Saturday Run

Today, I ran 5.2 miles today with a pace of 11:48. I am happy with this because at the end of the run, I knew I could have gone further. That is the best feeling, to know you could go further but need to stop to continue a plan.  I hope to increase my mileage by 10% each week. Unfortunately, when the snow starts to fly, I will have to take the training to the gym and hit the treadmill.

Oh, how I despise the treadmill. I would rather run 10 miles outside than run 3 boring miles on a treadmill!  I have tried watching the TV, listening to my toon's, watching other people but nothing helps. I continue to look at the timer just praying it will go faster. The more I watch the timer, the more stressed I get and the more I feel my muscles tighten! I can not read a book because I get motion sickness from that but maybe I could listen to a book. I wonder if there are books to download to an ipod?

Amazing Grace

 Because of the below freezing weather this morning, I waited until noon to start today's run.  Boy, I am so glad I waited because if I had gone earlier, I would have missed the most inspirational moment I have experienced in a long time!  I will get to that part later.

I started my run, the weather was perfect, the sky was bright blue, I had my camera in the pouch of my fuel belt to take pictures at the end of my run, my toons were playing, not too many people on the path..what more could I ask for.
  
I COULD ASK FOR ONE THING, NO PROBLEMS!

I had only ran about 1/8 of a mile when my fuel belt popped off! What the heck??!!  I kept running and put it back on ( after sucking in the gut) and after a few more yards it popped off AGAIN!  This time it somehow got stuck on the sleeve of my shirt and was dangling there while I tried to keep running and take it off. Well, that did not work , I had to stop, remove the belt and put it on again.  I continued running,  for awhile I thought I had the problem licked!  


Nope! I started up a small incline and off it went again, this time flying behind me!  Again, I  had to stop, turn around, go back and get the belt and put it on for the third time. This time I cinched the belt so tight , so the velcro would hold, that I could barely breathe! Success!!!  That worked!! I was able to continue my run without any problems.


I had planned on running three miles today. I was doing great, after the issues, but when I got to the last 1/4 mile it felt like I was running out of steam. I was not going to quit but was feeling tired..then the next song came on my Shuffle...Amazing Grace. That song just carried me through the last 1/4 mile. With all the issues, I paced 11:46! Can you imagine what I would have run if not for the problems! I feel very good about today's run.




After I ran the 3 miles, I actually ran another mile but stopped every 1/4 mile to take pictures. I just wanted to document the changing  scenery as we continue into fall.
                                
                                                                                                                                             

Last week

Today, most of the leaves have fallen.

This picture was taken at the 3 mile point. To walk around the lake, from here it would be another 1.2 miles..it would take longer to walk..so I decided to run to the next 1/4 mile marker.

One month ago..so pretty!

Today, winter is right around the corner!

 From here,  I ran another 1/4 mile  to take more  pictures. To be honest, this last mile was so easy and relaxing. I did not even feel like I was running, just going place to place to snap some shots!

Snow on the Rockies!

Beautiful here..Snow up there!

  

I continued my run to the next point, and realized I had almost run another mile.  

Oh, so pretty!

It was a great day!

 Remember my Inspiration:

At this point I had run 4 miles and was now just slowing to a very fast walk to my car. I turned a bend and there he was!   Arnold, with his daughter Glory, was taking a walk around the lake.  Arnold, or Arnie as he likes to be called, is a seventy-one year old man who said he had worked hard all his life. He told me  he had been a carpet installer for forty years and sometimes put in twenty hour days. As a nurse, I know how hard that type of work is on a persons knees. To have done that type of work for so many years put a toll on Arnie's body.  He told me, in his quivering voice, about a year ago he was cutting, and stacking, wood for his daughter when " My legs just crumbled". Because his legs gave out , Arnie spent this past year in a nursing home and was just released to the care of his  daughter.  Glory hopes her dad will spend a few months with her and then they will find him a suitable living situation. 

For now, they are taking walks to help build the strength in his legs. Yesterday, he walked a mile so today he is supposed to take it easy. When I asked him how far he planned to walk, He said " I don't know, I am just walking".

Glory and Arnold

                                                     

 Now, if that is not an inspiration to all, I do not know what would be! Can you imagine walking a mile and needing the assist of a walker. I am sure Glory pushed the wheelchair in case Dad got tired and needed to sit a spell.    

I am so thankful for:

Running at noon today
Meeting Arnold and Glory
Hearing his story
..and having my camera!
                                          

                                                  

                                                   

A Blog Hop

I found this on Diminishing Lucy :

I also copied her instructions to make it easier for you.
1.Follow my blog (if you haven't already done so).2.Get the "Fat to Fit" button/code from below by copying the code and posting via the Edit HTML tab into your diet/weight loss post: if anyone wants any help with how to do this, lemme know?
3.Link the URL to your diet/weightloss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness post POST in the current Linky below (not your homepage: the actual post)

4. Copy the blog hop code from below into your post too.....then you are also hosting the exact same blog hop link list.....and you will get loads of extra followers too!

 5. Follow at least one other blogger.....share the love, and comment!

6. The blog hop list will open every Thursday and will be open all week.

7. A new and fresh link list will open every Thursday. (And then you can link up again withanother diet/weightloss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness post.)

8. Open to any blog, any country, just as long as the post content is diet/weightloss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness related. 

I need to catch Up!

I did not post my Saturday run..guess my weekend was too busy!  I really had a great run, for little 'ole me, and finally felt like everything was falling into place. The weather was cool and crisp, I ran 4.2 mile with a 11:38 pace. I felt so good with the results and best thing of all..No Hamstring Problems! WooHoo!!!!

Now, fast forward to today. I will start with a positive note: Every run is good, some are just better than others!

I did not run yesterday because of the strong winds that the Denver area is experiencing. I was not worried about skipping Monday because, for some reason that I can not remember, I had requested  Tuesday off work.
I woke up this morning and looked out the window..Grrrrrrrr  the wind is still blowing!  No problem, I would wait until noon and surely it would subside by then.

Noon came and it was still blowing like a sun of a gun!  Too bad, so sad, I had to get out on the trail. Oh my goodness, have you ever heard of a brain freeze while running?  Well, that is what I got today. By the time I finished the run it felt like a brain freeze after eating ice cream too fast. I was only able to complete 2 miles and I had a 11:30 pace.  I think my brain hurt so bad that I ran faster at the end. I posted on daily mile and this was my thought immediately after the run.

Dear Mother Nature,
 You gave me crosswinds and headwinds...Where oh where did my tailwinds go??!!

Thanks for any answer you can give me,

The woman with the BRAIN FREEZE

Is it Thursday Already???

Gee Whiz..Where did this week go?

I worked the last two days and sure would have rather slept in but decided to drag the 'ole body out of bed and go for a run!  After my last run you would think I would be excited to hit the trail but East lake has lost it's appeal. Good thing is, because of the mile markers, I know exactly how far I run.

Beautiful Morning

                                                              

So, off I went, turned on my Toon's and started the run!  At first it seemed like I was the only one on the trail (which I love) but by the time I was through it was packed as usual. There were runners, walkers, Dad's with their babies, Moms with theirs, couples walking their dogs, it was a party at the lake.

My Hubby, Bill, has added some new tunes to my shuffle and it was so nice to have the new variety. My favorite was the Bluegrass music which was so much fun to listen to while running. Bill listens to Bluegrass every Saturday morning and all of our friends know not to call before noon because his ear is glued to the radio! I will admit that the songs he loaded to my shuffle were fantastico!

Love the colors of fall

                                                                    

I completed the first mile in 11:18 and was feeling on top of the world! If I am doing this good so early in my training, I know that a year from now I should be at 10-11 min miles without any problem. Today the HR was a little up with an average of 179 but I drank 2 cups of coffee before I left home. I am sure that had something to do with it!

Last .25 of my run

I am a creature of habit. Today, as usual, I started my run going counter clockwise around the lake. I decided to be wild 'n crazy the last 1.4 mile and run clock wise! WooHoo! The sign above is my last .25 mile.                                                                    

WooHoo,,almost there!

Running the opposite way gave me a whole new perspective of the trail. I never realized how pretty the first .25 mile was until I change it up and it was now the last .25!    That sounded a little confusing but I know what I mean!!   : )

All in all, it was a good morning. I am happy with my progress, will take things slow and build the base that I need.  I am loving the journey.                                                                

Sunday Run

Sunday we woke up to a beautiful, crisp morning in Loveland. I decided to get my rear out of bed and go for a run and was I glad I did.  We had gone out the night before and it would have been so easy to sleep in but I know that the serious training has to begin NOW.


I only wish I had taken my camera to share all the beautiful sites. It was a joy to run and I had forgotten how spectacular our area of Loveland is. I did miss church, but I was in God's wondrous creation and who could ask for more!


Bill wanted to follow me in the car, he always wants to protect me, but I assured him I would be just fine. He was worried that a Bear would get me and of course, I just laughed! So, off I went, right out the front door, and began what was to be the best run so far!


The trees are turning and they have become a brilliant gold color. The morning was cool, and there was dew on the leaves of the trees. Only a few cars drove past me so, on the whole, it was very still and quiet. I decided to run by Sylvan Dale Ranch which is just to the north of our house and has some of the most beautiful scenery in Loveland.  My Toons were working and I listened to some Gospel and El Divo! Can it get any better than that? 


I planned on running 7-8 min. then walking 1 min. That seemed to work pretty good for the first 20 min or so. Luckily, by the time I reached a killer hill, I was on my first one minute walk..Way To Go Shawn! When I came to the crest of the hill, the beauty of the scenery is hard to put into words!  There are amazing rolling hills, with all the glorious trees in their autumn foliage, and the Big Thompson River flowing through all this beauty. This spectacular site took my breath away, it was just amazing. I am sure this is why I had such an easy run. I was definitely in God's Country!


I ran about 3.2 miles, or a little more, and did not feel tired, short of breath, legs did not hurt, it was just amazing! By the time I came to the turn around point, I had run for 17+ minutes. Last year at this time, at the same point I would be at 20-22 minutes. I do believe, that is called Progress!


Hopefully, I can take some pictures of the area before the leaves fall. I would love to share the beauty.


Now, back to the Bear! I did not see any wild life this run, as I have before, but I did see quite a few dead snakes on the road. Yuck! When I got back to our house after the run, I was walking from the yard to the front door. Guess what was in the front yard..a BIG pile of Bear Poop!!! Oh my Gosh, better listen to the Hubby and bring my mace along next time!

Missing My Tunes!

I was lazy today and really would have liked to stay in bed to read my book. I love my new I Pad because I can increase the size of the text, which makes reading so much easier for me. I have cheaters, for my glasses, but if the light is not right, I still can not see well.

Even though I woke up before 7 am, I did not hit the trail until 8:30. Like I said, I really wanted to stay in bed and read but decided that reading was not going to give me the base in mileage that I need. So, I drug myself out of the bed, put on the running shoes and off to East Lake I went. The one thing I did not have is my Tunes!

Yes, I am still without my shuffle, I think we have a new one in Loveland, but for now, I am without tunes.
I know I usually run better without music but I have used the music as a distraction and it is hard to run around the lake without my music.

Although I did not have my music, I am so glad that I went on my run because it was such a beautiful morning.  I only wish I would have brought  my camera with me, because the leaves have turned more golden this week and when the sun hit the lake, it glistened like diamonds. My run was pretty good and I have been trying the run/walk pattern that Erin suggested. Today I tried a 6/1 ratio and it felt pretty good. I did less than twelve minute miles, even with walking, and my average HR was 173. I felt good after the run and felt that I could have done more, which is always a good sign.

My motivation for today's run was Brenda, Emma and Jonah's Grand Mommy, who passed away Tuesday morning. I still can not believe she is gone and I just pray for her family as they go through this very trying time. It brings back all the memories of when my parents passed away and I know how hard this time will be for them. I pray that Emma and Jonah focus on the good memories that they have, and believe me they have a lot of good stories they will be able to remember.

I wonder if Dad, and Mom, were waiting for her with a Martini. I will never forget Shawn, and Mary's, wedding and what a wonderful time Brenda had. Good Memories!

Today's Run

I was unable to run this morning because we had a Computer class at our local Apple store.  There would be no excuse for not running today because the weather was absolutely beautiful. I decided to get the running shoes on at 4:30 and hit East Lake before I blew off a training day.

I ran the first 1.4 miles then decided to try the run/walk plan.  First I ran 3 min then walked 1min..this did not feel good.  Next I tried 4/1 and again when I stopped it was hard to get the motivation on an upswing. I played around with different times and found that a 5/1 or 6/1 would work best if I am going to use this system. The one thing good about this program is that I am now realizing that when I stop, I am able to start running again without much trouble.

One of my biggest problems with running has always been my inability to stop during a run without completely loosing my drive to continue. During my 1/2 marathons, I took my own fuel so that I did not have to stop at the aid stations. Heaven help me when I had to stop at the port-a-potties! A 2-5 min wait in line simply set me over the edge!  Now, with the run/walk plan, I have not had any problem with the restart. Although, my time was slower today. Now I will have to wait until Thursday, my day off, to run again.