Running Thoughts

I'm on vacay. No workout even though I'd thought I'd fit in some push ups, etc....Feels like visiting with family is more important at the moment. Back in the groove when I get home. Leaving tomorrow and will get home tomorrow night after a long day of driving. I'm excited about writing out my new year plans! And I got some great new runnin' gear to show off.... Stay tuned!!

Have a Merry Christmas! Love my garmin. Love my new water bottle. Loved my 3 mile run! Started off slowly, then picked up speed and felt great!

I have tried to blog...really, I have. But cyberspace ate my post and I got discouraged and am just now getting back to it. The disappearing post was about the O2 Diet and how it doesn't give me what I need for running...I figured it out and if I can remember to drink some gatorade before I leave, I feel good...FINALLY. It had been a long time since a run felt good...since I had energy. I even ran a short 2 miler at under a 10 min pace..very quick for me. Yippee! Interestingly, the author of the O2 Diet is a marathoner....I don't know how. The diet is supposed to give you energy, but I can tell you for sure, it isn't enough for me. I do love getting the anti-oxidants in and being more aware of those cancer fighting substances. I plan to do another few days of O2 cleanse after Christmas. Here is a day of the O2 (not the cleanse, but just a regular day): omelet with 1 whole egg and 2 whites with feta orange water with 1 ounce of lemon cup of green tea (black coffee, i...

Well, I finally had a run that seemed worth blogging about! It seems like I'll never get going really well again...missing those long runs, weekly runs only up to 3 miles...can't get over that 3 mile mark lately. Plus, I have had so little energy...not unusual for someone with hashimoto's thyroiditis. Still, frustrating. But, before my great leg workout yesterday....before the funsprints I ran with my kids the day before that....and before the back/shoulder lifting workout the previous day....I went for a really awesome run. It was still short...only a little over 2 miles...and it was soooooooo cold, but I felt great! I had energy! I ran fast for slowme. And I ran hill sprints at the end. I got into a grooooove, and was so happy. :) So, it's been several days, and I'm still thinking about it. The way the cold air felt on my face....the rhythm that has eluded me lately and felt so right...the trickle of the river as it tries to break through the ice...the...

Here is the text on the parts you can't read: the frame where I'm looking through my hands... "choose a base layer, moisture wicking shirt with thumbholes" Me, looking middle-eastern in my neck gaiter.... "how many ways can you wear your neck gaiter?" (mine is a buff brand, tee shirt weight neck gaiter. It can be worn as a pirate hat too...hahaha! I also have a fleece one that is not as versatile, but good for super cold days.) I forgot to mention the pants...I prefer running pants over tights, but tights are good too. I just like that a little flare at the ankle keeps snow out of the top of my shoes. But I have ankle gaiters too. Here they are. The mittens are moisture wicking fleece with flaps so that I can use my fingers for my ipod if I take it and so I can re-tie a shoe, etc. Yak Tracks allow me to run even if there is a little powder on the road, and not fall flat on my face! So, there ya have it. Winter Running=Fun!

....a post about winter running gear! Stay Tuned!

I know I've been a terrible blogger! The good news is that I've not been terrible at keeping up my fitness plans....until this past week, that is. I've been sick this past week...I call it having the snockers. Snot. And lots of it. I woke up today feeling almost normal! So, I donned some cool weather running duds and headed out for my first run in a week! I nearly drowned in snot, but loved every minute of it! Because the first day feeling anywhere near normal is so super human...I plan to lift as well. And get back to those push-ups! But what I really want to say is that I found this: wishpot What's on your fitness wishlist?? Create a free account, download your wishpot button and get busy! It's nearly December! More later after lifting/push-ups!

I'm 2 days into the O2 cleanse.... Day 1 was fine except for the slight headache and lack of energy. I also had an afternoon nauseated time...don't know what that was about, but I felt it again today. Day 2 was similar to Day 1 with some spurts of energy and some lightheadedness. The lightheadedness went away after I ate my boring but nutritious lunch which was late because I'd been nauseated and not feeling like eating. Oh well, cleanses can be that way. I discovered that normal green tea tastes yummy as opposed to the green tea I had been drinking which has added anti-oxidants and tastes like flowers. Flowers smell good. Taste not-so-good. A highlight of the day was when a friend emptied their freezer to move it and brought over a large box full of push-ups, eskimo pies, and nutty buddies. >sigh Spinach and green tea for me right now. I ran 2 miles with very little energy, but managed some accelerations on the mile home. A bigger highlight of the day was seeing...

I had this great idea as a board member for the community arts organization where I live!! I volunteered to teach a youth story-telling workshop over a weekend in September with a mystery dinner as a culminating event. It was super-fun!! I had a great time and spent some quality running time planning it in my mind. It was a big success, with a group of 15 kids in attendance! I intended to teach the workshop "pro bono." I got a check in the mail today for the workshop...a big check. I'm keeping the amount for my expenses and enough to buy some new great running shoes (haven't decided which ones yet!) and donating the rest back!! Tomorrow!!!! Tomorrow I begin a dietary cleanse and 32 day eating challenge. Sara and I are following the O2 Diet book to cleanse and to lose this stubborn muffin top and to become more aware of healthy anti-oxidant foods and how to include more of them in recipes. So, tomorrow is day 1 of a 4 day cleanse and then phase II will inclu...

Update.... Last week included two 3 mile runs with accelerations, yoga twice, and weights. My kitten popped my exercise ball and one of my dumb bells fell of the workout bench and broke. I've procured a new workout ball, but the dumb bell is doomed. I plan to contact Bowflex about getting a replacement...they're the expensive adjustable weights, you see, and I never planned to buy anymore. They were supposed to last me a lifetime. So much for that. My family and I enjoyed a fun-filled weekend trip full of fall colors and friends, and today I got to get out for my 5 mile long-run of last week. I jogged easy up the road for a mile and it started to rain. I decided to run fast back home and finish on the treadmill because I wasn't prepared for rain and it was cool. I ran back for a 10 minute second mile (fast for slow me) and the sky had cleared....fickle mountain weather..., so I turned and ran back up the road for 1..5 miles and back with a final (fifth) mile of 11 m...

Four miles nice and easy. My leg didn't hurt one bit, only my normal hip problems and that wasn't as bad as it could be either. Maybe a rest did my hip some good too. I'm trying to really be aware of my posture too and that may be helping. Nice, peaceful run. AAAAHHHHH!

I'm so excited to run 4 miles tomorrow. It means that I'm ready to build up my mileage again. My leg is nearly 100% better, and I'm in love with outdoors in Autumn. My longest run since twisting my leg was 3 miles which caused me to need to rest the leg more. I've been a good girl, holding back, healing, and getting geared up to re-start, which is my favorite thing about this whole running journey. It's always there, waiting for me. A lot like God.

little bit of a scratchy throat and headache lately... but not all out sick, so I continue! I have been off on eats, but not waaay off...I'm hangin in there with strength training, running, and yoga. Here's how it's been... A little birthday cake (my daughter turned 16...), a little run, a little birthday cake, a little lifting, a little birthday cake... so you can see that the problem is that there has been more birthday cake than anything else! Hahaha Along those lines...Happy Birthday to Ruthie who is avoiding birthday cake and running 13.1 to celebrate! I'm staying pleasantly sore, so I'm challenging myself in spite of the yummy cake. I'm following the plans in the book, The New Rules of Lifting for Women, which basically says to lift like a man. :) I'm planning a long run of just 4 miles this weekend... starting over is fun! I get to work back up...and 4 miles sounds so easy!

I could have walked more. I could have done strength training. I could have. But I didn't. I did walk some and I did go on a couple of hikes, but mostly I sat on my butt all this last week. Oh, and ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. Here's what happened since my last post. I went to a baby shower. A very dangerous baby shower. Dangerous because I sat on the floor with my leg tucked behind me for a long time. When I got up, I could hardly walk. Next day...could hardly walk. Next day...better, but still painful. So, I determined to rest my leg before running again. It is from that point that I not only rested my leg but did absolutely nothing toward my fitness goals. So, there you have it...I've been a lazy bum in the fitness world. I did teach a fun storytelling workshop that culminated in a mystery dinner. I did homeschool my children. I did go for hikes with them. I did babysit some sweet little friends. I did. But adhere to my fitness plan, I d...

My leg still bothers me, but feels soooo much better! I took it on a test run yesterday! 2 miles that felt really good, so I bumped up the speed. I have no idea what my pace was, but it was fast for me. Yay for being strong enough to make myself rest. My leg did ache last night, but today feels pretty ok again. I feel it, don't get me wrong...but it's healing quickly. I stole Sara's bike and have been riding it this week. I'd post a pic, but my computer is having trouble and I'm borrowing my kids' computer. So, maybe later. I think I am going to buy the bike from Sara, so it will soon be mine. I wanted a mountain bike, but they are super expensive if ya get one that is really good enough to actually MOUNTAIN bike. So, I'm holding off on that and getting (hopefully) this very pretty Townie. So a picture would be appropriate. Oh well.

I was rollin' along, doin' my thang... I ran a great and challenging 4-miler...i threw in some speed intervals and ran hard. Felt good about it all. I did yoga at home since we are on a break from class. Felt good about it...the routine on the video that I did was once hard for me and was now easier. Nice. Hubby asked me to go for a long hike with him. I thought, okay, I'll do that instead of a long run and then do a longish run mid-week. So much for the mid-week run: I fell on the hike and twisted my right leg. I won't be runnin' this week. So, I'll walk it off this week, take it easy on the leg, steal Sara's bike, and weight train. It'll be better soon! Right?

I don't know what happened to my blogging....I just haven't gotten on here to post. No excuse...I guess I just took a break. But I haven't taken a break from my fitness quest. I've been runnin' and going to yoga. I have taken a break from lifting, though, and I miss it. So I'm adding that back in! I mostly eat on target, with some inconsistencies that I must work on. I tend to forget to eat often enough and then eat too much if I'm not being very purposeful about fueling my body. So, that is a work in progress. My longest run of late has been 6 miles. With all the company we've had, I feel successful in that, but it means that I don't have enough recent miles behind me to run the Creede Mountain Run that I liked so much last Labor Day. And I forgot to mention that the 18 mile mountain trail run that had been planned for my little town in July was cancelled, so that was removed from my plate for me. All that being said, I have been enjoyin...

Yesterday's run felt so magical compared to runs lately...my hip that hurts nearly all the time, didn't bother me even once for the 2 miles. YIPPEEE! Does it hurt today? yes. But the painfree run was glorious yesterday! This morning, Sara and I ran easy up the road a mile and ran sprints back. Fun, fun!

Well, since I last posted, I've been sick with a miserable cold...Now, I'm mostly better... I ran twice while guests were here before I got sick. And then Kaegan and I hiked/ran one day while everyone else fished. The last of my company left today, and I departed for a little 2 mile jaunt. There were loads of ripe raspberries! I felt fast and light (I have lost some of the unwanted weight...Yippee!!!) and ran fartleks which are fun and a funny word! Fartlek , which means "speed play" in Swedish , is a form of conditioning which puts stress on the whole aerobic energy system due to the continuous nature of the exercise. The difference between this type of training and continuous training is that the intensity or speed of the exercise varies, meaning that aerobic and anaerobic systems can be put under stress. Most fartlek sessions last a minimum of 45 minutes and can vary from aerobic walking to anaerobic sprinting. Fartlek training is generally associated with ...

I'm sitting here with my bagel, getting ready for a run with a friend. She'll be here at 6. Right now, it's 5:27, and dark outside. Nearly pitch black. Am I Ruth? ********** 7:47 am....back from a great little run...we left at 6 and got back at 7. I cooked breakfast for my family and guests, and am now thinking of a shower. The run was a great day-starter. There were 3 of us as dawn made it over the mountains. Beautiful.

We've been busy and happy around here. The only complaint that I have is that I haven't fit in enough runs and zero long ones.... We will have guests at our house for the next several weeks....more busy-ness, But it will challenge me in managing runs. I'd love a long one, but I'm probably going to settle for shorter ones. One great thing is that a runnin buddy asked me if I'd like to run at 6 am some mornings! YES! I'm excited about it. Mornings are cool and crisp even in summer here. LOVELOVELOVE. I just don't love to run in the mornings alone....good time for wild animals to be out. Look at this sweet shoe charm I bought myself for finishing the Freedom Half!!! And take a look at the shirt Ruthie made me!

I'm finally getting around to my blog! I received a blog award from Jae over at Found It At The Marathon ! The rules for the award are as follows: 1. Thank the person giving the award 2. Share 7 things about yourself. 3. Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs. 4. Let your nominees know about the award. The problem is...I'm not very good at following directions... So, here's what I'll do: First, Thank you, Jae, for the honor. Jae is a dream follower and a strong lady, you should check out her blog! Next, I'll be happy to share 7 things about myself: 1. I can cut out your silhouette from a piece of paper just by looking at you and cutting. 2. I have a super kid with autism. 3. I ran a home program for my son with autism...about 70 hours/week one on one for nearly 10 years. 4. I will never give up on him and I keep up the program, but with fewer hours...more relaxed 5. I fenced in college 6. I learned to swim when I was 39 years old. 7. I showed horses in m...

Yesterday was a rest day for me, and I think that was a good thing. The problem is that today will probably turn out to be a no workout day too, but for fun reasons. Hubby and I are headed out to spend the day together. I hope to at least include some form of workout into the day, but it won't be a run, especially because I want to run long tomorrow. I don't know exactly how long is long, but I'm thinking 5-8 miles. I hope to build some confidence. :) I wasn't confident when I started the Freedom Half. My 8 miles had been more like 7.5. My 10 miles was soooo hard (uphill, lots of hiking instead of running). As I drove to the start for my Freedom Half, I had to push back my lack of confidence. I don't think I pushed it back far enough...LOL! Confidence makes such a big difference. So, I'm looking for some. I'll hope for 8 miles tomorrow, knowing that it hasn't been long since the Half, so if 5 feels like the right number, then I'll fit i...

so, today is a headache day for me. i don't get these bad headaches often anymore, but today is definitely a rest day for me. But don't think I'm not thinking about fitness! Here are some exercises I found to try to stabilize my joints, especially in the hips. Exercises

I don't feel it today, so I did it anyway. Jumprope and sprints on the hill of my driveway henceforth called, "Anguish Hill." Sara suffered with me. It was a good sort of anguish, though, as we get stronger and more fit. :) I also lifted today. Yesterday, I ran 2 miles on the dreadmill....warm-up a quarter mile, then 2 quarter miles at faster pace than comfy, then sprints. Day before, lifted. Sometimes you feel it, sometimes you just do it.

I'm reading a book called, "RUN," by Matt Fitzgerald. In his book, he talks about believing. You can't do what you don't believe you can do. On the other hand, if you believe you can, then you probably can...there are still the physical limitations that come into play, but still, believing is such a big contributor to what you can do. For example, if your child came to you and said that they wanted to shoot for the olympics in a certain sport, would you want a coach for them who says, "Well, it's a long shot...." or one who says, "you absolutely have what it takes?" The latter! Why? Because belief is huge. Having someone believe in you, brings you to believing in yourself more readily, and the target is instantly drawn nearer. I have been trying to gain muscle and lose 15 pounds of fat gained in the past year. I discovered I'd lost some of it! Yippeee! But then a friend said so..."You look great! You've been worki...

This was my 3rd Half Marathon. My first was 2 summers ago when Sara and I decided to run the Nike Plus Women's Half Marathon. It was for nike plus users all over the world to run on a specific date wherever they were and then log it online through the nike plus website. It was a great experience that I'll never forget....all the pain and suffering toward the end. And FINISHING...wow! Etched in my memory. The next one was last summer, with Ruth running the "Freedom Half" (as we called it) in Texas and me in Colorado...Sarah ran it in Texas too, and Jessica all the way in China. I made us shirts. Also very memorable for me. This Freedom Half, Ruth has coached a whole group of gals to finish by walking, running, run/walking...I chose crawling. (joking, sort of) The day was g.o.r.g.e.o.u.s. So, that wasn't the problem. You saw the pictures...the scenery wasn't the problem. My left hip (the one that has given me so much trouble) gave me fits and my ri...

Tomorrow is the day! It's both my 21st wedding anniversary and the day I will run the "Freedom Half." Here is my post on today's date of last year: Aaah, Freedom! Well, I've tried planning my Freedom Half. That hasn't worked. So, today I thought, "Hey! How about right now???" So, I did it. This afternoon, I shirked all responsibility and ran my Half Marathon on a whim. I will post more about it with pictures, but tonight I'm tired and tomorrow is my 20th wedding anniversary. :) So, you'll haffta wait. I will say this: I had a great run. The whole thing was really great for many reasons and my favorite miles were miles 9, 10, and 13. I can only hope tomorrow brings as much happiness as last year's Freedom Half. Here is another post about last year's freedom run... Freedom Run Highlights There I am, running along. I first took my dog-buddy with me for the first 5 miles. We took it pretty easy, walking and running. After ...

For your reading pleasure: An 8 year old wins Dipsea! http://dean.runnersworld.com/2010/06/small-wonder.html

I haven't felt just right for the past few days. I went to the doc yesterday for hip xrays and found out that I had a low fever. I decided that i was running today whether I felt perfect or not. I ran a slow, easy 5 miles and now, I feel better, so I've determined that I must have had Running Fever, induced by lack of runs. My hip looks pretty. :) No bone fracture! YIPPEEEEEE! In fact, the doctor remarked how nice and strong my bones are and attributed it to running. :) The bad news is that I still don't know what is causing the pain in my hip. The good news is that the doc says to keep running! That's good since I was going to anyway.

Today, I will lift. Tomorrow, 5 mile run. Then, Freedom Half on Thursday, July 1. It's our 21st wedding anniversary, and what better way to celebrate? Hubby will be working anyway, and we will go out to dinner that night. Might as well burn some calories first! At least these are my tentative plans. I will talk with Sara to find out when she is running...but I won't be able to run on the weekend very easily, so I'm guessing we may be running separately. I went to the chiropractor yesterday for my hip pain. He told me to come back if it was still hurting, and of course, it was. So I went back for a free adjustment. He wants me to stretch this weekend, which I've been doing, and if it still hurts this week...xray. So far, I'm headed toward the xray. The xray tech is in town at our med center on tuesday and wednesday. I think he's thinking of a fracture. And if so, then it was fractured years ago and healed wrong, so that's bad. But maybe it will...

Guess what?? I've lost 6.5 pounds of the 15. Nearly half! Yippeeeee!!!!...and I'm gaining muscle, I do believe! On the workout front, I lifted on Tuesday...chest, shoulders, triceps, chinups (which I still can't do!) Monday I did yoga along with my 10 mile run. Yesterday, I did yoga and ran a short (2 mile) run with accelerations. And today, I ran sprints and jumped rope and then did yoga. I've had this Shiva Rea DVD for a long time, but have never tried it. I like that you can choose what you want to include in your workout and then play the entire workout that you chose. What I like about Yoga is that it is strengthening and builds flexibility. I forgot that today should be a lifting day, so I'll do that tomorrow. And the long run this weekend is 5 miles. I'm not sure what day I'll run my Freedom Half. But here are my ideas: July 3 or July 5. I'm in charge of a parade float on the 4th, so I doubt it will happen that day. But I also hav...

I found myself completing 10 miles of hard trail today with my new shoes covered in mud and grime and soaked completely through. The report is that they could have drained water better, but they did ok. My feet were still very tired, and my right foot kept feeling as though it was overpronating...maybe the trail, but strange that it was always my right foot, never the left. I felt a little like the shoes were "clumsy"...maybe that's just ME! But overall, they survived the day and brought me home. One thing they didn't do, repel mosquitoes....there were swarms of mosquitoes even though I had mosquito repellent on. At a few points, I had to be sure to breathe through my nose or I got a mouthful of mosquitoes! Yuck! I came upon several creek crossings and stepped in deep sludgy mud...whole shoe, covered. Now, that's how you break in new shoes! Beautiful day on Larsen Lakes Trail

Whoooooooooooo-hooooooooo! I'm getting these! I ordered them this morning and they arrive tomorrow. I love amazon.com! I wish they came in green like the men's, but since they don't I ordered the brown and blue!! My feet hurt so much after my 8 miles that hubby told me to order the ones I want! It was nearly a toss up between these and some great Salomons cuz I'm not crazy about the way these look. But I think they will transition from trail to road and cushion my forefoot more. I woke up this morning with the realization that I have yoga this afternoon and that I had a hike planned, so I slept in! The hike was a portion of the san juan solstice race that happens the weekend. We crossed the creek 3 times, and had such a fun time. Kaegan even reached for my hand! If you know anything about autism, you are impressed with my little mountain man. I am set to help with an aid station on Saturday morning and can't wait to cheer for my brave ultra-running frien...

I got up this morning and did a little yoga and mostly rested today. I did my push ups, though. The kids and I played at the lake with some friends...picnic, raft...fun. Lots of sun. :) Tomorrow, we plan to hike my favorite trail and take a picnic. I found this today , and I plan to take a closer look at it. My plan is to get up and do some yoga and go for a short run.

Not sure, but I think my 8 mile run was more like 7.5. I saved my long run for today because Sunday and Monday were both rainy with hail up in the hills. Sunday, I did a very challenging yoga class with our former yoga instructor who now lives in another city but came here for the weekend. So fun! Then, yesterday, Sara, Gracyn, and I combined the poses from Sunday's class with the poses our new teacher has taught us to create our own practice since our teacher isn't here for the next 2 weeks. I managed my lifting workout yesterday too! This morning, I got up at 7:20 to run my long awaited long run. It took me so long to get out the door! I was so worried (sort of afraid) about the run. The last long run by myself, I sort of "bonked." I didn't have enough nourishment before or during the run. And I drank only water, forgetting that 7 miles is a big jump from 6. So, this morning, I was trying to make sure I had enough energy in me, plus water, plus power...

I really do. June is beautiful here. But it's also rainy. Which I like. Except that I want to run 8 miles. I'll get back with ya on that......

Report on workouts... Lifting, Running (sprints) and a trail for fun, jumprope, yoga, and turbokick with some friends this morning. I've been having fun and getting fit. I keep forgetting to post about my summer challenge. I've entered a summer challenge from BFFM . The summer challenge is a 98 day challenge, and I've lost some fat so far.....!!!!!! My muffin top is getting smaller, and I'm down from 149.5 pounds to 145.5 pounds! This is very exciting to me because I began this journey several years ago at 183 pounds. With Body for Life, I lost 50 pounds. Then, my thyroid medicine was changed and I got all out of hormonal whack! I've gained 15 or so pounds back even though I've continued exercise. I got kind of deflated about it and so lax about eating. I've tried several times to lose the weight I've gained, but to no avail, but now, I think my hormone levels are more back to what they should be and this time, it's working! I've als...

Workout yesterday included: yoga push ups chin ups clean and press with squat frog jumps Workout today included: hill sprint intervals alternated with jumprope intervals-with Sara while baby Brooks splashed in her playpool and Gracyn acted as lifeguard.

I have a few things to blog about: My hip and Chiropractic adjustment local 5k walk a trail or two transformation So, Item Number 1: My hip and Chiro adjustment..... I've had hip pain for the last 13 years. Yes, it has taken me 13 years to actually decide to spend the time and money on this problem. I have just ignored it. But running longer distances has made me think things like, "If I keep ignoring it, and it isn't going away, am I injuring myself to the point where I won't be ABLE to run?" So, off to the chiropractor I went. My sacrum was out of place and my left hip (the problem hip) was lower than my right. I got it adjusted, then was soooooo sore for the next few days. Then, better, then hurting again....back to the chiropractor for more adjustments.... Until, finally it stayed in place. I've been doing squats and one-legged squats and stretching to strengthen the muscles that have been out of place for so long....hoping that my body would adj...

I had a headache all day, but still managed a great day! It's testing time around these homeschooling parts. Gracyn and Braeden are taking their standardized tests for the year and are doing very well. We will end the schoolyear tomorrow with a trip to the swimming pool! So excited about that! Kaegan didn't have to test, but he gets to swim anyway! Before yoga, I ran just under 5 miles with Sara and Lydia. Great time! We live in such a beautiful place...I don't know how to stay inside and do testing...but we have done it anyway, miraculously. As long as we can get outside too, we'll make it through the last 3 sections tomorrow.

Our favorite kitty had kittens today! We have a little girl reserved. We plan to name her Juliet and call her Jules. I hope she likes mice! Odell hasn't said yes yet, but he will. On the fitness topic...I ran speed intervals yesterday (sore today). And today is a lifting day...so far, I've managed a portion of that workout: squats and lunges. I still have push ups and reverse sit-ups.

After running 4 miles Thursday, feeling completely exhausted, and talking with ruthie online, I decided to post some things about my health issues and how my thyroiditis affects my fitness. First, a little background on my own experience with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, then a definition of the disease and some symptoms. I went through my life with this disease, apparently, with it rearing its ugly head with a miscarriage. Not knowing the cause of the miscarriage, and carrying my next baby full-term, I still had no idea I had this autoimmune disorder. After giving birth for the first time, I began to feel the symptoms. I was manic, tired, unmotivated, gaining weight rather than losing it....but all of these are normal for a new and aging mom, right? My thyroid levels were normal. My doctor was arrogant. He told me that I just wasn't aware of how many cheeseburgers I ate...I told him the number would be ZERO....and he suggested I exercise...I've always exercised. There ...

Well, tomorrow is a new day, right? Cuz I ate everything in front of me today and didn't plan workouts for yesterday or today. I had to go to doctor appointments today, so yesterday's workout that I pushed to today didn't happen, nor did today's supposed workout. My long run on Sunday wore me out! My brain hasn't been able to grasp the idea of going for another run since that 7 miles. I just didn't nourish myself well enough for that distance, and I'd forgotten the huge jump from 6 to 7 miles. So, having run on empty, I was a little mentally fatigued as well. Plus, I skipped a lifting workout. I did do chin ups...or something like them. :) I've just had no energy since Sunday. No worries, though, because I think I feel the urge to run kicking back in for tomorrow!

Weight workout and yoga makes a girl sore.

Seven miles along the lake, across a trail, over the hills, home... It was a beautiful run, but I should have eaten more for breakfast! I needed some wheaties. And my hip bothered me. Imma be sore. So glad I went, though. A recurring thought: how in the world could I ever run a marathon? or an ultra? 7 miles was tough today. But then, some days are tougher than others and this run involved low energy, hip pain, and a headache which began about mid-run and persists. Favorite part of the run: the trail that took me waaay up above the world. :) Least fav: the headache...normally I feel better after a run. Hope I'm not getting sick....

Squats, deadlifts, overhead press, chin-ups, yoga. Yesterday. Running a trail with a friend later. Today. Later...... The trail was so much fun and beautiful! About 4 miles. Yay for a great time! Now, for your enjoyment..... THE CHIN UP BAR!

First wildflowers of spring were sited today along the trail as I ran 2.5 miles with 3 half-mile speed intervals included. It was sooooo unusually windy yesterday that trees were down all along one of the paths, and Banjo and I had to go on a bear hunt...can't go over it, can't go under it, let's go around it....you know, that sort of a hunt, no bears involved. This weekend is the next group run of Lake City Run Club and I'm excited and nervous about it. I get nervous when I'm running with others (except Sara-not nervous running with my running pal). The plan is to buddy up with others or to run alone, choose your path, and meet up at the coffee shop. Sounds fun, huh?

Today marks the first day back to lifting consistently. I downloaded this free ebook and spreadsheet and began today. Yoga was yesterday and speedwork tomorrow. I'm always sore from yoga... Anyhow, here's what I did today: squats with two 15 pound dumbbells like this: inverted rows like this: bench press with 20 pound dumbbells, 5 sets of five with only about 15 sec between reverse crunches like this: All I have left are push ups and I'm about to take another look at the push up challenge.

My very fine Mother's Day went like this: slept in late ran 6 miles (planned on 8, but shortened it for time with my family) ordered out for lunch watched Avatar at our little theater fellowshipped with good friends for potluck supper scooby-doo with my sweet son maybe a bath

It's when you are resting that your muscles are rebuilding. So, today is a rebuilding day. I may have a little time to jump on my bike or pop in a yoga dvd though, as resting my running muscles doesn't necessarily mean lounging on the couch.... http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-285--8256-0,00.html

I was trying to wear the dog out...I think I wore myself out! I had such a pleasant quiet time on the lake to lake trail the other day that I vowed to myself to run it again. Today was the day. Last time, I drove up to the trailhead because I wasn't sure how long the trail was or how long it would take. It was only about a mile, so I ran it and then ran on the highway back to my jeep for a little over 2 miles. Today, I grabbed the leash and Banjo and I took off from my house. We warmed up with a little walk to the bridge at the edge of town where we began our run, slowly at first. The first half mile is only mildly uphill, but the second half mile is very steep and I determined not to walk until the really steep stuff on the turn-off that leads to the actual trail. Banjo agreed and we ran to the trailhead. Then, we hiked up a bit more on the road that leads to the official trail. STEEP...hiking was good enough. Even Banjo was slow. Then, we ran the trail-about a mile of...

Today was a lifting day. I decided that yesterday. :) I have decided to be consistent again (haven't been lately) with lifting. So today, I did 5 sets of 5 clean-n-press lifts with heavy weight and then did several sun salutations. Tomorrow, I run. Saturday, we have soccer games alllll day long and then on Mother's Day, I plan to run 8 miles (hopefully). I begin my official start with weight training consistency on Monday. I downloaded an ebook called, "Strong Lifts 5x5." I'm going to lose this little bit of blub I've managed to accumulate and get lean. Yippeeee! Must plan meals, must plan meals, must plan meals. My new mantra.

Well, it wasn't as long as it seemed in snowshoes, but I ran the Lake To Lake trail today. It was miraculous...Banjo, my golden retriever, loaded up into the back of my jeep without having a seizure. He's been petrified. But he did it today, and we drove to the trail, parked and ran with no thought of whether or not he'd get back in for the drive home. He DID! It was amazing and so great because I don't want to run the trails alone. For example, I saw HUGE cat tracks on the trail today and they were pretty fresh. When I say huge, I mean about the diameter of a softball. BIG. It was so fun though. Banjo and I stopped and investigated the remains of the old narrow gauge RR track that was left, tumbling down. And we peeked inside the old little building nearby. We stopped at the overlook and gazed happily at the scenic view below. It was hard to believe I'd been having a bad day before.

I'm back online with my new macbook pro!!! Hubby got if for me. Quite a mother's day gift, huh?! And here are some pictures to get back on the bloggin' track the right way! Pictures of my daughter running in her track meet...she has decided to stick with soccer and do track next year, but here she is trying it out. Also in the late, breaking news...I've started a running club here in my itty bitty town. Our first group run was Sunday. There were 7 of us on our "Scavenger Hunt Run."I made armband lists of things to look for while running for one hour and gave cliff shot blocks as prizes. It was so fun and great. Here is a picture of some of us getting a little silly on the scavenger run. I've also created a blog to send my facebookie runclubbers to www.lcrunclub.blogspot.com where a flier of information can be found telling about the running club that Ruthie and Coach Art are hosting in Lake City!! Lots of fun, exciting running stuff.

Have you missed me? My macbook died. I think it's really dead. I'm on the desktop right now which has to be shared between our family...so I never get much time on it. The keyboard is also completely frustrating. I miss my mac. I've loved it, but have had trouble with it from the beginning. No on else I know has trouble with theirs, but mine would turn off for no reason, the disk drive didn't work right, ever, the keyboard had to be replaced. Still, I loved it. So sad. That's my excuse for not blogging. That and the fact that I feel like I have nothing to blog about. Yes, I'm running. Yes, I love it. There. That's about all. I had thought I'd share pictures from my daughter's track meet. Mac died. So, no pics. Besides, I think she is choosing soccer over track. :( She had fun, but the day was LOOOOOOOOOOOOONG. And she likes soccer more. We thought about doing both, but time is slippery as it is. Anyway, there you have it, runni...

In step with Ruth's post ... I will throw in my concurrence. Not all runs are created equal. Here are some of mine: The "I wish I'd worn gloves" run The "This shirt/these shorts ride(s) up" run The "oops, I forgot to pick up my kid from soccer" run The "I can't believe that dog just jumped up and licked the TOP of my head" run The "carry a big stick" run The "mud is heavy when layered to the bottoms of my shoes" run The "slip and slide" run (icy) The "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" run The "too much water" run And then there are these: The "time flies too fast" run The "I could run another couple miles" run The "destresser" run The "I can talk to you now" run The "Figuring it all out" run The "new shoes" run The "quiet" run The "unwind" run But if they were all created equal, the second list ...

I ran an easy 3 miles yesterday and hard 2 today, with half mile intervals. But these pictures are from our trip to West Texas. Gracyn and I ran a couple of miles through the alleys around my parents' house one day and then found this great little trail another day! The kids played while I ran, but we had a great (hot) time. In the pictures, you'll see some of the workout stations that are scattered along the trail. I loved that they had a wheelchair course as well. And a water fountain!!!!!! See my red face???