Making Monday Count!

It's been 2 weeks since I last ran.
Actually, it's been 2 weeks and 2 days.

This is the longest I've gone without running in 3 months!
It's killing me.

Last night I went out for a walk.
My hip was sore to start, but eased up.
It gave me hope.
Today I'm going to try an easy run.
::gulp::

If I continue following the marathon training schedule I had planned, this week I have 2 30 min runs and then a 4-5 miler on Saturday.  (Depending on how I feel.)

Here's hoping I can get back in the swing of things easily.

In other news...I made a big change last Tuesday.
BIG.

I decided to eliminate grains from my diet.
My intake hasn't been perfect.
But, I've avoided grains, increased my veggies, and eliminated ice cream.
The results have been amazing!
Like ridiculous, jump-start amazing!
(I'll blog more about it, check back...)

Make your Monday count!  Do something to be proud of!

Provo City Half Marathon

2 half marathons within a week of each other?  It was done!

During last week, I had a sick little boy.  Like fevers every day since Monday night.  

By Friday, I was tired.  And ready for my Bubba to stop with the sickness!

Little did I know, he was blessing me with the lovely fever!

Friday, I originally planned to be at the expo right when it opened.  

I don't know why, but I always LOVE picking up my race packets!!

But because our day was crazy busy, I had to rearrange things to get there.

The race bib always gets me so excited...

Friday night, I knew I was in trouble.  

I started feeling the body aches.  When I took my temperature, I saw this:

I know I've joked before about thinking about sleeping in.  But I can honestly tell you, I was ready to just bag this race!  I ended up going to bed EARLY.  (I never get to bed early the night before a race!)  By 3:30am, I woke up (without an alarm) and was ready to start getting ready.

I still wasn't feeling 100%, but I was ready to give this race a go!

So there I was, awake at a time no sane person should be, feeding Madison, getting dressed, making breakfast....getting ready to head out the door.  Early mornings are probably what I hate most about running races because I am NOT a morning person!!

By 4:30, I was out the door, ready to pick up my neighbor and head to the race!

By the time we caught our bus and headed up the mountain, I was feeling crummy.  I popped some Ibuprofen and tried to distract myself.

At the top of the canyon we FROZE. 

Yep, I decided I didn't want to deal with bag drops so I took a garbage bag and figured I'd be alright standing by the fires.  No.  I was not alright.  I was freaking cold!  But I got to meet some interesting characters.  All of the big fires were completely surrounded, so we looked over and saw a smaller fire with hardly anyone near it.  As we joined the small group, we learned that we were joining some random campers who hiked up and decided to make their camp at the very spot that hundreds of runners were going to show up at early in the morning.  I'm still a little confused with their story...I use the term "campers" lightly.  These 2 had no tents, no sleeping bags.  They had an ax and a window squeegee.  

Strange.

The fire was small, but we were making it work. 

That is, until some genius tried to get too close and ended up burning his running shoes.  The smell was TERRIBLE.  I came home from the race smelling like his burnt shoes.

Eventually, it was time to line up at the start line.

The sun had finally come up.

Race start time was 7am. 

It was still a little chilly, but I knew once we started I would warm up fast.

As we took off, I was near the 2:20 pacer.

I knew there was NO WAY I'd be finishing with this pacer.  But thought I'd see how long I could keep her in my sight.  I started the race with my neighbor as well, but told her I was sure eventually I'd need to pull back and slow down.  (Which I did.)

However, the first 5-ish miles I kept a close pace with the 2:20's.

I was feeling great, little did I know how great I was actually running.

Mile 1 and 2 were a very good downhill grade.  

I rocked those miles with a 10:20 pace and then a 9:55 pace.  

Seriously, 9:55!!!  I haven't ran that fast in maybe ever!?

Mile 3 I slowed down some.  At this point we were on the trail and I knew I was starting off way to strong if I wanted to have the energy to see 13.1 miles.

The course for the first 6-7 miles was all in the canyon.  I LOVED it.  

I was nervous knowing that the course in the canyon was all on the trail, but I ended up loving it!  Plenty of room to run and not feel bottlenecked.

Honestly, it was probably one of the prettiest runs I've been on!

The temperature was perfect too!

(MUCH better than last weeks race!)

Once we left the canyon, they closed down part of the road along University Avenue.  This was a straight run for the last part of the run.  There was traffic along the side of us, but I felt the city police officers did a great job at regulating turns for the cars in between the runners.  I wasn't stopped at all.  While I thought it was great, the drivers were probably annoyed because traffic was a mess along University.  

Note to Utah residents...especially Utah County residents:  avoid University Ave  during the Provo City Half Marathon, you'll thank me later!

Much of these miles blended in.  I was really just feeling a groove and going with it.  I knew I wasn't as fast as I was in the canyon, but I was okay with it.  

Mile 9 I pulled off to use the restroom.  (At least I think it was 9) 

My stomach felt so heavy all morning.  

Unfortunately, it didn't help.

That was my slowest mile at a 13:00 pace.

After that mile, I knew I was going to set a PR.  I just didn't know how much of one.

I kept looking at my Garmin, trying to calculate how fast I could finish.

My legs were TIRED!

And my hip, OH MY HIP!  

But I didn't want to stop, I tried not to walk.

I felt like I really did the best I could possibly do.  I didn't wimp out and walk just because I was tired of running.  The only times I walked were because I really needed it!

During the last 3 miles, the 5k-ers came zipping by.  

I hated them.

They had fresh legs.  And they only had to go 3.1 total miles.

But as much as I hated them, it was an energy boost I needed!

I downed about 7 energy beans and began trying to pick up my pace.

It was hard.  And I wanted to just walk to the finish.

But I knew I would be so disappointed if I didn't leave EVERYTHING out on the course.

So on I pushed.  And ran.  And pushed.

I remember seeing the finish line and thinking it was a lot closer than it was.  

I kept thinking, "Oh!  There it is, now I can run the rest."

Nope.  Had to walk.

It felt like I could see the end, but that it was never going to end!

As I looked at my watch, I realized my time was far better than I thought it could be.

You see, last week, I BARELY finished in under 3 hours. 

And my best half was a 2:50-something from when I was pregnant with Madison.

So honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect of myself...especially after running a half the week before.

I hoped to set a PR, and I even through out the number 2:45.

But inside, deep where I don't let people in, I thought:  

"What if I saw 2:30...wouldn't that be amazing!?"

As I was coming down those last 1.5 - 2 miles I realized I could do something amazing.

I realized that if I gave it my all, I could maybe finish under 2:35.

As I thought about that, and about how hard I worked out on the course I wanted to cry.

Except I couldn't.  Because I was too excited and tired.

But I spent the last part of my race reflecting on how amazed I am at my body.

You see, I may not be at my goal weight.  And I may not even be where I hoped to be in my journey of losing this baby weight.  I may get really frustrated with the scale.  

But Saturday, I was proud!

I was proud of myself and what my body was able to do.

Never, NEVER did I dream I could finish 2 half marathons within a week of each other.

But I did.

And I finished in 2:33:42.

I was so damn proud.

And amazed.

And shocked.

I realized I am much stronger than I give myself credit for.  

And what a beautiful birthday present that was to myself!

After finishing, I couldn't help but smile.

I knew I was stronger and better than I thought I could be at this moment.

I ended my 31st year on an amazing high, and look forward to my 32nd year being the best yet!

After crossing the finish line, it was such a party. 

I've never been fast enough to be around when the party was happening.  

I soaked it all in!

So many people!  So much fun!

My cute neighbor even waited in line with me for a post-race massage!  

(For an hour an a half!!!!)

(But the massage was so gooooood!)

This race was a big moment for me.  

This race helped me see that I am usually too hard on myself.

I usually don't give myself enough credit.

And I need to be kinder to me.

That is my resolution for my 32nd year.

To allow myself to be proud, even when I'm not where I'd like to be.

Because Saturday blew my mind!  

And I can't wait for another race like this one.

My only criticism about the race:

They needed more liquids at the finish!

They only had dixie cups for us that were half full.

Please, Run13 race directors, next year splurge on the bottles of water.  Or even chocolate milk!

Will I run Provo City Half Marathon again?

DEFINITELY!  

(Race 6 out of 14 is now complete)

Tulip Festival Half

Let's start off by saying that Saturday's weather = TERRIBLE.

I woke up to the sound of rain at 5:30am.  I knew I was in trouble.  I wished at that moment (for a split second) that I would be okay being a quitter.

I wasn't.

So I dressed, made my breakfast (toast, peanut butter, with a banana sliced on top) and got ready to leave.

Only, I wanted my running gloves.  And I couldn't find them ANYWHERE.  So I opted to grab hand warmers instead.  Note to future race self:  if it's scheduled to rain, find your gloves the night before.

I left the house, only to realize I left my garmin watch at home.  UGH.  So I turned back around because no runner can run without knowing their pace....right?

I arrived at Thanksgiving Point in plenty of time.  Honestly, I loved that I lived so close to this race.  It let me sleep in a little longer than most races.  I arrived at 6:30am (start time was 7:00am).  I sat in my car for about 15 min, gaining the courage to open the door to the wind and rain.  

Here I am pre-race.  Can you tell how excited I was about Mother Nature's little trick?  I had a space blanket to wrap up in, but honestly...I wished I would have had a poncho.  Or a garbage bag.  I was really, really dumb.  By the time I got to the start line (yes, the STARTING line) I was soaked.  I knew from there that it was going to be a long few hours.

As the race started, they warned us about hypothermia.  Yes, it was that chilly and wet.  

As the gun went off, I started my music and tried to get lost in in.  The first mile I felt good.  Real good.  My legs felt great.  Actually the first 3 miles were great.  I kept a good, steady pace.  There was a little bit of a climb, but nothing too bad.

By the time we hit 4 or 5 miles in, we were in the Thanksgiving Point gardens.  This was the point of the race I was excited about.  This was actually why I opted to do this race.  I had never been to the Tulip Festival but have seen pictures and heard it was beautiful and amazing.  We were able to wind all through the gardens on our run, seeing beautiful tulips like these:

The gardens are beautiful, and on a sunny day I probably would have enjoyed them even more.

I remember passing the huge waterfalls as we were getting ready to leave the gardens.  They were so pretty...this picture does them no justice.

As we left the gardens, we entered hell the golf course.

I read some other race recaps for previous years before this race.  All of the posts I read mentioned the terrible hills along the golf course.  I thought they were over exaggerating.  I thought they couldn't be THAT BAD.  

They were.

Miles 7-9 I hated.  Like full on cursing 4 letter words under my breath (and some 5 lettered ones too).  If you don't believe me, go golf Thanksgiving Point and imagine running a half marathon up those ridiculous hills!  And then imagine doing it in the POURING RAIN!

By this point in the race, I was over it.  I was so cold.  I was soaked to the bone.  There was running water coming down the hills, forming puddles at the bottom.  Yikes.

Hey.  On the positive side, several volunteers decided that I won the wet t-shirt contest.  All I kept thinking was thank goodness I wore my black sports bra.  Yikes, that could have been embarrassing...

At one point in the race, it was raining so hard that I tried to wear my glasses just so I could keep my eyes open.  Even that didn't work, the glasses kept fogging up.

Mile 8 was probably my most mentally difficult mile.  The hills were stupid.  I hated the weather.  I could see the other runners passing back on the golf course, headed to the finish line.  Blah.

At mile 10, my phone shut off.  Completely.  I lost all music and Nike+ and Runkeeper tracking.  I was bugged.  I knew it wasn't dead.  But it had gotten so wet that it powered off.  So the last 3 miles I spent music-less, in the pouring rain.  

At mile 11 I could hear the finish line announcer.  They were congratulating and awarding prizes to the ridiculously fast runners.  I hated them.  But I kept pushing.

My last mile, I have to say I was most proud of myself.  I wanted to quit.  I wanted to walk.  But I didn't.  In fact, I kicked it into high gear and it ended up being my 2nd best split time.  I was passing people left and right.  (Okay, not left and right....but I passed probably 5 people.)  By the time I turned to go into the chute I knew I was done.  I knew a hot bath awaited me!  

As I was running that last little bit, I got a little choked up.  I can think of 2 races where I've actually gotten choked up.  But I got all teary in this one.  As I reflected how terrible the weather was it reminded me of the marathon I did before (because the weather was of equal crappiness in both races).  I was proud of myself.  I was proud that I showed up for the Tulip Half in the crummy weather (many didn't!).  I was proud that I put one foot in front of another and finished!  I knew at that moment that the long journey I have ahead to lose all this weight would be one I could do because I DO HARD THINGS!  

(I crossed the finish line in just under 3 hours...2:56:54 is what my Garmin had me at and 2:59:06 is what the race chip had me at...I stopped a few times taking pictures so I'm going with my Garmin pace.  I originally hoped to be closer to the 2:45:00 mark.  And honestly, had it not been raining....and if there weren't those nasty hills I think I would have been pretty close to that pace.)

Originally Jason was planning to bring the kids to the finish line, and my mom had always been planning to come.  I knew this race would be slow for me even in the best conditions.  My pace just hasn't gotten back to what it used to be yet.  Then, when I saw it was going to be raining, I told Jason to keep the kids at home.  There was no sense in having them soaking wet.  And I told my mom to not worry about driving down either.

Well, my mom didn't listen.  And as I got close to crossing the finish line, I saw her with her camera.  (In her heavy coat, I might add...)  Thanks Mom!  As much as I told you to stay at home warm, I really loved having you there to support me.

So if this post wasn't long enough already....here are the good and the bad from the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Half Marathon:

The BAD:  

• clearly the rain!  and the cold!
• And the hills!!
• not having a hat to keep the rain out of my face
• not having a long sleeved running shirt!  (You'll notice I had a long sleeved shirt, but it was cotton.  And it held all the water in.  All my long sleeved running shirts were too tight and I wouldn't have been comfortable running in them.  Only, I didn't realize this until late Friday night.  So I ran, looking ridiculous in my soaked...and HEAVY...shirt.)

The GOOD:

• The tulips were beautiful
• The volunteers out on the course were energetic (even the little kids that had to be no older than 8 or 9 who were soaked!)
• The oranges!!  I can't say enough about the orange slices!  They had them at several aid stations and I was in heaven!  Every race director should have oranges along the course!
• The finish line food!!!  This race knew how to make a girl happy when she's soaking wet after the race.  They had chocolate milk, bagels, bread with jam, ice cream sandwiches (LOTS of those left...HA!), and cookies.  Ohhhhh, the cookies!  I was impressed because typically when I've ran a race at a slow pace, usually they have packed up all the food (or ran out!).  I was SO impressed with how much they had available to me.  Take note again, any future race directors!  Even the slow runners need food at the end.  So thank you to the volunteers who could have easily packed up in the rain and headed home.  Thank you for waiting it out, even for the runners who came in an hour after me!  It almost makes me want to run this race again.  Almost.
• The medal:

I LOVED the medal they hung around my neck!  The tulip is so cute.  And what I loved even more:  The fact that they had different medals for the different races.  (There was a 5k and a kids run this same day.)  I've seen other races hand out the same medal to all participants.  But Thanksgiving Point made sure to have a medal just for the half-ers.  (Another tip race directors should learn from!)

All in all, I'm glad I ran this race.  (And I'm even more glad I'm done with it!)

Would I run it again?  .........despite all the good (and there was a lot of good!) I don't know that I would because of those nasty hills on the golf course.  (And the rain is still hazing my thoughts too.)  I won't ever say never, but it would take a lot for me to jump into this race again next year.

My advice to anyone who is thinking of running this race:  go golf Thanksgiving Point's golf course first so you know what lies ahead as you start this race.....

Monday Marathon Training

Monday has come again, how did you do last week with your steps?  Remember, we are Springing for Steps this month...have you tracked all of yours yet?

This last week was pretty good for me.  And by pretty good, I mean I FINALLY made it back to the top of the FitBit leaderboard!!!

I've been competing against some tough, tough competitors!  And truth be told, I had to snap this picture early Sunday morning to catch myself in first place.  

As far as my training went...

Monday:  I opted to walk Monday with Jason.  We got in a good 2 mile walk.

Tuesday:  I knew I needed to run Tuesday since I skipped it on Monday.  I set out (with the DOUBLE JOGGER....ICK!) and went just over 2.5 miles.  It wasn't the easiest or best 30 min run, but I got it done.  (And have I mentioned, Connor LOVES our runs.  He gets so excited anytime he sees me in my running clothes, lacing up my shoes.)

Tuesday night:  Jason and I also went out for a walk with the kids.  We went 2.85 miles and I really enjoyed it.  

Wednesday:  This was another walk day, got 3.31 miles in.  

Thursday:  Because I bumped my run to Tuesday, it meant I was set to run again Thursday.  I went 2.7 miles (again with the stroller) and loved the weather!

Friday:  nada.  I opted to rest my legs for my long run.

Saturday:  9 miles!  I wanted to start this run early, I had a lot to do Saturday.  I got out a little later than I hoped, but was on the trail running by 9am.  The weather was perfect when I started.  Overcast, almost looking like it was going to rain.  (But it didn't.)  I knew I'd be out there for a while, so I opted to wear a tank.  This was my first tank top run of the season here in Utah...HOORAY!  

As I started, I knew I needed to pace myself.  I have a tendency to start my long runs off too fast.  I'm really trying to get the whole negative split thing down.  I want to be able to pace myself on long runs (and race runs) to start off slow so I can finish stronger.  But, that didn't happen.  I still started off too fast because when I came home each mile split got slower and slower after the 3rd mile.  

That being said, the run itself wasn't bad.  In fact, there was a race being held along the river trail I was running.  It was fun to see and cheer along all the runners.  It made me really appreciate this sport.  Runners are so friendly with each other.  When I'm running and pass another runner going in the opposite direction I always receive encouragement.  It's amazing!  Even when I get passed by a runner going in my same direction, they always seem to have some kind of uplifting words to share with me.  While running might be an individual thing, you are never alone in running.  It's like a club, once you've joined you get lifted up by all those around you.

Can you tell I love running?

Which is weird.  Really weird.  Because I never used to like it!

(rant over.)

So last week I was able to total my miles and felt really good about it.  

I ended up with 24.4 miles for the week!

It's crazy to think how far I've come just in the last month with my body...but even more with my mind!  This journey is SO mental.  And for a long time I dreaded every step I had to take along it.  Sometimes I still do.  But I can say it's gotten easier with each day that passes that I stay focused.  I am making this happen.  I don't know when I'll get to where I want to be, but it will happen...

Monday Marathon Training

How did your last week go?

Mine went according to schedule.

Monday, March 31st I was scheduled for a 30 min run.  I was worried about this run because of Saturday's crummy run.  But I actually felt really good come Monday.  I went 2.98 miles, and averaged a 10:30 mile which I haven't done in a REALLY long time.  

I bumped my second run of the week to Friday.  We were super busy trying to paint our living room and I just didn't make time for it.  Come friday, I hit the pavement for another 2.90 miles.

Saturday, according to my Jeff Galloway schedule, was a low mileage run.  I only had to go 4.5 miles.  It felt quick.  I ended up finishing with 4.65 miles by the time I looped around home.  I got out a little later than I hoped to on Saturday, but was able to finish before the rain kicked in.  This was the first run I've ever done on my own without my music.  It was strange, but nice to change it up.

For the week, with my scheduled walk day and my runs, I ended up with just shy of 13 miles.

This week I have my longest run to date scheduled.  Yikes.

Oh.  And did I mention...I decided to do something completely crazy.  I'm scheduled to do my training run on the 26th of April as a half marathon, NOW I'm also doing a half the next week too!  Groupon was having a killer deal, and Jason told me I should just jump in and do it.  So, I am.  And I hope I don't die.  Or get injured.  

I love that this 14 in 2014 is keeping me going!

Here's to another week of staying focused.....

Monday Marathon Training

I'm not going to lie.  This last week was difficult.  I was dealing with some plantar faciitis on Monday.  So I opted to make my shorter runs this week walks.  I felt confident that I was still getting in distance without pounding on my feet to aggravate the PF even more.

By Wednesday, I had a nasty head cold and all I wanted to do is lay in bed, doped up on Sudafed or Tylenol Cold.

So my training over the last week went like this:

• Monday I had a 2.56 mile walk.  No pain, just a simple and easy walk.
• Tuesday I also got in a quick walk, 2.09 miles.  
• Thursday, I opted to do another walk (1.67 miles) so that I didn't over do it with my PF and sickness for Saturday.
• Saturday was my long run day.  7 miles.

Total weekly mileage:  13.32 miles.

Now for the good, bad, and ugly.

By Saturday, I was excited for my run.  I was excited to feel my legs moving.  Only, I let my head get in the way.  The day was BEAUTIFUL!  I couldn't have asked for better weather.  The course was equally pretty...although the end had some up and down hills that I wasn't very fond of.  But the scenery was great.  But I just couldn't get into it.  At all!




You see, I made a huge mistake.  I started feeling sorry for myself.  This journey is hard.  Like extremely hard.  And if I'm being completely honest (which I always am on here...) Saturday, it SUCKED.  I spent the last 2.5 miles of my run crying.  At one point I even stopped running and called Jason in tears.  I wanted him to come pick me up and bring me to the car so I could just be done.  (He didn't.)  I cried to him about how hard this all is.  It's stupid.  I am frustrated.  I already lost all this weight once, and I was feeling very bitter about having to start basically at square one again.  He gave me a mini-pep talk and told me to finish strong.  I did not finish strong.  But I finished, and there is strength in that!

On my run, I started comparing myself and my current place to others.  I started wishing I was faster.  Wishing I could finish races in my "goal" times.  Wishing I hadn't spent the last ump-teen months eating cookies and ice cream.

Then I remembered a thought I read.
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second next best time is now."
 --Chinese Proverb

How powerful.  How insightful.  Sure, it's always easy to say...'oh I wish I would have just started before....how much easier it would be now!'

But I can't dwell on that.  And neither can you!  This journey is constantly in progress.  There is no finish line.  But the best time to start working on yourself is now.  Because what you do today, determines what your tomorrow will look like.

Do not fall into the trap of comparison.  When I got home from my run Saturday, I had to have a few friends and my husband shake some sense in to me.  What I accomplished this week was fantastic, and what I accomplished this month has been double what I did last month.  (And February was double what I did in January.)  It is only myself that I should compare me to.

That is the only FAIR comparison.  That is the only comparison that matters.  So while I am not going to be joining the olympics anytime soon, or breaking any records with my pace...just know this.  I'm out there doing it.  And I hope you are too!  Because together, each day we do right puts us closer to the person we want to be!

Document.

So here I am.
Ready to document the good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between.

When I said I wanted 2014 to be MY YEAR, I was serious.  And since then, I've eaten a lot of cookies.  (Dang Girl Scouts)  And I've eaten a lot of ice cream (Dang Ben & Jerry's).

But, I've also been doing a lot of consistent movement.

So here I am to lay this all out for you.

I've been hesitant, because in the past when I've said I had a plan....I then have fallen off the wagon.  So I spent the last month (since I've been home from Disney) being consistent to make sure I was committed.

I am.

Now, that's not to say I don't have work to do in areas.  I do.  Especially my eating!  But I can only focus on so much at a time.

I've made it known that I want to do 14 races in 2014.  I've gotten a few of them done.  I have others I'm registered for.  But it's not enough for me to just want to finish them.  I want to TRAIN for them.  I want to cross the finish line knowing I was consistent in my runs, and my cross training.

So I made a goal sheet.  And I have it hanging in my kitchen.  And each week, I'm prepared to report my progress.  I think I'll make it my Monday posts.  I'll call them Marathon Monday Training.  I'll give you a full re-cap on the prior weeks training and food consumption.  I'll be honest and real.  I'll let you know what worked, and what didn't.

Why am I doing this?

Because I want a step by step documentation of my journey.  Some weeks are going to be stinky.  Others are going to rock.  But the key is to keep plugging along, and that is what I'm committed to do.  What races am I running?  You can follow those HERE.  (I've already got 3 completed.)

What schedule am I following?  One from Jeff Galloway...

I love it because he has me running a full 26 miles just a few weeks before my actual marathon.  That means that I was able to sign up for a marathon for a "training run."  I couldn't decide between 3 marathons, all within a few weeks of each other.  His training schedule allows me to complete 2 of them!

So quickly, I'm going to give you a re-cap of the last month.  Normally, my Monday re-caps will be more detailed.  But I didn't want to bore you with that many details all at once.

February 25th weight:  210.2  (it was ugly when I came home from Disney World.  Very ugly!)
That first week after coming home, I began logging miles.



These images are from Dailymile.com.  I am kind of anal and have a few places I'm tracking...for different reasons.  I always wear my Garmin watch on my runs.  I also track the course and pace on Nike+.  I like to earn the badges on there and see my pace improve.  But, I don't track my walks or my cross training on either of those.  I wanted those 2 to be for running only training.

I use RunMeter to track my walks, and sometimes my runs if I'm needing a little extra boost.  You see, RunMeter links to Twitter and Facebook and when a friend leaves a comment or a "like" for you, it reads it to you.  It's fun...but I don't use it publicly all the time because I don't want to be THAT person.

DailyMile is a place I can sync all the miles I log in the same place.  It allows me to run reports on just runs, or all activities.  It gives me my mile totals (days, weeks, or months).  It is also where I track the miles I'm putting on my new shoes.

So, long story is...you can find me logging in any of the above mentioned places. :)

Back to training...

Week 2, March 3 -- March 9th:



Week 3, March 10 -- March 16


Week 4, March 17 -- 23rd:

And that brings me to the current week.

The only training run I've missed was March 8th.  I opted to spend the day at the running store, buying new shoes.  

My weight, one month later is 205.1.  Not as good as I'd like...but I can't complain because my eating has not been in check AT ALL.

So over the next month, that is my focus.  To watch what I eat.  Because I don't want to be doing all this moving for nothing!  You can't out-exercise a bad diet...food is ALWAYS the way to lose weight. So more veggies, water, and lean protein.  (And less eating out, cookies, and sweets!)

Check back on Monday for this last weeks detailed report on my Marathon Training...