Baby's got a new set of wheels....

Well, it started out with one of the best rides I've had since I started riding a couple years ago. I headed out to do 20 miles with a goal- 10 miles out non-stop, a short rest and 10 miles back non-stop. Trying to toughen up the sit bones and really the only way to do this is good ole' saddle time, so that's what I set out to do. I rode to Yorba Regional Park which is about 11 miles from home and made it there non-stop in just under an hour. Then stopped for a quick drink (2 minutes) and headed home. There must have been a slight tailwind because all I know is I was flying (or at least the 17-18mph I was doing sure felt that way to me)! I made it all the way back home in around 35-40 min!! It was awesome! That was what initiated the trip to REI to get a rack for my car- so I could take our bikes and go. When I got it home it did fit on my car, which I hadn't been sure it would, but then the bikes wouldn't fit on the rack - BUMMER! I packed it back up and returned it and figured I'd at least get a new helmet since I had been wearing that ugly lavendar one since I started riding and have been meaning to get a better one (or at least better looking one). REI didn't have anything I liked so I stopped at the bike shop- UH OH... that pretty Specialized Dolce was sitting over in the corner ON SALE calling my name.... literally! Well, I asked AL if they would take a bit more off and he said they would take another $50 off and they'd also give me $100 for my Specialized Exhibition that had about 55 miles on it and was only taking up space in the garage... "SOLD" It's a very pretty bike too, black with pink swirl design on the frame and I simply cannot wait to ride it! Tomorrow I am going to take it in to have them put my pedals on it and then Sunday morning I'm going to get up and try to hammer out a repeat of last weekends perfect ride.

Tomorrow Makenna and I are going to take her bike over to the riverbed and I'm going to run 5.7 miles or die trying.... I wanted to do 5.5 but the mile markers I need to use are spaced out that far so until I get a Garmin and can tell how far I've run this is what I have to work with.

I was reading Kristin Armstrong's blog earlier and she said something on there that kinda hit home for me and I am going to try and remember this, especially for this long run, the longest run for me so far. It said
"A quiet and tenacious voice spoke to me and told me to take my time, go whatever pace I needed to go, but under no circumstance was I permitted to quit."

I'm hoping for the best but am fairly nervous- damn that fear of failure hang up!!

I eat therefore I run (or ride)....

I think that would be a cute saying to put on my license plate frame. It came to me one day when my stomach was trying to convince me I hadn't eaten in days when in fact it had only been a couple hours. It's no secret that I LOVE FOOD but I've noticed in the past couple of weeks I'll be absolutely fine one minute and the very next minute I will be starving as if I hadn't eaten in days. It's the weirdest thing.

This morning Michelle and I had breakfast and then headed out for our 30 mile ride and about 5 miles after we headed back from the beach, WHAM-O there was that appetite!! With 10+ miles to go all I had was Lemon Sublime GU and down it went.... you gotta be desperate to down Lemon Sublime GU!! The weather was fabulous, beach was bright blue skies and fluffy white clouds but about 8 miles from home it got really dark and the sky opened up and poured on us. I don't think a hot shower ever felt so good!! I think we're as ready as we are going to be for next weekend and I am really looking forward to it.

rain rain go away....

Funny how a little rain can mess up a perfectly good ride... Michelle and I are supposed to ride 30 miles tomorrow in our own feeble attempt at getting ready to ride our first Century next weekend... who needs training (smart people)? We tried to get a 30 mile ride in a few weeks ago and got rained out and it's raining now and supposed to rain all day tomorrow which means we will need to ride on Sunday which would be fine except I'm supposed to run 5 miles on sunday? I'm in week 6 of my 8 week 10k training, luckily if I have to repeat a week or two I have given myself plenty of time before the 10k which is March 15th so I will be ok.

I'm still running 3-4 days a week and increasing my mileage on my weekend runs and I think I'm at about 44 miles into my 500 mile goal for this year, it doesn't sound like much right now but I'm hoping once my mileage increases it'll start balancing out, but it is only February so I'm not too worried. I have also been journaling every single day.

Work still sucks and seems to get worse from day to day but I know I'm lucky to have a job so I'm trying my very best to be grateful and not resentful, I'll keep trying...

Resolutions - who can resist em?

Not me that's for sure!!   And because I have such a huge fear of failure I made sure that I chose ones that I have complete control over...as long as I work hard they are all achievable!  Here they are:

1. listen more & talk less
2. run 500 miles
3. do a 5k/10k every month
4. train for and complete a 10k
5. and a half marathon
6. ride a Century
7. take one FABULOUS trip (Vermont)
8. journal the entire year
9. spend less, save more
10. work at living simply

Today is Sunday, ending the first week of the new year and I'm happy and proud to say that I am right no track to a good year.  I've ran 3 days this week doing a 10k training plan to prepare for a 10k March 15th- the Coaster Run at Knott's.  So I've got 8 miles down and 492 to go... Saturday we are running a 5k and I've journaled every day so far!  

Because 2008 was such an exhausting and challenging year, the hardest by far, I am counting on the strength I gained from that year to carry me thru this year.   I am so very grateful that I have a wonderful home, very near to my parents and Makenna's school and am looking forward to a great year!  Happy 2009!! xoxo

Holy Shit!!

Oh Yeah....  I ran 4 miles... and it felt AMAZING!!   Well, I worked from home today and had every crappy file we have!  ARGH!  By the time 4:30 came around I was spent but not finished...so I changed into my running clothes and SEE YA!   Before I left I mapped out a 4 mile run because I had decided to start increasing my mileage and felt today was a great day to start- any chance to run in the evening sounds good to me.   Oh, and I also had my new Nike Tempo shorts and long sleeved running jersey on which for the record-was a dream to run in!   Well, I did my normal loop up around the school then headed out to La Veta to zig zag every street between the school and home to make the 4 miles....  probably about 3 miles in my knee started hurting a bit and I was starting to get tired BUT I did NOT stop!   I talked myself thru it- remembering things I've heard or read from other runners...like you should feel some pain because your pushing your body to it's limits.  I also remembered reading that as long as the pain does not change my stride and I'm not having to compensate for it and can still run then I'm ok.... and I reminded myself not to give up on myself that I would be OH SO HAPPY if I finished the 4 miles.  So I kept on running and I did it!   I am so very happy and proud of myself and can't wait to do it again.   I timed myself and it took around 46 minutes.  I always forget to stop the timer but shortly after stopping it said 46 min...

Gobble Gobble

Where to begin....   ok after 2 really good runs in a row,  I had high hopes of setting a new PR for the 5k Turkey Trot.  I'll save you the suspense- it didn't happen.  BUT and I say BUT because I give myself and Michelle and Josh all KUDOS for even running the darn thing!  Let me say that I was woke up this morning by the sound of thunder... yes thunder.  By the time I even poured my cup of coffee it was raining buckets.  I was still hopeful thinking that maybe by the time I left or worse case by the time we had to run it would be over....  so I get ready and leave (still pouring).  Drive to Dana Point and about 5 min from my exit I hear a "special report" on the radio that goes something like this "There is a storm system approx 15 miles off the coast of Dana Point (yep that's where I'm going) that is capable of producing a WATER SPOUT.  All boats and watercraft are advised to take safe harbor and people are instructed to stay indoors"   What the foolio!?!  I'm driving right into the storm to run a 5k!  I must be crazy... but I continue on because we're already this far we may as well "check it out" right?  So we get there, by now it's only drizzling,  park about 1 mile away from the start line.  Start walking thru the river that was once a street, shoes are completely soaked thru and we're there.  We figure we drove all that way in the rain and are already wet so we may as well run.  Then there's the fact that I had about 12 people donate to the cause, the least I can do is run!  So we run...  by the time we actually started running it had stopped so it wasn't bad at all.  Josh ran an awesome time and mine was 37:12 which sucked but oh well...it was fun after all.   

On Saturday morning Michelle and I met at 8:00am for a 40 mile ride that ended up being way too ambitious considering we had not ridden in about 2 months and did a 5k two days earlier...so we ended up with 30 miles that took every last drop of effort on my part.  I seriously don't think I could have rode one more mile unless my life depended on it...  but it was a beautiful day and it was fun!

All in all I'm very happy because I ended up running about 9 miles and riding 30 miles for the week.  Not a bad week of exercise if you ask me.  YAY!!

2 for 2

Woot Woot! I'm on a roll.... ain't no stopping me now... I was expecting a not so good run today since I ran Sunday evening and had such an awesome run.  But I took off, thought I'd do an easy 2 miles since I ran 3.2 on Sunday and I have a 5k Thursday morning I didn't want to push it....I really want to break my PR of 36:02 on Thursday.  Anyway I went out and did my usual loop but threw in a little zig zag across a couple blocks and added a half mile to my run so ended up with 2.5 and felt really good.  I'm so excited because the shins felt good and I felt good.  I'll be really excited too since this is the first week I've actually gotten 3 fairly long runs in... (well for me they are long... )  If I can keep this up for a couple more weeks I'm going to start adding distance to work up to the 4 mile mark...there are some trail runs Michelle and I are going to do after the first of the year and they are 4 miles...  Todays run was once again in the evening...  my coughing is worse in the morning so on Thursday I'm going to have to get up really early, take some meds and hit the trail...   well gotta go, time for The Biggest Loser!

ciao!