GBN: Week 8

Posted: September 13, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Gross But Necessary, Health and Wellness, Ridiculousness | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

First of all-Shout-out to Jenny J for joining MFP! Hooray!

This week was a big step up from last.

1. Friday Night-3 miles. I was disgusted with myself after over-sleeping on Friday morning, so I packed a bag with my running gear and made up my mind that I would run after work at the restaurant. I was tired but I headed to my usual spot for night runs. I kicked out three miles in just under 27 minutes. This surprised me because I felt slow.

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Glowing!

2. Sunday-5.1 miles. The hubs and I headed out on this beautiful afternoon and did a loop near our house. I had done the same run in reverse and thought it would be cake. Little did I know that this direction was a bit more difficult-it is slightly uphill for pretty much the first two miles. No big deal.

My body was protesting for the first half of the run but then I found my stride and I took off. I definitely could have run another few miles but we were short on time so five miles it was.  We did it in 49 minutes and change. Not too shabby!

After the run, I did some planks. It was hard and my body was pretty mad at me the next day. But I think this will become a habit.

Johnny Bravo, anyone?

3. Monday-8.2 miles with HILLS!  Over the weekend, the hubby and I drove down to where the last legs of our relay will be run. Ben’s happens to be a HUGE hill, so we decided we needed a practice run. After work, we headed south and parked the car at the exchange point. We ran 4.1 miles to where Ben will hand off the slap bracelet.

Let me tell you, it was STEEP. When we got to the top of the first hill, I started thinking, “okay, we’re getting close!” Then Ben informed me that we had only gone 1.5 miles. In spite of this, we kept a good pace and even picked it up a little toward the end.

Once we reached the exchange point, we paused for a moment to relish the fact that we had completed the run, then turned around and headed back. For the return trip, we walked some of the way in order to enjoy the amazing Adirondack scenery. We even saw a few deer!

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GBN at its finest.

When we got back to the car, we were exhausted, sore and absolutely starving. But it was totally worth it.

Tuesday-Rest Day. I didn’t want it to be, but my entire body ached. I did manage to do a few sets of planks, though!

Wednesday-8.0 miles. This was hard. My mind was not in it–and when it was, I was over thinking! I found my groove after mile 2 and was feeling pretty good, but with three miles left, my body started protesting. My calves and lower legs were so tight, I could barely move. I stopped and walked for a little bit, hoping that would help. It didn’t. I managed to finish the run, but it was rough.

Upon reaching my driveway, I did a bit more walking to try to loosen up. It didn’t work.

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Yikes!

Total Mileage: 24.3 Miles

Overall: I’d say this week was excellent. I managed to get in some solid mileage and did some pretty challenging runs.

 I’m still trying to figure out my lower leg pain and I am wondering if it’s something to do with my shoes. Any thoughts and advice are definitely appreciated.

It felt good to get some distance in and I definitely feel myself getting faster.

Goals for Next Week: Complete an 8 mile (or longer) run-no stops. I won’t be satisfied til I do this. Figure out–and hopefully cure–this leg pain.

How were your workouts this week? Did you have any challenges that you pushed through?

Happy Running!

GBN: Week 5

Posted: August 23, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Gross But Necessary, Health and Wellness, Life | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I failed this week.

Actually, let’s call it a hiccup on my “Gross But Necessary” journey.

I’m sad to report that I only got out for one run this week… it was  this morning.

I did do some walking… which makes me feel a little better… but I also did a lot of eating…

Anyway, here is week 5:

Friday-Sunday: Fail. Between being slammed at work, lack of sleep and rushing to get everything ready for our trip, exercise took a back seat. I didn’t plan my days well and definitely felt the lack of movement. Ick.

Monday-Tuesday: The hubs and I did a lot of walking around Seneca Falls and Watkins Glen and took the stairs back and forth to our fourth floor hotel room (yes, this does make me feel better!)…unfortunately my phone was dead so no photo proof was taken. Semi-Fail.

Wednesday-2 mile night walk. Farmer Ben and I were both a little tired after our first day back from vacay, but realized we needed to get some exercise, so we headed out for a brisk walk. It felt get to move and we vowed to get our butts out of bed in the morning.

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I’m glowing.

Thursday-4.42 miles. I am really proud of myself for two reasons. First, I managed to drag my butt out of bed… and Ben’s. Second, I finished faster than I expected. My average pace was 9:15… and it felt good!

Because we had gotten a later start, I didn’t think that we were going to do this particular route… I was wrong.

I was determined to be back home by a certain time to avoid rushing to get ready for work. I made it! This was one of those confidence boosting runs. And I needed it.

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This is my “too many layers in my new ‘do” hairdo.

Overall, this week was a wash but I redeemed myself with today’s run. I can’t describe how great I felt when I hit my driveway.

Time management is my focus for next week. Whether it be making sure to lay out my running gear or setting my alarm clock a few minutes earlier, my goal is to be able to take my time and not have to hurry through a workout.

What are your biggest training obstacles?

GBN: Week 4

Posted: August 16, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Awkward Moments, Fun, Gross But Necessary, Ridiculousness | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

 Time is flying!

I cannot tell you how much better I feel after  just four weeks of consistent running–Not sporadically going twice in one week and then taking two weeks off– running a few times a week, four weeks a in row. It seems so simple, but execution can be tricky with a busy schedule.

My legs are changing before my eyes and I’m seeing muscles I haven’t seen in a few years. I’m so aware of my body and in awe of what it is able to do. Instead of chastising myself for how I look, I’m thinking about how amazing it is that I am able to run, that my body naturally knows what to do even if my brain is saying “no!”  and that when I am ready to give up, it still carries me home, pushing through the pain. I love this.

Anyway, onto week 4!

1. Friday-Rest day.

2. Saturday-4.69 miles. Farmer Ben and I headed out in the early afternoon. Plagued with knee and hip aches, it didn’t go as planned for either one of us but we managed to finish strong….and sweaty.

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Courtesy of Farmer Ben… thanks?

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Thanks again, Hubs… I think…

3. Sunday-4.42 miles. I was going to take Sunday off but after a pretty frustrating afternoon, decided to take a mental health run. I averaged 9:30 pace and felt really good doing so…I really picked it up at the end for a strong finish.

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Just before dark…

4. Monday-3 mile walk. I met up with my friend Ashley for an after-work walk. It was a nice break for my legs and it was great to have some girl time.

Red and White….

 5. Tuesday-Fail Rest Day. No matter how much I try to plan ahead, I can never seem to get out for a run on this day of the week. I don’t know if this is a good thing or bad thing…

6. Wednesday-2 miles. I had planned on a four mile run but I was kidnapped at the halfway mark by my sister and her hubby (who came up for a super short trip) and taken to dinner. At least I got in those two miles!

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GBN at dinner…

I haven’t done my Thursday run yet but I am pretty happy with the rest of my week. My mileage was low but of high quality. I feel like I am getting faster but still need to get in some speed work.

Total Mileage: 14.11

Goals for next week: I want to run on Tuesday. And do some intervals. And try to get up earlier for a longer run.

How were your workouts this week? And were they in the morning or afternoon?

Happy Running!

GBN: Week 3

Posted: August 9, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Awkward Moments, Fun, Gross But Necessary, Health and Wellness, Ridiculousness, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Week 3 did not get off to a good start. I mentioned rolling my ankle on Wednesday’s run. It was still not back to normal by Saturday morning so Friday and Saturday (partly due to my ankle, and partly due to poor planning) were rest days.

The rest of this week looked a bit better.

1. Sunday-4 miles. Armed with a new sports bra, naptime and sheer determination, I was ready to take on the world.  After a morning at church, an afternoon of eating way too much and lots of napping, I was ready needed to run. Farmer Ben and I walked for a few minutes (about 3/4 mile) for a warmup and then started-slow and steady. With less than a mile to go, I was hot. Really hot. Wanting to stop hot. Thankfully, the sky decided to open up and let loose the most wonderful shower a girl could ask for…it was exactly what I needed to finish strong.  Upon reaching the driveway, I looked like a drowned rat but I felt great. I felt even better after I realized that I had averaged 9:36 minute miles. 

Running In The Rain

2. Monday morning-2.54 miles. Due to overindulgence and napping, I didn’t sleep well on Sunday night, but that couldn’t stop me from getting out and hitting the pavement! I managed to get in a little over 2.5 miles at a solid 9:15 min/mile pace. I would have gone longer, but I remembered that I had to be to work early…oops!

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This is my “So Not Awake” face.

 3. Tuesday-Rest day. Life and work were crazy so I chose sleep.

4. Wednesday Evening-4.0 miles.  I went down to my mother’s for the evening and decided to tackle her road. My mother lives in the boonies and is surrounded by hills…Turning out of her driveway, I was faced with a big  uphill, and then mostly downhill for the second mile. Running back was mostly uphill with a big downhill finish. It was a hard run and pretty dark out so I stuck around a 10:15 pace. It was nice. All I had was a flashlight and my trusty watch… no headphones, no music, no apps. Just the woods, the sky and me.

And then I played with Griffin. He’s such a mush.

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I love this dog.

5. Thursday-4.8 Easy-medium pace. Eek! This workout was done after work. It was rough, but so worth it. Average pace: 10 min/mile

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Total Mileage: 15.34 miles

Summary:  I think it was a pretty good week in spite of the hiccup with my ankle and not getting more mileage in… but I AM getting better at waking up in the morning! And I am feeling stronger every day.

Goals for next week: I still need to get those miles up!

How was your fitness this week? Let me know!

Until next time…Happy Running!

GBN: Week 2

Posted: August 2, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Awkward Moments, Fun, Gross But Necessary, Health and Wellness, Ridiculousness, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Here we are again. Has it really been a week already?

Before we start-Special shout-out to Zee Lemons for hitting me up on MFP! I hope you find it as helpful/borderline addicting as I do!

When I left you in my first GBN post, I was a little nervous about showing off all of my super attractive post-workout shots…but now, I think I am embracing it.

Now, here we go!

1. This was a Friday morning run (3.4)  with the hubby. We started out slow but finished strong. I was worried about being tired throughout the day but I made it through feeling great!

Friday Morning, 7 am.

2. Saturday: A run-walk. Liz was visiting from Virginia, so we decided to venture out on a 4.4 mile route. Although we didn’t run the whole way, it was great girl time and felt good to get out in the sunshine! We followed with a delicious (local) breakfast made by Farmer Ben.  

Liz is all about GBN Photos!

3. Sunday Solo Run. This was a quick 3.34 mile route. I ventured out at 1:45 pm and quickly realized that I hadn’t had enough water and it was a lot hotter than I anticipated. Needless to say, this was rough. I also managed to get a little bit of a sunburn. No big.

Self Portrait

4. Monday-Hill/Fartlek-4.64 miles. This was so much fun! I love running with Farmer Ben. I admit, the hills were a challenge, but I definitely enjoyed checking out a new road and shaking up my routine. I think I have a new go-to route!

Stronger Everyday!

5. Rest Day.

6. Wednesday Morning Hill-3.2 miles. Per usual, I had a hard time getting out of bed and-in my bleary-eyed state-decided to tackle the same hill I ran the other day. Still a challenge. When I got back to my apartment, my legs were burning but I felt good.

I love back road mornings!

7. Thursday Confession: I rolled my ankle on yesterday’s run and it was pretty sore today, so  Ben and I opted for a walk (2 miles). So…another rest day.

Summer Mornings make me happy.

Total Mileage: 20.98 miles

Summary:  I think it was a pretty good week… I still need to get up earlier to get some mileage in–the time factor is huge! I discovered a new route, did some hill-work and was able to soak up some Vitamin D. Hopefully taking today off will help my ankle. 

Goals for next week: Up my mileage and do some speedwork, conquer that hill and my alarm clock!

Did you have any workout milestones this week?  Or mishaps? Let me know!

See you next week! Happy Running!

Gross But Necessary: A New Leaf, Turned Over.

Posted: July 26, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Awkward Moments, Confessions, Fun, Health and Wellness, Life, Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

 I’ve got a problem. I am terrible at getting out of bed in the morning. Seriously, it’s super difficult. I manage to make it to work on time… most of the time. But anything earlier than that requires a small miracle. And it’s hit or miss as to whether or not my hair is brushed.

My snooze button and I have a long-standing affair… Farmer Ben grins and bears it, but hearing that ever-present beep (not so) secretly hurts his brain. And his soul. I worry that one day I will wake up to a broken alarm clock…or even worse! A shove out of bed. He’s a man on the edge.

So, why–besides the obvious issues– is this a problem?

  • I’ve got a few races coming up. Big exciting races that require training. More training than I have been doing.
  • I’m at a stand still. I’ve managed to take off 20 lbs (16 since joining MFP!)…but as of late, my scale hasn’t moved. I know that I am healthier, but I can stand to lose a few more…and to tone up!
  • I’m tired all the time. No matter how much sleep I get, it’s not enough…I can’t explain it, but there is something about that runner’s high that gets me through the day. Even if I am running on too little sleep, that run gives me the push I need…I’m feeling the lack of energy–and motivation.

It’s time to get moving.

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but my work schedule doesn’t allow much time…period, and working out is especially a challenge. I go directly from job 1 to job 2… so I really only have time to run late at night or–you guessed it!–the dreaded morning.

Late at night would be fine, if I didn’t have to be to work at 8 am and if I got out any earlier than 9 or 10 pm. My sleep schedule is wacky enough and I fear that night workouts will interfere even more.

So what’s a runner girl to do with all of these excuses obstacles in her way?

Publicly commit to training.

I know. That doesn’t seem very exciting… or motivational. Anyone can write “Going for a run!” on their Facebook wall. And a lot of times that public commitment doesn’t last.

But this time, there’s a catch.

There will be photographic evidence. Of me.

Embarrassing. Sweaty. Gross. Red-faced. Photos for your viewing pleasure… if you so choose.

I’ve been contemplating doing this for some time now and honestly, I’ve been scared… But there’s no time like the present, so here’s the plan:

I am going to take a photo after every run/workout I do. I’ll post them once a week (every Thursday!) until my races in a special series called “GBN,” meaning Gross But Necessary!

The meaning behind this phrase? My wise friend Pato coined the term in honor of taking necessary photos, regardless of appearance. Thanks for the inspiration. Major props… I’m stealing  borrowing it.

So, in honor of turning over a new leaf, here is my first installment of GBN:

1. After a long interval run. This is me celebrating the fact that I am still standing!

Notice the car coming… No big deal.

2. It was really hot. Please don’t judge this entire photo. And me. I have a feeling I am going to regret this…

This is what running in 90 degree weather looks like.

3. This may be a little worse than number 2… Again, just happy that I made it through the run in the heat.

If I smile, does it cover up the fact that I am past the point of glistening?

So, now that that’s over with, here are a few more ways you can help me get my butt out the door!

1. Join me on MFP! (My Fitness Pal) you can either click the icon on my homepage or go to myfitnesspal.com and look me up. My username is nre820. The more people I know are watching, the more accountable I am held.

2. Send me an early morning email to get my butt out of bed (they come to my phone)! Or just something motivational… if I love it, I’ll post it!  My email is noellesnotebook at gmail dot com!

3. Tell me, what gets you moving? I want to know! A favorite song? A race? Friends? Fill me in, please!

Happy Running, I’ll see you out there!