Moving Forward By Looking Back

I finished my running assignment on Saturday. She runs me ragged on the tests!! She tested me before the running assignment, then again after a month, and then again a week later. It was good to keep me accountable to running - and I had a running coach for 5 weeks telling me what distances to run and what to expect. That WAS nice, but now I am on my own again. Last week, due to the testing, I wasn't running as much as I had been before (part of the thesis experiment). So to add things to my workout that were not cardio (a no-no) I started doing a little weights. It has been a long time since weights have been a part of my workout - and I could totally tell!

So now I am moving forward by using what I learned over the last five weeks. First off I am going to keep up the running! Second I am adding a day at least to the week by going 4 days a week instead of 3 (not running all days mixing up the cardio). I might end up with 5 when it is all said and done because I may do a good run on Saturdays (but we will see). I am also going to start adding weights back into the mix. It is hard, and takes a bit more time, but it is worth it! I feel so much better when I go than when I don't. I have also crafted a great iPod mix for my runs - kicking off with July Flame and in one of the hard spots I hear The Distance by Cake!

Wrapped up the weekend with some biscuits and gravy, and then I kicked Adam out so I could finish up some homework. So I guess this means I have to finish it. He has such a hard life. I make him cook for me and then make him get out. I did let him eat with me though.

July Flame

Run Time: 39:30
Run Distance: 3.5
Feeling: About 2.5 miles I wasn't sure if I could do it. I was seriously considering a little bit of walking, but I know how I am once I walk - I rarely get started again and feel in the groove at all. So I stuck it out until mile 3. At mile 3 I was still thinking a walk would be good, so I just turned down the speed to 5 mph to take a break and see how I felt. I didn't feel good but I didn't walk either.
Soundtrack: I watched a little bit of Ellen on TV and then listened to a random mix of music I have right now. It was kicked off by July Flame by Laura Viers:



I don't know if this is the real video or not. I liked it . . . until the forest fire, but they all roasted marshmallows so I guess it all worked out.

The other song I love to run to (best toward the finish line, but it is the first song on the CD so I usually listen to it while warming up) is Sigur Ros's Gobbledigook:



Don't look up the real video for it . . . but now that I have told you not to, you will. But don't. Just don't.

Now leave me a lone, I have to go work on statistics! Gosh!

Pancakes

Yesterday we celebrated national pancake day. I found out today that it isn't until like the 23 or something like that. That's OK, it was a good night for pancakes. I made them from scratch, no Bisquick for me. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Slowly, over this semester I have been getting farther and farther behind. It started with just an hour or less of work that got missed and it has been building, along with the decisions that need to be made about the impending nuptials have made me a wreck. A wreck for no reason. So last night was my national pancake day dang it, so don't mess with me.

None

Running

Saturday:
Run Time: 26.45
Run Distance: 2.5

Today (Tuesday)
Run Time: 33.25
Run Distance: 3

I have two more runs before my running test on Saturday. A 3.5 mile run on Thursday and then another 3 mile run on Saturday. I guess I will run before the test?? It has been good to do this right now because I HAVE to run 3 days a week or I totally screw up someones thesis. Hopefully after it is all said and done I will continue. I need to continue.

Back up

I have been behind on my running reporting!

Monday:
Run time: 28min
Run distance: 2.5 miles
Feeling: good for a Monday
Soundtrack: Home Improvement (I love that treadmill on the end in the back(ish) room

Today:
Run time: 33 min
Run distance: 3 miles
Feeling: great, ran fast (for me)
Soundtrack: Sigur Ros, and some tv here and there - I was an ADD listener today

Also, new to the whole google buzz thing. Are they pretty much trying to incorporate every kind of application out there - facebook, blogging, twitter, etc? I mean I like it. I don't do facebook anymore, so with Buzz I can still let people know at all times what I am doing.

STATUS: going to take a shower

Now, isn't your day complete?

Well I Did Go Running

I did not run on Friday. Not sure why, I just didn't. I figured I could run on Saturday. My plan was to get up a little early and head over to the gym before going to Tulsa to meet up with my mom. Well the gym doesn't open until 10 on Saturday. I had to leave at 10. Needless to say I got up early and went for a run outside. I was so discombobulated. I forgot what it was like to run in the cold, forgot my watch, didn't really feel like I was in any running rhythm until about the time I finished, and I didn't listen to any music so I could listen for cars (running on no shoulder is a little nerve racking for me). But I did run.

Run Distance: 2
Run Time: ???
Feeling: see above
Soundtrack: the sound of my feet on pavement rather than a treadmill

Anyway, yesterday was a big meeting between the parents and Adam and I (sans my Dad who is down in Texas). I spent most of the day saying "I don't know". I am not sure when that answer will change, but when it does I'm sure they will be the first to know.

Oh, the humanity

Man, is it ever cold here right now. Snow is sticking around for a bit longer than usual, and I think we are suppose to have more on Friday.

Run Time: 5, 28, 5
Run Distance: 2.5
Feeling: good, but I forgot what it was like to run longer than about 20 minutes. Oh the days of the hour long runs I use to enjoy. Maybe someday I will be back at those (just not right now during thesis time).
Soundtrack: nothing. It was brutal. I forgot my iPod at home so I just looked outside while I ran and counted tennis balls in the pool. Why would there be tennis balls in the pool? Well because the tennis courts are right next to the pool, duh. I do enjoy watching tennis. But our players don't really play here much anymore. Any match that has been advertised has been in Tulsa or Oklahoma City. Maybe they will play more here in the spring. I can't wait.

ice . . . ing

corny, i know. you never expected that from me really. sarcasm - yes, corny - not so much.

anyway, i guess every cloud (me moving away from all my friends and my favorite city) has a silver lining:

last night i said yes! well first i said maybe but only to throw him off a bit. am i mean? i didn't earn the moniker "sarcastic and single" for nothing.

Day Whatever

Day Whatever:

I don't know why I put days on it other than I was trying to keep track of the running. But it's over . . . not the running the keeping track of the days, it is making me crazy.

Well big news over here - stay tuned.

Run time: 5, 22, 5

Run distance, .25, 2, .27

Feeling: Really good. I ran a good pace (for me) and felt like maybe I could have done a quicker pace. Maybe Wednesday . . . but Wednesday I have to run 2.5, so maybe Friday.

Soundtrack: I was listening to Jennifer Knapp, but I looked up and saw that they had Home Improvement on. I haven't seen that in a long time, so I plugged in and watched that. It was one of the later seasons so it wasn't as funny as the older ones, but still pretty funny. I almost laughed out loud a couple of times.

Pictures of snow: