Pre-Run Report

My toungue is pasted to the roof of my mouth and I've already downed 40 oz. of water. I realized that I may have ingested more sodium in the last two days than in all 30 days of my gastrointestinal "clean sweep". My energy level is low and my mental drive to get up and go is running at about 55%. It would be a mere 40% but the shining sun has bumped it up the extra 15. In fact, I'm still in my pajamas...and its after Noon! Not to worry...there will be no excuses made that will keep me from hitting the pavement. Afterall, I only have to go 3.5 miles today...no sweat.

"Vacation"

Today I was on a nutritional vacation. Eggs, sausage & potatoes for breakfast. Salad for lunch -- not bad. Superbowl party, nachos, chips, 2 diet cokes, a hot dog w/ chili and for dessert...a (small) piece of coconut cream pie. It all went down nice and easy and I enjoyed every bite. But, just like any vacation it is always nice to get back "home" and into one's regular routine. So, tomorrow I will be "home" again and I'm looking forward to my rice cereal breakfast, 3 servings of fruit, almond snack, broiled fish lunch and light soup dinner.

Stay tuned for a report on my junk-food fueled run tomorrow.

5 Miles Pounding The Pavement

Troy joined me on my five mile run today.

We ran Council Crest.

We ran it slow, but finished strong.

We chatted the entire way. Not having those same damn 20 songs play over-and-over-and-over on my ipod today was a welcome change.

Running with someone (besides those damn same 20 artists on my ipod) makes me look forward to our Sister Run next weekend.

Cheers!

YOGA ~ My cross training

When I walk into that studio I never know what I am going to get. I can feel crummy walking in and have a decent class. I can feel amazing through the standing series and then crash and burn once I hit the floor. There are so many factors that can go into how you actually feel once in the studio. Rest, food eaten over the last 24 hours, how hydrated you are, etc.

Tonight I had them strongest yoga practice I have had since getting back into it in December. Everything flowed. I felt strong from start to finish. In Standing Standing Seperate Leg Stretching Pose I was "this" close to getting my forehead on the floor. I think I felt my bangs tickle the mat. ~ Having Ahmad's face 6" from mine, as he pounded on the mat "You-Can-Do-It!" didn't hurt.

I walked into the studio not knowing what I'd get. I walked out taller, stronger, healthier, happier and more peaceful with life.

AND I got the closest parking spot to the door at New Seasons after class.

Form

Yesterday's run was 3.5 miles. We are building to our 5 mile long run on Saturday (which I will do tomorrow due to scheduling issues). I was tired from Tuesday's Group Power (weightlifting) class and x-training (xt) on the stair stepper (the one that is actually stairs...a much harder workout than the traditional Stair Master). I was contemplating switching up my training because I'm moving this week's long run up a day (or is it back a day? I don't know....closer, anyway). I considered using yesterday as a rest day, skipping the 3.5 all together but that didn't seem right because I will have two rest days in a row this weekend. I considered doing an xt day at the gym....especially because the rain was coming down hard. After all the contemplating I decided to JUST DO IT and figure out the rest of the week later. I headed out as soon as the rain let up. Being fatiqued from the Power class I noticed my form was sloppy. I was running about the same pace but it just felt sloppy. My shoulders where hunched, my arms were swinging all around(think the nerd from Ghostbusters). I felt like I was lumbering down the street, heavy and unfocused. Knowing that I had to finish this run, whether I wanted to or not, I had to reclaim my form. So, I lifted my chest and pulled my shoulders back. With my chin up and my arms swinging steadily- rythmically, I pulled my belly button towards my spinal cord and thats when it happened. My body shot forward like a race car down the final stretch. My legs powered by the foundation of my core. I ran the last mile at top pace. By focusing on the strength of my body--strength I've been building over the last year -- instead of the fatique and mental block is what I needed to relcaim my run and to turn it from stress to success!

Ditching Work

Blue Skies. Warm Day. I ditched the office at 3pm and hit the pavement for my 2 miler, just a straight "there and back". I think I ran slow though. I have to get a watch.

Being tired after my run, I went to the 4:30 yoga class, since it was a place I could relax on my back in savassana 12 times!

Namaste!

DISTRACTIONS

For me, as a runner, everyday there are distractions. Here are a few I encountered today.

1. Rain. Well, drizzle really. Just enough to make me consider pushing my training run off until it went away....yeah, right, like that would happen. I put on my wet weather running gear.

2. My ipod battery was dangerously low. There was no way it would get me through a 3.5 mile run. I plugged it in and let it charge while I made the bed and tidied up.

3. COLD! Not only was it drizzly...it was cold too. I went inside and put on a fleece.

4. iPod malfunction. My fully charged iPod's Nike+ feature goes kaput on me and tells me I've completed my workout -- even though I only went 1/4 of a mile. I turned off the Nike+ and continued on with my rockin' play list.

5. Sarah's first 1/2 mile. She is excited, running spiratically, has to pee. I've realized that if I want her with me (and I do) I have to let her do her thing the first 1/2 mile...then she's good to go for the next 3 or 4. Oh, yeah, I also run slightly farther than the allotted mileage just to make up for any lag time in the first 1/2.

6. Too many clothes. That extra fleece I'd put on was making me hot. I kept going

7. A hill. Focus on a steady pace and keep a good song on the iPod -- hills are a distraction but not a problem.

8. Sore Knee. At mile 2.75 my knee started to hurt. I'm accustomed to this because it happens everytime. I'm tempted to stop...to take it easy...but I remember that my legs are strong and my core is the foundation to good running, so I concentrate on keeping my core solid, tightening my glutes to release pressure on my knees and, voila! I'm running straight past the three mile mark and onto the last 1/2 mile and faster too!

9. Wild Life. I had to keep myself from stopping to save a worm who had crawled out of the ground and onto the path. I really hate to see a worm so far from its dirty home. But I ran on. Then I saw the most beautiful bird. It was brown with dark brown spots and red tips under its feathers. I wanted to stop and stare but I was so close to finishing that I ran on....

10. The Mirror. Walking by the mirror and catching a glimpes of a healthier, happier looking me. Now that's a distraction I can live with.

RUN SISTER, RUN!