Oak Grove Awards

The awards for the Oak Grove 5k Race on Saturday were really cool. They looked like relay batons that relay teams use in their race. The top winners did not receive one so Kent made me one like his. Isn't he the sweetest hubby?? I love trophies that are unique and I was thrilled to have one. Aren't they creative and the neatest? Kudos to whoever came up with this idea and having them made!! What do you think?

Oak Grove 5k

Today we ran in the Oak Grove 5k Race in Hattiesburg. Though it started at 7:30, it was still VERY hot and humid by the time it was over. Guess that's because it's run out in the open with no shade. It is a double loop, meaning you repeat the course by running it twice, then enter the stadium and making a lap to the Finish Line.

My first mile was really good for me and I was (and am) thrilled to accept this time. It was the second best first mile pace I've had so far with only a few seconds difference. With mostly a 7:15-7:48 recorded pace (Garmin) and only a couple of times in the 8:00's, it ended me up with the 8:14 pace for the mile. My best was the last race I ran 3 weeks ago in Jackson. BUT when I reached the hill taking me into the second mile, it changed my pace for the rest of the race. I think a few thought the course to be pretty flat but with the grade and distance of the grade, I'd rank it a little more than flat...that's subjective, of course. Then add a huge dose of heat and humidity AND to repeat it a second time took some energy out of me.

Thankfully, I've been reading a little more in running books and am finding out that each race is different for every single person...that when things get tough your mode of competing may change. I had thought about this before starting because I remembered the course from last year and how that long grade played havoc with me. So, I refocused my efforts and instead of getting discouraged I ran the best I could run with no one or anything else on my mind.

My friends are faster than I and to put that in focus, I watched them race up the hill on the other side of where I was heading...thinking at first just how far ahead of me they had gotten when in the first mile (and for a while) we were not "that" far apart and this is only a 5k, right? But being thankful that I have running friends, I mentally cheered them on and because of that they won top awards...yeah, right!!

To sum it up as best as I can here are some of the results:
Terry Lawhead...First Male
Vicki Copeland...First Female
Ginny Dufrene...Masters (and second female)
Neil Solomon...Grand Masters
Me...Grand Masters
Kent...2nd in his age group
Philip Wedgworth...Placed in his age group
Mitzi Lawhead...PR (Way to go, congrats)

I hope I didn't leave someone out. If I do, I will make adjustments to this article. Congratulations on all because we are all winners today!!

I'm hoping my times will improve considering I'm still working out consistently on the treadmill. My next goal is to begin some hill work. I've never done this before and I hope to start Tuesday with a new friend.

Trek the Trace #2

We weren't able to make it to the first Trek the Trace the Pinebelt Pacers had but we got to the second one. The humidity and running so late in the day were key factors in a little hesitancy I had in going. Most everyone runs outside some and I hardly do and stay with treadmill running. BUT we wanted to meet up with our group again to visit and do what we love to do...run. Trek the Trace is only done the month of August so it's been a year since we've gotten with the group in a non-competing way.

Tonight the 2 mile run was a predicted run where you guess how long you think it will take you to run the 2 miles. You had to leave behind any method of timing to prevent cheating. The man and woman closest to their "guessed" time won a prize. We went back to last year's record and reviewed what we predicted and made modifications for the run tonight. I lowered mine 10 seconds and Kent made an adjustment to his (don't know the difference in his), signed our release forms and off we went! We both came in faster than our predicted times. I was 32 seconds faster and Kent was 2:25 faster! He was much better than he thought he would be. Congratulations, honey! This gave me an 8:34 pace which pleased me very much! Not having my iPod, it was hard listening to me breath...yeah, that's right, it's a different kind of noise and quite distracting if I may say. Chad D. came closest to his time and Crystal Stricker came in closest to her time.

Below are a few pictures taken from tonight's event.

Chad & Ginny

Nestor compiling the scores followed by the results.

(Sorry my foot is in the way but the page kept blowing the page up.)

Other random pictures:




(Aren't eating pictures always graceful, ha!) It was a lot of fun and everyone had a good time; we enjoyed the fellowship, a big plus for this Club. Water, drinks and chicken fingers were provided and many brought different things to compliment the chicken.
One of the 2 tables of food. Yum!!

And, finally a quick shot of us...
Thanks, Ginny, for getting our picture!

Summer Beach 5k

Leonard is the BEST in coordinating runs on the coast!! I don't know how he does it. The course is always accurate and well marked. There's always plenty of water and drink and refreshments to help you regain your strength. He is NOT lazy by any means and pitches in to do whatever it takes to make the race run smoothly, times are recorded right and people are satisfied. We, also, LOVE the way results are posted on the website quickly. And because of this, we love running in the Gulf Coast Running Club's races. Our hats are off to ya, Leonard...again!!

This race should have been a PR race if any could be due to it being so flat...BUT...boy, is running in the heat tough! All I can say is at least we're doing it. I have come to the conclusion (along with the confirmation from others all over) that running in the summer is left to those who are committed, crazy, persistent and want to be consistent in their running throughout the year. Did I say crazy?? Well, in the "heat" of running in it, that's what comes to my mind (this is my addition...runners won't admit that that's part of it, but hey, the truth is.....). Okay, back to the race. This is the first 5k I've had to get water along the way in a short race!! I rarely get something in a 10k but this was a hot day. So for now, getting a PR is out of the question and that helps me run the best I can instead of passing out trying to obtain one. I should have learned my lesson from running in last week's 5k but we can hardly resist running in the GCRC's races when we can. Last week 4 people demanded medical attention with one of those heading to the hospital due to the heat!! Can I repeat here...are we runners crazy or what??? With all of that said, I was VERY pleased to finish like I did. My time was 27:08 and I received 1st Place! I was more than happy with this and this award was definitely worked for.

First, second and third: me, Jo and Lynn. Jo and I have competed a lot but I do not know Lynn. Good job, ladies!

Here is a self portrait of Kent and I. Not too bad considering we were drenched from head to toe.

Below are pictures of other runners I know. I tried to get one with Bob C. but there was some discussion going on about one of the winners in his a/g and before I realized it their picture was taken and I missed it. Sorry, Bob!!

Congratulations, Janet (middle), on 1st Place!

Great job, Nancy (our great club president), on winning the Grandmasters. You so deserve it!!

You can see all race results here.

Outside Running

This is a short article as I will do a week write-up later on. Yesterday and today were pretty good outside running days for me. I'm so use to running on the TM inside where it is cool but this wasn't too bad. I decided at the last minute after my little biking trip to add a couple of miles running and was glad that I did. It is very different from just going out to run. The transition, of which I wasn't expecting, was a little hard; but I wanted to run a little before finishing for the day. Thankfully, we got this in before the terrible storm hit. It was terrific and blew so hard it rocked the camper. The wind caused rain to come in through a couple of the windows. Lightning was beautiful!! And scary because it was all over us. It passed after a couple of hours and rested well for the night.

This morning I ran a very nice 5 miler on the beach. The only thing is that I should have had a little more rest between running last night and early this morning but I took it slow and enjoyed it nevertheless. I love looking over the bay when I run; it is so relaxing and I never take its beauty for granted. The water was as smooth as glass!! And you couldn't see where it ended and the sky began. Though it is a little eerie when this happens it is very beautiful. A light breeze was blowing and it wasn't as hot as it has been. Humidity is still high but the heat was not near as bad. Getting wet from the humidity in the south is just a given.

My running hasn't added up to the miles I had planned to get in on a weekly basis but I'm pleased with the overall different workouts I've had. See you later this week.

Bruin Burn 5k

Boy, was I hesitant to run in this race! I've run outside twice in two weeks because of the heat and that was always close to 7 a.m. Now I'm entering a "race" to begin at 8:00 AND the temps are suppose to be higher than all the days before. It was forecasted for 102 and 103 Sunday with heat indices reaching 110!! Am I crazy?? All I have to base my ability on are the runs I've been doing on the treadmill in nice cool temperatures watching TV with my iPod going and going and going.

Well, to begin with I had a knot in my stomach and felt like it was the first race I'd ever done. With MUCH mental coaching, I talked myself into focusing on the speed that was comfortable for me and to do the best I could do. Winning was not an issue for me this time. I was more concerned about the temperature and doing a pace that would keep me from overheating. So with much "prepping" behind, I lined up at the starting line. For some reason, I didn't get as close to the start as I usually do. I think it is because Kent didn't run with me this time. He has been preparing himself for racewalking and this was his first time to try it. The 5k Racewalkers were to have a minute's delay after the 5k runners were off. Personally, I think this is great because many times they will mix into the crowd of runners and cause delays until you can get pass them. So it was kinda like having two races going on at the same time but without interference from one another.

We began running downhill which was great because it allowed you to run at a faster pace before you got too hot and have to slow down some. The only thing about this is that that doesn't really apply to me. I try to maintain a pace throughout my race and not sprint forward during a downhill and ultimately suffer for it going back up when I reach bottom. Therefore, my pace was comfortable and I felt great. I couldn't believe how much I had missed racing. First of all, I still am surprised that I'm a runner at times...and this day was one of them. Trying to maintain my pace decently I constantly checked my watch to see how I was doing. The first time or two I was shocked to find that my pace was so fast. I re-evaluated myself and realized that my breathing was comfortable and everything seem to be alright. Still thinking that I would catch up with myself and begin panting I monitored how I felt the first mile. Again, every time I checked, my pace was quite fast for me. Thinking back, I remember when I spent time on the TM that my road runs would be better and since I've increased my running in the last year, I was okay with it so far. It wasn't until toward the end of the run that I realized that we were going to make a loop and return the way we started. This was going to be very hard to finish. As I said earlier, it was downhill for at least a mile. Now I was going to have to face this "challenge" with an extra one to boot...the rising temperature!! And, it was rising fast. Running in the 90's has not really been something I looked forward to, but I thought since it was only a 5k I should be okay even if it was difficult. At least, I would be close to the finish line where an ambulance was waiting for all the idiots in this race to come in demanding their attention, ha!


Here I am crossing the line...tee-hee! Okay...I'm the one WITH the shirt!!

From the onset, I had no intentions of seeking an award for anything except to complete it without issues to deal with. I just wanted to do it. Therefore, I had not taken notice of anyone my age along the route that faced me going back to the finish line. I knew my pace dropped dramatically but I kept my focus on my little pep talk at the beginning. When I got to the top of the hill and made my final turn, I was able to pick up some speed to finish triumphantly (to me) and head straight for as much water as I could possible get down my throat as well as a couple of bananas to keep me from cramping should this become a problem. I looked up at the clock and realized that I was only seconds from my PR and was sooooo elated!!! So I ran faster and faster only to be a few seconds later than my record. If only I had realized that I was doing so well I would have tried to pick it up a little faster in order to have competed with my own record. All in all, I am very pleased with this "hard" but satisfying run.

After getting nourished, I got back to the sidelines to watch for Kent. It was hard to get pictures of him coming in but as it turned out, the Mississippi Track Club had a photographer taking tons of pictures. So we did get a couple of good ones. Kent did well and since it was his first racewalk he learned a lot. When I realized that we were going to have to return on the huge downhill we started off on, it worried me that he would have trouble with his foot. He had strained it a couple of days ago and had been nursing it; now he was going to have to tackle the stress of walking superfast up this last mile. But it all turned out okay. As soon as we could that night we got it iced down and he got off of it. Of course, it would be a while before he could do that because immediately after the award presentation we checked out of our motel and were headed to Germantown, TN, for a wedding later that afternoon.


Kent crossing the line with a lot of focusing going on in his head!

This was the St. Joe High School Bruin Burn Inaugural 5k Race. The Mississippi Track Club did all the race work and did an excellent job. There were so many categories to have to get in order...more than the usual. The School did a fantastic job providing much water and bananas...a race participant's important replenishing needs...and then there were turkey biscuits, ham biscuits, sausage dogs (just grilled), Gatorade, more iced bottled water, donuts, cookies, and much more. There was a great turnout and was way more than they had expected. The t-shirts were real cute; they looked like they had a race number pinned on the shirt with the year 2010 on it.

GOOD NEWS:
As it turned out, I won the Grand Masters Award and was absolutely elated!! I felt I had truly worked for it and this was such a cool surprise. Here is a picture of the nice overall trophies and of me receiving mine.




My time was 26:33 (my PR is 26:15) with a 7:59 pace for the first full mile. I've NEVER run that fast before and I had times of 7:07 in the 2nd mile and 7:43 in the last. If it had not been for that blame hill...oh, well...good training I say.

And here is Kent receiving his 1st Place Award. We were so happy with the turnout.


Phillip Wedgeworth ran in the 5k with us. It was so hot and he looked so exhausted after the race. He told me about 4 people that required medical assistance due to the heat. One lady was running along his side and almost passed out. Luckily for her a policeman was nearby and was able to get her the assistance she needed. One (I believe) had to be taken to the hospital. Anyway, he won 1st Place in his age group with a 21:23. Congratulations, Phillip!


One more tidbit. This is a first! We NEVER dress alike and for some reason we both brought the same color shirts, shorts and caps and all were Nike but the caps!!! This will never happen again, ha! [For all race results, go here.]

Great Days

Yesterday was one of the best running days I've had in a while. After a few days...yeah, I said DAYS...of out-of-sorts eating and little moving around, I was quite surprised that I felt like running as I did. I had the most wonderful weekend with new friends, fun food and making cards. But I'd gotten so out of the habit of eating like this that it was quite hard to get out and run as well as I'd gotten use to.

Actually, the run on the treadmill started out quite different. Being a little sluggish, I thought I'd just run as comfortable as I felt. Even at a mile and a half I was still not excited about this. But then "it" kicked in. I don't know what "it" is, but there is something that controls how well you workout and how much you enjoy it. Maybe it's adrenalin or maybe it's change of mind but whatever "it" is, I'm glad "it" happens. Then 3 miles turned into 5 happy ones, then 6, then before I knew it I was closing in on a solid 8 miles ecstatically. Is that a word?

The first 3 miles I ran comfortably at a 10:00 minute pace then I moved up the final 5 to a 9:40 pace. I felt great and had no idea how far I felt like going...much less whether I could do eight or not. It's been a long time since I've run that far.

So, today, I thought I'd just put in 3-4 slow miles to not overwork my legs. This time it was the first 3 miles that were pretty good keeping a 9:07 pace. This was followed by a mile of walking, then ending with a mile of slow jogging making a total of 5 miles for the day. Running after walking is almost impossible for me, especially of any distance like a mile. But not worrying, I wanted to do something non-stressful after a hard, long run yesterday.

Now, set your goal and Run 4 It!!

Woo-Hoo

I'm so excited about my run this morning. I ran outside on a fantastic bike-path. It wound through a wooded area and was wide enough to welcome runners and bikers easily. This is the first time I've run outside since July 1st. Where we have to run is totally in the open with lots of sunshine (another nice word for dreaded heat). This is a killer this time of year. But we had an opportunity to run on a very nice bike-path early this morning. I told Kent before we got out of the truck that I wasn't sure how long I was going to run since I'd not been outside in quite a while. But as I got going, my base mileage of 5 miles became a sure thing. I passed many people, some by themselves and some with others and some on bikes. It was so pleasant. I loved not knowing what each little turn in the path would reveal and where it would take me.

When I started out running, it felt sooooo good to be outside again and the shade was so welcoming! It boosted me tremendously. Before I knew it, I was on a steady pace of fast and faster. [Remember, this "fast" is for ME...not someone else.] I looked at my Garmin several times because I was excited with the readings it was picking up. Many times it was recording paces in the mid 7:00 minute range. I couldn't believe it! And I wasn't even huffing...at all! When I finished and downloaded my info, I found many recordings in the upper 7 minute pace as well as even a couple in the high 6 minutes. I'm sure the elevation played a part in my run but if you know how I run you'd understand that I try to keep a steady pace or foot strike whether I'm going up hills or down them. Therefore, this was cause for excitement. The only thing that played havoc with my overall pace was that there were a couple of times I had to come to a complete halt for traffic crossing but I'm still very excited! My average pace was 9:13 and I'm happy with that.

One "issue" I had to deal with: a large snake!! It was a rattler and must have been a minimum of 1.5 feet long. He saw me before I realized he was there and raised up as I approached him. Thankfully he had already crossed most of the path (though he was in my lane) and I could get around by going behind him. Ooooo...I'll have to say this scared me. All in all the run was kinda adventurous and I look forward do doing it again if time allows while we're here. Oh, I miss being outside!

A Week in Review

This week's workouts have been outstanding for me! I can't believe I did it...31 miles!! I surpassed my weekly goal of 25-30 miles per week. I never thought I'd get up that high unless I was preparing for a marathon or something! Now, seriously, my initial goal was to "try" to reach 25 miles. To even think about putting 30 miles in there seemed ridiculous to me when I first decided to set this one.

For the next couple of weeks, my "real" goal will be to reach the 25 miles. There will be a couple of times that I will be inside 2-3 days solid, close to midnight, with no opportunity to get out or have a treadmill available. But I will NOT give up and consider this a temporary time to get through (as far as running goes).

Let me be clear here. This is will be a fun time that will require me to sit for hours. I will be going to a Scrapping Crop for 3 days starting early in the morning going until midnight. As far as running goes, plans are to run as much as I possibly can knowing that this is not a lifestyle but a temporary break from running. If I meet the 25 miles, this will be a plus. So with a day's rest (today), I will begin another week's work tomorrow.

Here are my totals for last week:
Run/Walk.....31 miles 307:26 min
Bike.....11 miles 58:20 min
Wts/Core.....3 times

Let me leave this with you. Set your goals a little higher than you think you can achieve and go for it. Have a healthy, happy week!

Great Workout Day

I wasn't sure how today was going to go with a 7 mile run yesterday, but it was one of the best I've had in a long time. Kent is always trying to get me to slow my pace down and this is the hardest thing - besides walking - I've ever done. Don't know if I need someone to be with me to do this or if I just don't do a good job at it period.

My workout today consisted of:
5 easy miles on the TM
Hand weights for upper body
Ab and Core workout

My run seemed so easy but I didn't want to overdo my legs from yesterday's run. After all, I do want to run tomorrow, and Saturday, and Sunday. Oh, well, you get the idea.

I've discovered a new friend. No, it doesn't breathe. While I was on the TM, I looked around and saw this item I've not noticed before. It's an incline bench! Okay, I'm not a body builder NOR am I a workout-at-a-gym kinda girl; so this was new to me. I LOVED it! It is great for abs and I will seek this little item out every time I go now. Wanting to get to more and different ab/core muscles worked out, I added sit-ups on the floor and some planks to my w/o before leaving. It turned out to be the best I've done and I was able to go the longest I've gone, too.

I felt great today. And to top it off, I lost 2 pounds since last weighing in! So, WOO-HOO for a great workout, feel good kinda morning!! The rest of the day will now be a breeze..........

First Long Run in a While

This week has been pretty good so far. Though my runs have been on the treadmill at BodyWorks, I have been running. Because of going there, I've been doing a little biking, too. I don't think I'm a biker, but I've used that to cool down from my running and I feel that anything different from running is a plus.

Today I got in a long run. I've been getting a little antsy to get back outside so we were out and on the road a little after 7 a.m. We went to the Sportsplex (also where BodyWorks is located). The air was cooler but you could still "feel" the humidity. After getting in 5 miles, I decided to finish with 2 miles on the treadmill. I am pleased with the run, even if it was broken up with a 5 minute transition from outside to inside. And, boy, did I pour on the sweat inside. The difference from outside to inside really made my body react. But I felt good and really wanted to get in a 7 miler this week. Nothing was pressing time-wise and all-in-all it was a good run. Now for a HHOOOOOTTTT shower!!

A Boost For Me!

After running in the heat a few days last week, we cemented the fact that a gym was the best place to beat the heat and humidity for the rest of the summer and continue to get a good workout. Check out this horrible picture to understand why...


This was taken between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning. Just look how drenched I was! Thankfully I usually wear black or dark shorts because these were soaking wet, too. And for those who think "so what" let me add here, I DON'T sweat much at all. Even my shirt gathered in the middle and made me look pudgey...yuk!!! (This is not belly btw.) I stay drained after a measely 3 mile run...and that's about all I can do. All our running seems to be in places where there is NO shade, such as parking lots, pavement and seawalls. These kind of places keep the ground underneath very hot as well as the air around us. But not even a breeze has even been blowing lately. So this has been a hard year for me so far.


Here is Kent trying to cool off on his bike. Though he looks "cool" I'll add that he stays wet from morning til night. Here he's already run and taken a dip in the pool and STILL trying to keep cool. He wears his hair back when he's hot and trying to cool down. Now, he IS a sweat-er so this year has been very hard on him.

Now, Back To The Future...
Let me just say that I have really kinda dreaded joining a gym for the summer thinking it would be a waste of money. But after going this morning for the first time I've got to say it was a real pleasure. I started out running on the treadmill (after all, I'm a runner and that's the main reason for joining-to get out of the heat and humidity). Starting with a somewhat hesitant mindset, I hopped on the TM and almost immediately loved it! Hey, I'm NOT a TM girl at all. But I'm wondering (and have been) if ours was callibrated right. Now, I can say - NOPE, it's not! It is tough doing a 10-minute mile on ours but within one minute of running on theirs, I was running a 9:18. This was so exciting. Then I got to wondering if I would give out sooner than what I had planned to do; then thought if I could make 3 miles at this pace, I'd be happy. Well, the 3 miles came and went pretty fast. Next thing I knew I was up to 4.5 pretty easy. I just couldn't believe it! Thinking about doing some speedwork since I was really finished with what I wanted to do, a decision was made to pop up the speed to an 8:15 pace. I did 3-400's with a 9:18 pace interval; then the last half mile or so I sped it up to a 7:52 pace at 2 (or 3 I forgot)-800's. This ended me with 6.25 miles total. Boy was I stoked!! This was NOT hard and it really gave me a boost (hence the title today).

My running was followed by 3 miles on their bike, floor work, weights and ab and core workouts. If I could have thought of something else to do, I believe I'd have done it...although Kent was kinda pacing by then to leave. Can't wait for tomorrow!! See you then...

This was a good week...busy, different and fulfilling. Having grandchildren two days, an out-of-town doctor's visit, packing the camper for a couple of days and visiting with old friends from high school has taken time away from running. But surprisingly I did get in 5 days' worth of workouts. It really seems like I've hardly done a thing. Guess being out of routine has made me feel that way. I'm glad I record my running for inspiration reasons.

Addition/Changes to my goals for this year:
1. Persistence
2. Consistancy
3. Increased weekly mileage (including walking)
4. 5-6 Days of working out

I hate I didn't reach my distance goal but am pleased I was persistent in getting out. Today, unplanned, I was able to add 3.5 more miles to my weekly log. My new goal has been to get in 25-30 miles per week. I feel 20 miles are achievable but 25 will be more of a challenge if at all possible. This week I got in almost 23 miles. Considering all the things going on, I'm pleased I got in this many.

Keep up the good work in your training. I love Nike's logo: Just do it!! I'm a firm believer in this phrase now. So get out there and JUST DO IT...

Run 4 It

Yeah, this has turned out to be a good title for my blog. I guess you could call this week one of stamina. Many times I did NOT want to get outside to run. If it had not been for Kent's commitment to run first thing in the morning I don't know that I would have pushed myself to go. BUT...I'm so glad I did. Thanks, Honey, for your example. Since I've begun longer weekly mileage lately, I was determined to do my best to keep it up. This week was the best so far. As I was running my 3 miles on the treadmill this morning, I thought I'd do an extra quarter mile. After that, it seemed easy to say half mile. Then when I got to 3/4 mile, I couldn't see a reason why I should not finish and do an entire mile-after all my base amount of mileage has gotten to be 4 miles. This meant that it's the most I've run in a week's time...31.38 miles!! I was so excited when I added it all up.

Now, this week will be a challenge to keep a minimum of 25 miles for sure. There's visitors, doctor's appointments and a little traveling. There are many things going on and part of that time I will be away from a treadmill and will HAVE to run outside in the heat.

As you can tell from my pace in my log, it is obvious that I've incorporated walking now. I hope I won't have to resort to mostly walking; but for this week I'll have to accept that it will be okay if I have to. After all, the mileage per week is what I am trying to shoot for right now with the heat and humidity high. I feel that this is also good for building my legs for longer runs so it will help when I prepare for another half marathon later this year. I haven't decided on the half I will do, but there's one waiting just for me.

And, hey, the runs in the past couple of weeks are also burning calories for which I've not run for that reason before but I'm really liking this perk. Now don't quit because you have to make a change for the summer. Just do it and I'll see you on the run!!

Something Personal

I really like my Weekly Running Log but I've got to post my running differently in order to be more accurate. Since I've began incorporating walking in my runs it has made a big impact on my pace.

Now, the title...it's personal! I'm sure no one else cares, but it does bother me that by using the whole time running/walking changes my pace so much. It's bad enough that the heat and humidity is TOUGH right now and my pace has slowed because of it but the walking is crushing it. Hopefully soon I'll be recording my runs vs. walks separately and will reflect more accurately.

I am gradually getting use to the walks. While we were gone last month, we realized that walking can add to the calories burned. Having a Garmin reflects this statistic and we decided we wanted to incorporate walking to help us spend more calories so we can lose a little more weight. It HAS worked!! Kent has lost several pounds and I'm beginning to show some loss, too. We're both excited about this and maybe we can get to where we want to be. He has struggled with his weight for a while but this has been a sure fire solution for him. He has also cut back some on his eating (bad habits) which has helped with this change, too.

So for now, we'll see you on the road!! Now, run 4 it...your goal, that is!

New Week, Fresh Start

At the last minute, I decided to go to the local high school track and do a little speed work. It's been a while since I did my first one...about 3 weeks ago...and I really want to work on my time. Though my interest is more in doing distance it doesn't hurt to do a little speed work here and there.

Having a Garmin is wonderful! I really don't know what I did before I got one. Just recording distance is not enough any more. I'm dreadfully addicted to this technology!!! It gives me information I would not have otherwise, such as detail times during your run. Therefore, I can relay to you the speed I accomplished during my fartleks. With that said, let me say that I was hoping to reach my 5k race pace (8:40) during the speed intervals so that's what I was shooting for. Here are some of my best times during today's run:

7:43
7:08
7:13
7:30
7:18
7:34

I was totally taken aback seeing ANY 7:00 minute times!! This gives me a good boost with wanting to improve. One of my running goals this year is to run an 8:30 race pace AND maintain it for races in the future. I can hardly wait to see if this gets better when the weather gets cooler because I can tell you it's HOT and humid right now! My overall distance was 4 miles. Now on to tomorrow...

New Milestone!

I reached a new milestone this week. When adding up my mileage, I found I had run a little over 30 miles!! I don't remember doing this before. It's so exciting. And with the heat and humidity, well, let's say it was "worked" for. Now, I hope I can increase that this week then maintain that for a couple of weeks before pressing on. I want (or think I want) to do some speedwork, I hope the heat doesn't keep me from at least trying it.

I've gradually stopped my weight workout and core workout and need to re-establish that. Hope to this week. I feel so much better when I do these...and skinnier!! Core work quickly shows results and I feel the difference in just a couple of workouts. I've also got a video I need to incorporate somehow.

I've lost down a few pounds and am excited about that. I'm sure it is all that sweating I've been doing as well as the increased mileage this week. My goal is to lose another 4 pounds, then maintain. That is the hardest part!! Maintaining.

Keep moving and see you on the road!

Dietary Fitness Rules

Active.com offers so much good information on running, diet and fitness. For those that would like to get on the right track or improve where you are, you will benefit from reading articles from this site. I wanted to share only 5 dietary fitness rules that I recently read.

1. The less processed a food is the healthier it is for you.
The closer a food is to its pre-harvest state (the vine) the more nutrient density it will have.

2. Good nutrition is all about forming habits.
Focus on forming long-term habits, not short-term dietary changes, and be open minded to new and different food choices.

3. Avoid supplementation when possible.
Is that expensive energy bar any better than a banana? The quality, purity, and benefit of many supplements are suspect at best.

4. Consume a colorful variety of foods.
Tomatoes, blueberries, dark chocolate, spinach, and apples form a rainbow of nutrient density; vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. The more colorful your plate is the better it will be for you.

5. Eat often and don't go hungry.
What foods are most effective for boosting your metabolism? You guessed it: foods that are in their natural state and are not already processed by a machine.

Run, Run, Run

This is not my weekly report (obviously) but an update on my running so far this week.

This week has been a good one so far. Now that we're back to running at the Sportsplex, there's be a little adjusting...leg-wise. We had become so accustomed to totally flat running that the little grades at the Sp. made it a little challenging. We find that running early in the mornings has been the time to go in order to beat the heat and humidity as much as possible. Though we don't always get out as early as we plan to, it is still early enough to not pass out while we run.

I had to lay off last week due to pain that has re-surfaced. I believe it is the same chest pain I have had to endure from the fall I had earlier this year. It is in the exact same place as before. They are sharp, stabbing, break-taking pains and have kept me awake at night and uneasy during the day. It never bothered me while we were gone. I don't know if I over-exerted on my speed run (the first I've done) two days before we left and the pain reminded me that the injury was still there although my body was healing. Needless to say, I succombed to rest (no running) until the pain left again...a whole week!!! Ugh...

With all of that said, this week has really been great so far. I am hoping to log in miles in the 25 mile range each week. I was able to do this the last couple of weeks we were in Gulf Shores and with being off last week I wasn't sure if I could run more than a couple of miles at a time bringing my weekly mileage down a lot. It looks like things are going great again. It's a little hard to get going but as I keep at it the better it feels to run and am able to keep my miles up.

Monday - 5 miles
Tuesday - 7 miles
Wednesday - 5 miles

Yesterday was a great day for distance. I don't know if I would have even thought of going this far had it not been for Frank. The first mile was hard and my legs felt heavy. He ran with me after the first mile and while we talked, we ran and ran and before I knew it we had gone 7 miles. This is the first time I've run this far in quite a while and was very excited about it...although I could have drank an ocean of bottled water when I was finished, ha!

Today, I was a little tight and wanted to make at least 3 miles. Again, after the first mile and working out the soreness, running became easier. As a matter of fact, this run was great pace-wise. Every time I looked at my Garmin it was recording a running pace in the 8 minute range!! I was so excited because it never felt like I was running that fast. Hey, that's fast for me...okay? The last mile I decided I was going to walk to cool down. Not being a walker (this is soooo difficult for me to do when I'm wanting to run now), I started walking and then decided to run to "that" pole, then I walked a little more and ran a little further and before I knew it I ran the whole way; therefore, keeping my entire run at a decent pace.

I'm now wanting to run 5 miles the next couple of days. Keep watch on my log at the top of the page to see if I make it.

Note: Any time you want to view my runs, you can click on my Weekly Running Log and go to the week you are interested in seeing.

Run 4 It...Robbie

Weekly Review

This week was not a good one for me! One thing or another popped up...and...no, it wasn't busyness. It was all physical that kept me from exercising! As things are getting a little better, I hope to resume my running next week regardless of how little or how long it ends up being. Glad this week is about over. Ready for a new start...now, turn the page please!