Mommy to Marathon: April 2011

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Winner!

Everytime I enter a giveaway, I wait anxiously to find out if I won or not. Checking the blog time after time with the hope that my name pops up. I figured if you all are like me, you would want to wait till tonight when I'll do my normal post to find out who won the SPIbelt. So to put an end to all the nailbiting:

*Drumroll please* The winner is....

Cara

from Family Toy Box

Congratulations Cara! I will be contacting you soon with more information. Those of you that didn't win, you can still order one from the website, and right now they have FREE SHIPPING!! Thanks to all of you that entered and I hope you continue to enjoy following me journey with me.

*Update, Cara just informed me that today she just ran her first 5k!!!! Double Congrats Cara!!!!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Yet again...

For some reason, every time my speed drops by the slightest bit I get really upset and think I am failing. Today I started out later than normal and, quite frankly, my heart wasn't in it. My girls had just been put to bed and I was taking 30 minutes of the only hour my husband and I had together to go for a run. Ho hum...He practically had to kick me out the door(and am I glad he understands how important this is to me!) Half-way through the run I realized that even if I was going slower, I got out there, I moved and I kept going. In all reality, i only slowed by 20 seconds per mile. It's really not that much. I'm still much faster than I have ever been. I just have to remind myself that right now I'm building endurance. Speed will come later. On the bright side, only two days left till I can register for my 10K!!! I've even saved enough money from little side endeavors that I don't have to take it out of our budget, GO ME!
Stats:

Distance

2.07

Mi.

Duration

30:00

Avg. Pace

14:35

Avg Speed

4.11

mph

Intervals	Pace (min/mi)	Elevation (ft)
5:00 (warmup)	16:16	8
3:00 (fast)	12:45	1
1:00 (slow)	16:25	-1
3:00 (fast)	13:32	4
1:00 (slow)	16:25	1
3:00 (fast)	13:12	1
1:00 (slow)	15:43	1
3:00 (fast)	14:22	-4
1:00 (slow)	16:15	-1
3:00 (fast)	13:00	-1
1:00 (slow)	15:15	-2
5:00 (cooldown)	15:42	-2

Thursday, April 28, 2011

A little bit of cross training

Well yesterday marked the first time I have done cross training. I love running, it makes me feel so good for the rest of the day but I had yet to do anything on my off days. Once again the lack of a plan slowed me down in that area. I should walk, but it's too cold to take the girls with me (I run on the only days my husband is home to watch them.) I could do a work-out video, but they rarely sleep at the same time and I've tried when they are a awake. One or the other always wants me to pick them up, though that could be some extra training. Basically, I just haven't had the desire to do something. Until yesterday.

I found a local Zumba class that is at the perfect time for me, plus mine aren't the only children running around the gym(it's held in a community building) Since I am such a wimp when it comes to going to things on my own, I called a good friend of mine to come with me. We got the there and the warm up just about burned my legs off. I may be doing better with running, but there are plenty of muscles left untouched. After frying my muscles, we made it to the fun stuff. I have to preface this by saying I LOVE dancing. Nearly any kind and I am there. However, it has been years since I have done more than waltz around my kitchen to sooth my crying babies. Within the first two measures of the music I remembered why. There is something about rhythm and movement that just....gah I don't even know how to put it in words but I love it! Why has it taken me so long to try this workout? It is amazing. I didn't even feel like I was in a fitness class. I was just having fun! That's not to say I got every move, far from it. I'm sure to anyone watching it was a pretty sad version of the teachers moves. That said, as with anything else, a little practice and I will be back to shaking it up just like before.
P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway for a SPIbelt! It ends tomorrow.

Monday, April 25, 2011

For the interim...

Picture from the Pink series website.

So I've decided to run the Pink Series 10k in August. I have *fingers crossed* two friends who will be run/walking it with me and that is just enough support to get me going. That gives me 15 weeks to build up my endurance. Three miles seems not so bad anymore, but six? Am I crazy? That is twice as long as the furthest distance I have EVER run! Of course, I just have to remind myself that I felt the same way about three miles less than two months ago.
So, fifteen weeks, and the training program I found is thirteen. Any elementary kid can tell me I have two weeks with no training plan. What to do, what to do? My goal is to run the 10k with a 5/1 run to walk ratio and as of last week I was to 2:30/1 ratio. Here is the plan for the next two weeks:

Mon/Wed: 30 minutes with a 3/1 ratio
Saturday: 2 Miles same ratio
Mon/Wed: 30 minutes with a 4/1 ratio
Saturday: 2 Miles same ratio

Then when I begin my training on May 9th I ~~might~~ will be ready to go 5/1. Looks like a good plan on paper. I hope it will work. Little sidenote, my Hubby agreed to run a 5k with me in July! I am so excited to run with him. Nervous, I'm pretty sure he can out run me, but still happy. And, my training has the option for 5k races worked into the plan so I won't throw myself off with a race. Hehe, I don't know why but I get giddy at the idea of running with him. I guess I just love the man and now I can share something else I love with him.

According to the above schedule, today was my first 3/1 run. It actually felt really good. I went slightly slower than I have been going. Adding 30 seconds drains more energy than I thought, or maybe it's just coming down from a sugar-filled weekend. Either way, I kept going. My last two runs have been races (14:00 avg pace) and I don't include my warm up or cool down in those...I guess I really didn't go too much slower after all. I can't get over the fact that I can run as much as I do. I feel so good after the first ten minutes that I'm kind of sad when it's time to be done. Not sad enough to keep going, of course. I just love not feeling like I'm going to pass out at the end of my workout. It really is amazing.

Stats: