Yesterday it rained all day here in Syracuse. Tim and I went over to a friends house and we layed on the couch watching Harry Potter all day. I can't remember the last time I had such a lazy Sunday. I did need to go running, though. Around 6pm the rain started slowing down, and I headed outside for a 10 mile run.
It was a pretty miserable run. I don't mind running in the rain, but it was cold and windy, and my allergies had been bothering me all day. I had planned on running about 7 outside and finishing the last 3 miles on my treadmill, but I pushed through.
At the end of my run, the rain started to clear up. The sunset was beautiful. The clouds were all pink, and at one point, I saw a rainbow that stretched across the whole sky. It was enough to make me stop running for a minute just to stand and look. It made the whole miserable run seem not so bad.
When I got home, it was completely dark outside. Tim was about to get in his car and come looking for me! Does anyone else have best/worst workout experiences?
Today I completed my first half marathon. I started training about 4 months ago, and have just been waiting for a chance to get out and run one. Today was the day!
I left my house at 7am. I didn't have anyone to run with, but I didn't mind. I'm kind of a solo runner anyway.
The run started at 8am went pretty well. I don't have my exact time yet, but according to my clock on my iPod, I was running approx. 10 minute miles. I was feeling really good for most of the race, except for getting really hungry around mile 6 or 7. I tried one of those gel thingys that they were handing out at the water station. It was disgusting. I got the blackberry flavor; maybe the other kinds are better. The texture kind of grossed me out, though. It was a thick, oozy sugar.
Around Mile 10, I was starting to feel a little sore. My legs were starting to hurt a little, and I was getting bored of the music on my iPod - I had already listened to Nicki Minaj's whole Pink Friday Album, a sampling of Lil Wayne, and a whole bunch of other random artists.
Needless to say, I was quite excited to hit mile 12. When I got close to mile 13, I was kind of hoping that my husband or my parents decided to come meet me at the finish. The race was a little far away, so I had told them not to worry about coming. I was thrilled to see Tim on the sidelines taking a video as I approached the finish. See the video below. We hung out while I unwound from the race.
My parents stopped by our house when we got home and brought me a congratulations card and a gift card for fro-yo - My favorite :-) I spent the rest of the day resting my legs - so sore!!
Well, it's time. I've been training for a half marathon, and I'll be running on Sunday. I'm feeling pretty good about it. Now, I can run 10-12 miles no problem, so this shouldn't be too hard. My only concern is that I woke up this morning with my sinuses completely clogged. I'm going to take some allergy medicine and keep my fingers crossed.
I've decided that I'm going to keep training and go for a full marathon. It seems very do-able, except for the whole running 20 before the actual marathon. Can I just skip that long run and wing it on the day of the marathon?
Love this photo; very appropriate for a runner's weekend :-)
I've been training for a half marathon, and now that the weather is nice, I have been playing tennis. My body hurts. Literally the whole thing. Legs, knees, arms, back, everything. Last year I was running regularly and playing tennis, and it wasn't a problem. I think it's the whole half marathon thing.
I'm to the point in my training where I'm running 5 miles on the regular runs, and 8, 9, 10 on the long runs. It's getting a little rough.
Even though it's hard, I'm still sticking to the training program by running in the morning and playing tennis at night. I'm sure I'll get used to it after a few weeks.
I like this Charlie Brown picture. It really captures the feelings of an intense workout.
I've always been lucky to be a person who gets a "runner's high." It's a very real thing. Basically running releases endorphins that change your mood, causing a "high." Read all about it in this New York Times article.
While I've always experienced a runner's high, I've never experienced a runner's low... until now.
I think it started when I ran 8 on Sunday. It was a tough run in 80 degree heat. For the first time, I started walking at the end of the run. I walked for the last stretch, came home, drank water, and then finished up on the treadmill.
Ever since Sunday, every run has been a struggle. I've felt tired, lacked motivation, and my legs feel heavy when I run.
When I was preparing this blog post this morning, I Googled "tired runner" and discovered this article on runner's low. Here are the signs of a runner's low:
Decreased Physical Performance – yes
Heavy Legs – yes
Increased Resting Heart Rate – no
Increased Susceptibility to Illness – no
Chronic Muscle Soreness or Fatigue –no
Slower Recovery – no
Increased Perceived Exertion – yes
Loss of Enthusiasm for Running – yes
Change in Sleep Pattern – no
Loss of Appetite –yes
So, I'm not sure if this will turn out to be a real runner's low, but it sure feels like it right now!
Has anyone else ever experienced this?
Well, I'm off to run 5 this morning. Wish me luck :-)
I had a 5 mile run yesterday morning and realized I needed new running shorts. I was just using regular cotton ones, and for a long run, that's just not great. I hopped right on my computer when I got home, and picked out these running shorts. The best part? Zappos is doing FREE OVERNIGHT SHIPPING!! So, I will have them by tomorrow, and I didn't even pay for rush shipping. It's all too wonderful.
I'm also super psyched because these shorts have the DRI-fit material, and they have a little pocket in them that I can put my house key in :-)
Have you used Zappos? If not, I recommend bouncing over there right away.
I've been training for a half marathon. I haven't been telling people, because I was worried that I wouldn't actually be able to do it. But now I'm getting close. I'm more than half way there:
This weekend was a blast between Race for the Cure and movie night with my bff Kus.
Saturday morning the husband and I woke up early for Race for the Cure - we ran on my company's team. Tim's parents joined us, too, and I ran the 5K with his dad. It was a fun, easy run. When we were done, I felt like I could have run 3 more miles. Not surprising, since I'm now running 6-7 miles for my long runs :-)
I haven't done a public race in a long time, and I forgot how fun it is!! Everyone is all about the cause and super friendly. It was a first 5K for a girl who was running with us, and other racers were cheering her on and encouraging her to finish, which she did!!
Saturday night was movie night with Kus! We saw Bridesmaids, which I totally recommend. The characters were hilarious.
What did you do this weekend? Did anyone else Bridesmaids?
My birthday is on Monday, so I am celebrating all weekend.
Tim is giving me one present every day. Today was the first:
The Social Network
I love this movie :-) I definitely recommend it if you haven't seen it yet. People have said that Mark Zuckerberg is made out to be a jerk in this movie. I don't think he is. He comes off as socially complex and ambitious, but not greedy or mean. I also don't think he is guilty of stealing anyone's idea. So much of business is getting there first and marketing your product well. He succeeded at that, the Winkelvii did not. If you've seen this movie, what do you think about the way they portrayed him?
Tim and I are also going to go shopping as part of my present. Hmmm what to buy...
In other news, I went running yesterday and got lost! I ended up running an extra mile, which would be no big deal, but I am not used to that much pavement running yet.
I did get to see some new neighborhoods though :-)
This weekend was all about relaxing, which is my favorite kind of weekend :-)
Last night Tim and I made Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu. It was delish. Here's the recipe:
Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu
Ingredients
1 box uncooked spaghetti
Tofu
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 cup shredded carrots
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions
Stir Fry tofu in about ¼ cup vegetable oil (add more if needed). Cook on each side until golden (Should take about 10 minutes)
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain
Heat oil in a large wok or saute pan. Stir fry mushrooms, carrots, onion and garlic until tender. Stir in bean sprouts and green onions; cook one minute. Mix cornstarch and chicken broth in a small bowl and add to stir fry. Stir in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, cayenne pepper. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.
Add cooked spaghetti, and toss. Serve immediately.
Usually, I hate "light" days or "strengthening" days on a workout plan. It's so boring, I usually skip it all together. But I recently discovered that Netflix has workout videos, and now strength training is a little better.
Yesterday I walked 1.5 miles and then did a yoga/pilates DVD. It was a pretty good workout!
It's Sunny!! For the first time this season, we are going to hit 70 degrees here in Syracuse on Monday. It's supposed to be in the 60s all weekend, and I'm thrilled.
When the weather is bad, I run on my treadmill and watch TV shows on my laptop. But when its nice, I run outside and rock out to my iPod.
For today's blog challenge, I'm changing the prompt. The prompt was to write about a song that describes your mood. Here's what I'm doing instead.
Blog Challenge Day 8 and 13: All-Time Best Running Playlist
Blog Challenge Day 3 and Day 10: Perfect Date and Favorite Restaurant
Today's challenge was to write about a perfect first date. Since I'm married, I'm not that interested in first dates, so here are a few of my current favorite dates.
(Blog Challenge Day 10 is a photo of your favorite restaurant, so this blog post is serving double-time with the picture of Empire Brewing Co. below)
