Running Thoughts

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.