Running for Jen

This is one of the better runs that I have had in quite a while.  I felt good from the start.  I even reset my watch so that it would notify me when I ran too slow.  I wound up finishing in 1:45:01, which is a lot better than I have been doing.  I was out the door just before 8:00am.  It also remained overcast for at least the first 7-8 miles.  I did notice that with each mile after about the 5th one, I was starting to slow down.

I decided to run outside this morning so that I could get an extra 15-20 minutes of sleep and still get to work by 7:30 for our first day with students in class.  It was warm, of course.  This course is really not what I would call easy.  There are three decent hills that I am running per loop.  Initially, I had my watch set so that the alarm would go off when I ran too slow, but I turned it off since it seemed kind of loud at 5:00 in the morning.   Once again, my time was not good, but I felt okay.

I went to the gym this morning to run.  My run was okay outside of some stomach issues.  I had to limit my miles to 6 so that I could make a stop before work.  My stomach felt funky for a good part of the morning, but eventually, I felt back to normal.

I had a decent run this morning at the gym.  I was really tired, but fortunately my legs felt decent.  I took yesterday off, but I am still getting used to being back on my feet all day.  It usually takes a week for my legs and feet to get into the swing of things.  I didn't run very hard, but did take it up during the last mile since I am scheduled to run a 5K this Saturday.

Today's run was not so good.  I didn't feel bad, but I just wasn't moving very quickly.  I ran outside at just after 5:00am.  It was really dark this morning. I had my flashlight, which made me feel a bit more comfortable.  I was happy to get it done.

This race started at 10:00am, which was a bit late then I am used to, but it worked out better than I thought since we had gone out last night.  I was tired and it was warm, but I felt pretty good.  It was overcast for a bit more than half the race, but then the sun came out.  It then became very hot.  Mentally, I felt pretty good.  We got to the race about 20 minutes before it started and I am kind of glad that it worked out that way. It gave me less time to think about the race.  By the time I got my number and warmed up, it was almost time for the race to start.  Given the heat and humidity, I was happy with how I did.  I felt as though I ran my best given the weather and the fatigue from going out the previous night.

UPDATE:  I got the race results last night and learned that I actually finished 34th overall not 47th.

I was sore yesterday and chose to take the day off since it was the day after a race.  I got up this morning and felt sorer today then I did yesterday.  I remained up and went to the gym (I actually didn't feel too tired).  Based on the soreness, I really didn't think that I would be able to run.  I was, which was good, although my pace was slower than it normally would have been.  Due to my pace, I had to limit my miles to six.  I will make up the additional mile tomorrow.

My run this morning was awful!  I was still sore from Saturday's 5K for some reason.  I decided to run outside (versus the gym) this morning so that I could get an extra 15 minutes of sleep.  I could tell right from the start that this was not going to be pretty.  It also seemed quite dark for my first two loops (moon was not out to help), even though I had my flashlight.  Things were so bad that all of sudden I would find myself walking and wondering when that happened and why.  It was as if I was running so slow that I might have well been walking.  It was humid as usual and I, of course was tired after only getting 6 hours of sleep.  Once it cools off, I have to seriously consider running after work at least a day or two.  My other thought was to run a two-a-day once a week.  Right now, it is still in the 90's every day, therefore running outside is not in the cards.  I hate running at the gym after work unless I have no other choice.  It is a mental thing with me.

When I went to the gym this morning, I was a little concerned about how I was going to do.  Overall, my runs have not been very good for the last few months.  I am happy to report that I felt better than I anticipated.  I felt fine throughout and was finally able to get to 10 minute miles after mile 5.  I always feel better when I am finished.

I was back at the gym this morning for another 7 mile run.  I would say that today was very similar to yesterday, although I felt a bit better prior to starting (mentally) than I did yesterday.  My plan is to run outside tomorrow for hopefully at least 10 miles.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. It is still quite hot here, but we are getting some rain.

For the first time since we moved to Georgia, I ran with a group.  It was really nice to not run by myself.  My husband introduced me to someone through his work that is a runner and asked me to meet up with them.  I hesitated for a few months mainly due to my need for sleep on Saturdays and because I thought that I may be too slow for them.  He ran into this person again last night and put her on the phone with me.  I am so glad that I went to the group run.  Everyone was so nice and welcoming.  I just went with the flow and followed the person in front since I was not familiar with the route.  My pace was good, although I forgot to turn the auto pause function back on, on my watch, so my time reflects that it took longer.  We also stopped for water breaks which was great.  I plan on joining them again for the Saturday run.  

I didn't get outside to run until after 10:00am.  Fortunately, it was cloudy, but it was still very humid.  My legs felt very tired.  I am assuming that it stems from my run yesterday.  I wasn't sore at all, but my legs felt heavy.

Given the few hours of sleep that I was able to get, I felt alright when I woke up.  Unfortunately, I still had to step outside into the very high humidity and run my four loops.  This was not pretty.  I turned off my watch as soon as I was done.  I keep telling myself that once it cools down a bit, I will attempt to run after work outside so that I can get a bit more sleep.  I will just play it by ear and see what happens.  For now, I just know that I need to get some more sleep.

I woke up exhausted, which was expected based on my last two nights of sleep.  I did manage to get myself to the gym and run 6 miles.  My run was fairly consistent with how I have been running.  I did slow down after each mile to help me get through it.  I am looking forward to sleeping tomorrow.

I stepped outside this morning for another humid run. Today was better than Monday's run outside.  I am assuming that this is because I got a tad more sleep and I took yesterday off.  I felt pretty good actually.

I was back at the gym this morning.  I was tired, but alright, probably because it is Friday.  I felt a little off for the first 2-3 miles, but eventually got into a groove.  I was able to kick out the last 3 miles at a 10:00 minute/ mile pace.  Sportscenter and the news kept me company.

I ran 12 miles this morning in preparation for possibly doing a December marathon.  I am contemplating the Rocket City marathon, which would be 17 weeks away.  This is the first time that I have run over 10 since my last marathon, which was last December.  Overall, I felt fine.  I ran with the group that I was with last weekend.  It was overcast and humid.  Running with the group forced me to keep a good steady pace.  I finished in 2:08, which was fine with me. 

I slept in this morning, which was desperately needed.  Unfortunately, I still felt tired when I got up.  The sun was out, which made it quite toasty outside.  It didn't help that it was also after 9:30 am.  I got through it though, and ran better than I expected.  I was also planning on going only 7 miles, so the extra half mile was a nice perk.

I chose to run outside this morning so that I could get my 7 miles in and still get to work by 7:30.  I felt pretty good with walking primarily limited to my water break at every 1.75 miles.  My time didn't represent how I felt.

I felt alright this morning for my run at the gym, although I did wake up with my nose feeling a bit stuffed.  I really hope that I am not getting sick.   I almost considered running from home since it seemed just a tad cooler than it has been and the moon was out and full, but I chose to go with my plan for the morning.  I started out a bit slower than normal, but did eventually pick up the pace for the final two miles.  Sportscenter kept me company.  I am looking forward to my day off tomorrow as I have run the past 6 days straight.

I thought that I would feel better than I did this morning.  I chose to run outside and felt a bit sluggish.  It wasn't as hot as it has been, but it was still warm.  No need to mention how long it took me to run as the time was terrible.

I ran at the gym this morning, which was a good idea since it was pouring when I got up.  My dogs didn't even want to go outside since it was raining so hard.  I started out feeling a bit sluggish and then found myself slowing down at least once a mile to either blow my nose or go to the bathroom (I must have been a lovely sight).  I did finally get the pace up by the start of mile 5 and completed mile 7 by taking it up a notch every 2/10 of a mile.  I wanted to get my legs moving a bit faster since I am running the run portion of a sprint triathlon on Sunday as part of a relay team.

It was so nice to get some sleep last night.  I didn't get out the door to run until after 9:30am.  Fortunately, it was overcast and not as humid as it has been.  It was still warm, but tolerable.  I felt alright during my run.  No aches or pains, just some general fatigue.  I just listened to some music and tried to enjoy the run.  Time wasn't good, but as I said, I never felt bad, so I am alright.  I am running the run portion of a triathlon tomorrow, which is why I kept my mileage low. 

Tomorrow morning is suppose to be nice.  I should be able to start my run somewhere between 8:15 and 8:30am.

I was having a good time until I saw the final time on my watch.  I was really disappointed with how I performed.  It should have taken me at least a minute less to finish this course. 

I participated as a member of a triathlon relay team handling the run portion of the event.  From the time I arrived until the time I started running, a good 2 hours had passed.  It was a beautiful morning as the air was actually a tad cool.  The spirit at the event was great.  My team member that swam did well and our cyclist came in just a tad slower than he anticipated.  I was excited and nervous when I started running.  A woman actually cheered me as I was the first woman that she saw (hopefully she noticed the R on the back of my leg indicating that I was on a relay team rather than one of the first woman to hit the run course after the other two events).  I know that I completed mile  in 8:20, which was too slow.  I did feel as though it took me a while to get going.  My only thought is that I am not used to standing around for so long prior to a 5k.  I am not sure what my splits were after that, but I felt as though I was running my tail off.  I felt that nauseated feeling during the last mile.  My final time on my watch did show that I ran 3.2 miles instead of 3.1.  My only thought on this is that I may have run around one of the loops too wide.

 I found myself disappointed about this all day, partly because my time affected how we did as a team.  Fortunately, we did come in under their goal of one hour and thirty minutes.  I finally saw the race results yesterday and we finished as a team at least in 9th place out of 22 teams. There is a reason why I participate in individual sports and not team sports.

To be positive, there was a nice coolness in the air as the temperatures were in the upper 60's.  Unfortunately, this is where the positive ends.  I ran my usual 4 loops for a total of 7 miles.  It took me a whopping hour and 19 minutes to finish, which is about what my average time has been these days.  It shouldn't take me more than an hour and 10 minutes.  I feel as though I have been in this funk for quite a while now.  I have been thinking about a way to get more sleep and eat a bit better in the hopes that it will help my running overall.