I finally got pictures uploaded for sharing from my half marathon last weekend!  The race went pretty well.  It was much harder than I expected, and the heat tired me out pretty fast.  Thus, I walked a lot more than normal and my finishing time was NOT what I expected.  But, I finished.  And for my first race, that’s all I can really ask for!

My brother, me, and my sister before the race.  Proof that even at 5’9″, I am still the shortest in my family.

The whole group – David, Kevin, me, Carrie, and John.  David kicked some major butt in the 1/2 – he finished number 15 overall!

Carrie and her husband, John, after finishing the 5K.

My brother and I toughing it out in the last mile – I was SO tired at this point.

Finally finished – and totally ready for a nap.

Will I do it again?  Probably.  Though I will be smarter and choose a race in the fall or spring when the weather is a bit less extreme.  :-)

Is the big day!   I think after tomorrow, I’ll be able to really call myself a runner.  At 8 am, I’ll get ready to run 13.1 miles.  Crazy!

Wish me luck.  I’m excited, and nervous.  I’m really hoping the weather is good

Yesterdays EPR was pretty good.  I think I’m faltering a bit on remaining disciplined in each of the 3 areas.  It seems that one day I eat well, next day not so much.  And then I’ll flup flop with running or prayer too.  Ack!  Oh well – I guess I’ll keep trying!

Eat

Breakfast – Fiber One Shredded Wheat and 1% milk

Snack – two trefoil girl scout cookies

Lunch – leftover mac ‘n cheese corn casserole, sauted mushrooms, juice

snack – 2 Graham crackers

Dinner – CSA cucumber salad, CSA corn on the cob with herbed beni sauce, lemon peanut grilled beef

Dinner was a bit European style last night – long and drawn out!  We had a tough time getting the grill up to temp since we’re running low on charcoal, so it took about 2 hours just to do that.  In the mean time, we had our veggies in “stages”.  Perhaps the one advantage is that we ate slow and enjoyed our evening!

Pray

Continuing to read through John – slowly, but surely.  I’ll make it to the end someday – I have to!  ;-)

Run

It was an “rest” day after my long run.  I spent some time stretching and doing weights – and boy, am I sore!  Squats, lunges, and stair step-ups is like the equivalent of buns of steel!  I also did arms and abs, using weights and stretchy bands at home with my ball.

Today is gross and hot and I’m really not in the mood for a run – at all.  We’ll see what happens…

This is slightly embarrassing to admit, but it seems I have a…”schedule”.  And it always interrupts my long runs.  I wake up every morning at 6 am, and usually have to go to the ladies room at around 7:15 on your average day.  Well, if I’m going for a long run like I was yesterday, then there’s no avoiding that I need to pick a route that has a potty stop about 2/3rds of the way into the run.  And yesterday was no exception.  It’s pretty annoying to be honest, but yesterday was definitely typical, and I’m definitely grateful that I timed my run to go past the county fair grounds, otherwise I would have been in BAD shape.  Anyways, enough about that…

Eat

Breakfast – had about half a berry smoothie before my run, a GU pack mid run, and snacked on some corn chips post-run.

Lunch – 1/2 homemade whole wheat sandwich with honey roasted turkey, pepper jack cheese, and mustard.  Carrots and pineapple, plus some acai pomegranate juice

Dinner – Ratatouille made from CSA zuchinni, CSA eggplant, CSA green pepper, CSA onions & garlic, local tomatoes, mushrooms, and red pepper.  Served with half slice of crusty whole wheat bread.

Snack – I went to a local foods cooking class later in the evening and sampled a few dishes based on cucumbers.  There was a cucumber yogurt, a cucumber salad, and a cucumber salsa.  My favorite was probably the cucumber yogurt served with swiss chard – what a great combo!  I would never have thought of it, but I loved it.

Pray

Riding the fail boat once again – whoops.  Yesterday sort of got away from me and I skipped out on my regular prayer and scripture time by accident.  Perhaps my 2 hrs of listening to worship music during my run can count?

Run

Like I said, yesterday was a long run – 10.1 miles!  It actually went really REALLY well.  I tried a new route that’s a bit more out in the country, and I really enjoyed that.  Seeing the beautiful rolling hillsides full of corn, soybeans, and animals was lots of fun.  The sun was behind the clouds, so it was pretty cool as well.  I didn’t do nearly as much walking, though I wish I had a place to stop for water.  If I’m going to continue long runs in the countryside, I’ll probably need to by a waste belt thing for water bottles.

Towards the end of my run, my legs were definitely getting a bit tired and the knees were sore, but I could have kept going.  This is a good thing because I’ve been worried lately that there’s NO WAY I’m going to make the 13.1 miles on August 14th!  But I’m feeling better about it and I’m getting excited!

Quick recap of Friday and Saturday for ya…

Eat

Let’s just say that I tried.  :-)  Several social events (a gallery opening, a bonfire, a potluck, and church coffee hour) meant that I went WAY overboard on sugar this weekend.  I won’t give you the full low-down on all my meals because you’d probably be shaking your head at me.

However, I will say that homemade spring rolls might be my new favorite thing!  We made them on Saturday and they were delicious and very easy.  Definitely worthy of a try again.

Pray

Still reading and studying through the Psalms, which I’m enjoying.  Also, the book I mentioned on my last post, Amish Grace, has been really insightful as I think about forgiveness.   I’m really enjoying reading about the Amish perspective on the Sermon on the Mount and the Lord’s Prayer.

Run

Friday was a true off day – I did absolutely nothing.  It was wonderful.  Saturday, I ran a quick 2.5 mile run in the morning.  It was windy, but humid – and even though I tried to add some speed, it still felt slow.  *shrugs*   Sunday night, we went for a bike ride around town.  Oy!  My body is definitely not used to the bike.  It was a blessing for my knees to get a break from pounding the pavement, but my arms and legs were sore in new places afterwards.  Plus, I think it may help to get some more appropriate shorts – my poor bum!  :)

A bit of a rest day for me – finally!

Eat

Breakfast – Bowl of cheerios, glass of 1 % milk

Snack – one trefoil Girl Scout cookie (I am sooooo weak when it comes to these!)

Lunch – 1/2 homemade white bread sandwich with honey roasted turkey, Colby cheese, and mustard.  Carrot, strawberry, and acai pomegranate juice

Dinner – Handful of corn chips with homemade guacamole, mac n cheese corn casserole (SO yummy!), and half a jalapeno bratwurst.  Glass of lemonade

I definitely wasn’t completely full at the end of dinner, but satisfied.  I was bummed we didn’t have enough spinach for two salads (DH had the one) so I didn’t quite get enough fruit and veggies yesterday.

Pray

Late night reading of Isaiah 40 and 42 – there is some powerful stuff in there!  I’ve been continuing to pray for discipline, peace, and patience.  Plus, reading the book Amish Grace has gotten me thinking a lot about forgiveness.  A very interesting and worthy read

Run

Gym day + rest day = easy.  I walked for ten minutes on the treadmill just to get a little bit of activity in.  Did some simple squats with a light hand weight, and then box step ups.  Good grief, the step ups were tough!  Definitely good for the quads and hamstring.  I also did bicep curls and tricep presses (I think that’s what they might be called).  Later in the day, I did a bunch of lunges.  Overall, pretty low key.  Yet, my muscles are definitely sore the next day!

I’m not sure how I’ll adjust my running schedule for today and tomorrow.  I still have a 4 mile run to do, but I’m thinking I might shorten it a bit.  I’m also beginning to wonder if it’s completely necessary for me to continue building up miles by 10% each week.  I think it would be easier, though, if I was running 5 days instead of 4 – then I could spread the miles out a bit more.  Argh!  This is way too complicated!  I’m probably over thinking it.  We’ll just see how it goes today – maybe I’ll go for a short two mile run and call it a day.

Here’s the remainder of my training plan, not including rest days or weights, if I stick with my weekly increase and then taper:

Week of 7/26:  10M/ 4.3M/ 2.5M/ 3.5M

Week of 8/2: 11.2M/ 3M/ 2.5M/ 2.5M  (taper)

Week of 8/9:  2M/ 2.5M/ 1M/ 13.1  (taper & Race!)

Today’s run happened!  And it included a lot of wildlife – several rabbits, a large black cat, and I’m sure there were a few other things I’ve forgotten.  Made for an entertaining run for sure.

Eat

B – Pre run handful of cheerios, mid-run GU gel, bowl of Fiber one frosted wheats, glass of 1% milk

S – a few peanut m&ms

L – 1/2 homemade white bread sandwich with smoked pepper turkey, mustard, and cheese.  One carrot, a cup of strawberries, and one caramel delight girl scout cookie  (that cookie was 70 calories!  crazy)

D – smothered Indian cabbage, spinach potato dumplings, cucumber yogurt salad, papad (which are like thin crispy spice indian chips

Pray

Unfortunately, I didn’t plan well today, and have yet to do this.  We all have our days, I supposed, but I’m bummed I didn’t prioritize it more.  Hopefully I can read some scripture before bed.

Run

I have conquered it!  WOOOHOOO!  9.2 miles baby.  I can’t believe it.  It was 70 degrees when I started, but quite humid.  I was pretty slow and low on energy today, probably because I didn’t have a rest day yesterday, which is what I’m used to.  My pace was good for the first half of the run, but I definitely slowed down during the last 3 miles.  They just dragged on forever – I thought it would never end.  I finished in 1 hr 46 min, with a fair amount of brief walking breaks and a bunch of hills to slow me down.  Oh yeah, and the heat.

I got to try out my GU gels.  I got a pack of the chocolate bonanza, and they are yummy! Basically it’s like eating uncooked brownie batter…not that I’ve done that  Washed it down with some water from a drinking fountain at the park, and I was good to go.  I didn’t notice a huge impact on my run, but I think if I had done it about 15 minutes earlier, it would have helped the end-of-run slump.

Tomorrow I’ll be at the gym, probably just on the recumbent bike for a bit, and then perhaps some light upper body weights.  Should be a nice day off for my tired legs.

Cloudy and gray morning, with thunderstorms – which means, delaying the long run yet again!  Yay!  Er, um…boo.

Eat

B – glass of OJ and small bowl of Fiber one shredded wheat

S – couple of peanut M&Ms

L – carrot, peach, and 1/2 sandwich of rare roast beef on homemade white bread with horseradish, plus two girl scout cookies (I have a bit of a cookie thing…)

D -Indian night!  I love Indian food – probably my favorite kind of food.  We had basmati rice, smothered spiced CSA cabbage, and spicy lentils with CSA eggplant, CSA zucchini, and CSA green beans.  The lentil dish is AMAZING!

Pray

I spent some time reading Psalm 10, more of Jeremiah, and skimmed John 5.  I have to say, John 5 is weird!  I was trying to figure out what was in it to learn, and I kinda came up dry.  Maybe tomorrow?

One of the blessings of today was catching up with a friend and former student of mine on the phone – it was such a joy to hear about her mission trip to Uganda and what God has been teaching her about herself, about our own culture, and about faith.  I was so inspired, and it made me want to do an overseas trip even more than I already want to – which is a lot!

Run

A short 2.4 mile run, mostly on the treadmill.  I just don’t think I’m cut out for gym training, I don’t know how people do it.  If I had a friend who was excited about working out and wanted to spend an hour there, that might be fun.  But generally, I just get bored.  *sigh*  Also, I may have strained my hip/quad/hamstring?  I’m not really sure, but I had a good deal more soreness today than usual.  It may be from squats yesterday, or due to the fact that I neglected to stretch post-run today.  Either way, it’s not pleasant, and makes me dread the 9.2 mile run I’ve been putting off long enough.

Speaking of the long run, I think it shall happen tomorrow!  I’m trying to get psyched up for it  I got my GU packs today in the mail, so I’m excited to try those out too.  I also got another couple of pairs of running socks – one pair just wasn’t cutting it in terms of the laundry!  I’ll ‘fess up to not washing them after each run.  It just wasn’t.going.to.happen.  Hopefully the weather will be nice.  I was kind of regretting I didn’t attempt my long run last night because it was beautiful – 75 degrees and no humidity with a slight breeze!  Perfect.  I doubt tomorrow morning at 6 am will be nearly as glorious, but one can hope, right?  :-)

Wish me luck! Or pray for me!

Day 2!  It’s been a hot week, and then today, I woke up to cloudy threatening skies.  Unfortunately, the heat has yet to break.  *sigh*  I’m looking forward to September, what can I say!

Eat

Breakfast:  Bowl of Fiber One Frosted Wheats, small glass of 1% milk

Lunch: White bread sandwich with spinach, sundried tomatoes, feta, pesto, and smoked pepper turkey.  Carrot sticks and apple, plus a glass of ice water

Dinner: We’re planning on some German CSA cabbage, bratwurst, and perhaps some leftover CSA potatoes.  Definitely not the healthiest of meals, but we have a lot of CSA stuff to get used up, and I wanted to try something different

Pray

Reading through the Psalms – today was Psalm 10.  I also read some of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah is one sad and depressing man!  Seriously, it’s sometimes a bit of a downer, though very convicting.  I also finished up John 4.  On my mind for prayers – receiving peace about various blessing God has given me, being thankful, praying for my husband, and…for patience, as always.  Oh, to be more patient

Run

Because of the crummy weather, I ran at the gym today.  And unfortunately, my ipod died halfway through.  Gr!  I’m guessing it was about 2.5 miles total.  Cooled down with a little bit of recumbent bike, and then some seated rows on the weights, and squats.  Tomorrow, I have to work up the motivation to do my 9.2 mile run.  Honestly, I’m dreading it.  With the humidity and heat, running is fast becoming NOT fun.  Plus, as the distances get longer and longer each week, even though my body is adjusting and my endurance is increasing, I can also feel the toll it’s taking on my joints.  I think after this half marathon in August, I’ll be scaling back my mileage a bit, and focus my long runs more on a 10K distance.  But we’ll see.  I get my GU packs in the mail soon, and I’m curious to see how that will impact my stamina and energy when I start to get tired around 75 mins.

Hopefully this isn’t totally boring, but at the very least, it will be GREAT accountability!  Today was a good day – it was beautiful outside!

Eat

B: Small glass of OJ before hitting the gym, then bowl of cheerios and glass of milk afterwards

L: Glass of H20, fresh pineapple chunks, one carrot, and a spinach wrap with pesto, smoked pepper turkey, 1/2 slice of provolone cheese, lettuce, and slices of red pepper – toasted, and dipped in some balsamic vinegar

D: We’re going out to eat, so I’ll have to update tomorrow to let you know  Hopefully I can exercise good self-control, but since we’re celebrating our anniversary, I think it will be a special occasion with a “special” calorie count!

Pray

Read Psalm 9, part of Isaiah, and John 5.  No amazing revelations while reading, but as I was thinking about the fruits of the Spirit, I realize that I struggle with being at peace with things.  Or at the very least, feeling okay with the way things are.  There’s something slightly odd about always longing for more or wanting something to change – you’re never satisfied with how God has blessed you or transformed you.  I guess I realize there is always room for personal growth in faith, but I struggle with the “peace” aspect of it, and I think that influences how I see my surroundings as well.  It would be nice to be content, thankful, grateful, and yet aware that I’m “not there yet.”

Run

2.5 miles, mostly on the treadmill.  I tried to up the speed and incline since it was a shorter run – definitely a more interesting work out!  I will have to keep in mind in the future though that the gym doesn’t have good airflow, and therefore, I should NOT wear one of my new running tanks that’s a bit heavier with the fabric.  I got pretty toasty and sweaty.

My next real run won’t be until Monday – we’re going hiking this weekend, so that will make for a nice substitute and a good break from pounding the asphalt.  :-)