It's Wednesday night

I'm noting that it is Wednesday night because although my clock says it's ...um....10:43, I am still awake. I should be asleep by now. My alarm will go off (or is it come on?) at 5:00am. My last workout with Jolene as my personal trainer is tomorrow. Next week I start Basic Training, both the beginner class and the advanced class. Mon-Thurs to the gym go I at a very early time of 6:00am.
I talked Marjorita into the beginner class. Alison will pay session by session. I am looking forward to their reaction. Do you want to know what it is? .... Oh well. I'll tell you anyway.

The Hocking Hills Indian run is coming up. David Swartz is running it with me. Melissa will do it as well, I think. One of these days I will actually go running.

How is your healthy lifestyle?

Check out the Indian Run course map

Indian Run Course Map

I'm rounding up people from Athens to run the 10k. I haven't run yet...
But I still have a month. haha

New blogger I'm reading

New blogger I'm reading from a Runners World link.

Running and The Dog Days of Summer

It has been so hot that as soon as we open the door to the front porch Huck runs inside. Yesterday Will made a comment about it being the "Dog Days of Summer". Thanks to Wikipedia here is a little info on what that means.

The Dog Days originally were the days when Sirius rose just before or at the same time as sunrise (heliacal rising), which is no longer true, owing to precession of the equinoxes. The Romans sacrificed a brown dog at the beginning of the Dog Days to appease the rage of Sirius, believing that the star was the cause of the hot, sultry weather.

Dog Days were popularly believed to be an evil time "when the seas boiled, wine turned sour, dogs grew mad, and all creatures became languid, causing to man burning fevers, hysterics, and phrensies" according to Brady’s Clavis Calendarium, 1813. ^[1]

The modern French term for both this summer period (and for heat waves in general) "canicule", derives from this same term. It means "little dog", again referring to Sirius.

The past two weeks on Tuesdays and Thursdays I have been up by 5 and at the gym by 6 to do Boot Camp. This week is the last week of the class. There are two weeks off in which I will work out with Jolene. Then the next quarter session starts. I am thinking of taking the beginner and advanced class which would mean 6am classes Mon-Thursday. I haven't been running. However this week it is supposed to cool off (at least into the 80's instead of the 90's) so I'm thinking I can run later in the day after work.

Cheryl's last day was Friday the 13th. I am on my own this week. Monica starts Tuesday the 24th. I will be working with her everyday for a few weeks to train her. Hopefully though I will have more time overall because she will be working Tuesday through Friday.

Something else that happened Friday the 13th: Will gave his first talk in Laos and I was a householder. We were both very nervous! Our class is about over. Saturday the 28th is the last day of class and picture day. There is talk of a graduation party, but no specifics as of yet. In October there is going to be a big shindig. Lynn Brown is coming to Columbus for a visit and bringing a Thai circuit overseer with her. The congregation is very excited about this visit and is planning to have a big party then.

Josh Westfall left for Guyana. If you want to follow his blog it is : http://www.nutso42.blogspot.com/

Take care

G-Nat

Hocking Hills Indian Run is September 18

http://www.1800hocking.com/indianrun

A few more after pictures

I wish the course had been longer. I felt like I was just warming up. AND I was happy for the reminder that I LOVE mountain biking!!

Aftermath

I'm reading all of this, but I haven't had much time to get on and write. I think the funniest post-race comment came from Julie- about finding mud in odd places hours later. My clothes will almost need to be burned.

Will write more later

After

I hope you are enjoying the pictures. I want to write about funny things that I heard people say while racing such as "I HATE BIKING" but I've not had much time to sit and write. In case you haven't heard this is the HOTTEST summer on record since recordings of temperature began in 1880. We've been swamped at work. And now I have to hire a new secretary. We have an interview today and Monday.
So you can feel my pain, this is my schedule for today:
(and I've been up since 5:45)
1. Work out at 8
2. Take Huck to the vet at 9:40 because he is about to scratch himself to pieces.
3. Supposed to be working in the office because Cheryl took today off to get ready for the convention.
4. Pack for the convention
5. Interview at 3
6. Take Huck to Ryan and Melissa's
7. Leave for Charleston by 6
Hmmm....
I'll check in next week.
Have a great weekend and I'll be seeing most of you in C-Town!!
Nat

A few more before pictures

Getting Ready

Mud Pit Before

The four of us arrived early to pick up our race packets and tour the expo. Then we saw
THE PIT!!

Marvelously Muddy

It's funny to post about the race after talking all about it earlier. I don't have to say how awesome it was...you already know. As for Jeff and Lyndsey, we missed you guys. You would've loved it.

So I'm sitting here, hours after what I thought was a thorough shower, still noticing dirt in various places. But don't get me wrong, I'm not annoyed in the least. I smile each time and try to imagine at which point while crawling through the mud did that piece of dirt get in that little crevice.

How about for our next race everyone comes to Chiang Mai! Are you free in December? lol

Is anyone still checking?

Hey guys. Not sure if anyone is still checking on the blog or not. I've been trying to run as much as I can since I've been here. Two days after I touched down in NY I found a road to run on near Patterson. It was a gravelly road that ran along 2 small lakes...felt like running in Athens. A light rain started which felt nice and I loved hearing the sound of rain hitting the leaves of the trees. It was a great run!

Since then I've run a few times around where my parents live and near my brother's house. Half my motivation to run is to keep the weight down while enjoying all my local favorites...Chipotle, Elliot Ness, Sierra Nevada, Pizza Cottage, etc.

So, I'm feeling fairly good about the race. It's gonna be a good time!

Still Running

I imagine everyone has been consumed with their lives including your running schedules. Me too. I finished school 2 weeks ago and have been running M-F these past 2 weeks. It's been great! I had an especially good run today. I went out at 7:45. It had rained through the night so the temperature wasn't too bad. Then about 10 minutes into my run it started to rain ever so slightly which made the temperature even better. I logged in 4 very comfortable miles. I'm planning another 4 tomorrow.

Monday at midnight I head to the airport so my last run will be Mon morning. I'm really hoping to keep my good running stride going while in the states. One source of motivation, especially after today's run, is the better temps.

Brian Regan?

So I have to find some way to visit my folks before I totally leave Wallkill on July 29th. Brian Regan is playing near Boston the Friday before our race on Sunday. I'll probably head up there on Friday, stay with my parents Friday night, and head back to New York on Saturday afternoon.

Anybody else interested in that? I know you'all are probably not interested in adding 8 hours of drive time to your trip from OH- is it cool that I see you guys Sat night and Sunday? I'll probably take Monday off as well, if you'll be around.

Let me know what the schedule is like for that weekend, because I really want this all to work out the best.

Wallkill schedule

Thanks for the reminders, I have to keep in mind I'm training for something and not just putzing around.

Last week on Monday I sprained my ankle on my morning run- I was doing sprints and just came down wrong. It hurt like the dickens but turned out to be pretty light, and after a day I was walking w/o a limp. But I didn't run all last week.

I'm running 2 miles on Monday (wind sprints), 3-4 on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. Tuesday mornings is swimming for 20-30 minutes, I don't know the distance. And Wednesday after work I'm trying to hit the bike for about 10-15 miles.

One thing I've noticed though is that it's hard to push myself. I feel like I'm doing all of this at a snail's pace. Any tips?

(Shinsplints are gone, too, for now.)

I'm ready!

I went back out on my first run yesterday and back at the cycling class tonight...feeling good. Here's my plan:

Tues- run 3 miles
Wed- AM run 3 miles, PM cycling class
Thur- run 3 miles
Fri- run 3 miles, PM strength training

Next week I'm done with school and will have extra time in the mornings to put in more miles.

Ready, Set, GO!!

It's time to start the training plan.
You'll need this to log in
Username: Getyourrunin
Password: PS8318wt

What's your plan for the week?
I ran six miles on the bikepath yesterday. Today I'm taking off.
Tuesday: Run then lift.
Wednesday: Run
Thursday: Lift then meet Shonda for our first trail run. (I'm thinking Casa after we run and work
at the office)

Nat

Here's what you missed.....

Early Spring is a good time to run trails at Strouds Run State Park. If you are interested, it's too bad you missed early Spring. Jeff and Ben didn't.






































So don't miss Early Summer which is just around the corner. Or perhaps Late Spring if you want to go now!





Last Saturday Shonda encountered a roaring lion seeking to devour someone. Fortunately she ran very, very fast. Three miles fast in fact.




















I wanted to run six miles on Sunday, but Will wouldn't let me run six on 550. He thought that was too much of a jump up from three, especially since there was a hill involved. Well it was Dividing Ridge (hehehe). And yes, I did run non stop up Dividing Ridge (woo hoo).
It took me an hour to cover 5 miles. I started out walking the first five minutes though. I hadn't planned ahead to warm up so when I had Will drop me at mile marker 3, I responsibly walked so I would lessen the chances of injury. I also took three walk breaks.
It was a hot run, late in the afternoon on Sunday. But it felt really good and I'm thrilled that I did it.
This morning the adventure continued with a three miler in the rain. I wore my matching (with Shonda) Palo Duro Canyon Trail Run cap. Tomorrow I'm planning another three with strength training to follow.

Another road block

The Red Shirts have gone home, I'm not sick anymore, but...I got a mole removed. I know, sounds like a poor excuse of getting out of running. But it was growing really big. I only have 4 weeks before flying to NY and I wanted to get rid of the nasty growth on my neck before I go. I thought it was just a quick snip snip and I'm out. But I left with 7 stitches! As I'm about to leave the doctor said not to sweat or exercise. Seriously?! Sigh. The stitches come out Saturday. I'm hoping to maybe get a cycling class in on Wednesday. We'll see. Sorry Ben. I only have 2 weeks of school left and the 2 weeks after that I'll hit the pavement hard...I hope.

btw, I posted a photo of the stitches on my blog if you want to see them. It's actually kinda cool.

We're gonna get ya!

Yes we girls know you will try, but the girls are totally out training you!! (hehehehe)

recovering

I've been waiting to post until I had gotten back into a good routine and had something motivating to say. I'm still waiting. After the 'war zone' was cleared up and the parks opened back up I got a couple runs in. Then I started to get sick. My energy level was low but I kept pushing through. Well, I've now spent 3 days sick in bed. I'm feeling better today so hopefully this week I can get back out there.

It's one month from today that I fly over there. I'm hoping I can keep up training the 3 weeks I'm there prior to the race. Part of the time I'm staying with a friend who lives in Manhattan. My goal is to run in Central Park and across the Brooklyn Bridge. I'll also be spending some time at Patterson. Any suggestions on where to run there, Ben?

Butt time

Hey everyone

The countdown is on... It's exciting to hear the training everyone's doing. Don't forget about the bike part of the race. I know that Gnat's been on her seat putting in miles, but I'm trying to remind myself to get into the saddle. For me the toughest part of riding is not the aerobic part, it's just getting my butt used to the seat. The mistake I've made in the past is to focus too much on the running: I'm trying to get some time on the bike just to toughen up the glutes.

Just a thought.

Another yummy recipe from Runners World

|

SPICY SALMON LETTUCE

A protein-packed recovery meal that's light on the stomach

Image by Joseph De Leo

PUBLISHED 09/10/2007 As a child, Cora learned to cook in her family's Greek restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi, and discovered affinities between Greek and southern cuisines, such as braising meat and emphasizing fresh ingredients like corn, tomatoes, and watermelon. "This lower-carb version of a classic Greek gyro, where I substitute lettuce for a pita, is one of my favorite postrun meals because it's satisfying but still light and fresh," says Cora, who lives in Santa Barbara, California, with her partner and two young sons. A daily exerciser, Cora studied exercise physiology, biology, and nutrition in college before attending the Culinary Institute of America.

5 4-ounce salmon fillets (can also use halibut, snapper, branzino)
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more to brush the fish
Juice of two limes
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 head butter lettuce
1 head radicchio
1 tomato, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup prepared tzatziki (in yogurt section of your supermarket) (or click on the link)
1/4 cup chopped scallions

Preheat grill to 400°F. In 13- by 9-inch baking dish, combine olive oil, lime juice, and spices. Add fillets and turn them so every side is coated with marinade. Let marinate for 10 minutes.

Form lettuce cups by gently separating the heads of butter lettuce and radicchio. Line a whole leaf of butter lettuce with radicchio.

Brush fillets with olive oil before placing them on the grill. Cook until they begin to turn opaque on top (cooking time will vary, depending on thickness of fillets). Fish should be firm to the touch, flaking easily.

Flake a generous amount of fish into each lettuce cup, or cut the fish into small chunks and place them in each cup. Top with tomato and onion. Drizzle with tzatziki, then garnish with scallions. To eat, use a knife and fork, or eat it like a taco (a bit messier). Serves four.

Calories: 350
Fat: 22 g
Carbs: 9 g
Protein: 31 g

Training Plan starts soon

Just a reminder of the login name and password
Username: Getyourrunin
Password: PS8318wt

The plan starts June 13 with a rest day. The next day is a 3 mile run. Be sure to look over the schedule and adjust it to fit your needs.

Memories

This was the first Muddy Buddy--in Richmond, 2007.  Nat was a great friend and agreed to take a trip to do the MB and go camp at Va Beach for a few days.  

At the last minute, after we picked up our race packets, we went next door to Old Navy and bought these costumes.  They consist of straw hats, overall/mini-dresses, hot pink tanks (trust me on this one, they were hot pink) and then a stop at WalMart for our sheriff's pins and bike decoration.  

The whole wild-west sheriff thing just developed from what we found cheap.  Maybe it was the hat that finally decided it. 

We did the race as team Jewel Nation, in honor of our usual threesome of Jules, Nat and Shonda.  It was awesome.  I'm excited to be doing the MB this year in a different park-with a different trail.  I loved Richmond, but after doing it twice (and the second time with no free beer!) I'm ready for something different (with free beer).






 

Notice the beautiful black stallion riding on the handlebars....

We were supposed to be riding the really nice yellow mountain bike in the background.  But we had last minute mechanicals that we couldn't fix, and were stuck with the old nag in blue.  Thankfully we figured it out before the race, because, if I recall correctly, one of the mechanical issues was something like brakes not working, or the wheel falling off, or some such thing.  

I am placing my trust in Natalie this year that she has David double check everything before our departure!  But we'll bring the stallion along, just in case.

It's June First!

We are getting close to the start of our official Muddy Buddy training. How is everyone doing so far? This Thursday is the last of my first round of sessions with Jolene (my personal trainer, in case you forgot) I'm going to sign up for six more sessions. Thursday we are working on legs again. Plyometrics this time. I'll let you know how it goes.
I ran 3 miles on the treadmill at the gym after lifting today. BORING!!!! I forget how hard it is to do that. Although if you have access to one, Ben, it might help with your shin splints.
Friday night Will and I are attending our first meeting with the Columbus Laotian Cong.




Saturday morning Shonda and I are going to be able to run together for the first time in a long time. Maybe next week, Shonda, I can bring my bike up and we can run and ride.





I'm thinking of running 6 miles on Sunday. Anyone interested??







P.S. Will and I are officially on the Theocratic Ministry School in the Laotian Cong.

Shinsplints

I've been getting up pretty good to go running at 5:30, but I haven't been able to push any sort of distance at all. I got shinsplints, and I'm not sure how, or how to get rid of them. All I know is that I have pains in the calves and shins whenever I start running, although that sometimes goes away if I stretch really well, or during the run.

So I'm trying to take it a little easy, and stretch often throughout the day. The problem is that I've already been 'taking it easy'- I hadn't been pushing very hard at all.

Hopefully it will go away without too much trouble...

Fart what?

Tired of your boring running routine? Same old route. Same lousy time.
Try running like a kid again with FARTLEK!!
Enclosed is a Runner's World link to the amazing and interesting world of Fartlek training.

Pictures of 550

Monday's run: 34:05.6

Delay Tactic

I'm typing instead of running :-)

It's 6:47 and I am dressed to run. I thought I would look for a picture of 550 so you could see where I am running this morning. I don't have one.
However I did find an old Muddy Buddy picture.
Happy Running!!!!

Not much running this past week

Here is another picture from a past Pig Run in Columbus.


There is good news and bad news. The good news: I'm strength training. The bad news: Apparently I am so far out of shape that the training is seriously kicking my butt.
I ran last Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday (even though I didn't want to - Thanks for the text, Shonda) My plan was to wake up early enough to run before lifting. I was so tired on Thursday that I barely made it out the door at 7:30 to get to my gym appointment. I was still telling myself that I would be able to run after lifting. HAHAHAHA!! The joke was on me. Jolene pushed the entire hour. Even though the training was limited to shoulders, chest and back, I was wiped out. I made it to Village Bakery with my remaining strength and downed coffee with a breakfast sandwich made of egg, ham and vegetables. Patiently I waited for the food to energize me. And waited and waited and waited.
Friday morning I was still waiting. I was still telling myself I would run on Friday although at that point I couldn't lift my arms. I walked in the door after service, headed to my bed and fell asleep from 5:00p to 6:00a Saturday morning.
Feeling sorry for me yet??
Last night I made an appointment with Devona to run 3 miles on Dutch Creek Road for 7:00a today. It turned into 8:00a but we did it. I loosely watched the time and we ran the 3 in 32 minutes.
Tuesday Jolene is working with me on legs. I'm not planning to run on Wednesday, just so you know. I'll run Monday and Tuesday morning before my appointment, skip Wednesday, lift again on Thursday and hopefully be able to run on Friday.
How is your running??

And the Winner Is...

So, I figured it only appropriate to show the winner after Z's Front Runner visit Monday. It down came to these two and the Nike pair on the right won out. I loved the instinctual response she mentioned early this week, "It doesn't feel like I'm wearing shoes!" Few running shoes give you that feeling while you're running and so I had a hunch she might pick those.

And yes, SRS, we did run twice around a nice, well marked, very clean 1.05 mile loop east of Front Runner on Lane on the right (coming from FR). It circles OSU owned softball fields and some really nice sand volleyball courts (note to self - great courts for a group summer visit to S&F's place). Well, decent training week - 2 miles Mon, 1.5 miles + 1 hr killer at the gym Tuesday. Missed yesterday's run so I'm hoping for tonight before sundown. Hang in there everybody, keep it up! 7/25 will be here before we know it!!

High protein recipe

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
Two 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
One 14 1/2-ounce can fire-roasted or stewed tomatoes with chiles (try Muir Glen tomatoes)*
6 baby Yukon Gold potatoes (about 12 ounces), quartered
1 medium onion (about 1 cup), diced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

*If you can't find canned tomatoes with chiles, add half a 4-ounce can of diced green Anaheim chiles to a 14.5-ounce can of tomatoes.

In a large pot, combine the broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, butter, ginger, and spices. Stir to mix and nestle the potatoes into the liquid.

Set the pot, uncovered, over medium heat. Simmer vigorously for about 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more salt to taste. Serve the curry in bowls over Jasmine rice.

$10 serves 4. $2.50/serving

Not getting my run in

This whole protesting-turned-rioting thing has really cramped my training. I can't go to the cycling class or the big park. Tomorrow I'm heading out of town to stay with a friend in the next province to the north. I'm taking my running shoes and shoes for K, who will be there also. (She hasn't been able to get back to her apt since Sat, it's near the protest site.) We'll hopefully get a few runs in over the weekend.

Here's a photo I found of some of us running the 2008 Pig Run, 5 years after our first race. Congrats to those of you who have run the Pig Run every year!

A Little Behind...

Hey Everybody!
I know this is my first post sorry I'm a little behind on that. I have been keeping up with reading the posts though. Its been fun hearing all the comments and the pictures are great! I have been running I just haven't been posting it, this is my first time ever posting a blog message so I admit I have been procrastinating a bit.

Anyway, Jeff and I got our run in Monday, at an OSU park in Columbus. I got to break in the new shoes :) Jeff took me to Front Runner to get officially decked out in running gear. (And thanks to Nat I already had a good running shirt lol) That was an experience I felt like i was going to drive the guy at Front Runner crazy because I'd come back and say well these are nice but this is not comfortable or these are heavy, the backs on these are too high, the front of this one hits the ground too hard etc. he he BUT after about 1 hr 1/2 I found a winner!! I felt so silly but Jeff helped me realize it was ok to be pickey like that you want your shoes to be comfortable. And they are! I love them, its like I'm not wearing shoes, which to me is awesome. Our first run was a 2 mile around the park, it was a pretty nice track, weather was a bit wet but it felt good out. I also did a 2 mile on my own yesterday, I made a running schedule and hope to incorporate biking next week after I get mine back in riding condition.
Look forward to hearing more from everyone :)

My first "long run"

I was organizing the stuff under my bed this morning and came across a box of pictures.  I looked through it and found the picture on the left.  It was taken after our first Pig Run 5k at the Jazz and Rib Fest in Columbus in 2004!  This is the first race that Jeff, Nat, Julie and I ever ran together.  And it is good preparation for the Muddy Buddy since, as you can see in this photo taken after the race,  there were post race beers in hand.

The photo gave me an idea.  I decided that today I would do my "long run"of the week-and make it a 5k.  I've been running 2.5 miles, so adding .6 seemed long to me.  I pulled out my old race t-shirt and headed out.  The run wasn't great--I didn't feel as good as I did on Monday--but I really think the pic and the t-shirt kept me going.  Here is an after photo-sans beer:

This was my second run in the rain, albeit a light rain.  Made feel feel like a real runner again.

Cincinnati

Good noon day to you all!!
I need some encouragement to run today. So if you can, text me. I'm tired from traveling the last few days and I have a lot to do today. I know I should get my run in but I'm not sure how to do it.
At 1 I'm leaving the office for a chiropractic appointment then I will come back and work a little more before heading into Marjorita and Jared's house to help work on it. I'm taking dinner (although I don't know what that is yet...maybe something for the grill??) Perhaps I can run on my way to their house.

Phil's surgery went well. There were a few tense moments. Like when his blood count dropped below 6. We were able to go in and see him in ICU following his surgery. He said his pain was around 5-6 on a scale from 1-10. I haven't heard anything from Kim today about him. She wasn't able to go in until 10:30. There are strict visiting hours in the ICU. Hopefully tomorrow he will be sent to a regular recovery room and stay there until Sunday.

Back to the running thing. I am starting to feel guilty because of all of us, Julie has the most challenging situation. "Keep up the good work in the war zone, Julie!"

One more thing. On Monday I didn't run off the donut. However, I went to the hotel prepared to arise early and go to the fitness center. I woke up at 4:45 and while lying in bed in the dark, debated running. You know what got me up and moving? I kept thinking about Ben getting up so early and running before work. I thought if he can do it, I can do it. So I did.
Thanks Ben for the encouragement. :-)

New Widget

Just saw this widget and thought of Jeff's Mac & Cheese run.  You can put in the length of your run, add your favorite food, then see how much of your favorite food you will burn off during the run.  

This will be a temporary widget-but thought it might be motivational after the mid-week post-meeting Applebees visit.  lol.

Mmm Donuts

I am such a sucker for donuts. I don't buy them and I don't put myself in tempting situations. This morning I walked into the office with my Ezekiel bread english muffin with egg as Devonna walked out of the office having left behind a BOX of donuts. Ostensibly the donuts are for the skinny guys who work here. Unfortunately, those guys are all in Lewisburg, WV for the week.
Now, I've only had half of a cream filled chocolate topped donut. And half of another cream filled donut. I'm starting to feel a little bit sick. So much sugar.......(I need a Homer head drooling here)
Because of that, (eating the donut) I am going to run today. Maybe it will make me feel better.
What do you think?

This evening I am driving with Alison and Marjorita to Cincinnati for Philip's surgery that is scheduled to happen Tuesday morning. Alison got a sweet price at the Millenium Hotel on Priceline. There is a gym. I'm not sure if I'll work out but I will let you know if I do.

On another note, I am playing a free scrabble game on my iphone called Words With Friends. If any of you are interested in playing with me my user name is NatalieTevis. After you download the game you can search for me.

Another closing

This whole red shirt thing is really starting to get on my nerves. I've been enjoying the free time but now it's starting to cramp my training.

Today was day 3 at home. I was planning on sticking to my regular training schedule which meant cycling today. I had spent the afternoon painting and didn't feel like cycling but I was determined to stick to my schedule. So I headed out to the fitness center and this is what I found:


(In case you can't see what it says, the green sign says "Due to the current situation in Bangkok, the entrance exit is now closed". The other sign says "Exchange Tower is closed on Monday 17th May 2010).

Doh!

I had a hankering for a beer and burger after painting all afternoon so I headed to a little place on Soi 18 that has just that. Maybe the fitness center will be open tomorrow in which case I can get my cycling in then.

I did end up doing speed work yesterday at the park so I got in an extra run this week. Yay!

Our school is closed for the week too...finally. Maybe this week I can really focus on my training. haha

NEXT!!

Good morning (evening, Julie) . I am cooling down from my end of the week run. Last Monday's run was early and cold and on SR 550 with traffic. And I did it in 22 min and 14 seconds. So what is that? 11:07 mile for two miles. Today I ran on Eddy Road for two miles. No traffic it's true. But there are hills. I always think of the difficult hill being the one coming back to the starting point. You know if you've run on my road before the hill I'm talking about. It is after turning around at the little cabin and coming back to my house. Mentally it is tough to run up that hill. I found out something interesting today. I timed my run, of course, and it took longer for me to run from the starting point in front of my house to the turn around at the little cabin. I ran the second half of each mile faster coming back. Oh by the way I did reduce my mile time by a mere 1:10.5. Yes my two mile time for this week is 19:53!!

My next goal is to run three miles without stopping.
Then in two weeks I'll run a two again and see how fast I can do it.
What's your goal?

Pit In My Stomach...

So, I'm asking myself... what is this pit in my stomach? Is it the leftover macaroni and cheese with scallops that I just ate for lunch while watching The Office? No, that was freaking amazing knock your socks off main course mac & cheese (from dinner with Z in McConnelsville last night). Ok, is it my slight apprehension that now I won't be able to run before dinner from all the rich, buttery, creamy goodness I just had? Well, I must say... I'm feelin' a little sketchy at the moment. But, no, the pit in my belly, the butterflies in my stomach are because this is one of my only instances of participation in a blog of any kind in any way ever. I'm not anti-blog (no matter what Natalie tells you, ctm) but I think I am just too OCD. I always have that feeling of, "I just can't keep up!!"

But, I must say this is a REALLY good idea! Thanks for all the posts, the motivation, the peer pressure... I love it. Ran twice this week, between 2-3 miles each time, and will run again tonight before dinner (mac & cheese permitting). Keep it up boys and girls! FYI, in case you haven't heard, Z & I are official!!! (officially registered that is, wink, wink... what did you think?! He he he) Team name - "A Tornado Made of Arms, Legs and Fingernails"... We're both stoked. In case she doesn't post this week, Z ran 2 miles Thursday, too, and finished her MB training schedule she showed me yesterday. Way to go on the setup Jules. Later.

Running from the red shirts

...not really. Just thinking how I could connect the two. I was excited to go for an evening run today. I never do because I'm always exhausted from the heat by the afternoon. But since I was holed up at home I thought a run would be nice. I'd just go to my usual park. I went yesterday morning and was surprised to find a bunch of tents set up in the grass. There were soldiers camping there, maybe around 50 soldiers. But there were a lot of people running, walking and biking too. So I wondered what I'd find today. Here it is:

Yes, that is a closed park. Can you see the police vans in the upper right corner of the photo? The guard said they closed it for the day just to be cautious and that it's closed until further notice. Doh!

So I ran back along Sukhumvit Road to the other park nearby my apt. It's the park I go to for group aerobics. Lovely park but a bit small. I don't like running there because it only takes like 4 minutes to go around the loop and I get bored with it. It's a good place to do speed work though. But I wasn't up for that so I just ran and tried to keep myself entertained by watching other people. And there were a lot of people to watch. It was more crowded than usual for a Saturday evening. I guess everyone in the area was stuck at home. haha I'm hoping for another evening run tomorrow. Maybe I'll pep myself up to do speed work. I'm getting a lot accomplished with this unscheduled time.

Yabba Dabba Doo 5k

The nearby town of Stewart has a local 5k with minimal participation. Each year for the past four years I have run in the race. The past three years Airclaws has been a sponsor. We enter a team of walkers and a team of runners. There will be a lot of people at the race representing Airclaws. However because we are committed to our Laos Language class, I am not participating today. But what a beautiful day for a race! It is cool and sunny. I wish I was there at the race. Hopefully everyone will represent.
I ran a strong one mile this morning. That means that except for Tuesday, I've run every day this week again. Yay!!

This picture was taken on a trail between Dow Lake and Sells Park. I cropped out someone who is not in our Muddy Buddy group. lol

First session with personal trainer

I met Jolene on Thursday at 8. She is really tiny which might lead a person to doubt her strength training skills. Then you see her arms. And the way she walks. She moves like a miniature body builder. (hehe) So I was worried no more. She had me work on arms, shoulders and core. Today I am really feeling it in my biceps. Also I'm feeling it in other muscles but I don't know their names.
The workout wore me out more than I thought it would. Probably because I didn't eat enough protein right away (smack in the head). Learned my lesson: Come prepared with food to eat immediately following lifting.
So I didn't run until 5 yesterday evening. I almost didn't do it but Will nagged me until I did. IT WAS SO HOT! My face was bright red when I finished and stayed that way for several hours.
This morning I ran on Eddy Road again. 2 miles without stopping. I didn't time myself though. I'll do that on Sunday. Devonna ran part of it with me and Huck kind of fast walked.

What motivates me

Coffee?  It would motivate me if I could seriously make the commitment to not have it unless I ran since I drink coffee every single morning.  I couldn't live by that rule though.  First thing in the morning I get my coffee, grab the computer, get back into bed to read and study and slowly wake up and begin my day.  It's my time alone and in quiet.  It would take a Herculean effort for me to postpone my coffee until after a run.

So what motivates me?  I am reaching back here, since my "new" running program is just 6 days old.  In the past, the following things kept me motivated to get out the door:

1. A commitment with a friend to run together
2. Having an actual training program where I had a goal and a plan each week and monitored my progress.
3. My dogs--wish this one still worked
4. Telling myself---"I'll just go out and do a mile, and if I don't feel better, that's ok, I can come home".  This works well for me.  I hate feeling boxed in, so having the option to change the plan took  the pressure off.  I recently read this quote on runnersworld.com "Give yourself 10 minutes to warm up... "A good warm up helps you let go of stress and allows the chemical changes to happen in your brain that change your mental state from no to yes," he says. "That's why those first few steps are often the hardest. Your mental state hasn't warmed up to the run yet."  This was often true for me.   Usually I kept going for whatever distance I had planned for the day. But sometimes, I just did the mile or so and let myself go home.  
5. A beer

FYI, I got my run in today!

Rainy runs

So what keeps you motivated?

I decided (as many of you know) that I won't drink coffee if I don't go running. That limits my coffee to a few days a week and keeps me motivated to run. This morning was like Saturday morning- I got up at 5:30, put on my running stuff... and then saw that it was raining. Not storming, but raining nonetheless.

I would have gotten back in bed if it wasn't for the coffee rule. I did make it a short run, only a mile, but I made it a speed-work mile, switching between sprinting and jogging. I hate those, but they're great for a short run.

Thanks for keeping up with the posts- it definitely keeps me motivated.

And our 6th buddy is...

...Lyndsey! We are now complete and registered with 74 days left to train.

Thanks for the info about running uphill, Nat. There will likely be a fair amount of uphill in the race. Does anyone have any advice for biking uphill? When I have a bit of time I'll look up some info on it and share.

I ran my 3 miles this morning. It was harder today than last week. I felt slower too. Maybe not enough sleep last night. Had the cycling class this evening. It was also harder. I think I need to be more disciplined about getting enough sleep, like Nat's post mentioned. I'll make that happen tomorrow and then see how my Friday run goes.

How was your run today, Shonda?

Wednesday Morning May 12

Today I ran on Eddy Road. The other day I read an article from Trail Runner that had interesting suggestions for running uphill. I tried the last suggestion and could really feel the benefit in my lower legs.

Sidestep Tough Climbs
Danny Dreyer, author of Chi Running and a renowned coach who integrates tai-chi principles into trail running, recommends turning your hips to the side to take the workload off your quads and hamstrings, and better engage your core muscles when going up steep inclines to avoid exhausting your legs.

Facing uphill with your feet pointing at 12-o'clock, turn only your feet to 10-o'clock. Keep your feet at this angle as you run, slightly crossing your feet in front of each other. "The key," says Dreyer, "is to engage your side (oblique) stomach muscles, by accentuating the motion of the downhill arm. Swing this arm strongly across your body and up to your chin, just like an upper cut." After about six to 10 steps, switch sides by moving your feet to a two-o'clock position.

If you click the Trail Runner link above, you can read the entire article.

This morning I did speed work on the flat part of the road in anticipation of decreasing my mile time. I think instead of Monday, I will run my two miles on Sunday and take Mondays off from now on. Tuesdays and Thursdays are becoming my weight training days. Tomorrow I am meeting with a personal trainer to help with strength training.

Getting There

I looked up how to get to the park. Click on the link to see the recommend routes from my house.
Harriman State Park.
When you are asked to choose a starting location, choose 13494 Eddy Road Amesville (Apparently google maps doesn't know our address is Athens)
It is little less than 10 hrs from my house.

Yes, I finally did.....Get my run in.

I feel that I can finally show my face on our Got Your Run In blog--because I am finally running.  Not far and not fast, but running again.  As you know, my first run in about forever was last Thursday with Natalie on a bike trail here in Columbus.  

We were hosting the CO for week and had guests from Cameroon for the weekend and the SAD on Saturday--so like Julie, life was busy.  Unlike Julie, I did not run before the SAD.  However, I was very active all day Friday (cleaning is similar to interval and strength training don't you think?) and Sunday Francois and I did a fair amount of walking/hiking including hills and a cave (note:  although it was fun for us because we just stumbled upon it, I cannot recommend the Olentangy Indian Caverns tour of the cave unless you really enjoy retro 60's era tourist sites that haven't been well-maintained).  We had no meeting Sunday-so we just took a day to relax.  Stayed home in the morning and then ended up exploring parts of Columbus and discovering things to do.  As we were taking the back way to the far side of the Hoover Reservoir to take a hike we drove through Powell, so, we stopped.  We took a walk around the antique and other shops there then got back in the car and kept going.  That's how we found the Indian Caverns.  Then as we continued we saw the Alum Creek Damn and stopped to hiked around there.  We never made it to Hoover.   It was a good day.

But this is about running.  Yesterday morning I went out for another run.  2 miles.  Twice around a park near my house.  Like Natalie, I am taking it slow the first couple of weeks.   I am planning on running again tomorrow morning (Wednesday) and would appreciate it if someone checks up on me.  It makes me feel more accountable.

So, it's great to finally be here and not just looking in on all your activity!

SECRETS OF SPEED

(August 2009 Runners World)
Lose Weight
A five-pound weight loss can take more than two minutes off your half-marathon time. Plus, weight loss can reduce your injury risk and improve your biomechanics.


Wear Less
Don't wear things that will slow you down. That means no fuel belt, no headphones, no iPhone, no long-sleeve shirt around your waist, and no heavy shoes.


Sleep More
Research from Stanford University indicates that athletes who get more sleep during training have better reaction time and speed. Even if you can't get 10 hours of sleep like the study subjects, the researchers say that just a 20-minute nap can help performance.


Drink Caffeine
Not only is caffeine credited with improved alertness and increased focus, newer research suggests it can improve pain tolerance and help you fatigue less quickly. To get the most out of caffeine, down a cup of plain tea or coffee (not a mocha frappuccino) 30 to 60 minutes before a race or hard workout.


Limit the Junk Food
Sugar can actually trigger hunger, which can lead to weight gain. Plus, you'll get more out of your mileage with long-lasting staples like whole-grain rice and pasta than with sugary foods that can cause sluggishness—not what you want if you're pushing for speed.

My Second Goal Met

This morning I ran from Alvis Auto Supply to Blaze Linton's house. My two miler without stopping. I did it in 22:14. My goal for next week is to run two miles again but at a faster speed.
Then I will run three miles the following Monday. I'm trying to build a good base and not injure myself now that I'm old. (hehehe)
I've been able to run virtually every day. I didn't run last Tuesday but did every other day last week. I'm going to the gym ("oh a gym"-Homer) this afternoon and see about weight training. That is something I am not very good at. I definitely do not feel strong. So I'll let you know how it goes.

Great!

As you were typing those words, Nat, I was cycling and dripping with sweat. I really like the class. The leader often follows the rhythm of the music switching between speed work and hill training. It's exciting and moves fast. Amazingly enough, I haven't been sore. That seems so strange to me since those muscles deep in my gluteus maximus have not been challenged so much with cycling. Unexplained.

In spite of having the English CA this weekend, I was able to run Sat morning. There was a couple that stayed with me and I actually thought we'd be hanging out talking til late (since I'm kinda socially deprived I take advantage of every opportunity, haha). But they were ready to turn in early. And the CA is right across the street from where I live. Takes about 8 minutes to get there. I had not excuse not to run...let me rephrase that...I had a great opportunity to run.

Running is good. I've been running about 3 miles at a slower pace than normal. The biggest issue for me is the heat. It's a sizzling 90F in the mornings (100F mid-day). I've been sleeping with the air on at night which helps to be cool before going out in the mornings. With the rainy season beginning soon it should cool down a bit. I'm giving myself 2 weeks and then I'll start speed work.

How's your training?

????

Hi
Julie,
How is your training program coming along? How do you like the cycling class?

City Run

When I started running in 2003 I was running in Nike's that were too small. After damaging my big toe, going to the foot doctor to get a hole drilled in it and subsequently losing my toe nail, I made a shopping trip to Front Runner. I had never heard of Mizunos but they were the perfect shoe for me. Light and bouncy. Arch support. Cushion. Every time I went back I ended up with another pair of Mizunos. Thursday was the dawn of a new era. Well maybe not that big of a deal. But I am not running in Mizunos anymore. My new pair of road shoes (drumroll please)
Sauconys.





































Shonda and I explored a bike path along the Olentangy River in Columbus.
After warming up we did some interval training.
Interval training is our code for "let's run a bit and walk some
then run a little bit more" :)
Considering that the path bordered Ohio State Campus
it felt remote compared to running through neighborhoods.

















We even found a few dirt trails that are great for off-roading. It's going to be a great place for us to run together while training for the Muddy Buddy. I'm going to take my bike up with me so we can try it out there as well.

84 and SUNNY!

Wow! How pretty is it today??

I met my goal on Monday. I ran without stopping for ONE mile. Yay me!! My goal for next week is two miles without stopping. After work I'm going for a run. It is so pretty out that I would love to go to Strouds or Sells but it is still super wet so I'm going to stay on Eddy Road and do a few laps.
Tomorrow I'm talking Shonda into going for a run with me. Maybe in her neighborhood or if there is a trail, perhaps along the river.
Next week, hopefully, I'll be able to do a loop trail in Sells Park. And if it is dry enough I will take my Trek for a spin.

I am really getting my head around running again. Monday I bought new socks and a new running shirt. Thursday I'm going to Front Runner to pick out new road shoes. The Mizunos I'm running in now are pretty worn out. I subscribed to Runners World and Fitness. Hmmm what's left to do??
Oh yeah, run.... (hahaha)

Cycling

I joined a gym today for 2 months. There's a cycling class that's pretty good and thought it would be the way to train. I've never done much cycling before so it'll be good to get this training. The class is pretty good. It's 50 minutes long and the leader has you change the resistance throughout so it's as if you're going up and down hills. I know it's not quite the same but it's something. It was really fun. I kept visualizing the race, going up hill and pushing through it. Of course I imagined passing many people walking their bikes up. haha

Hope I'm not too sore tomorrow. I'm planning to run 3 miles Wed morning and another cycling class that night.

Early morning runs

So I'm feeling a lot better now, thank you. I hope the Pestilence of April 2010 didn't harm anybody too bad. I've actually been on a pretty good running schedule for the past week. I've been getting up at 5:30 and running before M.W. here at Wallkill. I marked off 3 miles in 1/2 mile segments with the car, and I've been running 3-4 miles on three mornings a week.

One thing that I find hard is determining how far to go each time. I know you have to listen to your body, but honestly, at the start of a run, I never want to make it a long one. Only when I get going to I get enthusiastic for distance. But on Wednesday, when I did a 4-mile run, I had to stop every 1/2 mile on the way back, because I was just spent. And although I did a great 3 miles on Monday, my 3 miles on Thursday was just plain pathetic.

Just goes to show that starting out again is tough, and being in a good routine makes all the difference for making it happen.

Muddy Buddy Training Plan

Six weeks before the race we can start the Muddy Buddy Training Plan. It is a 6 day a week training program with biking and running involved. The plan will begin June 13. I'll keep you updated and remind you when it's time to start. In the meantime we can build our base. Starting May 1 we have 43 days to get a base fitness. Julie's idea of running 3 days a week is a great goal. Does everyone have access to a bike? Or will have access by June 13? My Trek was restored to like new condition following fire damage only costing $99. Jeff: If you want to borrow my bike to train or would like to do some run/ride on the trails let me know.
Don't forget to purchase/borrow helmets for the race. It is a good idea wear the helmet while training so that it doesn't feel so awkward during the race.
Username: Getyourrunin
Password: PS8318wt

Warm up

Have you heard of the Ben Schiller Plague? It's a highly contagious sinusy (is that a word) infection. Ben is still sick. Jeff is back to work after a pink eye scare. I'm virtually completely healthy. Still tired and have an annoying cough.
And I'm carrying a general malaise with me. Monday Alison and I drove to Cincinnati to be there for Philips kidney surgery. Although we stayed up past midnight gossiping and hashing out "sister" stuff, we were at the hospital by 6:30am. At 7:30 we found out that Phil's hemoglobin count was 8.6 (down from 9.5). The 40 something doctor didn't feel skilled enough to be able to do the surgery without using blood since Philip's count was so low. He is so skinny, my friends. I hugged him before he was supposed to go into surgery and felt the bones in his back and shoulders. The skin on his face looks like it is pulled over a skeletons face.
He's lost more weight.
Today at 4:30 he is meeting with another doctor who might be able to perform the surgery without blood. Meanwhile he is doing all he can to improve his hemoglobin count. I realize this is a post not about running.
This morning I woke up with the sun in my face. I wonder if this will be Philip's last April. His 20th wedding anniversary is tomorrow. Will it be his last?
Will handed me my coffee with 1/2 & 1/2. I sat on the couch and listened to him talk about Lao syllables.
I dressed for running, pulling on a wool hat, a long sleeved running top and my running pants from my marathon training days.
And I went for a mile walk.
I'm warming up.

The Race

We are 89 days away from the Muddy Buddy. Have you started training yet? What's your running schedule? Do you have running partners? Do you run to music?

Those are some topics you can post about. I guess I'll start.

I've been mildly cleansing and it's ridiculously hot even at 6am. So I've backed off running lately. However, I'm getting back into a schedule on May 1st. I'm planning on running 3 days a week (Sun, Wed, Fri) and cycling at the gym 2 days a week (Mon, Wed).

I generally don't have a partner to run with. Once in a while I'll run with one of the other teachers at work. But that hasn't happened in awhile. I run with music and love getting lost in the songs. Of course since I haven't been running regularly lately the first few weeks will likely be painful. Once I get in a good running schedule my groove kicks in and the runner's highs come.