Catching Up- 42 days till the marathon!!!

With finals, going out of town and starting a new job over winter break, I haven't been the best at keeping up with my blog. I don't know how other people consistently update. But here goes.

1. I ran my furthest run of the training season ( 17 miles) on December 16th, 2012 at Brushy Creek. It was extremely difficult but I was proud of myself for finishing.

( In all the time I have been running at Brushy Creek, it's only recently I noticed the dinosaur section. Sometimes when I am tired and stuck on the trail, I feel the dinosaur in the egg.)

2. I got several books that I wanted for Christmas. Currenly I am reading Barbara Walters memoir, Audition. It's really good so far.

3. I beat my original running goal for 2012 and ended up running 715 miles for the year! Almost twice what I ran in 2011! My goal for 2013 is 800 miles. 

4. If you are in to board games and I really am, I would recommend Zero. Vince and I recently got it at Target. It's a pretty cool Trivia game where the point is to answer the question with the least obvious answer and get the lowest points. 

5. Although I mentioned before that I was interested in doing the Rogue 30k in late January as I thought it would be good practice leading up to the marathon, I instead decided that I really needed new running shoes. I have been running this whole time in Nike Trail shoes that have ( in the last month) really gone down hill and are giving me blisters. So given the choice between registering us both for an expensive race or buying new shoes, I choose new shoes! I think I made the right decision. 

6. I would like to become a tea person. I don't like coffee and I love hot cocoa but there's not much variety there. I recently got a great tea set ( my first ever!) from Vince for Christmas and some really good tea so I just think maybe I could be that Tea person. Is a tea lady very different from a cat lady? I'm not sure...

7. I am really thinking about signing us up for a local 5k in early February here in Georgetown. It's the Cupids Chase 5k and last year I got a PR on the course so I am obviously a fan. It's a really good deal and it is put on by a friend of ours from run group. Prices go up by Jan.11th, but right now it's only 17 bucks which is a great deal. I'll let you know what I decide! It's about 15 days before the marathon, so I think it will be alright but might talk to some people who know more about things than I do before I make a decision. 

( The shirt from last years race.)

8. I have been trying to find more things to do that don't involve us eating out and that are relatively cheap. The problem with wanting to get out of the house is that you end up eating out a lot which isn't really cheap and doesn't help you lose weight. So last week when my little sister was here visiting we went to Peter Pan Putt-Putt Golf, which was only 8 bucks per person and for 18 holes, is a pretty good deal. We also took my family to check out Pinballz, which is another one of our favorite places. It's an oldtimey video, pinball, arcade game place. They have air hockey too which my family loves. There's not a cover charge and you just pay per game. So I'd recommend those two places. They are both in Austin, so it's a little bit of a drive, but worth it I think. 

( My dad and I fixin' to play Air Hockey.) 

(One of the statues from Putt-Putt golf. Doesn't it make you think of Reptar from Rugrats?)

I am kinda really freakin out about the marathon. It's only 6 WEEKS AWAY. I really think taper is going to throw me for a loop and I still have yet to do my 20 mile run!!!!! So nervous but excited. Recently on the website, they posted a pic of the finishers medal. I am hoping if I keep looking at, it will serve as inspiration for me to continue as I WANT ONE!!After training since last July for this thing, I just hope I finish!

( I think the yellow is the marathon one.)

Ten Things Thursday

1. This is a picture from my run today. I woke up late and ran about 3 and a half miles. The weather was great! I even swung on the swings a little!

2. The  last season of How I Meet Your Mother is on Netflix now. Love that show!!

3. Tuesday I finally made it back to Run Group! It was a hard hilly run for me but felt good. Here's a pic of the Christmas lights from the beginning of the run:

4. Tuesday night Vince and I went to Trivia Night at Pluckers. We've only gone to a Trivia Night event once before, in Oklahoma, but we had a lot of fun so we wanted to try it at one of our favorite restaurants. We were Team Flying Turtles and we did not do good lol. The catergories were like sports, science, nerds, television, medical, david bowie, labryith, and buisness. It was still fun though, but it is easy to see how big teams have a huge advantage. 

5. I saw this the other day on one of the running pages I follow on facebook:

 

6. Recently I bought a new tea that I am in love with! I really recommend it. 

7. I had a goal for the year to run 579 miles. I really don't remember why I set that amount but that's not the point. I still have about 3 weeks left and I have already run 640 miles! I know! You are impressed! I can tell! It's probably more miles then anyone else has ever run in their whole life ever.

8. I was trying to do my homework and then Dorian came onto my desk and didn't want to move. I fear he is being ignored by the end of the semester drama. 

9. I'm really not sure the best way to do a taper. I know it's still a ways off, but I just want to make sure I'm doing it right. I think it's suppose to be reduced mileage 2 weeks before the marathon right? Like 60% two weeks before, 30% week before type deal? I'm just curious to hear any suggestions from peeps!

10. In 72 days I will be running my very first marathon!! Getting more excited every day!!! 

I fell off the training horse...

Man, so it has been almost a month since I have last blogged. Wow.
Catching Up:

My best friend got married!!!! Beautiful, Beautiful wedding!!
This is me trying not to cry at the ceremony!

I've had some scenic/interesting runs:

But mostly, school is kicking my butt:

Still trying to figure out books for my independent study next semester!

Vince and I also had our six-year anniversary (6 years together, 2 and a half married):

(One of our earliest pictures together, March 2007. So young!)

I've been in a kind of running slump but did reach 16.41 miles ( by longest yet!) Nov. 17th. Other long runs include a 10.50 mile run last week and a 11.60 mile run last week. Having a hard time reaching 17 miles, much less 20. I do though have only 9 days till the semester is over, so I am hoping things will get back to normal soon.

I miss run group. I have had a lot of homework and projects lately and have not been waking up early enough. I think not going to run group has negatively impacted my running as well. Seeing people run really helps motivate you on days you aren't feeling it. However, I have noticed that it seems like the holiday season has impacted other people's running as well. Maybe the holidays make you feel lazy? Or maybe it's the end of the year and you feel burned out? Or maybe I am just making excuses?

On the plus side, I have noticed that my legs feel fresher when I run as I haven't been running 4 times a week lately, more like 3 times. I also notice that my medium runs are now around the 8 mile range which makes me feel good. I no longer feel sore or really tired until after about 8 miles. I can tell my endurance is improving, but not so much my speed. Also, 8 miles is a far cry from 26.2 miles so perhaps I should not get so endurance cocky, lol. 

I am on week 22 of marathon training. ONLY 10 WEEKS TILL THE MARATHON!! HOLY CRAP!!! Just made that connection right now. Hopefully that will get me back on the training game!! 

Recap of Last Week

I have now voted in three presidential elections in a row!!

So, last week was a hard week for me and training I tell you what. The forces (school work) were once again conspiring against me. I did not make it to run group at all that week OR the week before. I know. Shameful. But today I did make it to run group!

Anyways, back to last week. So I ran Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tuesday I had a 6 mile run that was very difficult for me. I tried to do an off/on workout where I would walk a mile fast and run a mile, but it didn't work at so well. I think I was sore from doing a 12 mile run two days before. However I consoled myself with the election. Unfortunately, though, I did not get much sleep and went to school Wednesday like a Zombie. 

However, Wednesday I watched Rocky II for the first time while studying and got pumped up to run in the morning! You know I went to Philadelphia a long time ago when I was not a runner. I wish I would have run on the steps there like Rocky. Oh well. Bucket List I guess. 

So Thursday I went for another run. Fortunately, this run went better then Tuesday. I added a little bit of hills to this one and ran about 4.65 miles. I slept in and felt better. I can tell that not swimming makes a big difference though. I need to do a better job with time management. I just know that right now doing my school work and getting my runs in is the best thing I can do if I am short on time. 

Alas, although Thursday's run was better, my short shake-out run on Saturday before my long run wasn't. Again with the stiffness! I was really short on time as I was going out of town for my friends bridal shower but I got a short 2.26 mile run in. 

The bridal shower was a lot of fun though. We ate at Johnny Carinos! I do love me some pasta. Plus I had a long run the next morning. So you know, I HAD to load up on the carbs!

We had some of this! So good! ( I did not take this picture. It is from the internet. Just fyi!)

But Sunday came along and BAM! Best run of the week! Although it was slower than I would have liked, I ran 14 miles- my 3rd longest run EVER! Sometimes I get down on myself for my paces on these super long runs, but hey, it was 3 hour sand 23 minutes and I didn't give up! 

I ran from the apts, through the park by the cemetery, through San Gabriel, through Rivery Park, past Booty Trail and right before the giant hill. Yes. I admit it! This time I wimped out and did not run the big hill! But I was at 8 miles into my run and was feeling lazy! This is not smart though, as the marathon will have hills and I can not feel lazy and POOF! Have them disappear. 

 So week #18 of marathon training is done! Only 14 more weeks till the race!

56% done with training!!!

Ten Things Thursday



(pic from my long run Sunday)

1. Saturday I raced in my first 5k in 4 months!  Me and Vince had a lot of fun at the Jameson 5k! He PR'd and I got my second fastest 5k time- 37:43. We also saw Erin, Mick and Dan from our run group. Both Erin and Mick got overall male/female of the race!! So awesome! And to top it off, they had a lot of good food and a great raffle where Vince won a 100 yoga gift certificate!! I really enjoyed this race!

2. For World Lit, we are now reading The Bloody Chamber. I've never read it before but it is a collection of about 10 stories that are retellings of fairy tales. I think it should be pretty cool.

 

3. Last week on Sunday, I ran 12 miles at Brushy Creek. It's the longest I have run since my 16 miler a couple of weeks ago. I was pretty happy with this long run as I actually managed to run it at about a 5 sec faster per mile pace than my goal! I could see improvements in my long run training with this run.

 

 

 

4. Today I was reminded that sometimes being nice can be rewarding! I got free soup from the lady at my job! :) Small thing but hey, free is free!

 

5. So far this week I have been struggling with my runs. I did a 6 mile run Tuesday and a 4.65 mile run today. They didn't go so great although today's run was better than yesterday's. I think not swimming lately (I haven't swum in almost 2 weeks!) is making my body a lot more achy. I need to have some kind of time management as I also have been staying up late to work on massive homework and not waking up in time to go to run group. :/ Excuses. Excuses. Excuses. I blame the heat in FREAKIN NOVEMBER STILL! SHEESH!

6. This weekend I am going to my best friend's bridal shower in San Antonio. We have been best friend's since I was 6 years old! In January we will have been friends for 20 years!

Here's one of my favorite pics of the two of us at my wedding:

 

 



:)

 

 

7. I would like to do another race sometime soon before the Marathon. Preferably a longer one like a half-marathon or longer to test where I am at with my endurance. But they are all so damn expensive! I'm leaning towards to that Rogue 30k in January, but will see.

 

8. Speaking of which, I have ants in my pants to go out of town. I'm really looking forward to going to my husband's hometown in Del Rio next month. It's a small town but it's great coming off a busy semester. It's a sleepy place with good mexican food and an awesomely scenic lake. I think it's called Lake Amistad. Last time we went there, we were celebrating my little brother in law's high school graduation and had a great time.

 

 

 

 

9. I saw this today and it made me laugh as I see a lot of people on blogs upset about their racing pics.

 

 

 

10. For one of my classes, we are going to see a play in Wimberely, Sordid Lives. We read the play and spoke with the playwrite and it looks pretty funny. If you get a chance, you should see it!

 

 



 

 





Five Things Friday

( this is a pic from my run Tuesday)

 

1. Last week was week #16 of marathon training. In general, it didn't really go well. I was still nursing sore legs from my 16 mile run for the first two days. After that, I was really busy with school and I was out of town from fri afternoon till early Sunday afternoon. So I only ran twice and had a longish swim.

(However, my run at Brushy Creek last week was very scenic)

2. Last weekend was my best friends bachelorette party!! It was so, so, so much fun!! We were busy Friday night through Sunday! It was so nice getting so much time with my best friend as she lives about 5 hours away so I don't get to see her as often as I like.

(We did one of those painting class. For three hours we had someone show us how to do "Starry Night". I'm not an artist obviously lol. But it was a lot of fun!)

4. Monday night I was up till about 2:40 am working on homework so I didn't make it to run group. I did have a really great hilly 8 mile run throughout Georgetown though!

Some more pics from Tuesday's Run:

5. I got approved to do an independent study next semester! I am really looking forward to it. I get to choose what I read and get to work with my professor regarding how many papers I write. Right now I am leaning towards images of young girls in youth literature or literature where a young girl is the main focus. I was going to do images through the decade to see if there is change but that is kind of broad. I want it to multi-cultural. Some of the books I have on the list that I got approved on were:

                                           

5. Tomorrow is race day!!! Vince and I signed up for the Jameson 5k in Georgetown. It will be our first 5k in 4 months! Im not quite sure what goal to have. My 5k PR is 36:15 ( Feb. 2012) but my last 5k was about 39:19 ( July 2012). So not really sure what my goal is for this race but somewhere between the two I think.