multi tasking

Lizzy and I took the boys on an errands run. We stopped and bought a new fuel filter for the Honday (now, just need to figure out how to put it in!). Then, we stopped at the IFA for some squash, pickling cucs, sage and thyme. Then, we headed home. The return home was done in basically 2/1 segments because I hate pushing that stroller up any kind of incline. It was still a good run. The boys were happy to get home; they were getting bored. We were gone longer than 54 minutes, but I only timed our running - not the shopping breaks! Good pace, though, of 12:04.

long-ish and good pace

I got up before the boys for my run today. I combined the USU loop with one lap at the track and Grimm's Gate loop for total 8.13 miles. Happy with my 11:27 pace. Unhappy with some chafing on my thighs. As I started this run, I realized that it was just two short years ago that I was in the hospital in labor at 6am. What a wonderful day that was! We were sooooo tired but anxious to meet our little boys. I, of course, wanted to be in shape waaaay earlier than this; I never expected to take two years to be training for another 'thon. BUT, I wouldn't have traded any of my lazy, silly play time with those boys for any five mile run in the world. By the way, Lizzy had a good time, but 8-10 miles looks to be her max now as she is getting older. By the end of 8-ish miles, she is trotting more and more slowly. :(

thank goodness for helicopters

Liz and I took the boys to Grimm's gate and back. I was wiped out before I even started, but I know that I do need to increase my mileage and that after a week or so of this, I will be fine. The run up was hard. We walked several times, but never more than a minute. I did stop my watch 2x on the way up because we paused to watch a helicopter fly by twice. The boys were so excited. We also said "hi" to the moon - a lot. We stopped once on the way down, too, to talk to some nice cows along the fence line. We ran the rest of the way home. Great pace (11:52) considering my exhaustion.

Also, last weekend I tried to simulate what my relay experience would be - but to no avail. The 7-miler downhill happened on day three instead of day one. The 8-miler of steady climb on day two was really a 6.3 mile run while pushing the boys (which should be considered a 20-miler, for sure), and it happened on day one. The 3-miler for day three didn't happen at all due to rain, and by the time the rain cleared, I had already consumed two beers. Oh well. Maybe next weekend with better planning. Wait - that's Pride weekend, and then the race is the next week!

I also managed to squeeze in a USU loop with the boys where I tried the Galloway 1/1 method on Wednesday. That Jeff Galloway knows what he is talking about. I did 1/1 (or 2/1 since I kept losing track of time) on the second half of the loop but finished with a time comparable to what I would have had doing my normal splits. But, it felt like I was cheating....

jump ups and slides

Lizzy and I took the boys in the stroller. I felt very sluggish for the first two miles even though they were at a descent. The next two miles were an ascent, and I was tired. The heat didn't help. We stopped about 4.25 miles to play at the park for 1/2 hour. I did crunches as well as standing jumps up to a platform of sorts about 12" off the ground. I also chased the boys around the playground equipment. We had fun.

rainy days

It's tough getting back into the swing of things, but there is only a month until the relay and three months until the marathon! (YIKES!) Lizzy and I took the boys and that damned jog stroller up to Grimm's Gate and back. The run up was hard, and the run back was rainy. So rainy that I had to turn the stroller around and pull it backwards because the rain was pelting the boys in the fact. It was sunny when we left the house.

catch up

We're back from Florida. It was great. I planned to run almost every day, but managed only to run 2x. The boys' schedules were all messed up resulting in either really late nights or really early mornings or both!

To redeem myself, I hustled up the 203 steps of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse in 2:36. I did have to slow for some other people, and I wasn't running, but I tried to be quick about it.

I've run once since being home. It was a hard run of the 4.5 mile USU loop! Liz and I took the boys in the stroller. My quads and calves were tight after the lighthouse and hours and hours in planes and airports trying to get home. Plus, it was hot, and that stroller is getting heavier and heavier! We stopped at about 3.5 miles so that the boys could play at a playground (and so that I could get a rest).

I may start liking that wood chip path

I am SHOCKED at my pace. I donated blood yesterday, pushed the boys up to Grimm's Gate and back (at a 12:30-ish pac), AND dug up more sod as part of the garden expansion, and I still managed to run a 10:46 pace this morning from work to Liberty and back? On the wood chip path, no less? This is absolutely astounding.....