The Training Has Started...

We are signed up for the Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon!

I signed Dave and I both up. He emails me awhile later and says...."What are you doing??" I'm thinking maybe I should have asked him first...?:)   Sorry Hon! Better get training!! He has taken a liking to trails so I'm not so sure he's into this half, but I didn't see myself doing it without him...?:) He will grind it out without to much training... That's his style anyway...:)


I have my training schedule hung up on the wall cabinet. I think we have like six or seven weeks for training yet. I have been getting more miles on lately and it feels great but now the hot weather patterns are here and we must now deal with the heat. This can be a challenge.

Training schedule...

Running in the morning is what works best for me! My few afternoon runs are so much harder and the temps are higher!

I have been getting ten milers in on Saturday mornings the past few weeks. It seems to be what works best for me.

 I set out this morning for a long run but only made it a mile and a half! My foot has been bothering me the past few runs,  I didn't want to ignore the pain. (I learned from experience this does not work for me!)   I stopped running before the warm up was even over and just walked home!

I have always been an injury prone runner. As soon as I up the mileage I soon start to feel pain setting in some place...:( I'm not to worried though. A little rest and a good chiropractor should have me running longer runs again soon... I don't feel like I'm harming my body... rather the opposite. It's just something that I need to work with and be patient...:) I want to go for a "full" when I'm injury free for a year...:) Just One full (26.2 miles) in my life...:) It sounds to time consuming for me but I'd like to do just one sometime in my life...:)

 It just happened that this months Runner's Magazine has a lot of great "Half" tips!... I have been reading this and loving it so far!

I also got a new play list for my Ipod! Thanks Rachel Ann for sharing your new play list with me!! I love music while running and I don't know I'd do long runs without it! I find other gears as the music flows! I also don't like to hear myself breathing. The music kinda covers that up,  I still like to be aware of my surroundings, maybe running with music is not the safest idea but I think it would be so boring to run so long without listening to something! I try to stay alert with my eyes and keep the music lower... I now have thousands of songs to choose from so I should be good to go for awhile...:)

If you run and need music I'll share my play list with you!

Breathing... That's another story! I have found running is so much easier when I have my breathing controlled! Try running and breathing only through the nose! That's the way it's meant to be done, until it gets hard on the up hills! Then in through the nose and out through the mouth in small controlled puffs. This is hard and takes training in itself! (I still have not got it!)  Core strength is the key to proper breathing to. It takes strong ab muscles to run the hills with confidence. I can feel the use of different muscles on the hills, sometimes I find it's nice to have a break to the other muscles so I like running the rolling hills path. Not the really steep ups or downs, just rolling.

Diet... This is still where my challenge lies. I love to eat! I have gotten healthier over the years, and running has really helped in this area, but I still find this to be my biggest challenge. I love my sweets! We are eating a lot of fruit and vegetables to but I seem to crave a sweet more often then necessary. I have been trying to cut back on the meat intake to. This is not as hard for me as cutting the sweets out! I love chocolate with my coffee but if I don't drink a lot of water before and after I soon have a headache...:(

Water can be a challenge to... Finding and keeping hydration at the proper place is huge for runners! It takes lots of water to heal hard worked muscles, staying hydrated while running is important, but to much water gives me stomach cramps, during or after, the long runs. Water is so good for the body though,  I try to remember how important it is for "over all" health!

                       Lot's of Kale!! Runners can hardly get to much of this super food!

                                                     These are all Runner "Superfoods"!

We like juicing... Before or after a run, or both before and after? I always juice and drink. I often take Dave some to work if I'm going out to take him lunch for the day.I find if I store it in the refrigerator I don't get back to it again...

There are so many different juice combinations that are great! Some things are great for prerun, some for post run, but I find it goes in phases for me... Sometimes I juice everyday, sometimes a few days a week, then not even that often for awhile? I know beets are great for pre run but they taste nasty as a juice, so I add other things with it to make it drinkable, like apple or carrots...:) Ginger is something I always use. Red cabbage is healing, great for post runs. Always lots of kale!...:)

Posting "running posts" is not my favorite! I'd much rather blog about my kids or other fun things we do but it's such a huge part of my life and I forget that others have inspired me so maybe I can do the same for you...:) I have people that flip out when I tell them I run ten miles without stopping to walk even once! To me it's not even that great because I want to run even more! But we can all inspire each other in more ways then we realize...

I like motivational quotes and you would often find one on my phone as the screen saver...:) I need motivation and self discipline just like everyone else! This exercising lifestyle I have come to love is still something that takes work and discipline! It's not always easy for me to get out! Some days I HATE it!  I know the feeling of the "Post Workout" and that's what gets me out there for a workout.

Some miles seem effortless, others make me feel like I'm going to die. We all have some bad and some good days. That's the way it is with running. When you have run long enough you will find some runs are great, others are not. I don't even know what the difference is? Maybe better diet or more rest? I still have a lot to figure out but for now I'm enjoying the journey...:)

More of my friends have become runners and now even some family members! It's so exciting and I think everyone needs to experience the feelings of, the moment when they can say "I'm a runner and I love it!...:)" It took me a long time, the moments can still be rare, but "baby steps" is the key for me...:) I'm still working on them...:)

 

Have a blessed day! It's another HOT one here! Oh well the yard needs a few things done to it so I'm gonna go sweat it out... Hoping for a cool off shower today sometime...:)

 

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Baby Alan Jeremiah comes home today!!

 Because we already have an Allen in the family, what will we call him?? Ally?:) Jeremiah? Jeremy? Kath was the one that started calling Javon "Vonnie" (and it stuck!) So I think I might have to get her back and find this "Baby Dear" a nickname, so we can tell him apart from his Uncle...:)

Welcome home to the Smoker family! My kids can't wait to meet there new baby cousin so we might be heading over to see him later today...:) Take your time to heal and adjust Kath! I know... easier said then done! BLESSINGS!