Well, it certainly has been a long time now, hasn’t it?

I have excuses, I have really good excuses that cover my ass for the latter part of December. I don’t any good excuses to cover my ass for the first part of January, except to say that I was wallowing in laziness but that’s all over now.

Now on to my December excuses.

December 19th I officially quit smoking and I can say with all honesty, that I have not had one little puff of a cigarette since then. I have 3 weeks and 3 days of being smoke free. I can also honestly say that at that time, I was going through a little funk because I was missing the cigarettes so much.

December 21st After work that night, I ended up having to take my fiancé to the ER because he wasn’t feeling good for quite some time and every day he was feeling worse. Turns out he was a day away from a diabetic coma and in pretty bad shape. He was admitted to the hospital that night.

December 22nd He was admitted to the ICU. Yeah, that sucked.

December 23rd He’s still in the ICU.

December 24th He’s still in the ICU. I hit my emotional breaking point because there’s a chance that he’s not coming home for Christmas. That night he’s moved to the general hospital.

December 25th He comes home for Christmas that afternoon. We open presents and then nap, both of us are exhausted.

December 26th – 29th I’m working and not sleeping well at all. I’m still freaked out by the hospital stuff. Our good friends came into town for a visit, which provided some much needed fun. I got drunk twice that week, which I hadn’t done since August, so I’m basically sleepy and hung-over.

Ok, so there are my detailed excuses. I will say that I have run a handful of times (5 maybe?) since I last updated, but I didn’t record them for some reason. In some really good news, the quitting smoking has insanely improved my running, almost more than I care to admit.

Training Log

Thursday, January 11th

Distance: 3.1 miles
Location: The gym
Temperature: 65 degrees
Time 6:00 pm
Hills: None
Pace: 12:30 /mile
Run vs. Walk: 50% run / 50% walk
Song of the Run: “Ain’t No Other Man” by Christina Aguilera

Training Log

Thursday, December 14

Distance: 3 +/- miles
Location: Tower Grove Park
Temperature: 65 degrees
Time 12:00 pm
Hills: long sloping hills
Pace: 12:20 /mile
Run vs. Walk: 50% run / 50% walk
Song of the Run: “Head Over Heels” by The Go-Go’s

Thoughts:

Felt really good, the temperature was perfect! I can’t believe we’re having 65 degree weather in December!!! I can’t believe that I’m comfortably wearing a t-shirt in the office. Super cool.

I do wish though that the clean up crews would hurry up and clean off some more of the trails, you wouldn’t believe some of the debris that’s still on them from our ice storm two weeks ago. 65 degrees today and we had a high of 15 about two weeks ago. Unbelievable.

Training Log

Wednesday, December 13

Distance: 1.1 miles
Location: The gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 7:00 pm
Hills: None
Pace: 12:19 /mile
Run vs. Walk: 70% run / 30% walk
Song of the Run: “The Dope Show” by Marilyn Manson

Thoughts:

My calves felt rock hard on this one and the exercise caused some really odd feelings due to a new medication (that I’ll discuss later, don’t worry I’m fine) that I’m on.

Training Log

Tuesday, December 12

Distance: 2-2.5 miles
Location: Tower Grove Park
Temperature: 60 degrees (AWESOME!)
Time 12:00 pm
Hills: Medium sloping hills
Pace: 13:20 / mile (This is totally wrong, see “thoughts”)
Run vs. Walk: 75% run / 25% walk
Song of the Run: “My Humps” Black Eyed Peas (please forgive me)

Thoughts:

It’s freaking gorgeous outside, 60 degrees, overcast and a light wind. I work by Tower Grove Park, it’s a great park with paved trails and lots of beautiful, big trees. The air smelled like pine, it smelled like Christmas. I was doing great. I was in the zone, keeping my pace and my mind was not focusing on the run. I always do better with any exercise when I think of anything else but the exercise.

So, I had just taken a walking break and all the sudden a mini-van driving down one of the trails. The mini-van literally had to go into the grass to get around one of the barricades that the park set up so people don’t drive on the trails.

I stepped aside, I barely trust myself to run on these trails and I’ll be damned if I’m going to share it with a mini-van. The mini-van pulls up and rolls down it’s window, a man about 80 years old and his wife are inside. He says, “Don’t you worry little lady! I haven’t hit one this week!”

OK.

I respond with, “Oh. OK, I’ll just wait for you.” I think he wanted to start a conversation, but I turned away.

We all know I’m not a professional runner or anything, but I do have this internal competition with myself to do better. I just want to keep improving and keep moving. Old man screwed up my time today. Boo to the old man.

(All in all, I’m really pleased with this one, so old man didn’t ruin everything!)

Training Log

Saturday, December 9th

Distance: 4.0 miles
Location: Forest Park
Temperature: 20 degrees
Time 8:00 am
Hills: Really long sloping hills
Pace: ??
Run vs. Walk: ??
Song of the Run: No music

Thoughts:

Boy, was I dreading this one. I didn’t want to get up early, I didn’t want to go out in the super cold weather, basically I didn’t want to do anything like this. One thing I’ve learned is that the anticipation on the event is much worse than the event itself.

So, I got up early, layered like a fiend, and headed off to Forest Park acting all grumpy. Before the run, we had a “stretching clinic”, basically it was teaching us the correct way to stretch before and after our runs. This was really good for me, as I’ve been lazy when it comes to stretching and my right calf was acting up last week.

During the run, I made a new friend by the name of Regina. She and I had about the same pace going and we really had a nice time doing our thing together. I think we could have done a little better, but we spent the time getting to know each other. It was very nice.

After the event, I came home and just felt very odd. I can’t describe it, I wasn’t feeling sick but I felt very fuzzy and off. Also, my right leg was killing me, I believe I earned my very first shin splint. I decided that it would be for the best if I just gave it a rest, so I skipped my 2 miles on Sunday and had another rest day on Monday. My leg feels 100% better now and I’ll be running at lunch time enjoying this 60 degree December weather. HA!

Friday, December 8th

Distance: 2.2 miles
Location: The gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 87:00 pm
Hills: Nope
Pace: 11:30 (IMPROVEMENT ON TIME!)
Run vs. Walk: Run 60%, Walk 40%
Song of the Run: I can’t remember

Just your average “gym” run, nice improvement on time.

Hey! I've noticed I've been getting a ton of more traffic on this site! How exciting! Don't be a stranger, leave a comment!

Training Log

Wednesday, December 6th

Distance: 3.2 miles (I needed another extra cool down lap!)
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 7:00 pm
Hills: No
Pace: 12:20 minutes/mile
Run vs. Walk: 40% run/ 60% walk
Song of the Run: "The Humpty Dance" by Digital Underground

Thoughts:

I was really please with tonight's run, even though I had a pretty much all around shitty day and was dreading tonight's workout. I made a mental plan of tonights run, the last time I did three miles (Saturday) I was super worn out by the third mile. So tonight I power walked lap 1,2,3,5,7,& 9 and then ran laps 4,6,8,10. It worked out very well for me, I think I might have been able to go another mile but we're holding off on the 4 mile run until Saturday morning....at 8 am...out in the cold.

Yes, if you think you just heard a screaming sound, you did.

( And because I know a lot of you will find this hilarious, I present to you my official IPod exercise mega mix. If you have any ounce of good taste in music, your eyes are about to roll out of your head. )

Training Log

Saturday. December 5nd

Distance: 2.2 miles (I needed an extra cool down lap!)
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 6:00 pm
Hills: No
Pace: 12 minutes/mile
Run vs. Walk: 45% run/ 55% walk
Song of the Run: "Let's Get It Started" by The Black Eyed Peas

Thoughts:

I have to say, having your family doctor working out at your gym and you knowing that you're going to see him on Monday, does up the motivation. Tonight was another super workout I also did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 7 minutes on the rowing machine. Side note: I've been dying to do the rowing machine and finally worked up the courage to hop on it, kinda silly eh?

Anyway, I was pleased with my 12 minute time. Even though I'm not racing against the clock (I'll be happy with finishing) at the marathon, I would like to break the 10 minute mile. That's a goal.

I also wore my official "Team in Training" jersey tonight for the first time, it really did "wick" the sweat away. Pretty cool.

I just purchased a brand new Apple IPod Shuffle and a $15 Itunes giftcard.

I’m raffling this off with all money going towards my Team in Training goal of $1600, for every dollar you donate, your name goes into the raffle.

The raffle will be held on December 20th and the prize will be delivered to you on December 21st via UPS Next Day Air.

If you really want to be a superstar, donate and then make a similar post like this in your LJ. For your post, I’ll give you ANOTHER entry into the raffle (you must also donate though).

So, donate away!!!!

http://www.active.com/donate/tntgmo/JUnwin

Thank you in advance!

Training Log

Saturday. December 2nd

Distance: 3.1 miles
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 4:00 pm
Hills: No
Pace: 12 minutes/mile
Run vs. Walk: 35% run/ 65% walk
Song of the Run: I can’t remember!!!

Thoughts:

I was big time dreading this, I really didn’t want to do it at all. I almost talked myself into quitting at 1.7 miles, but I just kept on trucking. I was really tired after this one.

Training Log

Wednesday. November 29th

Distance: 2.1 miles
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 6:30 pm
Hills: No
Pace: 9-10 minutes/mile
Run vs. Walk: 50%
Song of the Run: “Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker

Thoughts:
Well, because all the news stations are saying we’re going to get snowed in forever, I decided to make last night a super workout, as in I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and then ran my mileage. One lap in the indoor track is one tenth of a mile, so I had to do 20 laps.

At lap 15 (1.5 miles) I started to get out of my zone and lose my mental strength so I tried to image scenes to get me back into my zone. I imagined Vinnie (my fiancé) at the finish line of the actual half marathon and me crossing it. Unfortunately, I started getting a little emotional and running around with a lump in my throat wasn’t too fun. I did my best to erase that image and keep on truckin’.

I started focusing on the beat of my music and that helped out a lot. I added a new item to the list of information that I post at the beginning of each training log, “Song of the Run”. Basically, it’s the song that I “connect” to the most at the particular run. I really should embarrass myself and post a screen shot of my exercise playlist from Itunes.

Training Log

Monday, November 20th

Distance: 1.1 miles
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 6:30 pm
Hills: No
Pace: Unknown
Run vs. Walk: 50%

Thoughts:
I love running on the indoor track, unfortunately that’s not going to help me much when I’m running the concrete hills of St. Louis. I know I could have gone farther last night, but I had done 30 minutes of elliptical training beforehand and didn’t want to push it.

( 2 Pictures from Thursdays Turkey Tracks, Click here! )

Training Log

Thursday, November 23rd

Distance: 3.1 miles
Location: Queeny Park, MO
Temperature: 50 degrees
Time 8:30 am
Hills: Oh my God, yes
Pace: Unknown
Run vs. Walk: 25% run, 75% walk

Thoughts:
Basically, this has been my best "competitive" run yet, that's not based on time, more based on feelings. I felt great after this run!

This run was different from any other run I've done so far, this was more of a "family" event and the trail was 90% loose gravel and fallen leaves. I also tried a GU before the run, basically GU is a gel based energy replacement. The taste was fine, the texture was absolutley horrible.

For the first time ever, I had a glimpse of the "zone" that I've heard other runners talk about. Unfortunatly, that was right before a massive hill. going up this massive hill, I literally had to place my palms on top of my thighs and press, I also had to chant "Go!" over and over (in my head!) to keep focused. That hill almost killed me, but I kept up my pace.

I mentioned earlier that this was a family event. At the other 5K's I've done, there have been top notch runners, which I always enjoying seeing. At this event there were a handful of thos runners, but there were more families and small children walking. Sometimes these groups of kids were standing side by side taking up the whole trail so you couldn't pass them (not on purpose, they just didn't know). It was a little frustrating, but it also reminded me that you've got to share the path with all sorts of different obstacles.

I don't know my official time yet, but will update when I do. I also have some pictures that I'll post when I have them ready.

Training Log

Monday, November 20th

Distance: 1.1 miles
Location: the indoor track at the gym
Temperature: 70 degrees
Time 6 pm
Hills: No
Pace: 12.5 min/mile
Run vs. Walk: 50%

Thoughts:
Easy. Nice indoor temperature, no hills. Little to no muscle ache afterwards. Did 30 minutes of elliptical machine prior to run., time could have improved due to increased traffic on track.

Tuesday, November 21st

Distance: 2 miles (approximate)
Location: the park by work
Temperature: 60 degrees
Time: 12 pm
Hills: Moderate
Pace: 14 min/mile
Run vs. Walk: Run 25% vs. Walk 75%

Thoughts:
More difficult than Monday (not surprising at all), probably could have used a long sleeve t-shirt but used a short sleeve. Little to no wind. Borke in new shoes.

I welcome you to drool over the shoes.

THE SHOES THAT WILL TAKE US TO VICTORY!!!




If you see a bluish streak of lighting go down the sidewalk don't worry, it's just me!

Three bits of great news!

1. On Sunday, one of my best girlfriends Laura and I completed the 5K for Operation Spot, a great organization that helps to stop unnecessary euthanasia on St. Louis’ dogs and cats. It was a chilly morning and due to a medical emergency for my dog Rosie, my time wasn’t as great as I hoped it to be. I shaved a little under a minute off last week’s time, which is still wonderful, but I wanted a little more than that. Rosie is ok and I’m just going to have to get some warmer running clothes. Right? Right!

( Click here for pictures! )

2. Laura and I are completely nuts and have now signed up for the “Turkey Tracks 2006” to benefit The Covenant House (http://www.covenanthouse.org). From their website:

In addition to food, shelter, clothing and crisis care, Covenant House provides a variety of services to homeless youth including health care, education, vocational preparation, drug abuse treatment and prevention programs, legal services, recreation, mother/child programs, transitional living programs, street outreach and aftercare.

3. I have an appointment with my favorite bar of all time on Thursday so we can hopefully set up a fund raising night for my Team in Training stuff.

Busy, busy, busy!!!

Well, I guess the 5K bug has hit me, I just registered to do another 5K for this Sunday. This one is for Operation Spot, their mission (from their website):

Operation SPOT is dedicated to the elimination of unnecessary euthanasia of dogs and cats in St. Louis and surrounding areas.

This one might be a little bit easier, it’s much less hilly. I must admit, I do dig getting the t-shirts.

Anyway, if you’d like more info, head on over to their website at www.opspot.org!

Goal: to beat my previous 5K time of 44:19. Even if I beat it by 5 seconds, I’ll be pleased!

Today was the first time I ever "competed" in an organized race. One of my best friends Laura and I did the 5K for The Special Olympics.

( Click for pictures!. )


So, my thoughts on this whole thing.

1. It was hard, for a girl who's been pretty lazy life all her life, just starting running/power walking recently and who trains on a relatively flat surface, the hills kicked my butt. It felt about 3 times longer than it actually was. 3.1 miles isn't the longest race by any means, but it was a huge accomplishment for me. It also was good for learning the "culture" of the race.
2.. Smoking is on it's way out, I just can't smoke and play this running game anymore. My lungs were super mad.
3.. I'll be getting new shoes soon as today's shoes were not supporting my arch. Ouch!

So, I just registered for the Law Enforcement Torch Run for The Special Olympics.

I’m doing the 5K (3.1 miles) and will probably be doing a combination of running and walking as I’m not quite *there* to be running 3.1 miles.

It’s going to be a good idea to do this though, as I’ve never entered a formal race and it would be nice to learn the “culture” of formal races.

I’ve also started to say a daily prayer that pretty much goes like this:

Dearest Baby Jesus in Heaven,

I know I’m super clumsy but if you could just grant me a little grace for this damn half marathon so I don’t break my ankle and have to hobble down the isle to my future husband I would really, really appreciate it.

For really real.

With love,

Julie

Oh yes, I power walked a little over 2 miles at lunch today. It was so damn gorgeous that I just had to get out of the office. I don't have any official data on those two miles because I forgot all my Nike+ stuff at home.