Friday, October 14, 2011

Chicago Marathon!!!!!

Right now, I do not feel like writing a big update on the Chicago Marathon.
I received the Medal....got the T shirt...and broke my foot..all in a day's work.

Long Story, Short;

I had a mild case of Plantar Fasciitis 2 weeks before the race,
With the help of a Podiatrist and a Physical Therapist, my foot felt great to start the race!
Mile 3, my foot felt uncomfortable..I should have quit...
Mile 11-12 I felt, and heard, a pop in the bottom of my foot.My Plantar Fascia had ruptured..should have quit!
I kept running..I can see in some of the pictures I was running on the side of my left foot
Somewhere before I saw family at mile 19..I felt another problem
I did not want to quit..STUBBORN!!!
I now have a ruptured Fascia and a Jones fracture of my foot...NOT GOOD!
I am non weight bearing for 4 weeks.

I had a blast,
I Hope to run again,
If I can run, I will do another Marathon!!

It was wonderful having my family there for support.
I feel like a nin come poop..Is that how you spell it??!!


The race was so much fun!




This was not the finish line..I ran through the finish line. I wanted to give up the Pom Pom
Matt must have telling me..You Are Almost There!!!

Erin, Jonah ( her son, my grand) and Emma ( again hers and mine!)

My daughter, Wendy, on the right and her friend Sandy!
I hope to have the official race pictures soon and I will post a few then.  The best picture is of my daughter, Erin, and I before the race!

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Catch up!

It as been a while since I posted on my training, there's not enough hours in the day!

My last long run was one week ago, it went pretty well and now I am tapering down until the race.


So far, this week, I have ran 17 miles and feel stronger every day.


Today, I changed it up by running 5 miles at a good pace then slowed down to race pace for 3 miles. I then finished with a mile cool down and felt strong all the way.




Now it's off to bed..that made me tired looking at the miles I have run!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Thursday's Run..The Ugly

Today my legs felt like dead weights!    Normally,  I like to wake up early,  get my run over with and have the rest of the day to catch up on errands.

Today, I had to change my schedule because this morning was the first meeting of the Lifelight Groups at Church and I did not get home until eleven, then changed and hit the trail about a half hour later.  I am a creature of habit and usually have a tough time when my schedule changes from the norm.

Today was not my best run but I have chalked that one in the books, now on to the next!

Monday, September 5, 2011

Start of a new week and Happy Labor Day!

Just a quick note to update my training. I logged 30miles last week because of my long run on Thursday. My legs were still tired on Saturday morning but was able to get a nice 6 miles completed. Actually, the longer I ran the better my legs felt.

This morning I ran 5 miles in Loveland before I drove down to the city to get ready for the work week. Oh, my working just gets in the way of my training!



Have a Wonderful week!

Shawn

Thursday, September 1, 2011

It has been awhile since I posted my runs! Today was another long run and my feet are feeling it at this very moment.

This post will be in three parts because at one point I decided to play in a sprinkler to cool off and my GPS stopped working and it took a while to get my darn watch back on track!


Now here is where the GPS was not working and I lost at least a mile if not a little more. Grrrrrrr!


When I discovered I was not going to get the bezel working, I turned off the Garmin and did not turn on again until I found a place where I knew the exact mileage, just in case it stopped working again.



So there you have it for today!

My legs are sore but not miserable.  I decided to not follow my training plan exactly,  I needed to increase my mileage from what it suggested and I think that is why I had a better run today!

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Shawn

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Thursday already!

The weeks are flying by..and the Marathon is getting closer!  Today was supposed to be a 30 minute run but I decided to add a few more base building miles. Next week will be another long run, I plan to do 22 miles.

Today I ran out 4 miles, then turned around for a planned 8. On the way back, I saw a nice path that led to a trash can where I could drop my Gu packet, plus it was a nice up hill to get back on my original path. I figured this would add about 3/4 mile to my run. Unfortunately, somehow I turned off the timer and did not realize it so my run shows the original 8 miles planned.  Oh well, I know I went further and so do my legs!



Hope you have a great day!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Another one down. 50+ days to go!!

I had a beautiful run this morning.  I got up before the grandkids, tiptoed out the door and got three miles in before most of them woke up!


Even though my hamstring is still tight, this was a nice easy run. I felt relaxed and strong.

I hope you are having a fantastic day,
Shawn

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Time to catch up and add some of my training runs.

It has been quite a while since I have posted a training run. The summer is flying by,  I just seem to run out of Day at the end of the hours and my blogs have suffered the most. I have a few minutes before the GrandKiddo's come over so I will post a few of my runs.

This was my long run last Thursday.  I was very discouraged with my pace and I just ran out of energy by mile 14.



Since I did not complete 21, like planned, I went to another park and walked 3 miles.




The next run is from last Sunday morning. Although I was a little sore from Thursday's run,  this run felt much better.



I hope your week is going well!


Shawn

Monday, August 1, 2011

Two more runs down...two more months until the marathon

Another training recap.

I started this blog to show my grandkids how with hard work,  and perseverance, anyone can accomplish a dream.  If their Nana can run a marathon, they can set their sites high and achieve their goals. All days will not be perfect but if they always remember...All Days Are Good, Just Some Are Better Than Others.. they will keep life into perspective.

All Run's Are Good.....

Saturday's run was good, I was out there but my legs were sluggish. I just marked it off as a run completed and focused on the next.





Some Are Just Better Than Other's.........


Today was much better,  my legs felt stronger and I tried to up the pace a little.  I don't think I will ever run in the 10's like I did 2 years ago but I am happy where I am right now!


Thursday, July 28, 2011

Training catch up!

After my long run on Saturday, I have been taking life easy..especially my runs.

Monday I went out for a short run and my legs felt great.


Tuesday, and Wednesday, I worked and was on my feet the entire time..wonder how many miles I put in at work??!!
Late Tuesday into Wednesday,  my stomach and back muscles were extremely sore. I took Ibuprofen twice and could not figure out if I was having a Fibromyalgia flareup or something else. Last night I hurt so bad, and was cold,  I laid on the couch covered with a blanket and two kitties. By then, I was wondering if I had contracted West Nile from all my mosquito bites.

This morning  when I woke, I felt great. Must have been the Fibromyalgia,  today I have the normal aches I always have. Today, Life is Great!

I started my run and shortly met a couple with a Wire Fox Terrier..I had to stop and talk and play with the dog.


After visiting, I restarted my Garmin and off I went!



That is my recap!   I feel I am on target for the Marathon in October.

..just keep going forward..one step at a time!

Sunday, July 24, 2011

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Again!!!!!! But Further!!!!! 20 miles down!!!!!

I do not have time for a lengthy post today, I am having company for dinner and need to get the house cleaned!   I did want to get this run "in the books".
I will try to post more tomorrow to tell you about my interesting day, but for now......



As you can see, I really lost energy at the end. The heat got the better of me but I am using it as a learning tool! Next time will be better. All-in-all, I am very happy with this run!

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Thursday before my long run!

Today I tried to keep my HR down..to no avail. I give up and think I will not wear the monitor anymore. My HR is way too high, but I think it is just my body because my run felt fine.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Monday in Loveland!

It has been a few weeks since I have posted but I have kept up on my training. In fact, this weekend is my 20 mile run. Today I was in Loveland for the last morning of a terrific week with Hubby and all the Furbabies!



I hope Summer is treating you well!

Shawn

Saturday, July 2, 2011

I did it..17 miles and I lived to tell the story!

Yesterday at work, I spoke with Karen, an Elite Athlete, who gave me great advice on how to run 17 miles in the heat. She suggested I do loops  which would allow me to stop at my car, refill my water bottle and get a snack if needed. I followed her advice and, although the last two miles were a killer, this time I was able to run/walk until the bitter end!

I packed a cooler with extra electrolyte drinks, water bottles and a banana. I ran one mile out, then back which gave me my first two miles. The I started a five mile loop. I had a GU at 4.5 miles then at 7 miles, I stopped at the car and filled up my electrolyte drink, ate 1/3 of my banana then did my next five. Somewhere around 8 miles I had a shot block, some drink and then another GU at 10 miles. I stopped again at 12 miles, Hubby was there to make sure I was OK.  At the 12 mile stop, I repeated exactly what I done at mile 7.  Off again for the last 5 miles and the temperature was rising which was really zapping my energy but I kept going adding another couple shot blocks and a GU at mile 14.5.

The last 2.5 miles were a killer, it was hot and I was running out of my electrolyte drink. I kept walking and running, just moving forward.  At least my head was in a good space and I knew I would complete this training run.  I kept going and thankfully, I finally hit the 17mile mark on my Garmin.  It was such a wonderful feeling to know that I had accomplished this goal, something I had dreaded all week.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Today's Run

I waited until 8am this morning to start my run because I wanted to experience the warmer weather. I know Chicago's temps can range from cool to scorching HOT , I need to be prepared for every scenario.


Now, off for a Mani and Pedi, take my daughters out for their birthday lunch, buy cat liter and 2 new hair dryers ( each home has a hair dryer and they both blew up this week) then hopefully take a nap!

Have a great day,
Shawn

Monday, June 20, 2011

Another recap!

Here is a quick recap of my training last week.  At this point, the only thing I have to say is..Onwards and Upwards!
Monday the 13th



Saturday was a 14 mile run. I had tummy issues at the start but that quickly resolved.  Somewhere between mile 9-10, I stopped to get some pebbles out of my shoes and it went downhill from there. Long story short,  I ended up walking the last 4 miles with cramps in my feet and hamstrings. After discussing my issues with Erin  (our resident ironwoman) we narrowed it down to an electrolyte imbalance.  I had over  hydrated Friday with water, should have drank Gatorade or a sports drink. Also, did not eat enough breakfast before starting out.  Only good thing, i am making these mistakes before the marathon and not during it!



Saturday, June 11, 2011

Recap of my last two runs

I have  four months left of my training and I am feeling stronger every run.

Last Thursday,  I tried to work on speed work...for me Running Faster Than Normal..not really speed!



Today, I tried a new path and ran into a dead-end at the golf course.  Actually, it was the perfect mileage for today's run so I will keep it on my list of training paths.  Finally, I am feeling stronger and breathing is easier..although, my HR is climbing, R/T the warmer weather, but it does not bother me and I will ignore that for the time being. 

I read a chapter from the Galloway book this morning before my run and he emphasised the importance of early walk breaks which I worked on today.  It is amazing how this does not slow down the final time and I feel much stronger at the end.


Monday, June 6, 2011

Monday's change-up!

I tried to change things up this morning and try a little speed work! Not knowing what to do,  I decided to run as fast, and far,  as I could before my lungs felt like they would burst.. I would then stop, catch my breath, and start over again. I had a great time and actually felt pretty good!



I hope you have a great week!

~Shawn~

Thursday, June 2, 2011

WooHoo!! Twelve miles !!

This morning was my longest run so far.  Normally my long runs are on Saturday but we are going to Nevada, for my Granddaughters wedding,  and will not be back until Sunday and I did not want to worry about getting a run in there.
What I love most about training is the chance to work out some kinks that will make my next run better. Today's kinks were:
1.  Not enough water, I need to get a fuel belt that holds four bottles.
2.  Either get new socks, shoes or both.  I felt blisters forming on the balls of both feet..Not Good!
3.  Increase running days. I need to get out more then the three days on my plan.
4.  Continue working on positive motivations.
5.  Stretch..my muscles felt so tight.




That's it for today! Now that the run is over, I feel great.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Mondays run!

Today I took my new buddy with me and have decided that running is not his thing! I hoped he would be a great running partner but instead he likes to stop and sniff, mark his territory and enjoy the outdoors. Me, on the other hand, needs to stick to my plan and not dilly-dally around!

Sniff..Sniff..and more Sniff!
Please, Please can we stop!
I am tooooo tired to go on!
For Now, we will stick to walks and leave the running to the Girls!

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Saturday morning run.

What a beautiful Colorado morning! The sun was shinning, cotton candy clouds in the sky and 50 degrees when I started my run.  Since I am grand puppy sitting this weekend, I decided to take Lucy on my run. She is just learning running etiquette but all-in-all, she did a great job. She pulled my @$$ up the hills the first half and I did the same for her the second half!  We made a Great team!

Lucy
Enjoying her Bully stick.


I hope you have a great weekend!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Week recap!

I ran Monday but was having computer issues...AGAIN  Grrrrrrrrrr so I did not upload from my garmin.
After my run today, I uploaded both runs and boy was I surprised to see the results from Mondays run!
The Garmin said I ran 49 miles and my best pace was .41 minute miles!!!!  Woo Hoo..I am making progress!!

Needless to say, I deleted the Garmin upload and manually put the information into daily mile.
Today's run was pretty good but my HR climbed way too high..maybe the HR monitor was not working???!!!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Longest run of the year!

I do not have time to make a long post but wanted to get the recorded before we start our day!

This is the good, bad and the ugly of today's run. I did pretty good until the last two miles when I started to struggle and ended up walking quite a bit of the way.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Recap of the last few runs!

It has been awhile since I have updated my progress to a marathon! I have been having some trouble with the computer and, at this time, it is still not fixed to my satisfaction.  Hopefully, I don't have to take it back in for a tune-up but that remains to be seen.

Saturday I was scheduled for a short run but since I had trouble during the 9 mile run,  I decided to go for a 7 miler.  I still wasn't feeling my best but I gave it my all!




Now, this morning was a different story.  I felt great, it was a beautiful, crisp spring morning somewhat cloudy but a hint of the sun peaking out from behind the clouds. There were only a few people on the trail and it was quiet except for the chatter of the Prairie Dogs. I felt stronger than I have for the last few weeks and will be looking forward (???) to my 10.5 miles on Saturday! YIKES!!!




I hope you have a great week,

Shawn

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Should have stayed home!

I have been sick all week with a respiratory virus that went into my chest.  When I woke up this morning I was feeling better so decided to get on the trail,  get my 9 mile run over and done with, then head up to Loveland.  Hubby warned me I should stay home...

I started out and the first mile felt pretty good then, as I was going in to the second mile, I could feel my body shut down. I did not have the energy, or lung capacity,  I needed.  Dang,  I wanted to keep going but knew that it would be impossible to complete nine miles.  I turned around and ended up walking most of the way back.

Now, the hard part will be getting my mental training back where it should be.   Setbacks  do a number on me both physically and mentally.

Monday, May 2, 2011

Monday's Run With My New Partner

Today is the first time I have run with a partner.  Although he was slow, it was nice to have the company and the time just flew by.
He is new to running, and like me when I first started , he had to run a little then stop.  I now know how Erin felt when she helped me start running. I would run for 30 sec-1 minute, then have to stop and gasp for air.

This guy's breathing was excellent but he had to go to the bathroom a lot. Luckily, the path has many trees to give a guy some privacy. Being a nurse, I was wondering if he has a prostate issue but he seems to young for that.

Anyway here are the stats!


I feel good about running with him and I can "Pay it Forward" for what Erin has done for me.

My new running partner

Waiting at the door.
Come on, lets get going!

Of course, we had to stop and look at this..
...and this birdie at the top.
Can we go home now?
His name is Hutch but we may change it.

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Saturday..is it ever going to warm up?

First, I want to thank Erin for giving me the advice this morning about the direction of the wind. Her words of wisdom included; The wind was blowing from the NW,  be sure to run into the wind on the way out so I would have a tail wind on the way back.

Sounds easy enough!  Unfortunately, I started from the wrong trailhead to the Big Dry Creek. I started with a slight tail wind and ended with blustering, cold headwinds!! Oh well, good training.


Today I hit 100 miles for this year!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Thursday..the day before the Royal Wedding!

Today I went on my run and was wondering how many people will be watching the Royal Wedding tomorrow.  If you go to the Pet blogosphere, many of our beloved furbabies will be attending the Royal Nuptials!
For instance Fergie and Jake, @ Two Special Wires, have packed their bags and are on their way to England and will get there just in time to be guests of the Royal Couple!
Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow and will not be able to attend the wedding.

What about you? Will you be watching the wedding, saving on DVR or were you lucky enough to get a Royal invite?



Have a wonderful Friday!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday's run to Eastlake and back

My training schedule for today called for a 30 min. run.  Since we were in Thornton, I decided to run to the lake and back. It was a little chilly to start, but I was dressed properly and by the time I was 1/2 way through, I had to take off my gloves.


I hope you have a great week,
Shawn

Saturday, April 23, 2011

April snow bring's May flowers????

The first thing I do Saturday morning, besides getting a cup of coffee, is to turn on the news and see what the weather is going to be for the day.
This morning Trusty Weatherman said the temp would reach the 50's with snow and/or rain showers in the late afternoon. I must repeat THE LATE AFTERNOON!! He did not say anything about THIS MORNING.

I want his job..can you imagine if I made mistakes like the Trusty Weatherman does....Well, we will not go there!

So, back to my story. Believing the Trusty Weatherman,  I wanted to get on the trail to complete my 7.5 mile run before the snow started.  Ha Ha Ha Ha!1 Was I surprised when a quarter into my run it started snowing blue blazes..and I had to keep going.
The sky is cloudy but the temp was 39 degrees.
Still not too bad!
Starting to snow but I could not capture it with my camera.
Halfway through! See the water droplets from the melting snow!
Dang Snow!
Is that a smile?
Yikes, see the ice-sicles on my eye lashes!
My eyes are frozen shut!   Help!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Thursday's 30 minute, out and back!

I went to Loveland to conquer THE HILL! I did pretty well and stopped 1/2 way to catch my breath then continued on up the hill. I forgot to look at my watch when I started up the hill,  but  on the way back I remembered. I started down at 1. 40 mile and when I got the the bottom the Garmin showed 1.80 mile which means the climb is .4 of a mile!  Funny thing, I  have to stop once on the way up but I sure do sail down!
I was  chilly, 39 degrees, when I started but I was dressed warm enough and had my gloves. About an hour after I got home the sun was shinning and you could feel the warmth in the air.

Here is the Nitty Gritty,


Saturday is my 7.5 mile run and it's supposed to be cold and windy...wish me luck.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Monday in Loveland!

Today's run, minus camera, was OK but I did not make it up that darn hill.

I tried but I just run out of breath. I have decided to go back to Loveland Wednesday night, after work,  and try again Thursday morning.  This has to be the best training..Hills!


Because I could not make it all the way up the hill without stopping, while running back down, I stopped half way, then ran back up. Actually, that time I did better.
When I got to the bottom of this curve, I turned around and ran back up.
Hope you have a great week!

Saturdays Photo Op

I was scheduled for a 3 mile run on Saturday and because I was in Loveland..and had my camera..well, I did quite a bit of picture taking on my run.


My starting point.
Can you see the straight line? That is where I am heading.
That road is a 7.5% grade..and my lungs can verify that!
A little reprieve before the climb.
Here we go!
Almost to the top.  I had come up this far and needed a rest! Actually, I had to stop three times!
The top!
Now the fun would begin, I could run back down!
Time to turn around
Beautiful morning!
Guess I better slow down!!!
Just over the rise and it is smooth sailing,
WOOO HOOOO!!!
Almost home
My neighbors dog, Buddy, will carry these huge sticks for his entire walk!
Buddy is an amazing Pit/Lab mix. His face is beautiful but he kept running around so I could not get a close up. It was such a treat to end my run while watching Buddy have so much fun with his stick.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Thursday's 30 minute, out and back!

Last night, Mother Nature blessed us with a much needed rain!  I was so excited to see the rain falling when I left Church last night and as far as I know it must have rained all night. This morning when I woke up it was snowing! Great big snowflakes were falling from the sky,  this would have been great except I had to run 30 minutes today.

Good news,  I live in Colorado and if you do not like the weather, just wait a couple of hours,  it will change.  That is what I did, I waited until 1PM when the temperature had climbed to 40 degrees and off I went.

Today was a great run. I felt some improvement in my lung capacity and my legs felt fine. Unfortunately, I did not wear my HR monitor but I feel my HR was around the 170's.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Monday in Loveland!

Today was a new day, we were in Loveland and I only had to run for 30 minutes. Unfortunately,  the battery on my Garmin was dead and I did not take my charger. I did have my Polar watch for the time but I wanted to know the distance of the KILLER CLIMB!

Close to our house is Loveland's water reservoir, which was built a few years back.  During the building of the reservoir, the city built a road with a 7.5% grade.  I can take this road on one of my running paths and wanted to know the exact mileage.  Let me tell you, it feels like a mile but I am sure it is not more than a 1/4 mile!

I decide this would be a good run for today, get in some hill practice and do a little speed work. HAHAHA!!!!
It was good hill work but I was so beat, the speed work was not happening! I had to stop a couple times going up the hill to get the heart rate down but did recover quickly and ran the entire hill. My goal is to run up the hill, without stopping, by May.

A few years ago, I could run up this hill and kept my HR around 184-192. I guess I have to realize that a few years can make a big difference.  I will keep a positive attitude and my eye on the dream!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

My longest training run so far

There is not one good thing I can say about this run except, IT IS OVER!

By far this was the most difficult, did not think I would make it back, miserable, @#$%& run I have ever had. I wanted to sit down on the trail and pray someone would come by and offer  me a piggy ride back to my car. I HATED EVERY LAST MOMENT  until my last 100 yards!

After my run, I tried to analyze what went wrong and I came to the conclusion that:

       1.  I was not able to run, for a week, because  I was having vision problems in my left eye.

       2.  My nutrition was in the tank for a run. Yesterday, I had a decent breakfast and lunch but skipped dinner
            because I ate too much cake at work and was not hungry. This morning I only had a banana before
            my run.

These are the only two things I can contribute to such a poor run.  I will be back on the trail Monday morning.  hopefully with proper nutrition I will do better.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

April 2nd..Happy Birthday to Miss Emma!

Miss Emma, Nana and Erin( Emma's Mommy)


Fourteen years ago today, Miss Emma was born. It was a snowy Colorado spring morning when this little angel entered our world. Our whole family was at the hospital, waiting for her to arrive, and when we finally heard her precious first cries our lives were changed forever.
Emma is a very special young lady, so like her mother in many ways. Emma is the type of child who wants to make sure everyone is happy. She never wants to disappoint, or hurt, anyone. She is maturing into a woman that is caring, loving, thoughtful, ambitious, creative, intelligent, a lover of animals and all those around her. She does not get involved in teenage petty fights with friends..she is the peace maker. She has a sweet, spiritual side that will continue to grow as she matures.
She is a lovely flower bud ready to bloom into a magnificent blossom.

Today I dedicate my run To Miss Emma..

May you:
always find the best in others,
continue to grow spiritually,
succeed in school,
Always see your glass half full,
Be a champion for the underdog,
never succumb to peer pressure that could put you in harms way,
always know that  family is the most important part of your life and you can come to anyone of us if you need help solving a problem

I pray you make your way in this world with a smooth road,
I hope you enjoy the small things, realizing it is not the material things you have in life but the love of family and friends that will bring true happiness.
Always remember how much you are loved.

((((HUGS)))
NANA

Stay tuned for Jonah's birthday Post!

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Thursdays...No 30 min run today

I have to keep myself accountable for my training...today I am not running. I had the Grand Daughters, it is now after 4pm and the wind is blowing so hard I can barely walk, much less run. I will have to increase my mileage for Saturday and leave it at that.

:  ((

It is more fun to have the kids, than worry about a run!

Monday, March 28, 2011

First day of week 4

Two of the grand daughters are here today and we got a very slow start to the morning.  They wanted to go shopping, pick up lunch while we were out, get a fruit smoothie and then come home to watch a movie.

I did not get a run in this morning  so after we got home and they were eating lunch, I took off for  a 30 min run.  When I left it was warm and sunny.  Remember, I live in Colorado. Five minutes into the run, the wind started howling, dark rain clouds were forming and it dropped about 10 degrees. Bummer, I had no choice but to continue my run on an unfamiliar trail.  I ran 15 minutes, turned around and headed home.

I might try the trail again, not to sure at this time. It felt a little creepy because I did not see anyone but kept feeling like someone was going to jump up from the side of the canal.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

My first 5 miles this year!

I got up this morning but it was a little bit too cold for me to run...so....I had three cups of coffee...ate a bowl of cereal...checked my e mail....talked on the phone with Erin......bought my grand daughters birthday gift online....blog surfed..until the temp reached 39 degrees then I was on my way!

I needed a change of scenery so I drove to the Big Dry Creek trail , which I had not run in a long time, and  forgotten about the small hills! I did pretty good but must confess, I stopped several times. The good news...I finished and actually ran 5.3 miles...So, Yippee for me!



Hope you have a spectacular weekend,
Shawn

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Glorious Spring Day in Colorado!

Not only is it a beautiful day. I got off work early and was able to go for a run.  

I usually run my best the first thing in the morning. I must have some mental block because my afternoon runs do not feel as smooth.  In fact, today I felt like I had lead in my shoes or my @&&!!

When I got home I immediately came to the computer to upload my run from my Garmin and was so surprised to see that I had not done as bad as I thought! Yippee, maybe I will feel more positive the next time I run in the afternoon.




I hope everyone is having a wonderful Hump Day!

Monday, March 21, 2011

First Day of My 3rd Week!

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!! I was so cold this morning. I checked the weather on TV before I started out,  and it said 47 degrees. I guess I should have checked Thornton's temp because I nearly froze in my capris and long sleeved shirt. By the time I got home, my hands were beet red and felt so cold, I would not have been surprised if my fingers would have started to fall off one by one!
Man Thinking About the Beach clipart

Ok, I admit we do not have any snow, but I am always dreaming of warmer weather.
I should have waited an hour because now it is sunny outside. Oh well, another run down, another check off the list!

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Second Week Completed!

This morning's run completed my 2nd week of training.  I am getting stronger and my lung capacity has definitely improved. I feel positive and look forward to the coming weeks, and months, to see where this journey will take me!

Free Summer Clipart Illustration Of A Happy Smiling Sun
Happy..Almost Spring!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Thursdays 30 min run

Happy St. Patricks Day











I hope everyone is having a spectacular day!




This morning my LifeLight group had a potluck breakfast at church. The food was fantastic and of 
course I had to try everything.  Oh, the egg casseroles, and french toast casserole, were just so tasty i did not want to quit eating.


When I got home, I had to get my 30 min run in before I started blog surfing cleaning up the house.
I was so full, i did not know how I could possibly run, but I got out there anyway and actually felt pretty good.


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Catch up on my training log.

We went to Loveland this weekend and I forgot to take my Garmin.  I did remember my camera so I will add some pictures instead of the map!

Changed it up a wee bit!
Monday, instead of the run, Hubby and I walked my running path. The short path I run is 2.4miles and it has a pretty view, which will only get better as we head towards spring and summer.  I took the pictures as we were walking..saw the same exact thing today!

Today, I got up early, ran the same path and had a pace of 12:05..not too bad.
About 5 minutes into the run
Here I go..up the hill
and up!!
You can not tell what a climb this is but, believe me, it is a killer!
This is the reward at the top!
We still have snow by the river.

Little bit of history.


Almost at the turn around!
Guess I better turn around, they won't!
Horses at Sylvan Dale Ranch
On the side of  Sylvan Dale Ranch..great place to vacation!
Awwwww..down hill
Almost there!
Mi Casa