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