January Running Streak...

Yeah, I posted a chart yesterday...but today is the last day of January, so I HAD to post again :) What I like is that this picture shows all of the days that I ran during the month of January - nice gap there after the 1st huh.

It's getting easier to get up and run every morning. I love that my training plan is for 3 days a week...and the other days are Bonus days in my mind. The first 5 days back on the road after my brief illness was all about just getting out on the road again and getting into a routine. THEN I started to pay attention to my training plan which started 9 weeks out from the Shamrock run on March 16. So all the "spikes are the days that I did training runs - well most of them at least.

What I have learned in this first month of running:

- to not beat myself up when I don't have that great of a day. At least I got out and did something, even if it wasn't what I was supposed to do.

- I am improving. Which is kinda crazy - I have always thought of myself as a mediocre runner, but the daily running (no matter how short) is paying off. I'm feeling like a runner more and more!

- I am not immune to germs and other sickly things. Hence the giant gap between the New Year's Day run #1 and run #2. I got a lot of quality rest during that period.

- That I will need new shoes more often in 2014. In January alone I logged almost 49 miles - and that was just 20 days of running. I imagine as the year goes on I'll be running a little more on my "bonus" days and logging more miles on my shoes. I average probably around 300 miles per pair of shoes, so yeah, the more running I do the more often I'll be getting new shoes! Oh darn ;)

- That doing some sort of weight bearing training is GOOD. I've noticed that even with a few burpees or jump squats or push-ups I feel a little stronger. Will be adding more as the year goes on!

So there we have it...January was a great start to my running streak. Well the last 19 days were...

Next race - Fort Vancouver 10k Run!

January So Far...

(Click to Expand)

So my Holiday Running Streak did not pan out and I had to quit 10 days into the streak. THEN I thought I would start a 2014 Running Streak and that ended after one day - I know, that's going backwards...

Today I am happy to report that I have maintained a running streak since January 13 and feel pretty good most days. I don't push it too much on the days that I'm not doing a training run and I think that helps to keep things somewhat balanced. In fact, I can tell that since I have started up again, I feel SO comfortable! Getting into my rhythm is happening sooner than when I just ran according to my training plan and I feel good longer into each run before I feel like I need to take a walk break.

My ultimate goal is to see how many days I can run in 2014...so far so good. Half of January is a good start!

I might need new shoes more often this year...

Gotta add to the "collection"

Wahine All Womens

In search of sporty-sport women who want to try out a little multi-sport action at Blue Lake Park in Fairview, OR. The event is called the Wahine All Womens Triathlon, but it has more! There is a Duathlon, 5k and 10k run as well as a Hula Kids Triathlon.

It has been almost 3 years since I last was at Blue Lake and I'm itchin' to get out there again. It would be fun to have some of my more adventurous peeps come out and join the fun!

Go HERE to check out the event.

Go HERE for my 2009 Race Report and HERE for 2010 and HERE for 2011. As you can plainly see from the posts Robin & I were a team...and we had a BLAST!!

Think hula skirts and leis...and other island-y type items :)

It's Fine

After 12 days off I got out on the road again this morning. The darkness of the morning didn't even bother me. I was sooo ready to get out and run again! So much that I ran a pretty fast couple of miles - fast for me anyway.

I'm still bogged down by a cold, but only a little. My back felt pretty good - I would say 99%. We'll see how things feel tomorrow.

SO excited! 9 weeks until the Shamrock!

Too Much Time Off

Mr. Decaf lounging - I did my best to imitate him last weekend

My last run was on New Year's Day...that seems like forever ago! Since then I have been sick and a little broken. Broken because all of the coughing I did caused my back problem to come and stay a while.

In the last 10 days I have spent an entire weekend at home, took a sick day from work and visited my chiropractor 3 times. The days that I did work were a little uncomfortable because my back was sore and tight - I felt like I had a stick up my back-side.

Here we are, it is now the second weekend of 2014 and I'm ready (mentally) to hit the road again...we'll see if my body will go along. Shamrock training starts on Monday!

And Then There Was a 15k

2012 Shamrock Run Portland

So, my big crazy idea of a challenge for 2013 was training for and doing my first Half Marathon. Which happened on December 15. I'm pretty sure that throughout the training I kept saying that if things went okay that I would probably do the 15k Shamrock Run in March. You would think that I would have documented that crazy idea somewhere, but I don't see a mention of that possibility anywhere.

For the past few weeks I was pretty content with my decision to stick to the 8k race - it's a route I know and I know how long it takes to run it and so on.

However, this week as I have been trying (almost desperately) to find more team members one of our volunteers confirmed with me that he is committed to run and dropped off his registration to me at the station. Cool! I didn't think to look at his form until after a couple of hours of work, but when I did finally open his envelope, I noticed that he had checked the 15k. Interesting...I better check on this, could this be a mistake?

After a couple of days, I got an answer, sure enough he decided to run the 15k and now that puts the rest of us (me, Tom and another volunteer) in a later race. Tom had already said earlier this week that he would do it because he thought it would be a good challenge especially after having such a bad year last year; with his sciatica problem and nerve issues on the outside of his right knee which caused the "drop foot." Okay, two down - now to check with Jordan to see if he is up for the challenge - YES!

Oh. No.

I guess I'm going to do a 15k after all. It was a fairly easy decision to make. I don't want to wait around for at least an hour for the 8k to start and certainly not by myself. That's the non-social part of me, I like my people and all, but "my" people will already be running while I'm waiting around for the 8k to start. Also, because I know how long it would take me to do the 8k, I'm pretty sure that I'll be finishing loooong after the 3 of them finish considering that they will already have a hour "head start."

My big challenge for this year's Shamrock will be to finish not too far behind those guys. After we reconnect somewhere at Waterfront Park we'll get our chowder then head out for for coffee and granola at Thatcher's. Mmmmm, Thatcher's!

So yeah, the crazy continues.

Toy or Tool?

Garmin Forerunner 10

I'm not all that techie, but this...this I like. What do I like about it?

1.  It's a watch - helpful when you don't want to be late.
2.  It keeps track of distance - helpful when you want to run (or walk) a mile and then find out later that it was less....waaay less.
3.  It counts calories - helpful because I can't do that by myself.
4.  It will keep track of pace - helpful because I really don't know what my pace during any given run. It's either too fast or not fast enough.
5.  It will identify personal records - Whaaat...now THAT'S cool!

Trying to decide if I want to get this or not. I'll be getting my clothing allowance in a couple of weeks and this would be a fun toy/tool to help me with my training.

Sickie Selfie

(taken with Kindle Camera...not too bad)

I was sick over the weekend and getting tired of sleeping and watching stuff on TV so I got my kindle out and took this picture. I was really just goofing around, but it turned out alright I guess.

Giving myself a few more days of laying low and another trip to the chiropractor after work today.

Come on body heal thyself...

Forced Rest

(selfie taken with my Kindle Fire)

Yes...due to illness and a messed up back, I am FORCED to REST. Sometimes it takes these "drastic" measures to get me down and I don't like it. However, this year might be a little more busy year - at least that is what I'm planning - so some rest now isn't a bad thing.

While I continue to rest and let my back heal, I've started reading Eat & Run by Scott Jurek for inspiration. Since I know I need to make some changes in my life as far as running is concerned I thought I should read a book here and there that is running specific and take in some wisdom and perhaps apply some new ideas and hopefully develop some new habits.

I can happily report that what I choose to eat is more healthy choices and I do think twice about what I think I might want to have for a snack.

Some things can change ;)

What do I need to do different in 2014?

Sleep More

Make Better Food Choices

Get Stronger (yeah, like I'm gonna do a pull-up)

That's it. When something sticks - I'll be back here!

Foiled again!

Early in the Covered Bridge Ride (I think)

True to form, I had intended to start a new Running Streak - which I did yesterday. Today I woke up with a cold and have decided to hold off again. Oh fine.

Nothing special here, except the reflective
laces I got in my Stridebox in December

This is not surprising. I think this happens when I'm getting ready to start a new plan of sorts, or I've gotten into a plan that seems to work and then BAM - sorry girlfriend...you're done...hee hee.

I'm gonna lay low for a couple of days and then hit my new training plan on Monday. Ooooh how I love me a training plan. Looking to PR the Shamrock 8k this year and it will be the last one for at least a year. Getting a little tired of trying to get people to commit to do this event and join the team - so I'm taking a break after this year's event.

After Shamrock is done I'll start training for Half Marathon #2 - the Vancouver USA Half. I'm looking forward to that and I am hoping that I'll do MUCH better than the Holiday Half, stupid spasms!

The start of the 2013 Every Girl's Event

Events that are already on my mental calendar - Shamrock, Vancouver USA Half, Independence Day Run, Every Girl's and maybe the Hot Buttered run. I am determined to get back out on the Time Trial course and if I'm feeling really good, I want to do the All Women's Duathlon at the end of July or early August. It's been a couple of years since I did a multisport event.

We'll see, it IS only January 2nd and we all know that ANYTHING can happen!