Swim 30, Run 15

I had a very busy morning and afternoon. I met with a great group of ladies for lunch and shopping. It was great, but a bit expensive. I got some great stuff though.

Wait, you're not here to hear about my day with the ladies. I really mention it to let you know why had had to wait to swim until 4:30 today. From the last 2 weeks, I learned that an afternoon swim at Carleton was not the best idea. The men's swim team uses open swim time for their practice time. Just what I need. I already feel fat and slow.

However, I had a break through. After about 10 minutes, I remembered when I rocked a swim! In Guam last summer, I got dive certified. On the first day in the water, we needed to swim 200 yds, to prove we knew how to swim. I was there with 4 other guys, and I felt like I needed to prove something to them.

I knew my strength was swimming. But, I heard another guy was a swimmer too. I got nervous for a bit. I really wanted to kick their asses! When I finished, I heard one guy say, "You've got to be kidding me!" I felt like he was shocked I was the first to finish. It felt great! However, he couldn't believe he still had more laps to do. I like my first impression :) After feeling like I've failed at a bunch of stuff, kicking the butts of those 4 guys felt pretty good.

So, with that memory in my head, I kept going. I was faster than before. Not much, but every bit counts. I feel like my swim during the triathlon will go fairly well. I can't stop swimming now though. I need to keep this as my strong event. Something to hang my hat on.

After the swim, I headed home and out on the trail for a 15 min run. The winds were over 20 mph out of the south. This didn't sound too bad, because I first head north up a big hill, so I was getting pushed uphill. The run felt good. I have no idea how fast I really went, but I think it was under an 11 min mile. That's what I want and need.

Tomorrow is a 30 minute run, followed by weight training. I'm headed to the gym to work on my speed on the indoor track. We'll see how this goes. I'm worried about my speed right now, but I think it's getting better. I'll let you know how it goes...

BIG workout!

I've been doing pretty well on my workouts so far. I've missed Easter and 1 other day, not too bad. However, I missed yesterday. I was tripped on my dog's bone on Friday night, jamming my little toe. It hurt quite a bit yesterday, so I chose to skip my 40min run to make sure I didn't hurt it further. I really should avoid those dog bones. I've broken a few toes on them so far.

The toe felt much better today, so I went out for the big workout. I hit the pool for a 30 minute swim. I've fallen in love with my old pool again. The Cowling Gym pool at Carleton is great! It's in the basement of the gymnasium, and not heavily used. I get my own lane when I swim there. I missed that pool.

The swim was good. I got in 1,500 yds in 30 minutes, or at least I think I got that much in. I loose track often. That's a lot of laps to keep track of. Plus, I get scatter brained when I exercise. All that really matters is that got in 30 minutes of swimming.

Then, I hit gym for my run. It was 38 degrees with 25-30kts winds outside, so I decided to go inside. The gym wasn't busy today, so I had the track almost to myself. There was 1 other guy, walking around for 1/2 of my run. I finished 45 minutes of running is slow and steady form. My goal was to simply not walk. I wanted to get the time in and not worry to much about the distance. If I worry about the distance, the time gets daunting.

I did try to remember to keep my pace up though. I tried to run my thighs and not so much with my calves. I normally have a short stride, which keeps my pace down. When I stretch it out, I can run faster, and that's a big goal of mine.

All in all, it was a great workout. I'm beat now, but happy to have it done. Now, I'm off to varnish our new cedar ceiling in the basement. I hope my arms can hold out...

Swim 15 Run 30

I've been able to stay on track so far. Some days... ok, everyday... it's a struggle to head out for my daily workout. I go, because I know that if I skip a day now, I'll keep skipping days. I'm pretty good at quitting things, so quitting this wouldn't be too hard. But, I can't quit. Not now. I really think I can do this. OK, I know I can do this.

So, off to the pool I went. The locker room was FULL of college girls. This is a bad sign. I didn't want to swim with a pool full of students. I quickly realized they were just finishing their swim, so I thought the pool would be mine. How wrong I was. The men's swim team decided to show up for open swim. However, the chubby girl in lane 1 scared them off and I had a lane to myself. They hovered for a while to see if I would quit soon, but I just kept going. 1,000 yard in 20 minutes. Not too bad.

After a quick change, I hit the gym for my run. Outside wasn't an option because it had snowed today. Not good. The run was slow, and that was OK. I have another run tomorrow, so I didn't need to push it too hard. But, I tried to remember to keep my pace up and not slow to the trot my legs want to go to.

There was this young guy running quickly by me for a few laps. This is not unusual. I'm usually the slowest person on the track. That's fine, because I need to remember I'm only competing with my past performances. After my 30 minute run, I stretched out and headed downstairs to grab my coat. When I got to the bottom, a woman I've never met before told me, "You go girl!" She said she saw me running and was so proud of me. She also asked that she told that boy running laps around me if he saw me out there, and asked him if he wasn't impressed by me. She said she knew how hard it was, and that I did great. Random Acts of Kindness are WONDERFUL! She made my day!

It's been a long time...

Hello all my readers, who ever may still be out there. It's been over a year, but I'm back. I just didn't feel like I had a lot to write. But, now I have a triathlon and a 1/2 marathon to train for. Also, I just restarted my journey on Weight Watchers again. This could be a great time of change or an epic failure. We'll see how it goes.

Today, was 20 minutes of swimming and 25 minutes of running. I hadn't been in the pool for a long time. I really missed it. I love swimming, because it's one sport I've always been able to do. See, I'm not very athletic, nor very coordinated. I've never been good at sports. I think that's why I like the individual races so much. I don't have to compete with anyone but myself in these events.

The swim was good. However, 8 members of the Carleton swim team were there too. It helped me keep my face in the water, because I didn't want to see them snicker at my form in the pool (both types of form). I got 1,000 yds of swimming in during my 20 minute training period. That was about 200 yds further than I expected.

Then, I hit the gym for my 25 min run. I had to go to the gym, because the snow and sleet has returned to Minnesota today. UGH! The gym was busy, due to the sports teams needing to practice indoors today. I was running around that track with the Carelton baseball and softball teams practicing inside the track. I'm sure my flabby body was pure entertainment for them. I did it though! It was slow, but it's a start.

All in all, I think it was a pretty successful day today. I'm please with it. Now, on to a 30 minute run tomorrow before heading off to the wedding of my cousing Mike.

And so, the training begins again...

Volcano!

Greg has been stuck in Manchester, England for 6 days now. Each day, they push his return back another day.

At first it was a bit exciting. Greg was in the middle of history. He was part of the huge news story around the world. Plus, he was part of a natural disaster that I find very cool.

After 2 days, it wasn't so fun any more. It's bringing me down. We were supposed to go on our first overseas vacation this week. We were going to visit our good friend, Brian, in Germany. I'd never been to Germany (outside of Ramstein AFB). We were also supposed to visit our good friends Tina and Randy in Atlanta on our way back from Germany. Both trips have now been cancelled.

Those are not what is getting me down. I really miss Greg. It's the not knowing when I'll see him again that is the hardest. If the volcano shoots off again, or if the bigger one next to it blows, it could be weeks before he's back. I don't think that could happen, but with each day that goes by, the possibility of Greg being gone for weeks becomes a bit more real.

It's been hard to find motivation to work out. I needed to get it together though. I have a triathlon and 1/2 marathon to train for! Today, I got in a workout I'm pretty proud of.

I hopped on my bike for a 45 minutes ride. It's my ride to Dundas and back. It's so pretty and the weather was perfect. Then, I put on my running shoes and hit the road for a 2 mile run. It was tough, but not as hard as I remembered it being after a bike. It gave me hope that I haven't screwed myself too much for this tri.

We'll see how the rest of the week goes. I hope to get into the pool tomorrow with a run through the arb right after. I need to workout for training, but also to make the pain of missing Greg lessen just a bit.

Running after a cold

You'd think I'd get a cold in Minnesota as the weather changes. Nope, I got a cold in hot and humid Mississippi! UGH!

This cold lingered and took my energy from me. I was exhausted and stuffy. This always seems to happen in mid training. I should prepare for being sick each time I get train for a race now.

Today was the first time in 5 days I was able to run. I couldn't wait to try out my lungs, and clear them out a bit. There was a lot going on at home though, so I needed to be prepared for a later day run.

We had day long work going on at our well. I was without water for 7+ hours. The guys needed access to my house, so I didn't fell like I could run off for 20-30 minutes. Then, the water was turned on. A quick call to Greg, and I was going to be off. I tried the water again, but no luck. I had to call the well guy back. After 45 more minutes the water was back on.

The sun was fading, and I didn't think I could go out there. Then, I heard a MOUSE running around in my basement ceiling. UGH!!! I was getting spun up. I needed a release. So, off on a run I went.

I decided to do just a 2 mile run. I tried to keep my pace up, which was a challenge in 15-20 kt winds. I ran it out, I was tired, but I felt so much better for having run.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a 3 mile run, but I'm taking back my swim/run day that I missed. We'll see how that all works tomorrow.

30 minute Swim and 30 minute Run

I finally got back in the pool after almost 2 weeks. It's been far too long since I'd been to a pool. I was looking forward to it, but a bit nervous. How bad was this going to go? How many college kids would be at the pool?

It was a great swim. I completed 1500 meters. So much better than the 1400 2 weeks ago. I swam all but 50 meters as the crawl stroke. I gained a bit of my swimming confidence back. It felt good.

After the swim, it was off for a 30 minute run. I slipped my running shorts, a t-shirt and shoes on then hit the trail. The Carelton College Arboretum was calling my name. It's such a beautiful trail, with some pretty big hills to challenge me.

I forgot how much easier it was to run after a good swim. The 1/4 to 1/2 mile period it usually takes to get into my running grove just wasn't there. The run felt really, really good and almost easy. I was so excited! The hills were tough, but felt good.

The run was slow, but consistent. It just felt good. Have I already said that?

Blue Lightning!

Today was another beautiful day! I'm so glad I saw this coming and planned to ride my bike today. A 50 minute ride was in order for today, and I was so excited to hop back on my bike.

2 weeks ago, Greg hooked my bike up to the stationary trainer in the spare room. It was good to be on it then, but something was missing. I figured out what that was today... wind!

I freed my bike, filled my best water bottle up with cold water, put on my sunglasses, gloves and helmet, then I brought the bike down to the driveway. I reset the bike computer and set out for my first ride on the open road this year.

It felt so good. I actually missed my bike. I couldn't believe it! I missed this thing that I really wasn't excited about last year. I thought after the first mile or 2 that my love affair would fade and the pain would set in.

I was wrong! I hit a hill, and leaned on my handle bars to get up that hill. It was just like RAGBRAI and felt so right. It was like my bike and I had a connection, that didn't fade during the winter months.

The love continued to grow with each mile. I road through town, and along the Cannon River to the next town. I saw the trees beginning to bud. I saw the full river moving swiftly along. I saw local cows next to the town compost site. I saw Dundas, MN. I had a smile that just kept growing.

I love my bike now. I loved it so much, that I decided to name it. People name cars all the time. You name the things you love. Since I now love my bike, I named it Blue Lightning! Ah, the love of a bike.

Tomorrow, it's off to the pool.

Merging the trainining

One of my big challenges is trying to figure out how to merge my sprint triathlon training with my 1/2 marathon training. I figure what ever day has the most activity is what I will do. I will also keep my 1/2 marathon distance days (Fridays).

This weekend I'm doing a 5K with Lael, or rather I'm running a 5K while she runs a 10K. With the 5K coming up, I decided to move up my distance day to today. This week held a 4 miler in my future. The weather finally warmed up and the wind died down, so today was the perfect day for a run.

The first mile was tough. I've realized this week how much I've hurt myself over the past few months. I've really let myself go. I've gained too much weight. I haven't kept up with my workouts. Now, I'm struggling a bit.

Normally, the pain and struggle would make me stop running. Instead, I just think that this is temporary. This is how I will feel during the 1/2 marathon or during the run portion of the triathlon. I'm training for the struggle too. Struggle can be good. Struggle is really going to make me stronger. I need to be happy that this is tough. I need to get a mental workout too.

At 3.75 miles, my side ache that I'd been battling for 1/2 mile caught up with me. Or rather, it caught my breath. I had to stop and walk to catch my breath. I felt defeated at first. Then, I heard Greg tell me that walking isn't a failure. I'm in training. I still got my mileage in. It wasn't what I expected, but it was a success.

Tomorrow, biking outside! I can't wait!!

wii fit plus!

Today I decided to work my wii fit plus routines. Greg and I got our wii from his son for Christmas, and I had no idea how much fun it would be. I went out the next week and bought wii fit. I love it!

First, I started with 30 minutes of yoga/strength training routines. It is amazing that the little balance board can figure out how well you are doing.

Next, I moved onto 40 minutes of various exercises. Wii lets me select which parts of my body or areas I would like to work on. I picked 5 different areas, with 3 different routines for each area. It keeps me moving and keeps me interested.

After I was finished, I was sweating bullets. There are a few routines that I struggle with, but grin and bare it. However, I'm loving boxing, judo, hula hoops, biking, snowball fighting and skate boarding.

I think the Wii Fit is going to be good for me. I can work on other parts of my body I ignore when running or biking. It should be fun. Although, I hate my HUGE Mii character. It takes your weight and adds size to your character. I'm going to shrink that Mii if it kills me :)

Motivation

Motivation came come in all forms. My friend just found it in a total stranger at the gym. I know I need more than that. I need a goal to work towards. I need a BIG goal.

I got it today! Greg, my stepson and I made the lottery for the Grandma's 1/2 marathon in June! From everything I've heard, it's an amazing event! The best thing is, I don't have to fly to a destination for it.

I've felt so unmotivated the past few months. I've eaten horribly, planning to start my Weight Watchers plan the next day. The next day never came. Well, the next day is today!

I ate a good breakfast, drank more water, and hit the road. It was my first outdoor run in Minnesota in 2010. It felt great! What a wonderful 5K + it was! The sun was shinning, the snow melting, and a very light wind.

I hope this motivation sticks. Now the diet begins again...

Wagons

I haven't just fallen off the wagon in the past month or so. I fell off and ran from it. Not good. I've gained between 10-15 pounds. Ugh!

I need to get back on the wagon. I need to buckle down. I need to follow Weight Watchers to the T again.

I started today to eat healthier. I ran for 30 good minutes. And so it begins.

Pray for me as I try to catch that damn wagon!

(this painting is by my great uncle Duane Bryers)

Running Skirts?

A new triathlon store just opened up in my little town! I went to the open house last week, and entered a drawing. The next day, I discovered I was a winner! Yipee! I went and picked up my winning the next day. Much to my surprise, I won a pair of SkirtSport pants (seen on the left).

What the heck? A skirt on running tights? Very odd. Would I like them? They did come in my size, which is handy. I told Lael about them, and she assured me I would like them.

I only have 1 pair of running pants right now. I LOVE my current pants! They are very cozy and warm during the cold Minnesota runs. I knew that if I kept running outdoors this winter I would need another pair of pants. Now, a pair had fallen in my lap!

I had also been wondering what do wear during the 1/2 marathon in 6 days. Again, I LOVE my current pants, but they are warm. In the upper 40s/50s they can be almost too warm. Will they be too warm when my mileage increases? But, will it be too cool for shorts? The temperatures should be in the upper 40s for the start and near 60 at the end. What to do?

So, I decided to try out these new girlie pants today. It was 44 degrees, with a slight breeze. I felt it was a good temperature to test them out at. It was a bit cool for me. I'm so used to my wonderful trusty warm pants, that I prepared to feel cool. It did hold back the wind though, just not the 44 degree temperature.

At the end of my 5K training run, I thought that these might be my perfect solution for the 1/2 marathon. They seem to be a good in between set of pants. Don't get me wrong, I am bringing along my old trusty pants and a set of shorts just in case.

Pants and a skirt... still odd.

Wordle

OK, so I saw this on my friend's blog. It looked so cool I had to try it myself. I did this on http://www.wordle.net/.

It's pretty darn cool to see what words I use the most. I'm surprised good is so big. I'm glad to see Greg is larger than most.

7 Days until the 1/2 marathon. I can't wait!

Turkey Trot and 5 mile Run

Thanksgiving was a beautiful and crisp day. I decided to run the Turkey Day 5K again this year. Last year was very slow and painful. I was much heavier, and really just getting back into running after a few months off. I did it last year so I could eat dinner with less guilt. I ran it this year for much the same reason, but also to continue my training.

I talked Lael into doing it with me this year. She is doing such an amazing job with her training. She is working towards the Danskin Triathlon next year with the rest of us girls. Anyway, I picked her up at 7:15am, and we headed to Minneapolis.

This is a beautiful run through downtown. We started at the Target Center and headed down towards the metrodome. A few blocks from the dome, we turned and ran in front of the Guthrie Center. After the Guthrie, we turned and ran up along the Mississippi river, and behind the Warehouse district. It was gorgeous! There is also a stretch of wooden roads back there.

The run felt great! I was motivated and inspired by all the runners around me. It was amazing to note the difference from last year. What a difference a year makes. Lael did great too! It is wonderful to know you have a friend out there. I'm just so inspired by her. I'm so glad she's game to do these races with me! What a great way to spend time with one of my very best friends!!

Today, I ran an easy 5 miles. I'm in the heart of tappering for my 1/2 marathon. It's now on ly 8 days away! I think I'm ready, but we'll see. The nerves are starting to set in. I'm trying to ignore it, but it's gaining strength. I need to just concentrate on spending time with Greg and Kari in Vegas. How lucky am I? I get to spend a weekend in Vegas with 2 more of my best friends. I'm blessed.

8 miles run, 15 days left...

Today was a good day to go for a run. Just a few puffy clouds, temps in the upper 40s, but a pretty good Southerly wind (maybe not so good).

I had my power breakfast of coffee and Peanut Butter/ Pumpkin Butter sandwich. An half hour later, I hit the trail.

The first 2.5 miles were good, because the wind was at my back for the first 1/2, then it was a nice crosswind. However, when I turned to head south, the wind hit me head on. My southern leg is downhill, so I didn't think it would be that bad, but it was. The wind slowed me down by quite a bit. The last tenth of a mile is uphill, and that was so hard. It was made more difficult, because on my 8 mile route, I had to do this southern leg 3 total times. Ugh!

After 3 miles, I turned around to do it all over again. The next 2 miles were good, again. I really enjoyed my music and the sights around me. I could appreciate the plowed fields, the wild prairies, and the un-harvested cornfield next to the hospital. The site I didn't enjoy... the St Olaf College wind turbine spinning very fast. In the words of my niece... I'm just going to ignore that.

The 2nd time encountering my southern leg wasn't quite so bad, because I knew it would kick my butt. At 6 miles, I turned around and headed back out for my last 2 miles, this time heading home at the hospital entrance.

Those last 2 miles were good. I felt strong. I felt pretty confident. I was happy.

At 8 miles I was happy to be done. I also felt like if I had to I could have kept running. Now, don't get me wrong, I didn't want to keep going. I was very happy to be done. Now, the really tapering begins! Only 15 days until my half marathon!!!

*** One addition. Upon further review, I ran 8.26 miles yesterday. Here's the route... http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/us/MN/Northfield/891125891008487925. I ran it in 1:26:10. Not too shabby for my sorry butt :)

10 miler!

Today was the big training day, the dreaded 10 miler! This was terrifying and exciting all at the same time. I was excited to see what my body was capable of now.

After a quick PB&J I hit the road. Greg had been out for 1 1/2 hours already, doing his 10 miler. I was excited to see him along the way.

The weather was beautiful. Not a cloud in the sky, temperatures in the upper 40s and about 10kts of NE winds. Not too shabby, especially after the wet and cold fall we've had so far.

The first 2 miles felt great. It was hard to slow my pace, but I tried to remember how much it would pay off in the long run. I saw Greg almost 1 mile into my run, as he had a little under 2 miles left in his day. It was so good to see him, and he look fairly happy for this distance. It gave me hope and encouragement.

The route we planned was to follow the path out from our house, 1.5 miles, come back and repeat 2 more times, then head back out 1/2 mile and turn around to head to the house. It sounded like such a good plan.

After 2 miles, the thoughts of how many more times I'd pass a certain corn stalk were creeping into my head. I started my mental countdown. I was obsessing over what I had left. If I could just get to 5 miles things would be better.

At 5 miles, things did get better. I don't know why, but once I pass the 1/2 way point, everything else seems so much easier. It's as if everything is now downhill. Don't get me wrong, it was still tough, but so much easier than miles 3 and 4.

The last 2 miles included a lot of grunting. It wasn't grunting for the sake of pain. It was grunting for the emotion of 2 more miles, 1.8 more miles, 1.6 more miles... I just wanted to be done.

At mile 9, I was just across the street from my house. It would have been so much easier to just go home, but no! I had to turn around and head out for another 1/2 mile, then back. That was a very hard 1/2 away from home.

I do feel good about being done with the 10 miles. It's only been 1.5 hours since the big run, so the runners high hasn't kicked in yet. We'll see if euphoria hits tonight. Right now, I just want to take a nap on the couch next to Greg (who is sleeping as I type).

Oh yeah, I ran it in 1 hour 47 min and 10 seconds.

8.1 MILES!!!

Today was just a normal training day for our 1/2 marathon. However, last Saturday, we were supposed to run for 8 miles. Instead we ran a Halloween 5K run. It was a great run, and I wouldn't change what we did for anything. However, we had this 8 miles looming over our heads.

As Greg and I were flying down to Keesler AFB, we talked about what we were each going to do for training. Greg had planned on doing his 8 mile run today, to get it out of the way. See, on Saturday we are supposed to run 6 miles, then 9 miles the next week. It just made sense to get our 8 miles out of the way.

However, I have my Air Force Physical Fitness Test this weekend. I need to run 1.5 miles for time. I'm doing so much better than I've done in 15+ years. I'm excited to see what I can do. So, would running for 8 miles before this test be in best interest?

I originally thought that long distances now wouldn't be good for me. Then, Greg planted the 8 mile seed in my brain. I realized that my faster times have been coming after 50 minute runs. Those are 5 mile runs. 8 miles would not hurt me. So, I was in! It was going to be perfect, because I wasn't schedule to fly until tonight, so I didn't have to go to work until 3pm. I could sleep in and still run!

We did sleep in and had a great breakfast of Special K and bananas. I didn't have my morning coffee, but Coke Zero filled the caffeine gap for me. I hit the road at 10:30am. It was perfect! The temperatures were in the low 60s (better than our MN highs in the 40s). All the Active Duty Air Force PT was done by now. We had the road to ourselves.

The first mile was tough, but it always is. However, I was running in my favorite place, the Keesler AFB flight line path! My squadron was out flying touch and goes during this time, so it was even more motivating.

Greg had mapped out a 8 mile run, that was 4 miles out and back. It was perfect for me! I got to see the flight line twice!! I got to my 4 mile point and was so excited to turn back around. It was so much easier to head home than out. I really tried to keep a slower pace on the way out. I didn't want to use up all of my energy in the first 1/2. It was also very hard not to look at my times. I was in it for distance, not time.

At 6.2 miles, I realized I was now in no man's land. I'd never run more than 6.2 miles in my life! At 6.6 miles, I knew I was at the half way point of my half marathon. I felt good! I can do this!

At 7 miles, I saw my boss. As we stood there running in place, he told me that he'd been trying to get a hold of me. We had storm tasking for tomorrow, so my night flight was cancelled. Did I want to fly a tropical storm invest tomorrow? Of course!

The last mile was great! I was on the home stretch! And, I was flying a storm the next day! I love my job so much, and still get a thrill during every tropical storm/hurricane flight. What a great day!

Greg finished 7 minutes behind me. We were slow, but 8 miles are now in the history books. However, after further review, we see we did 8.1 miles. Every tenth of a mile counts! Can we really do this 1/2 marathon thing? YES!!!

Grey Ghost Run

This year, Greg and I decided to run the Anoka, MN Grey Ghost Run. Anoka is the Halloween capital of the world! That and it is just north of my home town of Coon Rapids. The timing of the run seemed perfect for our training, giving us one more taste of a group run before the big 1/2 marathon.

This run was different from others that I've done. It started at 12:50pm. An odd time, but it did make sense. The Grande Day Parade began at 1:00pm. How does this make sense? The first mile of our route was the parade route. We began the parade. How crazy is that?

There were so many people in funky costumes in the race. I saw a ton of cats, teenage mutant ninja turtles, and Matrix dudes (odd). The best was a group of 6 basketball player, complete with a hoop on wheels. They looked like a great 80's vintage team with fabulous wigs!

There were about 1500 people running this day, so the start was chaos. Greg and I had decided early on the run our own race, and not with each other. It was a great decision, because we lost each other about 50 feet into the race. My family was about 1/2 mile down the road, so it was exciting to know we'd see them along the way. However, they only saw me because I yelled at them. They did find Greg though.

The first mile was GREAT! There were so many people cheering us on, and high fiving the runners. It really pumped me up! Beginning mile 2, the crowd disappeared. We left the parade route and hit the neighborhoods. Then, the hills came up. It was a very hilly 2 miles. Just past the 2 mile point, we turned back around to head to our finish line. About 1 minute after my turn around, there was Greg! I still can't believe we saw each other. He was doing so well.

The end was just as chaotic as the beginning. They had 3 corrals to collect our run numbers. They girls collecting the numbers were moving slow, and the line dragged. This is not what I needed after running a hilly race. I went from pushing it at the end, to a dead stop. Not good! The line moved so slow, that I missed Greg's big finish. I'm just glad he suggested I bring my phone with me. I never would have found him without it.

I finished in 30:15, and Greg finished in 32:20. It was a good run, and even better when I consider that I didn't train much last week because I was down with a cold that sucked the life out of me. I'm still pretty happy with my time.

Another day, another mouse...

Another morning with a mouse fight! This time, it was alive and cornered by my cats. Why me? Greg will be home in 2 shorts days. Couldn't the mice wait until then?

I moved the dog's food away from the wall, to give the cats access to the mouse. The chase was on, until the mouse hid behind a cabinet in the dinning room. After moving the cabinet from the wall, I realized it was hollow underneath, and the mouse was hiding there.

I had been texting Greg with updates up until this point. He called me to give me some advice. I said that I just wanted this to end, when the mouse shot out into the dinning room. I screamed like Jason from Friday the 13th was coming for me. I'm sure this felt really good on Greg's ears. I told him the mouse was out and I had to go, then I tossed my phone on the coffee table.

After 2 minutes of screaming bloody murder, I finally trapped the mouse and chucked it off the deck. I tried to pour a cup of coffee to calm down before calling Greg back, but was just to shaky. I reached for my phone and saw that he was still on the line. I hung up for some reason, but called him right back. Yup, he heard the whole thing. I felt so bad for him, and so embarrassed at the same time.

I was worn out after that 45 minute battle. I had a day out planned with one of my girlfriends, so I put off my 50 minute run until this afternoon. At 4:30pm, I hit the road. It was a great 3.5 miles, but then I had horrible cramps. I had to stop and walk slowly home. I'm very disappointed that I only got 34 minutes in, but tomorrow is a new day.

We'll see what the mice bring tomorrow. Hopefully, the house will be mouse free in the morning, and I can go for a good bike ride around noon. It should be a good day.