Running in the rain...

That speeds you up too.

Also, dying of thirst helps.

That was my run tonight. Rain and terrible dessert-dry-throat thirsty.

See the perk of running 3.1 miles away from my house is that I am forced to run 3.1 miles back. No matter what. Rain. Thirst. cramps. complete and total exhaustion. It doesn't matter. You're still 3.1 miles away. The fastest way to get back - run.

TOnight I ran 6.3 miles. In like 52 minutes or so. Paula Radcliffe (marathonner) told me in her british accent that I had recorded my fastest mile - 7.58. Wowza!

I've run seventy miles since the first. That's C-Razy!

Today was my last run until sunday. I'm so excited!

The Key to Running Faster.

Run as the sun sets. The fear of being out in the dark will definitely speed you up.

That's what happened to me yesterday. I started running a bit late and ran away from my house until it said 3.1 miles, then I turned around and ran back. It started getting dark really quickly so I just kept running fast. My average pace was 8:20! Fear will do that to a person.

On another slightly unrelated note, the path I ran was great. It was generally flat, and down one great street full of beautiful houses that I love. They're very old and classic. I love them. So it was a nice distraction to stare at their splendor as I sweated every ounce of energy from my body.

Some Nike Plus Stats.

In 15 workouts, I have run 47 miles.

My average pace is 9.06.

I have a goal of running 80 miles in 4 weeks. I am 5.7 miles behind where I should be to accomplish that goal.

Another goal I have is to have 10 workouts under an average pace of 9 minutes in one month. I've done 4 so far.

And in a nike plus challenge with runners from literally around the globe, I am 7th out 17 to see who can run the most in 30 days.

In another challenge, I am 3rd out of about 20 beginning runners in the battle of fastest 5k.

If I haven't already said it, this Nike Plus thing is truly the coolest thing ever. I have never been so motivated to work out in my life. Dad would have LOVED it. It's just so easy to see your progress and to find new motivation.

Speedy Juanita Gonzalez.

That's me!
Last night I ran a little later in the evening because troy wasn't home. since i knew I couldn't run very far, I tried to run faster. I did interval training for 10 minutes. That's where I run one minute as fast as I can, the next minute I recover.

I sprinted during those intervals. I mean, I wasn't like there's-a-lion-chasing-me sprinting, but pretty good all out full throttle run for the full minute.

The result of said sprinting? My average time for my mile last night was 8:13. And I ran 2.3 miles in about 19 minutes.

So my new name is speedy Juanita Gonzalez.

I am more interested in becoming Little Miss Endurance though...

SUCCESS!

Today I ran 6.1 miles in 54 minutes and 11 seconds. I burned, supposedly, 555 calories. And my average pace was 8:49.

After mile two, I just felt like I could run forever. I just kept going and going and going. I even ran past my house which is almost the hardest thing in the world to do because it's so tempting to stop, but I didn't want to stop.

It felt amazing. Absolutely amazing.

I think I found that second wind that my dad was talking about.

Amazing...

4.5 miles...

That's the farthest (furthest?...no, I think it is farthest...and I taught english...) I've run. What's funny is once I get past about 1- 1.5 miles, I feel like I can just run. I don't feel good by any means but I feel like I could just keep going and going. But that first mile, I want to quit so bad.

According to nikeplus I have run just under 40 miles since the august 1st. I was impressed too! Unfortunately i'm 16 miles off track from a goal i have of running 80 miles in four weeks. I gotta step it up a notch.

What's cool is I'm noticing some minute changes in my body...a little firmer here, a little lift there...that's motivating.

I like running. I look forward to it. I get annoyed on days that I can't because schedules don't work out. I think it's safe to say, I'm becoming a runner. How about that, dad? : )

on the road again.

After two days off because of the massive amount of snot pouring from my nose, I ran today.

Nike gave me this free workout playlist for joining the human race. It's almost all latin music. A little odd, I must say. But, the beat and rhythm was surprisingly invigorating. Plus the workout is varied - warm-up, easy run, speed intervals, easy run, speed intervals, cool down.

I ran 3.3 miles in a little over 30 minutes. Now, I did walk some. I am still pretty sick-ish and I didn't want to overdo it. And during the speed intervals I was RUNNING. Not sprinting, but i was going at a pretty impressive run.

I ran a new path today - one big circle which was nice.

And that's all I can say about today's run.

I am still running...

It's just the nike plus thing is kind of taking over this journal. It records my run times, distances and even graphs my speed. Crazy, I know.

So I won't update here as much.

I have been sick-ish since like Monday. Really stuffy and congested. Just can't breathe hardly at all. I've run a few times since getting sick, but the last two days, I haven't. I am going to run tonight though. I have to. The nike race is in like 20 days. That's super close. I'll get it done though. I will.

I have to.

I do wish the heat would kind of lay off a bit. It's so...oppressive. I am aching for fall...

a new toy.

So, for our anniversary, troy bought me that nike plus thing!!!

I am so excited to try it out. From what I can tell, it's amazing. You can workout with distance goals or time goals. There's a button you can push that plays your chosen PowerSong when you need to get pumped up (here lately, for some random reason, Jesse's got a Girl has been that song for me...i don't know!) and you can download certain athletes workout mixes or build your own. And a voice will come on and tell you every once in a while how far, how fast or how long you have been running!

AND, (i know! It just keeps going!) AND, when I'm done with a run, I can come home, plug my ipod into my computer and upload my run info to nikeplus.com and it will track my progress. Yeah, it's too cool!

I am pumped. Now I just have to wait for my new shoes, which i've earned by 4 weeks of working out consistently. and my shoes are way old.

(working out consistently when possible - yes, I took a few days off when Troy was out of town, but I can't control that. Every other time and chance, I've gone! I earned my dang shoes!)

Reunited.

Me and the open road. Together again at long last.

I just ran my normal two mile path. I have to admit I walked some. But just very little. I can't find my watch so I have no clue how fast I was. But I felt FAST. There's this one stretch that's a teeny tiny almost unnoticably downhill and when I turned onto it I just ran. I ran.

And then I walkeda bit...: )

Now, tomorrow, I leave again but I can run where I'm going.

***

I remember my dad talking about getting his second wind. I think that's what he called it... Where you are dead tired and then all of a sudden, from out of nowhere, you feel great and can just run and run. I thought about that while I was running tonight. I want to run so much, so often that someday I'll get that feeling.

Oh, how I miss thee...

Troy's been gone this week. I've run once. I miss it. Bad. And I know i'm losing any gains I may have made. That annoys me. And saddens me.

I actually MISS running.

He's home tomorrow. Running and I will at long last be reunited.

New Path, New Distance, New Time

I ran to a park, did three laps around the park, and ran home.
That's 3.2 miles.
I did that in 32:45.
That's 10 minutes a mile. : )

I think 3.2 miles is a 5k.
I need to find me a race! : )

I ran at sunset today. At one point I came up on this flat meadow area and the sun hit it just right and illuminated this swarm of butterflies to make them look like little golden fairies. It was beautiful. I noticed that while running. I think that's progress. : )

New best time!

So, I ran at night today. I woke up this morning with a headache and running just wasn't sounding good. I knew I'd just feel bad the whole time and therefore would run badly and would then feel worse and...you get the picture. I didn't run.

So tonight I got home from a photo session at 8: 20 and was supposed to meet the girls at 8:30. But I had to run. So I did.

I must have been in the zone, (well, as much in the zone as one of my inathleticness(totally a word) can be) because I ran a mile in 8:47! That's a whole 40 seconds shaved off! Yes, I felt victorious. I ran two miles in 18:30!

So, maybe I should run at night. Maybe I'm better at night. It felt better. I felt faster. But night is just so much harder to do consistently...

And not that you read this, but sorry for girls for not showering before finding you at the coffee place. ; )

a normal ol' run

I ran.
Not faster. Not slower. But I ran.
2.8 miles. no stopping.
And no heart pain.

I've found a path that is four miles long. I think tomorrow I try it. I wonder if I could run the whole thing...

I also went to runnersworld again and have printed out a six week training program for a 10k that I think I can do. The distances are a little scary(like my "long run" day starts at 7 miles and builds to 9), but the other days are pretty normal. And the pace that I would have to do for those 7 miles is 15:20 a mile which means I could definitely walk some. My goal for the nike race is to just complete it, to see what a race is like and to get a time.

So I need a seven mile path. Yikes. I could run to...to....well, somewhere really far away. REALLy far away. Or 28 laps around a track. Boy, that'd be fun.

until I couldn't move...

That's how long I ran today.
Sadly, that was only 32 minutes or so, but man I hurt! My heart hurt. That worried me a bit. But I think it was a normal kind of hurt. Maybe it was my lungs and I just couldn't tell because all my senses were disoriented from the workout.

I just want to run better. Faster. Harder. I feel like I am stuck in one place. I need a new path I think. I like where I run because it's kind of out in the open, but I don't like that I have to retrace some of my steps to get the appropriate distance. It's not pleasant to think, "I have to run all of this but the opposite direction as soon as I get to that tree." I need to find a circular path.

And I need to weight train.
And I need to get new shoes.
And I need to get that nike plus thing.
No, those are needs...not wants, people. : )

Minor setback...

So, I went to Kylah's for a few days.
I ran the first two mornings.
Didn't the third.
or the fourth. Now, on the fourth I did go to sea world and walked at least three million miles, so that has to count for something...

But tomorrow, I'm waking early and running until I can't move.

I think I might, MIGHT, try to run in The Great Human Race that Nike is doing. From what little I have read so far, it's like a giant race that takes place all over the world in different cities. It's a 10k. And one's in Austin.

It's August 31st.
That's about 45 days away. Can I do it? That's the question.
I think I totally can. after three weeks, I can run about three miles in 30 minutes. Surely in 45 more days I can add another three miles.
Right?

rest day...

I walked.
30 minutes.
I sprinted one time. I just can't help it.
My knees hurt sometimes when I walk on rest days. I dont know why.
I'm looking forward to my run tomorrow. I need a good one.
There's a 10k race in abilene in september. I'm gonna do it, I think. As a practice run. We'll see. It's ten weeks away.

Just Run

Last night I went to Hastings and read some books on running. One of them was the complete book of running for women. It advised that some days you just run. No watch. No must-do-distance, no perfect pace. Just run. So that's what I did today.
I ran.
I sprinted.
I walked.
I jogged.
I leaped over curbs.
I grooved to the music.
I smiled.

It felt nice. Even Great. I don't have a clue how far or how long I ran, probably not very, but I had a good time. And I needed that.

made up for it.

So since yesterday's run was so terrible I ran today.
9:27 first mile.
Hey, that's 10 seconds faster than i started. It's something.
And then I ran the 2.8 miles in 28:17. Yeah, I thought that was okay. I don't know if that's an improvement from the other day since my watch didn't work right the first time. But I am pretty sure it's better.

I need to find a three mile path. That's a goal. And I think i'm gonna have sprint days. I am hoping I can use troy's keys and practice on the asu track sometimes.

Oh, and no feeling sick today. Well, a tad, but not much. I think I do need to eat and drink an hour before I run, but that means waking up at like 6:30 am this week...Ick.

For lack of a better word...

Today's run sucked.

I ran the first mile and actually, by some miracle, shaved off, hold onto your hats, two, yes TWO whole seconds. Wow. But progress in any form is okay.

But then I just felt sick. I've been feeling sick after my runs lately and this time it just hit me a bit quicker. I don't need to throw up, but I just feel really weak and sick. So, for the second mile I just walked. i sprinted twice, but I just walked.

But I was out there. The streak continues. Tomorrow will be two full weeks.

(on a side note - I hope the "morning" sickness is completely running related and nothing else...please, Jesus....)

A nice little walk...and a teeny sprint...

So, today, being sunday and all, was a rest day. So I was walking this evening at just at a nice little easy pace. I was about 24 minutes in when this great song came on my ipod. A nice fast makes-you-wanna-run song. So I did. I actually couldn't help myself. I just burst into a dead sprint and just ran for as long as I could at that pace. It was like running when you were a kid! It felt soooo great! Now, I only did this for maybe 30 seconds. I could have done more, but it was rest day and all...

So that was today. A 30 minute walk with this one (or two) little sprint.

Adding Distance

I added .8 to my path today. I did it in about 30 minutes. I'm not for sure on that because I am having technical difficulties with my watch. Apparently water resistant watches indeed cannot get submersed in water. i have some major condensation inside the watch.

Anyway, because of said watch issues, I thought I had started my timer, but hadn't and didn't realize that until I had run about half a mile, but I have no idea how fast. I guesstimated five minutes. So add that to the 24:57 I ran the rest of the run, I have estimated a 2.8 mile run in 30 minutes.
Not great.
But, BUT, I didn't stop for 2.8 miles. Two weeks ago, I couldn't run a full mile. Now, that's what they call progress. And progress is all I need... just a little bit here and there.

My goal - three miles in 28 minutes. I can do it!

A few words on hills

I hate them.

And I'm not even talking hill hills. I'm talking teeny tiny inclines that you don't even notice in a car. But on foot, they're almost deadly.

So, to recap, I hate hills.

July 4th

So, last night about 9 pm I got a migraine. I haven't had one of those since the day after Grant was born. I have no idea what brings them on. I'm hoping it has nothing to do with running. Anyway, I took some pain pills and went to bed. Fortunately I was able to fall asleep before the serious pain set in. I always know I'm getting one because I get this blurry spot in my vision. It's so weird.

But this morning, I woke up and ran my two miles in 20 minutes. No walking again. I really need to get on some kind of program because I feel like I am hitting that point where I don't really know what to do. So, I've printed like a million articles from RunnersWorld and will figure something out.

I can't, for the life of me, beat my 9:39 time. I'm almost wondering if my watch was wrong. Today I ran 9:54. Blech. But I do feel like I am gaining some endurance since I can now run two miles without stopping and keep it at or under 20 minutes. That's something.

I think I'm gonna steal troy's keys to the ASU track and see how fast I can do a mile on a track....

I can't beat myself!

I can't beat my time of 9:39.
Aaaarrrggghhhh!
I ran 9:45.
BUT, I ran two miles straight without stopping in 19:50. So, I shaved 10 seconds off my time there. Wow. 10 whole whoppin' seconds. Good grief.
Oh, well.
I ran.

Oh, and for the record. I didn't run yesterday, Wednesday, but I did climb enchanted rock with the boys so that has to count for something. So today, Thursday, was supposed to be my rest day, but I am counting yesterday as rest day.