show up until Thursday) but when we got there it all ran smooth.  They were able to get all the people who hadn't registered all signed up and we were off right on time.  The course was an easy out and back and they had the best volunteers.  They were all teenagers and they were so darned nice -- they passed out water with encouraging words and did a bunch of cheering as well.  The ones handing out t-shirts and medals just seemed extra pleasant.  Not sure where these kids came from but they were an awesome bunch -- and that just added to the overall good vibe of the race.  It also helped that the temps were perfect (low 50's) and the predicted rain waited until we were all done before it decided to show up.

I went into this thinking I'd push it but just not sure of what I could do -- I've done no speed work since Sept and have been slogging along in my morning runs of roughly the same distance.  And I while I certainly wasn't going to break any speed records, I did manage to hold an 8.30 to 8.40 pace for the entire 11k, including the run back which was into the wind. I was happy with that since most of my early morning runs are anywhere from a 9.15 to a 9.45 pace and they feel like work.

But, the best part was I think I came in about 13th overall female.  Which really just cracks me up because you see from my pace I wasn't particularly fast.  But -- it was predominately male race (lots of current and ex military -- nice!) and just not a lot of females.  What was fun was as I was coming up towards the turn around (since it was an out and back) I noticed that it took awhile to see the first female -- then the second -- and then the third -- and then I knew I was getting closer and closer to the turn around so I started paying attention.  I got up to 12 girls ahead of me when I hit the turn around so for a flash I suddenly knew how cool it felt to be up there in placement -- even if not speed.  Anyway, I ended up passing one girl but then got passed by two others -- so that puts me at lucky number 13!!  But allowing for the fact that it was chipped timed, I'm really not sure.  The results aren't posted yet.

Anyway, it was a really good time.  I chatted with plenty of people on the route and everyone was happy to be out there.  It was also reassuring to realize my miles building isn't completely taking away my ability to push it when necessary and when I start speed work in January I should be in pretty good shape.  Yay!

Week 6 of project mileage ramp up and while my legs were heavy this week, they rebounded today and I feel very good.  I've been sleeping pretty well so so far so good.  I did another 30 miles this week, will do 30 the upcoming week and then do something more and then do the step back week as my Thanksgiving present to myself!  I'll have family staying with me so I might drink a bit too much wine and have too much fun.  I'm totally looking forward to it!

Well I did it - I went and signed up for the Eugene Marathon -- so it's official.  I've got my registration confirmation to prove it!  6 months or 25 weeks -- I'm both excited and scared.    I'm going to continue my weekly mileage ramp up through the end of the year like I've mentioned and then I'll have 18 weeks for the formal training.  I'm still reading a lot but am also thinking that now is maybe the time to get me some help on the training play by a more experienced person.  I know there are supposed to be no time goals for a first marathon but I know me -- I'll have a goal.  And it may go completely out the door (and I'm already prepared for that), I'll need the goal.  And it will be fairly aggressive (but achievable -- I know how to make SMART goals! ;)) because I just flat out don't want to be out there forever.

Anyhow -- we'll see where all this goes.

So last week's recap:

Monday -- Rest.  Love monday rest day.  Oh I did yoga but that almost doesn't count.

Tuesday -- 5.6 miles.  Was supposed to be 6 but silly me forgot my inhaler puffs and with the chillier weather I was just unable to breathe.  Combine that with fairly tired legs from the weekend before (hills!) and I just called it done a bit early.  This was also the day I had my first early morning scare.

Wednesday -- 5 miles.  Was supposed to be 4 but making up time from the day before. Legs felt a bit better and remembered inhaler so just a basic run.

Thursday -- 6.25miles Another slug fest.  My legs just weren't working.  Of course when I got home and could hardly walk I wondered if I was hydrated enough.  Two glasses of nuun later and I'm feeling perfect so I got my answer.  This week was a DUH week for sure.

Friday -- rest again.

Saturday -- 8 hilly miles at Rancho San Antonio park.  Was hydrated and puffed and body still working in slow mo.  The route we do is about a 700ft climb in 4 miles with the last mile climbing 350ft. so fairly intense hill.  We stopped at the switch back right before we headed up that last mile and I just shook my head at my friend and said I wasn't sure I had it in me.  She was having similar thoughts but we just started in and poof, the mile was done and we were at the top of the hill.  It seemed especially lovely up there that day and extra peaceful (not as many people).  Worth the run up definitely -- my friend and I just took it really easy on the way back down and just chatted.  We don't always do that so it was nice.  I finally got a second wind at 7 miles (actually it was my first wind -- ha ha -- I needed a 7 mile warm up apparently) and could have gone on a bit longer but we were almost back to the cars so just called it quits.

That same run did my quads in last week (because I hadn't done it in awhile) and while it was a harder run yesterday -- my body isn't fussing at me at all.  So that's good.

Sunday -- 5miles around the hood.  Easy peasy.  Would have been super speedy run as legs were fine fine fine FINALLY!  But, stomach was still not happy about the previous evenings wine consumption so I had to watch it.

And hey -- what about that NYC Marathon!  I actually watch it for several hours this morning before my run.  What fun!  That really might have to go on the bucket list.  47,000 people and all.  But first I suppose I should concentrate on figuring out how to run one of these things first.  THEN, we'll talk NYC.