Some pics!

I love these photos. They're mostly all blurry because I illegally stole them from the Marathon Foto site, but hey, whatever. :) I think we look great and we look like WE'RE HAVING FUN! And that's the most important thing. I actually did have fun. I didn't truly hurt until the last mile and a half, or so. And even then, my friends Cory and Maura came to run the last mile or so with me. I hope that next year, Kellie and I can run the entire thing together. I think we both had a blast. And I feel wistful just thinking about it. :)

WE DID IT, by the way!

So, Carrie and I completely lost our blogging motivation due to busy lives, but WE DID IT! We both finished the 1/2 marathon and it was an AMAZING day! Thanks to all of you for your support.

You can still DONATE to DANA FARBER here (in honor of my mom, or your mom, or your best friend, or anyone you love who has been affected by cancer.)

Now it's time to pick the next event! Who's in?!?!? Let's RUN!

We did it and forgot to blog

Yeah.
Sorry.
We suck. :)

I did not run the week I posted the map. I chickened out. I'm man (ahem) enough to admit that. Kellie texted me early in the morning that she wasn't feeling well and when I knew she wasn't coming with me, I chickened out.

No, I don't need reminding that I ran 9.5 miles by myself when I was in Indiana. Kellie and I even talked about that this week, and why I didn't chicken out of that one, but I did with last week's. I don't know. Maybe because KH drove me around Fishers, Indiana until we found a long enough run? Maybe because I talked and talked and talked about it, so I couldn't back out? I don't know. It was my best run, most enjoyable, etc. by far. But still, I backed out last week.

Then this past Saturday, Kellie and I planned our long run. Kellie's long run wasn't supposed to be as long as mine. My run was 11. Hers was 9, I think. I'm not sure. But we did the whole thing. Both of us. We did 11.

It was hard. I'm not going to lie. It was really tough. I was breathing REALLY heavily at the last 2 miles or so. I blame that on having to take a full week off when I got back into town, from the stomach flu I caught. Either way, it was hard. But I'm not going to ignore the fact that I did it and I am proud of myself and I'm proud of Kellie and we rock. We do. :)

Kellie and I don't always run together. We'll start out together, but we don't always run at the same pace. But for me, just knowing she's there with me is enough to keep me going. It's nice to know I have one of my best friends there the entire time, chugging along with me, ahead of me, behind me, beside me. It helps more than I can say.

It's especially nice to run beside one another for the first few miles, especially in the case of this past Saturday's run.

Um ... I bit it. I did. Mile 2, I'd say. I was on the right, Kellie on the left. I was annoyed at something and I was talking it out with KLK and I wasn't paying attention to the sidewalk so I completely missed the raised sidewalk in front of me and went flying. According to KLK, I was rather graceful as I took flight. Apparently, my arms did graceful circles. Unfortunately, the graceful circles weren't enough to keep me upright. I landed on my hands and knees, bloodied and shaken up (all shook up, uh huh).

Luckily, there was a gas station caddy corner to us and we stopped in there. I blotted my bloody knee with some paper towels and sat for a few minutes to "gather" myself, and then we were off again.

KLK is out of town again this weekend so I'm on my own. Unfortunately, I'm running with semi-restriction because of my right shin. My insurance won't cover the MRI I was hoping to get for what may or may not be a stress fracture. I'm just going to pretend it's the shin splint it probably is and move on with things. I'm going to do my long run on the treadmill, though, so if I need to stop, I won't be far from home. And no, I'm not offering myself allowances already. I'm just planning. :)

Ibuprofen, amen.

Longest long run

Here is Saturday morning's run.
Think positive thoughts!!!

I'm alive too.

Welcome home, Kel!

I've been equally absent since my last blog.
I told you all about the stomach bug I caught. I blogged about it last Tuesday. I ran 2 miles last Thursday. And that's it. I was so sick all week I couldn't run, work, eat, anything. It was awful.

I finally got back on the wagon this Tuesday, when I ran about 2 miles, I think, with my friend Erika. I felt like I was dying. Not running for over a week really really has an impact on your training. I've been nervous about what it would mean for my overall training, but I'm still hopeful. I'm currently dealing with shin splints again (but these don't feel like the ones I usually get, so I'm a little concerned, but not overly so), and my knees are feeling old. But other than that, I feel great! It's nice to eat again. I think I ate maybe 3, maybe 4 meals last week. Total. Awful.

I did lose almost 7 pounds from it, though I'm not recommending the bug as an aid for weight loss. Trust me. There are better ways. Like running! So far, I've lost a little more than 20 pounds from this training, and from generally eating better and taking better care of myself. That's definitely more rewarding than a stomach flu.

Today's run was great. I started out with a goal of 4 or 5. I was hoping for more but I was trying to be realistic, what with not having run in so long.

I ran 7 miles, punks! Woohoo!!!!!

The last half mile or so I ran at about a 9-minute mile pace, which is mad fast for me. On a treadmill, I'm at about a 10-minute mile, or 10:10; I run more slowly on the road.

Anyway ... this weekend's long run is 10.5 for me. I would love to do 11, but I'm not making any promises. Kellie needs to do 10, so I'm hoping we can do this one together. I'm happy to keep running a half-mile and meet her at our end point after, if she's up for that. We'll have to chat and get back to you. :)

As always, please consider supporting Kellie financially, as she raises money for Dana Farber (cancer research). There's a link in the header at the top of the page.

Be a star!

I'm Alive! (post by KL - with sexy pictures too!)

This is a picture of me eating ice cream.

I was not running or thinking about running when this picture was taken.

No runners were harmed during the making of this picture...

Well, I'm alive, folks. I had a few crazy weeks with travel and work and I let my physical exhaustion get the best of me. I also gave up my car and started biking everywhere, and that has certainly taken a toll on how much energy I have left over for long distance runs.

I return most recently from working for 10 days in Montana with Baron Baptiste. The trip was amazing, the altitude was over 5,000 feet, and there was very little sleep to be had. I ran the first day there, and then did a 2 mile hike up the mountain. The rest of the week was power yoga while working (a pose or two here, a pose or two there as I worked during the yoga sessions).

I ran two miles earlier this week and found it was much easier to run faster for those two miles. Today I go for 5 miles and this weekend (Lord only knows when) I go for 10.

In the interest of full disclosure, I give you my running chart. I believe in holding myself accountable, and in the power of making new choices for every moment in spite of any past mistakes or shortcomings. This week I choose to run.

Here's a shot of Carrie and I just after running 8.28 miles.

And since I promised there would be sexy pictures in this post,

I give you a glamorous shot of my pal, Woj, in all his birthday glory:

9.5 miles

I did it. :)

I was out of town for several days, so I had an opportunity to run in an area that was unfamiliar to me. We mapped out a run the night before, after several passes of trying to get the correct mileage, blah blah blah.

I parked down by the marina (who knew there was a marina in the Midwest?!) Saturday morning, ready to go, Camelbak and all. And I did. I did every single step of it, plus a little bit. The run was supposed to be 9.4 miles but I tagged on a little at both the beginning and the end to get to a clean 9.5.

I think this is perhaps as good a time as any to talk about an issue that may affect many of you who run. I have a tendency to develop stomach cramps at the 6 or 7 mile mark. I always do. It's normal for me. I just keep running and, so far, have not been forced to stop. We can keep the conversation focused on the actual run itself and not delve into the land of bowels, but suffice it to say, the stomach cramps I started experiencing around mile 7 were not surprising to me. I just kept running and they faded. They came back and faded, etc. All of that is perfectly normal for me.

What is not normal for me is feeling so overwhelmingly nauseated after a run that I literally cannot function. I got back to the house after the run and the stomach ailments just hit. At first I thought it was dehydration (which seemed unlikely, as I'd taken good care to stay hydrated). Then I thought it might be just the exertion that my body had to get used to. After hours and hours of non-stop nausea, I figured something else must be going on. It has continued on and off since then.

Yesterday, the nausea waned for several hours and I ate a little more normally. It returned today with a vengeance and I'm sitting here typing this having already popped 3 Pepcid Complete tablets, and after an afternoon of doing nothing but lying in bed.

Wash your hands, folks. Whatever this is, it's not fun.

I didn't get to run today, for obvious reasons, but I'm hoping to wake up tomorrow and feel fine. We shall see.

Kellie is away right now as well, and I'm hoping she can get some running time in, but even more than the time factor will be the altitude factor. My run this weekend was essentially an even altitude with Boston, I think. Hers is absolutely not. Not at all.

Oh, and since it wasn't advertised here last week:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KEL!

8.28 miles means too tired to blog

Kellie and I ran 8.28 miles last Saturday (not this past one, but the one before).
We then both had a zillion things to do to get ready to leave town and we neglected to blog.

Please forgive us.

We ran a beautiful path, and I hope to do it again soon. We both kicked ass.

3 quick ones on the 11th

I ran three miles at 6.0 on August 11th (last Monday). Then I drove to Florida, flew to Philadelphia, flew to Florida, flew to GA and then flew to Boston. I missed about 3 full nights of sleep to travel and missed two of my runs!

I ran about 2 miles on Sunday in Philly before going back to to the airport, but this week I have to get caught up. I'm running today after work and then visiting a friend.

By the way, Carrie, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

More soon!
KL

Still ticking

I cannot believe that I've let this blogging thing get so far away from me.
I come home from running, sit down to do it, and always get distracted. All apologies. I'll work on it. :)

Things have been moving along. I've not been doing very well with the long runs because of some health issues, including a somewhat busted face and concussion. It's funny now. You can laugh. I seem to have been a magnet this month for ailments. Therefore, I think that you owe me a thank you for absorbing all of the injuries and keeping them away from you. ;)

I now have a second running buddy. Kellie and I can never seem to get our schedules to align, but I recently learned that my friend WVH is running the BAA Half too! W and I have similar schedules, at least on M,W, and F, so we've run together twice now and have both really enjoyed it. We're getting pretty good at pushing each other and just keeping moving. We did a very small amount of walking in the middle of yesterday's 5-mile run, but it was maybe an eighth of a mile. I consider us rockstars, frankly; it was seriously humid. Our long run will be Saturday. I'm looking forward to having company this week, so I can't get intimidated and give up. I've also got some water gadgets now, thanks to M & L!

Woohoo!

8.8 miles for Kel!

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that I would be able to run over 8 miles. Thanks to Vinnie & Carrie for cheering me on via text, and to Susan for texting me about ice cream during the run. 8.8 miles!

I ran 2 miles at 5mph, 2 miles at 5.3 mph, 2 miles at 5.5 mph, 1 mile at 5.7, and 1 mile at 5.9.

Love,
Kel

Got in my 4 miles!

I didn't think it was gonna happen, but my pals Vinnie & RK told me to go for it, so after an Olive Garden dinner, (pasta - you know - for my training regimen), I hit the gym and grabbed 4 quick miles.

I ran the first mile at 5.0 mph, the 2nd at 5.5 mph, the third at 5.7 mph, and the last mile I ran at 6.0 mph, which I have never done before.

It was fun to hit that speed. We'll see what my body has to say about it in the morning. ;)

Carrie is going to run with me on Saturday morning - we're going for 8 big ones.

Love to you all,
Kel

Running is GOOD for your joints? IS it?

Readers, what say ye on this?

This was extracted from: Running for Health by Claire Kowalchik

Contrary to what most people believe, regular running does not ruin your joints; rather, it improves their flexibility and range of motion. "Running doesn't cause arthritis; injury does," says Warren Scott, M.D., chief of sports medicine at Kaiser Permanente Medical Center in Santa Clara, California. "Exercise is good for osteoarthritis. It speeds the rate at which cartilage is replaced by your body, making it stronger."

my chart this week - time is short!

Hi Pals -

I'm so overbooked this week with visiting guests, traveling, all 6 of my jobs, etc. and the physical constraints of having to be in very specific places that are not the gym or the road for a run.

However, I still intend to work this all out.

For those of you who don't know, I am running for Dana Farber Cancer Center, and for my mom, an amazing cancer survivor.

DONATE here.

Thanks for considering a donation. Every little bit helps - if you can spare a buck, or five, that counts and is much appreciated! ;) I'm hoping to raise at least $1000 in the next two months, and I'd really like to do more. Dana Farber is a very worthy organization!


Special Thanks goes to Rebecca Katz for being the first to donate to my race fund. ;)

I ran 3 miles on Monday, and 4 miles last night. Today I'm supposed to run another four, but it will either happen at 9 pm, or I'll have to do it on my lunch hour tomorrow. My long run is supposed to be 7 or 8 miles and I HAVE to do it on Saturday, because I'm traveling all day Sunday. So keep your fingers crossed that I make the gym in time tonight for a 9 pm workout!

Here's the chart with this week's goals. I've yet to run today or Saturday, obviously.

I am most certainly in overwhelm mode. Help!

Yesterday's Long Run

I ran 6 miles, and walked one. I burned exactly 800 calories. ;)

I ran the first two miles as warm up at 5.0 mph, then ran two miles at 5.5, then 1.5 miles at 5.7, .25 miles at 5.9, and .25 miles at 6.0 mph. I felt good though. My four mile run earlier in the week was hard. I was having trouble breathing. Today I felt good, and the 6 miles went much more smoothly. I was fatiguing a bit near the end, but not by much.

With my new training schedule, I am repeating each training week once. So my schedule was more or less the same for the past two weeks. The first week, my goal is to just log the requisite # of miles. In the second week, my goal is to work speed.

This week, I started to work with speed.

Starting on Monday, my mileage will increase.

Last week, I was running at mainly 5.0 - 5.3 mph. This week I tried to work on 5.5 - 6.0, with a resting speed of 5.3. I ran outside once, and after doing the math, it turns out I ran at 5.0, so I'll have to work on pacing without a treadmill.

As a side note, while my weight hasn't changed much in the past seven weeks of training, something is shifting. I got into two pairs of jeans that haven't fit me in two years. I'm not saying I got in easily, but I got IN. ;)

94.99 miles so far!

I have run 94.99 miles in the past 7 weeks. Yeah!

Last night I had to good fortune to hang out with two pals who were recording some fantastic music in Somerville. 1/2way through the evening, I realized I hadn't yet done my run, and the two of them sent me outside on a run by the river that was truly lovely. It was my first outdoor run in quite some time, and it felt GREAT. ;) I was running at probably 5.2 mph, and I covered about 3.25 miles at that pace. Afterwards, I went back to the studio, showered, and listened in for another stretch. I think the run was so easy and comfortable because the music was so good.

Today, I hit the treadmill and did another 4.3 miles. I ran at between 5.3 & 5.9 mph. My legs were fine at all speeds, but I was struggling cardiovascularly with the higher speeds. I'll get there!

Saturday is another 6 mile run.

Here's my chart:

Day Off

Just wanted to give you all an update regarding the rash, in case you were curious. :)
You're so nosy!
Thankfully, today is my day off, after my FABULOUS 7-mile run yesterday.

As you read below, I developed a ridiculous rash after yesterday's run. It spread to my entire body, practically, and became absolutely intolerable. This morning, I visited the doctor to make sure I wasn't a leper or contagious or or or. I'm not; don't worry.

However, I'm now on Prednisone (steroids) for the rash and Benadryl for the itchiness, and hopefully I'll look and feel normal again VERY soon.

Tomorrow's run is scheduled for 4 miles. KLK is out of town tomorrow or else I'd ask her to run with me. Ah well ... them's the breaks.

Happy b-day, W!!!

Dedicated to Jackie Larson-Knott (mom) running for cancer research

Hi All -

Carrie sent me a link so I could run our marathon for Dana Farber Cancer Research, and I signed up. I'm officially signed up for the BAA 1/2 Marathon. I dedicate this run to my mom, an amazing human being, and also a cancer survivor.

My goal is to raise at least $600 (hopefully more) before the event. You can DONATE here to help me reach my fundraising goal.

Today I ran 1 mile at 5.5 mph, 1 mile at 5.7 mph, and 1 mile at 5.9 mph, for a total of 3 miles. I walked .60 as warm up & cool down.

Felt great!

But I would like to say that I have too many jobs. I realized this week that I am back to working almost 80 hours a week between all of the jobs that I've accepted, and I need to scale back. I'm driving myself crazy!

But I still ran! ;)

Have a great day!
Kel

One more thing

I have broken out in a strange rash on my arms and legs. It started almost as soon as I stopped running. By the time I got home and went to shower, I was covered in what appeared to be hives. Now it's mainly on my arms, and it appears to want to stay for the long haul.

Any ideas?

I run because ...

I've been silent for a little while.
I know.
I'm sorry.

First, before any more blogging occurs, congratulations are in order to Monsieur Cheron, mon frere, who ran the New York City Half Marathon at the lovely hour of 7:00 this morning.
You go! You're my rockstar!

Now onto the other Cheron's running:

This week was good, actually. I got a chance to do a run on the river on Friday morning, which turned out to be not so good, actually. But I refused to let it get me down and it hasn't. I know that everyone has a bad day and I know I was dehydrated and stupid for not bringing water in that kind of heat and humidity, etc.

This morning was supposed to be my long run but it was raining at 5:15 when I awoke. I didn't want my first "rain run" to be on my long run, so I decided to do my long run on the treadmill and hope for better weather next weekend. Well ... I ran. Did I ever?! Woot woot!
I ran 7+ miles today, the first 5 1/2 or so at 5.8 mph, and the last 1 1/2 or so at 5.9 and 6.0.
AND I absolutely felt, at the end, that I could have continued for another 3 miles. I think that's the best way to run, frankly.

I have a lot to say right now about the mental techniques I've been using, but I have some work that needs to get done. I promise to post more about those in the next couple of days.

For now, though, why don't you finish this sentence and post it in a comment:

I run because ...

honest, i did!

I did my 6 miles yesterday. My father was in town for business, (from Minnesota), and I used the gym at his hotel. It was fun! I went slow for the long run - about 5.1 mph for most of it. In my short runs, I've been running 5.3 - 5.5 mph. I'm trying so hard to avoid any more injury.

Fun!
Kel

4 miles yesterday, 3 today - a more conservative approach

I'm adopting a more conservative approach. The runs yesterday and on monday both felt great. I'm off momentarily to do a quick 3 miles.

I have learned, however, that it's not wise for me to run at night. I was up until 4 am last night, an I do believe that's because of my late night run.

Here's my progress chart so far:



I've included my 6 mile run for Saturday in good faith, even though it hasn't yet happened.

Love to you all,
Kel

back in black - no pain, no pops!

I'm baaaaaaa-aaaaack. ;)

I did my endurance run today (instead of yesterday, because I also have a terrible cold & cough). I ran 6.01 miles!

I took exactly 7 days off to let all of the inflammation go down in my body, and now I am going to do my darndest to be vigilant about taking the right amount of ibuprofen after each run. I found out I was taking too little to affect inflammation of the tissues. I suspect that my connective tissue around the right hip got inflamed and I changed my stride to work around it, which caused the head of the femur to pop in and out. That's NOT happening, and I don't even have a hint of shin splints.

I took the advice of runner, Josh Cheron, (Carrie's awesome bro), and ran slowly, even when I wanted to go faster to get it over with. I stayed at about 5.0 mph after my warm-up, and ran for about 75 minutes to get my 6 miles. I walked about 7 minutes through out total, in one minute increments.

Over the past week I've had lots of time to think, and I realized that I was beating myself up if I didn't run EVERY step of each run. I'm changing that attitude now. This is my first half-marathon, and finishing at any speed will be an accomplishment.

Even though I walked for seven minutes today, I ran for 68 minutes! YAY!

Thanks to Josh and Carrie for inspiration and support. We'll see how my body feels tomorrow. But I feel good now - albeit exhausted from the combination of the run of not sleeping because I was up all night coughing.

I am such a whiner! ;)

But I'm thrilled!

Don't just shower ...

USE DEODORANT!

What is wrong with people?
If you want to work out at home or run outside in the morning or night when people aren't really around, be my guest. Don't use deodorant. If you're running in a gym or other indoor facility, in the presence of other people, or at a race with a large field of other people, be considerate.

I actually had to stop my run today and move because of the stench coming from the man directly across from me on the treadmill. I recognize that I have a very keen sense of smell. However, I also recognize that I am not the only person who has noticed this. I am, however, the employee and can't really say anything as just a regular citizen. I'm not an employee with any authority so I can't really go that route either.

Whatever. Maybe he'll start running outside when it cools off a little. Doubtful, but ya never know. I'm hoping that something will be said to him soon. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Today's running plan was for 5 miles. It was 5 miles but there was a break in the middle.
All of today's running was done at 5.8 mph.
I ran 2.46 miles, left that treadmill because of Senor Stinky, went to the other clump of treadmills (which I HATE and always make me feel like I'm running uphill) and only lasted .56 miles. I hopped off that one and did some other working out until Senor got off the treadmill. I then went back to the treadmills I wanted to use and ran another 2.5 miles (with a .25 walk after that).

All told, I did 5.77 miles, which probably works out to 5.4 miles of running. It was more than I'd meant to run, which could be a bad thing, in the long run, if it becomes a habit. The goal in these week-runs is to keep a mileage for the week in general, not necessarily for endurance, though that's certainly important. My long run on the weekends works my endurance and this weekend's 7-mile run will surely be doing that! But I don't want to push too hard too soon and cause any immobilizing injuries.

Hopefully we'll be getting word soon from Kellie about her status. I know she's on the road right now, but she should be back this weekend and maybe she'll have a positive update!
A demain ...

Day one of this week

Today was a short run day.
I did about 4.4 miles, including a warm-up and cool-down walk of about 2 minutes on either side of my run. I ran about 4.15 miles or so at 5.8 mph on the treadmill. Tomorrow's run is 5. Thursday is 4. Saturday is 7.

I'm trying to alter my running schedule a little by following The Book more closely. I'm really enjoying reading the book I mentioned below and am hoping that the tools I've found useful will continue to help me along.

I've found a couple of their "mental" suggestions have been really helpful:

1) Finish your mental thoughts with "but it doesn't matter ..."
For example: My ankle is bugging me and I really don't like this course ... but it doesn't matter.
Or: I'm so exhausted and I just wish today's run were over ... but it doesn't matter.
Because it doesn't matter. I'm still going to/need to run it, so it doesn't matter. Shut off the negative thought before it has a chance to infiltrate your thoughts for the rest of the run. This suggestion is also easily applicable to the rest of your life.
For instance: This bus driver is driving so damn slow and I need to get to work!!! But it doesn't matter. It doesn't, does it? Because he's/she's driving; you're not. And you're going to get there anyway, unless you're planning on getting OFF the bus. So it doesn't matter. It might suck, but it doesn't matter. Just let it go.

2) "Come run with me." Invite your pain, your lowness, your heavy breathing to come run with you. Talk to your struggle: Shins, you're giving me some trouble today. Come run with me. Come be with me in this endeavor.
I KNOW it sounds so ridiculous and earthy/crunchy, but it absolutely worked. It was so bizarre. It worked. Instantly. Almost better than "but it doesn't matter." Try it! Invite your woe to join you on your journey.

We (I?) register for the race tomorrow. It will be "official," though I already feel dedicated and official without giving them my fee and getting my number and chip. I'm very concerned and very sad about Kellie and the possibility that she won't be able to join me. I loved the idea of having a partner with whom to train and accomplish this feat, and I loved that it was/is Kellie. But I certainly don't want her to injure herself more. What's very frustrating about this is that she was/is doing everything correctly. She's not been doing too much too soon, I don't think, and she's being careful and diligent. I hope that the doctor gives her the ok, and only recommends maybe a chiropractor or physical therapist, and makes it all better. But I really have no expertise in this subject, so I've asked Bro to weigh in if he has a chance.

Uh-oh: injured

Go, Carrie! Your post yesterday rocked!

I, however, have not so good news and am not sure what to do. I will be hopping on a plane to fly back to Boston shortly,but in the meantime, I need to get caught up on my posts here.

On Wed the 9th, I arrived down here and did my run as soon as I got off the plane. I iced everything and felt great all day...

That evening, pain in my right hip and in both shins kept me up all night. I tried running the next day (Thurs, the 10th) but the pain was too great. The shin splints I have run through before, but the hip thing involves (or feels like it involves) my hip joint popping in and out of the socket. Not fun.

On Friday the 11th (after another night of pain), I took the day off from running and swam and did yoga and various stretches.

On Saturday, the 12th, I forced myself to run 3 miles on the beach and walk 1. That evening, again, severe pain that kept me up all night and continued into the day, despite icing and ibuprofen.

On Sunday, I did yoga and swimming and walking.

Yesterday, Monday, I ran 2.5 miles on the elliptical trainer at about 6mph, and then ran 2.25 and walked .25 for a total of 5 miles (my long run). I thought lessening the impact would lessen the pain, so I was hoping the elliptical would help.

In spite of icing, stretching, and ibuprofen, the pain kept me up all night last night - again primarily the hips, but both shins are now aggravated and in pain even when I'm not in motion.

I talked to a doctor friend who told me to take a few weeks off and start slower when I start again. If I follow this advice, I will not be ready for October 12th.

Needless to say, I'm frustrated today. I don't know if I should try to find another 1/2 marathon for a month later, or if I should still sign up tomorrow when this one opens and just do what I can. I've made an appointment with my primary care to get a 2nd opinion. I don't want to injure myself beyond repair, and I DO want to keep going. But, with the time being so tight, there is no time for me to recover.

Runners out there, what say ye?

Kel

First "real" long run

I moved my long run from yesterday to today because I woke up yesterday with a splitting headache and ended up staying in bed until almost 10, writhing and trying to hide from the light. Haven't had a headache like that in a while, and hopefully won't have one again for another long while.

Got up this morning at 5:05, sucked it up, and went outside. The jaunt was from my apartment in Davis Square (well, between Davis and Teele, actually) to Mass Ave, down Mass Ave to Harvard Square, down Bow St to Plympton St to the river, left on Mem Drive to Western Ave, and back again. It was a slightly longer than 6 miles and I did it! I'd say I walked maybe a total of a third to a half-mile intermittently throughout. Before even hitting one mile, my right ankle started to bother me, but I kept going. Don't know yet if that was foolish, but I feel fine as of now. I'll try and remember to ice it later.

It's so nice to run that early in the morning when the only others outside are the other runners/bikers/walkers/dogs, shopkeepers preparing for the day, random people still drinking from the night before, and cab drivers parked on the side of the road. Very few cars, little car exhaust, seldom a reason/need to stop at lights for cars to go, etc.

Tomorrow's supposed to be a day off. After a long run, we're supposed to have a day of rest. Apparently Monday is my Sabbath this week. :) I may go for a walk in the morning and do some free weights and ab stuff either at home or the gym. I'll see what happens.

I do know one thing; I can't wait to have my running buddy back. I miss her dearly and Florida doesn't deserve her.

Gearin' up!

Speaking of gear, I kinda need some. I kinda need some that won't chafe. I kinda need some that don't make me look like Will Ferrell. I kinda need some that won't make Bro yell at me for being pants. I have one pair of shorts. They smell by Thursday.

BUT YES, BRO, I'VE BEEN WEARING THE SHORTS. :)

Anyway ... back to your regularly scheduled program:

Today's treadmill jaunt:
5.08 total, ran 4.5 miles, walked a bit before and after to warm up and cool down.

Saturday's goal is 6. I'm going to go for a 3-4 mile run outside tomorrow, depending on how the shins feel and what time I get to sleep tonight.

Kellie lent me a great book called The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. It's written by 2 folks (with commentary by a third) who began teaching a "marathon" class at the University of Northern Iowa. I know. Sounds like another country when you say Northern Iowa. Sounds like it cause it is. Anyway ... I'm really enjoying it so far and there have been some good little snippets that I've had to underline (in pencil, Kel, don't worry). I'll probably mention this book again as our training continues.

One mention that made me laugh out loud was that of a "fear threshold." I thought that was fabulous. The authors basically say that we all have these desires to do fantastic things and there are often three main things that hold us back: our imagination, our fear threshold, and financial resources. I hear the whole fear threshold thing. I need to up my threshold. :)

Run, mf, run!

Florida

Whew! It's hot down here. I ran 3.5 miles today at 5.0 - 5.5 mph. I was very sore and tired, but per usual, felt fantastic afterwards. I'm with my family (sis, nephew, mom & dad).

More soon!
Kel

4 more - rackin' up the miles

Go, Carrie! I'm proud of ya!

I had a day last week where I thought I'd never run again. In the evening, I was limping around and I thought my right femur had permanently removed itself from the hip socket. The next morning, I had an amazing run. A little ice and some rest can do wonders. I'll be interested to hear about how the wool sock experiment goes for Carrie. ;)

I ran 4.07 miles today at a pace ranging from 5.5 mph to 5.8 mph. Near the end, I thought my life was ending, but I suddenly realized that my legs felt great. I said to myself, "Just relax and ride your legs." That sounds odd, I know, but I used that image to make the last 10 minutes fly by.

I still can't believe that 3 weeks ago, I wasn't running at all.

Here's my progress up to this week. X1 - X3 were my base training weeks. This week is week 14, and next week will be week 13, etc., as I count down to the week of the actual event.

Well I'll be ...

Who knew?
I ran 5 miles today. Very comfortably. I could have kept going for at least another mile, I'm sure, and that's almost halfway there! I warmed up briefly with a walk of about 2 minutes, maybe less, then ran for 5 miles, then jog/walked a cool down of maybe a quarter mile. All I know is that all told, I was on that treadmill for 5.43 miles, ran a full five miles, and I wasn't in pain. Who knows? Maybe my leg will fall off tomorrow. Right now, it's not too bad.

I'm going to ice it tonight (I iced it this morning while at work at the gym) when I get home, and perhaps try something my friend Peter, a naturopathic doctor, recommended. He recommended wetting a pair of cotton socks, wringing them out so they're not drippy, putting them on, putting on a pair of wool socks over the cotton pair, and going to sleep. He said that the heat produced by my body from bottom up while I sleep will increase the circulation in my legs and might help. We'll see. I'm game. Just gotta find a pair of wool socks. I know I have a pair here somewhere, especially since I never bothered switching out my winter clothes for my summer ones.
Yeah. Don't ask.

I'm also going to try and decrease my outdoor runs until my shin is more consistently better. I really want to do this half marathon and I can't do it with my shin the way it is, so this is the way it has to be for now.

I have to say, it is so fantastic to work at a gym where everyone there is encouraging you and cheering you on and eager to give helpful tips and advice. I feel fully supported by everyone and I'm so grateful. Warm fuzzies all around.

the weekend - my personal trainer

I spent the weekend with friends out of town, but never fear, I DID run. I borrowed a friend's dog (pictured here). This is Grace, also known as Gracie, and she was a fantastic running partner. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this dog. She's an absolute doll - and she kept me moving!

I ran 4 miles on Friday, and 4 on Sunday, so I'm on schedule.

I did have a lot of trauma with a new blister, but my pals helped me to get it under control and I'll hit the gym again tomorrow for 4 miles.

Xrays?

I took yesterday off because my shins were just really too painful. I decided to use today as my long run day.

I hadn't even gone a mile-and-a-half and I truly felt like my right shin was going to crack in half. I kept going, though, walking whenever I needed to, stretching, running again, etc. I ran WAY more than I thought I could, and probably more than I should have.

I'm beginning to wonder if the shin splint in my right leg is not actually a shin splint but something worse. I'm contemplating getting a referral to see a doc who specializes in this schtuff, and seeing if I can get an xray.

I'm trying to ice it as much as possible but this weekend's been kind of crazy and now I have to do laundry and clean up the pig-sty.

Think nice, comforting, positive thoughts for my poor leg.
I am planning on treadmilling it tomorrow morning, but we'll see how that pans out.

Interval training

Today was my first official interval day. I've done short interval trials in the past but have always suffered from such painful shin splints the following day that I've tended to avoid doing it.

But it's a necessary evil. I know this. And today was actually really fun, and I'm very proud of myself.

MOOD: ON FIRE! Woohoo!
DISTANCE: 2 miles at 5.7 mph, then minute or minute-and-a-half sprints ranging from 6.5-6.8 for the next 2 miles, alternating with 1 minute of 5.7 and 5.8.

Suffice it to say, I was hauling ass. And it was fun. My shins were bothering me when I was running a little, but mainly when I finished. They feel ok now, though they need to be iced. The top speed was between an 8- and 9-minute mile, and that rocks for me.

Oh, and Kellie, I'm super proud of you! You go, girlfriend!

Tomorrow's long run - I'm aiming for 6 miles.
Wish me luck!
For now, I have some baby-kissing to do.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY, AMERICA!
(Now let's stop embarrassing ourselves)

Happy Birthday Michael Andrew Cheron!

Running post above. This one's just gratuitous.
Michael Andrew Cheron was yanked from the warm grips of his mama's womb at the lovely hour of 4:28 am. I hear ya, kid. I hear ya.
Welcome!

i did, i did, i did, i did!!!!

3 miles, baby!

i ran yesterday at 4:30 am before driving to new haven, CT before getting in a car with pals to drive even further to the jersey shore, before eating waaaaaaaaaay too much pizza on the boardwalk and then staying up all night laughing with another good pal who hosted all of us for the weekend.

i will run today, and subsequently, i will post. ;)

i'm being a very good girl.

love,
kel

p.s. no pic because my cell phone has gone crazy and i can't type in any letters or numbers to send myself blog pics. there's something wrong with it. i can't dial out either!

Baby's first (and second!) outdoor run

Well, Kellie exaggerates. I didn't kick her ass. Not at all. Girlfriend rocked it. Though, I was pretty good at pacing, once we got on the street, which was quite a surprise to me. I've always had trouble pacing myself when I'm not on a treadmill, but I felt pretty good on our first run. Don't get me wrong. It was tough - really hot, really humid, shin splints, HILLS - but we did it and I'm really proud of us.

I didn't go upstairs and log additional miles on the treadmill. I tried, but I was pretty dehydrated and soaked right through. I think I ran one minute, maybe two, before just stopping and stretching instead. But it was a fun run and it really helped to have Kellie there. I can't wait to do it again.

I repeated our run the following morning (yesterday) and found it a lot more difficult to do alone. I thought the hardest part was probably the track. Mentally, I have a lot of trouble running on a track. But. BUT BUT BUT, after the mile on the track, I started our loop, which begins with a nice size hill that had both KLK and me panting and walking the day before. I ran the whole thing. WOOHOO. I was totally Rocky at the top also, fists up in the air, pumping.

My calves are pretty tight today, in spite of extensive stretching upon return from my run and throughout the day yesterday and today. I'm also experiencing shin splints again and an old ankle injury has come back to bug me a bit. My ankle is a bit swollen, so I may do my intervals inside tomorrow on the treadmill. I'll see how I'm feeling. My long run on Saturday is going to be either 5 1/2 or 6 miles. I'll see how my ankle is doing. And I'll see how much sleep I get in the next couple of days. There's a big event on the schedule (tonight, hopefully!).

No duo runs for us this weekend 'cause Kellie will be in NJ with M, W, and J. I'm sure they'll have a blast, but I'll miss my running buddy. Treat her kindly. And make sure she gets in her runs. :)

1st Duo Run (Carrie kicked my as...k me a question and I'll give you an answer)

We had our first duo run today and Carrie kept me on track with her regular pacing and no stops. I'd stop and whine and she'd keep going, and then I'd chase after her and feel better because I was still running.

Carrie also pointed out that perhaps I'd have an easier time breathing while running if I didn't lead so drastically with my chin. I do this because if my chin gets across the finish line before my feet do, it counts. I made it. I can stop. ;) She's right - I need to pull my friggin' head back, but I'm straining forward because I wanna be done sooner.

We passed my friend Crit's house and were tempted to bang on the door and yell, "Run, MotherF'er, Run!" He was the one who shared the story/phrase that is now our official battle cry.

The course we ran was about 3.07 miles, but we stopped at the Tufts track near Powder House and ran an additional mile there, so total distance logged was 4.07 miles. After the run, Carrie went inside the gym and logged additional mileage, which I'm sure she'll post here.

If you'd like to see today's run, you can view it here:

Hot to Trot (I accidentally went for a run)...

Several hours ago, Carrie and I collectively vetoed the idea of an evening run due to the humidity. That decided, I started working on publicity for Trina Hamlin and Natalia Zukerman.

At about 8:30 pm, I started feeling restless. Before I knew it, I was at the gym in motion. It was an accident. I didn't mean for it to happen.

In other news, I bought some new sparkly silver running shorts (pictured). Why, you ask? They were on sale for $3.23. After putting them on this evening, I saw the error of my ways. Next time, basic black it is. I'd rather not draw attention to my bumper, and these shorts are the equivalent of wearing Christmas lights on my a**. But, they were on sale.

MOOD: From grumpy to groovy
DISTANCE: 3.78 miles (3.28 r, .50 w)
SPEED: w/u @ 4 mph, 20 minutes at 5.5 mph, 5 minutes @ 4.5 mph, 3 minutes @ 5.8 mph, 2 minutes at 6 mph

For those of you who have extra running shorts that you don't need/want in a size 14, I'd be happy to take them off your hands. I can't keep up with the laundry around here. ;)

mini-run!

YAY Carrie! Welcome back! ;) RMFR!!!

I have nothing much to say other than I ran today - 2.5 miles at about 4.8 mph. I did a 1/2 mile walk for a cool down.

Felt great!

I got new running shoes - Asics - and they're great!

Love,
Kel

Back on the Wagon

MOOD: Apprehensive; low energy
DISTANCE: 3.5 + .5 walk to cool down
SPEED: 5.6-5.8 mph

So I kinda fell off the wagon. I go through phases. I'm a moody one, that's for sure. Kellie got on me for not complaining in the beginning because I was running running running and was thrilled about it. Then I teetered on the lip at the back of the wagon ... and fell right off.

Kel and I went away last weekend so I ran on Friday, which was when I fell off the treadmill. Rather, fell ON the treadmill. We then planned on running Sunday morning (last) before heading back home, which we didn't do. I think we both wanted to get on the road and we didn't want to overstay our welcome, though we were welcomed to stay as long as we wanted. We chose the road. In a car. For 7 1/2 hours. Kellie was AWESOME and ran when she got home, after driving the entire way. I did not.

I think the complete exhaustion from last weekend did me in and I had trouble waking up early for my run on Monday so I skipped it. I think I ran briefly on Tuesday, maybe 2 miles, but I don't remember. I also think I ran on Wednesday, but I'm not sure about that either. It was a busy week and I've blocked it out. Thursday was my race. A short race. Just 3 miles. But it was 3 miles in a pack of 12,000 people. I started off running fast. Way too fast. Like 9 1/2 minute mile fast. And that's not even that fast. But I'm not up to that pace yet, so with the extra speed and the energy I expended running around people, I had to stop by mile 2 and walk a good 5 minutes or so. I ended up averaging a pace of slightly under a 12-minute mile, which was slower than I wanted, but I finished.

I didn't run then on Friday. I didn't run yesterday. Bad bad bad.

Today I ran. And I feel so much better. I feel better about myself, I feel better for stepping back up on the wagon, I feel better for having faith that I can do this. I did 3.5 miles at a slightly quicker pace, and I am applauding myself for doing this because I need to keep a positive attitude. :) Like Kellie.

You are my inspiration, Sistah.

I'm hoping Kel will be able to run with me after work tomorrow. Everyone should leave comments begging her to make time for it. :) Ready, set, go!

long run: 4 miles!

Special thanks to my pals Andy & Mary (pictured here) who helped me get through my long run today up in Concord, NH. I was supposed to run 4 miles, but due to getting lost, I ran closer to 5. Oops!

I would've gotten a better picture, but gimme a break! I ran 4 miles today! Besides, none of us could be bothered by holding still for another shot. ;)

Mary helped me by taking me around in the car before the run to psyche me up and to plot my 4 mile route. Andy helped (with Mary) by finding me after I got lost. ;)

My training at Watercountry the day prior was also a huge success. I tackled the Double Geronimo Slide, (which was later renamed Double Ger-ENEMA by my pal, Tim, for reasons that I'll leave to your imagination).

I'm thrilled that I was able to do my run today, though. I was nervous about running outside, and having my pals there to cheer me on made all the difference.

Mary is helping right NOW by cooking me dinner - she's a phenomenal chef!

And this is JAX - the dog who owns Andy & Mary. He took me on a walk today after the run, which was also helpful.

Run, MF'er, Run!!!!

NOTE: Carrie ran a race tonight! Yeeeeeee-haw.

DISTANCE: 3.30 miles (2.7 r, .6 w)
MOOD: from Kinda Freaked Out to pissed off to feeling good

A friend sent me some words of encouragement yesterday. He had a pal who used to coach highschool track. Apparently, she (the coach) had a special technique to motivate the kids. Standing on the edge of the track she'd yell, "Run, Mother-F'er, RUN!!!!"

I will think of that now whenever I feel like quitting. And if I can stop laughing long enough, I'll continue running. ;)


I started out today with some interval training. I did 5 minutes of warm up, jogging at 4.5 mph, and then did 20 second intervals at 5.5, 6.5 & 7.5 mph. I recovered for 60 seconds at 4.8mph before repeating the sequence.

The run felt physically more difficult today. I was challenging myself with the faster intervals, but there's more. Last night, I drank about 1/4 of a Miller Lite. I don't usually drink, and when I do, even just a tiny bit, the next morning, I'm a bloated & groggy mess. I woke up this morning feeling like a Nyquil addict - so heavy with a mind so thoroughly foggy that I didn't even know where I was for a good thirty seconds after opening my eyes. No more drinking the night before a run. I don't need the calories, and I don't need the headache.

I need to learn to relax my upper body when I run. I'm holding a lot of physical tension in my neck, upper back & shoulders. I had another bout with anxiety today on the treadmill. I start to feel tension in my upper back (between the scapulae) and, as I mentioned in a previous post, it feels like a terrible anxiety attack. I started walking when I didn't physically need the break due to the freak-out factor. I've got some work to do there.

HOWEVER, I still felt fantastic at the end of the run. And I feel lucky to have this opportunity.

Tomorrow (Friday) I'll go to Water Country Water Park in Portsmouth, NH with two of my best pals. I'll take the day off from running to "let my muscles heal and replenish their glycogen stores." (says 7 time Boston Marathoner, Josh Cheron). I will also be getting a nice sun-burn while doing my best not to use profanity on my first encounter with the vertical slides. It's all an important part of the training, you see.

No Sweat...

So I lied a little. Today's run was a little more difficult. Pictured is how I felt during the last 1/2 mile of today's run. ;)


MOOD: Apprehensive
DISTANCE: 3.19
SPEED: 5.1 mph for first 2o minutes, 5.5 mph for 9 minutes, intervals from 5.5 - 6.5mph for 5 minutes

About 30 minutes in, I almost stopped, but a 71 year old woman on the treadmill next to me said, "You're doing great, honey." That was just enough to shift my attitude to get me through it. I worked out at a faster speed for longer today. I do feel myself getting stronger.

I'll post tomorrow with info from Josh Cheron (Carrie's brother & long-time marathoner), who has been kind enough to let me pepper him with running questions via email all day long. Stay tuned for that! ;)

Best,
Kel

I'll get there

Today's run was tough, I'm not going to lie.
I didn't finish my run and I was struggling all the way through it. I don't know if it was because I hadn't run since Friday, but I suspect it's because of residual exhaustion from this weekend. I don't recover the same way I did in my younger days. I'm not getting enough sleep, I'm working a lot more than I usually do, etc.

I'm hoping tomorrow will be better.

I have a race on Thursday evening and I'm hoping I don't die. :)

Adolfo & Antonio - My Sexy Italian Feet

I received some great advice via email from veteran Boston Marathoner, Josh Cheron. He had me pick up some Arrid Xtra Dry spray deodorant to stop the sweating & excess friction that contribute to blisters. By Golly, it worked! No new blisters today.

And, as a bonus, my feet now smell like a very attractive Italian man - you know the type - well muscled with perfect teeth. I can picture him now. He looks like an Antonio or an Adolfo - definitely Italian. Here we (Adolfo & I) are with Arrid Xtra Dry.

PICTURED: Adolfo (left), Arrid (middle), Kellie Lin (right)

DISTANCE TODAY: 3.03 miles
INTENSITY: Between 4.8 - 6.2 mph
MOOD: Cheerful

The run felt good. I'm amazed at the fact that I'm able to run this much after so many weeks away. It just goes to show you how powerful the mind/body connection really is. As soon as I stopped telling myself, "You're not a runner," I became one. I can't wait to go again tomorrow.


Thanks to all who commented or wrote in response to my announcement about this blog. So many of you shared inspiring stories or training tips. I'm grateful. Keep coming back! Your encouragement is so much appreciated.

Love, Kel

In spite of it all...

Carrie and I were in the PA/NJ area for business & pleasure this weekend. Today, we drove for about 7 hours to get home, (from Bryn Mawr, PA to Boston). Pictured here is a self-portrait I took after stumbling into the bathroom this morning. Check out that hair. HOT.

ANYWAY...

I was absolutely determined to run after not running on Friday & Saturday due to:
(1) the blister of death
(2) a 22 hour long day on Saturday, complete with 9 hours of driving, 1 performance (Carrie & I in NJ at the Fuel House), and 1 happening involving Susan Werner who played a faaaaabulous set in Bryn Mawr at the Gazebo.

THAT was yesterday.

Today, after the drive home, I dropped Carrie off and drove straight to the gym. I arrived at 5:57 pm. The gym closes at 6 p.m. This was news to me.

I briefly considered going home to take a nap. Instead, I mapped out a new running route with my car's odometer, parked the car, re-tied my shoes, and took off down the street on foot.

The route I'd picked is one incline after the other. I was shuffling along like an 80 year old asthmatic until I saw my reflection in the store windows. My heart rate jumped about 20 beats per minute every time I got near a reflection - meaning I'd check myself out and then extend my stride, stop slumping, suck my stomach in, and start to move. When I couldn't see myself, I aged dramatically again. That's a habit that needs breaking. Anyone watching was surely amused by my obvious vanity...

All in all, the run was good. My goal was to run 3 miles, but due to the incline and the impact of the concrete, I ran about 2.5 miles and walked .5. I feel good about that, though. I could've given in to my instinct to order a pizza and watch an aerobics video (my usual work-out). But I didn't. That's cool. ;)

BUT the b***h is back. BLISTER. My new blister-proof band-aids and non-friction socks did not solve the problem, so I will likely need new shoes. The sandals I've been wearing for the runs are absolutely adorable - strappy, sassy with 3 inch heels - but...

Kel

Yeah? So what.

So I fell off the treadmill.
Shut up, thank you very much. :)

Friday's ridiculousness has developed into huge bruises on my elbows and left thigh, and a really stiff neck.

I know you want to know what happened and I really don't want to relive it, but if I can tell the audience at my gig on Friday night, I can tell you.

I was at about 2 1/2 miles on Friday, but I needed a tissue. It wasn't the "wipe your nose on your sleeve" thing either. I needed a tissue.

Fine.

I hop off carefully, leaving the treadmill running, because if you pause it, it will shut itself off before you have a chance to come back from your tissue trip. 'Tis true. I've tried that. And yes, I usually bring tissues with me, but I forgot on Friday.

Anyway ... hopped off, got tissue, finished my business, saw little girl crying in gym, knew her, said "Hi Marlena!," watched her start screaming again, got really distracted, walked back to treadmill, went to walk back on it ...

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

Yes. I forgot I'd left it on. I was distracted!
MORTIFYING!!! I promise you, it's just as mortifying as you imagine it to be. This is all to be imagined with a very cute runner on the treadmill across from me. Horrifying. I did actually feel like jumping out the window but it's triple-paned and that would suck.

I haven't run since Friday because Kel and I have been out of town having a super super time gigging and listening and hanging.

I'm glad to be back and will be running tomorrow at 5:30. Woohoo!

I can't go back there

I have an absolutely mortifying and painful story to tell about today's run but I'm just not mentally capable of doing that yet without wincing.
Needless to say, I didn't finish my long run today. I'm upset about it, but I will get over it. I'll do it on Sunday.
I will post later.
I need to go find somewhere to hide my head.

CEC - Cheat meal

I have been so good all week. I've tried to feed my body what I felt it needed when it needed it, nothing more, nothing less. Tonight was a special night for a special friend and I ... partook. Tomorrow will be tough. I'm feeling it already. Just fair warning to myself, I suppose. Though I probably shouldn't "warn" myself, thereby making it easy to tell myself it's ok to give up in one run on one day.

I wanted to post about it to make it more difficult for me to give up.
We'll see how it turns out!

KL: day 2, 3 miles

The blister on the bottom of my left foot is just where the big toe joint starts on the inner arch. I didn't notice it much during the run itself (adrenaline) but it's about twice the size it was yesterday. I wonder if there's some way I can wrap my foot so that I don't make it worse and I can keep running.

Today was a little bit more difficult mentally near the end of the run. When I start breathing hard, I feel my lungs tighten in my back and it feels like an anxiety attack. At that point, two things can happen. I either consciously determine that I'm tensing up, and concentrate on breathing, or or flip out. Today, I just paid attention, and kept the pace up (around 6 mph when this started happening) and focused on my breathing. It worked and I finished!

Physically, I was fine once I got my breath under control. I'm not pushing yet. I'm just easing my way into this, so I ran again fairly slowly - between 4.7 - 5.7 mph until my speed bursts at the end. I will say, it was knowing that the blog was here that got me through the last of it.

I got off the treadmill and could hardly walk because my hips were so tight after all the impact. This will take a little getting used to. I think I'm going to slip in some yoga to keep my joints loose, especially while I'm adapting to the more frequent runs.

Carrie (and any of you readers), would you like to do some yoga in the park with me this summer as we train? I'll put together a series designed to speak to what running can do to the body - hips, knees, & hamstrings in particular.

Who's up for yoga (and maybe some Pilates!) in the park? ;)

Carrie, fyi, you're not whining enough. Follow my lead and start complaining, will ya? What's the fun if we can't commiserate? ;)

That's it. I'm having fun and I feel great!

4 miles, 9.1 to go!

Just got back from today's run (on a treadmill). I covered up the "dashboard" on the treadmill so I couldn't see how far I'd gone already, because I always have a tough time when I can see how much longer I have to go. I promised myself I wouldn't look until I really couldn't wait any longer, or until I was just so pooped that I had to know how much longer I had to go. I didn't look until I had already run 2 3/4 miles!!! Today's run was much easier than yesterday's, and I feel really good right now. I walked an additional 10 minutes or so at the end of my run, to cool down and get my heart rate back to normal, and I think that definitely helped my body recuperate more quickly.

I'm (oddly enough) looking forward to tomorrow's 5-mile long run! The long run is supposed to happen on Saturday but since we're going away on Saturday, there won't be time for a run. Tomorrow it is!

Blisters!!!

Perhaps now would be a good time to just mention blisters and other foot problems afflicting runners everywhere. I'll plan a post later on in our training, for our million readers out there, but for right now, we need to get you fitted for shoes, Kel. Most probably, your shoes are what's causing these blisters.

Great job on the run today!!!

KL First Training Run: 3 miles

I ran my 3 miles today, and then I walked 2.25 miles after that. My pace was pretty slow - I'd say between 4.5 - 5.5 mph - for the majority of the run. During the last 10 minutes, I did speed intervals up to 6.5 mph to focus on building strength and fast- twitch muscle fibers.

My left foot is now covered in blisters (let the whining begin), but I feel fabulous.

I haven't run in about 3 weeks, so I was surprised that I was able to grab my 3 miles, even if they were slow ones.

I'm excited to run outside too. It is considerably more challenging, but if this gorgeous weather keeps up, perhaps we can find some interesting places to log some miles. I'd like to try trail running too - softer ground. I know we need to build up the skeletal endurance to run on the concrete, but maybe we'll mix it up some.

I'd like to run around Walden Pond so that when we're through, we can jump in. I LOVE the water. ;)

Good job, Car!

Carrie's First Post

So yes, I did run 4 miles this morning. At the most disgusting hour of 5:30 in the morning.
It was tough, I'm not going to lie, though I do have some excellent experience with early wake-up calls.

I've been running relatively regularly for the last few months but some days are just harder than others. I even uploaded a profanity-laced Pink song onto my IPod to keep me going but the Ipod never shuffled it! Maybe it just wasn't my day. :) My Ipod needs to learn to shuffle better.

I need to focus on running outside. That was a significant contributor to the problems I had in my 5-mile race a couple of weeks ago. A treadmill has give. It definitely has a rebound. Concrete doesn't give you anything. It takes a lot more endurance to run on the ground, for sure. I need to focus on that. It will help when KLK and I start running outside together.

Kel's first post: pre-run

My goal today is to run 3 miles, but if I hit 4 (to keep up with Superstar Cheron), I'll take that too! I'll report in after the deed is done.

Friends who are interested - please feel free to comment as the blog turns. ;)

More soon!
Kel