Marathon Training: Weeks 12 – 16

So I took a longer than planned break from posting training updates. Oops.  Looks like we have several weeks to cover so let’s get to it!

Week 12 (April 17-23)

Sunday:  5 easy miles @ 9:35 and 16 minutes easy on the spin bike

Monday: 1 mile easy, 4×1.5 mile with a half mile recovery (8:18, 8:12, 8:09, 7:57), 1 mile cool down. As you can see, I need to work on even pacing.

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 1 mile warm up, 9 tempo miles @ 8:24, 1 mile cool down

Thursday: Off (I should have done 5 miles)

Friday: 8 easy miles @ 9:28

Saturday: 10 miles @ 9:28

44 miles total

Week 13 (April 24-30)

Sunday: 7 easy miles on the schedule but I did 45 minutes on the spin bike instead.

Monday: 3×2 miles on the schedule but I skipped this too. I started on the treadmill after work and did a quarter-mile of the warm up before deciding that I needed to spend the time with my kiddos who were fighting, playing video games (they had played with grandma for 3 hours after school), and hungry for their supper.

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 1 mile easy, 9 mile tempo @ 8:15 (oops, too fast!), 1 mile cool down

Thursday: 6 easy miles @ 9:30

Friday: 6.50 easy miles @ 9:07

Saturday: 16 miles @ 10:13

39.77 miles total

Week 14 (May 1-7)

Sunday: 5 easy miles @ 9:55

Monday: 1 mile warm up, 2×3 miles with a 1 mile recovery after each (7:49, 8:01), 1 mile cool down

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 1 mile warm up, 9 tempo miles @ 8:26, 1 mile cool down

Thursday: 5 easy miles @ 9:36

Friday: 8.25 easy miles @ 9:26

Saturday: 10 miles @ 9:27

49.35 miles total

Week 15 (May 8-14)

Sunday: 7.7 easy 10:22

Monday: 1 mile warm up, 3×2 miles with 1 mile recoveries but I only got the first two out (8:14 & 8:27) and skipped the cool down. I had started to feel sick earlier in the day and was hoping that it was just allergies, but I started feeling dizzy on the drive home from work and it gradually got worse through the run.

Tuesday: Off (and I was so happy it wasn’t a running day!)

Wednesday: I began to realize that I was actually sick and skipped my 10 mile tempo in the morning with plans to run after work when I was sure to be cured…….that didn’t happen. I was working in a different building with 2 coworkers from our Calgary office and the 3 of us were crammed into a tiny cubical with me on the end coughing, sniffling and sneezing. By the end of the day, they told me that I really was sick and not to come back the next day. I went home and skipped the 10 mile tempo.

Thursday: 6 easy miles on the plan, but I stayed home and in bed.

Friday: 6 easy miles on the plan, but I was still not feeling well so I went to work, but skipped the run.

Saturday: 16 miles @ 10:20. I was still not feeling 100%, but took it easy.

29.29 miles total

Week 16 (May 15-21)

Sunday: 5 easy miles on the plan, but skipped this one too. By now I was starting to feel a mild panic about even being able to finish Steamboat due to all the runs I have missed. Seth just rolls his eyes at me.

Monday: 1 mile warm up, 4×1.5 miles with half mile recoveries (8:23, 8:43, 8:22, 8:20), 1 mile cool down. I was trying to slow down in the second mile and ended up too slow so I just went back to what felt right.

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 1 mile warm up, 10 mile tempo @8:28, 1 mile cool down. I’m supposed to be running these tempos at an 8:35 so I’m getting nervous that I’m taking them too fast and will end up going out to fast at Steamboat thinking I can do more than I’m now capable of and then end up either walking the last half or not even finishing. Seth rolls his eyes at this too.

Thursday: 5 easy miles @ 10:07

Friday: 8 easy miles @ 9:53

Saturday: 10 miles @ 9:46

44.84 miles total

There you have it! I’m disappointed that I was sick and missed runs but it couldn’t be helped. There have been several other runs though, many on Sundays, that I’ve missed due to it being the only day our family has together each week and not wanting to make everyone work around me wanting to run. I’m a fairly non-confrontational person so it’s easier to just keep the peace than insist on running out the door for an hour ;).

And now, I’ll entertain you with some pictures that cover the last few weeks:

My dad sent a set of Louis L’Amour audio books for Jackson to listen to at bedtime. They have been a hit with both boys and I love that they are being introduced to the same characters and stories that I grew up with. We’ve started borrowing the ones at our local library, but they only seem to have three, so we may have to start looking on Amazon soon.This was a picture to commemorate a long run that actually took place outside. Most of my Saturday long runs are spent on the treadmill after Seth leaves for work so this one had to be documented.
Random silliness from Tucker…..…..and more random silliness from Jackson.
Going all Daryl Dixon at Dick’s Sporting Goods one Sunday.My friend, Tera’s boyfriend gave me his daughter’s slightly used pair of Brooks Cascadia’s and they are exactly my size. I am super excited for trail running in them!
I bought a pair of Saucony running shoes in a moment of desperation when my Mizuno’s started giving me insane blisters on the heel due to how they were wearing. When you don’t do even a tiny bit of research before buying a pair of shoes, you can be guaranteed to end up with something that doesn’t work. They’re cute, but my high arches hated them so I stuck it out for a couple of weeks and then picked up a pair of Brooks Pureflows because I know they work well for me. Spoiler alert, they’ve started giving me the Mizuno  blisters too.
A mall near us has these cool motorized animals so we thought it would be fun to let the boys ride them. All of the other children that we saw were riding nicely next to their parents. Our boys took off zigzagging between kiosks, stopping nose to end across the hallway, and culminated with a grand finale of Jackson crashing directly into the all glass front of the Apple store (not breaking anything, thankfully) and getting stuck. I’m not really sure how many times we have to take them out in public to learn that our boys are a little more intense than other children.Jackson made me a hilarious book for Mother’s Day full of sweet and funny observations that he’s made about me but I can’t decide what to think about this statement.img_2033

Tucker made this one – can you tell that my little pigmy shrew loves farts?
We found new gloves for the boys that should last longer than the old ones. They haven’t taken them off since we left the store.  Fishing at Lake John by Walden one Sunday between rain and hail storms.
I took last Tuesday off so that Seth and I could hang out and go hiking while the kids were in school  but it was such a rainy cold day that we just ended up driving around, eating out and shopping.

Let me tell you, it was the most magical thing in the world to walk around a furniture store and sit in a restaurant without kids.I finally ordered night stands for our room after doing without for nearly 3 years and it is amazing. I wish the rest of our room…..and house…..and yard, would just decorate themselves so that I don’t have to think about it.
Seth brought home some plants for the yard, so I’ve been helping him pretty it up. I’m glad he took the initiative because I would have never done it myself or got around to hiring a landscaper.
I did walk through the garden section in Target and thought about getting  a planter or two for the front porch. I was torn between the white or the gray ones on the bottom shelf and ultimately couldn’t decide so I didn’t get anything. I don’t know what I would have put in them anyway and you can forget about watering them so there’s that.img_2106I just had to include this picture because I love Jackson’s smile when he’s having fun.
In other news, my sister, Tina ran her very first half marathon last weekend in Fargo! My dad, another sister and a brother-in-law were all training to run too, but ended up not being able to due to sickness, injury, etc. Tina ran anyway and did great! I’m so excited for and proud of her! (Tina’s husband took the picture, but I wish I could have been there in person!)img_2090

And last, but definitely not least, Seth graduated from college!!! He’s been taking classes around  work for the last few years and all of his hard work and perseverance finally paid off. I am so proud of him!!!img_2058It’s less than two weeks until Steamboat and my last 10 mile tempo was today. Every run from here is easy and gradually shortens – I’m a little nervous but getting excited too!

Marathon Training: Week 10 & Week 11

How has it been two weeks since my last post already!?! I was really planning to post at the end of every training week, but it’s just not happening. Here’s a quick rundown of training progress:

Week 10 (April 3-9)

Sunday: Off (7 miles scheduled, but I didn’t get any of them in)

Monday: 4X1200 on the treadmill that went like this:1 mile warm up, 4×1200 @ 7.7, 7.8, 7.9, 8.0, 2 mile cool down. 7 miles total.

Tuesday: Off

Wednesday: 8 mile tempo. 1 mile warm up, 8 miles @ 8:28, 1 mile cool down. 10 miles total.

Thursday: 5 easy miles

Friday: 8 easy miles

Saturday: 10 easy miles on the treadmill

Total Week 10 miles: 40 

Week 11 (April 10-16)

Sunday: 5 easy miles on the treadmill

Monday: 1 mile warm up, 4X1 mile (8:24, 8:11, 8:19, 8:05), .25 cool down. 6 miles total.

I was supposed to do 6X1, but overslept and then only had time after work to fit in 4 on the treadmill.

Tuesday: Off (40 minutes easy on the spin bike)

Wednesday: 8 mile tempo. 1 mile warm up, 8 miles @ 8:28 average, 1 mile cool down. 10 miles total.

Thursday: 5.15 easy miles

Friday: .46 miles (8 on the schedule, but Ruger only wanted to walk and I felt sick so we went home and back to bed).

Saturday: 16 miles on the treadmill (10 before my hair appointment and 6 after, followed by 15 minutes on the spin bike). I planned to add 4 on to the last 6 to make a total of 20 because I was feeling down on myself for missing Friday and not getting all of Monday’s workout done, but I was ready to be done at 16 so I stopped.

Total Week 11 miles: 42.61

Anyway, since we last talked, Ruger and Coco visited the groomers and came back looking like new.  I didn’t even recognize Coco without all of her hair! She will not stand still for anything.

The boys and I went for a bike ride in Fort Collins but I forgot their helmets so we didn’t go far. We were still yelled at by an angry old white man for not wearing helmets. I bit my tongue and didn’t tell him that his jorts were fugly. My sister texted me about chafing so I sent her a picture of my bodyglide and included my dirty fingernail. Note to self: Move personal hygiene to the top of priority list.Seth ordered a case for my bow which makes me feel like a serious sportsman.

The boys always ride the penny ponies at King Soopers but they might be getting too big. It makes me so sad!Speaking of ponies: I added some sweet My Little Pony socks to Seth’s Amazon cart one evening and then sat back and waited until I heard, “What the….?!?!” from the other room. They magically showed up a couple of days later and I’ve had to hide them from Tucker who thinks they should belong to him.
Jackson said he was sick one morning before we left for school and work. He then proceeded to throw up nine times between 8:00 and noon. He finally fell asleep for over an hour and a half and woke up completely fine. I thought it might have been the dinner that I served the night before but Seth and I only felt a little nauseous over the next couple of days and Tucker was perfectly fine, so maybe it was a virus.
We have a new archery range nearby and have been using it a lot. I stand on the other side of the picnic table in the picture below and shoot at the closest target. Seth of course stands back at the fence and still hits the tiny little sticker on the furthest target.
Last Saturday was supposed to be an epic storm and a birthday party that the boys were invited to was postponed but, a little snow didn’t keep us from a hair appointment . I split up my long run so that I could sleep in and still get my hair colored.
What else? I traded my ten-year old car for an Accord last week. It’s amazing purely because the heated seats work and it reads my text messages to me. Seth and I literally drove it around the block twice while he sent me silly texts and my car read them. We were laughing so hard that it had to be the best ab workout ever.I also have a spin bike now so I’ve been jumping on that every couple of days for 15-20 minutes of easy riding. There are a ton of YouTube spin workouts that I’m dying to try but this running thing is kind of taking up all of my mornings. By the time I get home from work and make supper, I’m ready to sit on the couch and drink!Coco is intrigued by the bike and loves to watch my feet moving the pedals.

I got this email reminder on Saturday for the Steamboat marathon and cannot believe that it will be here in less than 7 weeks! I am beyond excited to go back and give it another shot!
Alright, I’ll try to be better about posting my training in a more timely manner, but no promises!