Running in the snow is fun

After not getting much done yesterday, I got a lot done today. I've noticed this tends to happen. I take some time to relax, and I'm much more productive.

Despite cold weather and flurries, we went for a run this morning. My shins were hurting, so I only ran/walked two miles, but it felt good (other than my shins). It wasn't super cold, which is why I made sure I got out and went running. Once the weather gets colder, I need to keep running, and not wuss out, so hopefully if I ease into it, it won't be too bad. I used to love running in the snow and rain in high school, but that was a long time ago. I need toughen up so I can do it and enjoy it again.

After my run, I took some stuff out to the storage container and got our suitcases out. I talked to my Army Guy, wrapped some presents, and cleaned our room. After lunch, while Little Miss Sunshine napped, I worked on the travelmate. I got it mostly done, then ran into a problem with some of my hardware not fitting quite right. I'll fix it tomorrow and get pictures posted. Then I played with LMS, sorted some hand-me-down clothes for her, added 10 inches to some ties I bought for my brother (he's so tall that ties aren't long enough for him), did laundry, and practiced my flute.

A reason for the blahs

This morning I woke up with cramps, and realized why I've been feeling 'blah' and 'off' the last few days. It's a few days earlier than I was expecting it, so I didn't think of that as a cause. My cycle seems to be regulating itself more and more each month. One benefit is that my PMS is getting better (no irrational mood swings this time around, like I've had in the past), but it is opening a new round of worries. Depending on when my Army Guy gets to Hawaii, I could potentially get pregnant next month. I do want to get pregnant, but I'm still trying to lose weight, and I'm really concerned about another miscarriage. And if I do manage to get pregnant, I'll be worried the whole time, feeling like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. Not much I can do about it all right now, but it's there, in the back of my mind.

Saturday I went for another nice run, enjoying the beautiful warm weather. I ran about 3.5 miles and walked another .5 to 1 miles (not sure on the exact length- need to measure it still). It felt good and was motivating. Of course, this morning was cold and foggy and nasty. I'd actually planned on going for a swim today, so I never planned on biking or running, but the swim didn't happen either. The cramps aren't as bad as I've had in the past (they seem to be getting better, as well), but they're still enough to make me not want to do anything. Overall, I didn't get much done the last few days. I should be able to get more done tomorrow though.

Lovely weather for a run

This past weekend was pretty nasty and cold, so I wasn't sure if we'd have any more nice weather. However, this morning was gorgeous. We went for a really nice run: ran 2.5 miles, walked 1.5 miles. It felt really good to run, not too many twinges or too much pain. I could have gone further except the last quarter mile of the first two miles was uphill, and pushing Little Miss Sunshine in the stroller took it out of me. I walked a half mile after that (had to catch my breath), then ran another half mile, which felt good, though there was a stiff breeze that slowed me down a bit. There was another hill at that point, so I walked the last mile home. 55 minutes altogether, just shy of the 60 I was aiming for.

After I got home I ran through my stretches and exercises (45 minutes worth) which felt good, but reminded me why I never liked weightlifting: it's too stinking boring. I can tell it's going to take some work to make it a habit. I really need to be doing it before I go running, but I took so long to get going this morning that if I'd done my stretches first I wouldn't have made it out on my run. Another thing to work on: not taking so long to get out the door in the morning.

When my dad got home from work this afternoon, he brought another load of gravel for the driveway, so I got to help shovel that. As if I hadn't already gotten enough exercise today...

This afternoon I worked on a pad for LMS's jogging stroller (why buy one when I can make one), but I managed to break the last of my needles, and now I have to buy some more before I can finish the cushion. I have a smaller pad, a Kiddopotamus Snuzzler, that I found on craigslist soon after I found the stroller on craigslist. At the time, LMS looked so tiny in the cushion. It's been a great cushion, but now she's way too big for it. So I'm making a bigger cushion for her. She spends enough time in her stroller that she might as well be as comfortable as possible.

I didn't get around to wrapping all the presents yet, but it's still on my list. I did get my closet cleaned out: I kept a few things in there that I thought I'd use soon, but it'll still be awhile before I get to them, so no point in them taking up space inside. I really like de-cluttering! Now if I could just figure out how to keep my desk clear. There's always paper stacking up on it, that needs to be filed or tossed. It's a never ending battle.

Fun with Photoshop

I have such a massive headache! I finally got around to buying Adobe Photoshop Elements, and I waited so long that the new version came out- last night. I let it download overnight, then started messing around with it this morning. All told, I think I spent about 6 hours playing with it and trying to get it to do what I wanted it to (finally figured most of it out), and then changing my blog template. I used to think I was fairly computer literate, but since entering the world of blogging, I've realized I am not that computer literate. I really struggle with HTML (I have to do a lot of trial and error to get things looking the way I want), and digital scrapbooking never seemed like much of a time saver to me (it still doesn't).

So I have a massive headache from staring at the computer screen for so long, but I did manage to do about 90% of what I wanted to. I still need to figure out the other 10%.... I had originally planned on taking Little Miss Sunshine for a bike ride this morning, but that didn't happen since I got caught up in Photoshop. After she woke up from her nap, we went outside and I started organizing the storage container while LMS kept busy with her sand and water table (she could play with it for hours on end).

Right now I'm taking a quick break from working on my quilt. If I finish it quick enough I'll hop on my bike for a little while, since I still haven't exercised today.

Here's a picture of me and LMS after the marathon. I had fun photoshopping certain identifying things out of it, and it turned out pretty good, I think.

Marathon musings

Over the past couple days, I've been thinking about my marathon experience. Initially, my first impression was not real positive, but after a couple days to ponder it, I think I have a more positive outlook on it. This course really is a great course- fast, no uphills, great weather and atmosphere. While it didn't turn out quite how I wanted/expected, and it was a lot more painful than I thought (and I was expecting significant amounts of pain), it was also motivating.

I want to get in better shape (and lose weight and get rid of these stupid shin splints) and be able to run an entire half marathon. I'm also feeling the desire to run another marathon. I didn't think I would ever have that desire after doing the one, but I do want to run a marathon that I've trained for properly. I want it to be a better experience. Hmmm, that sounds like my thoughts on pregnancy. I'd like the second one to be better than the first was.

I need to start finding races for the upcoming months so I can start working towards completing them. I find that having a race coming up is very motivating- it helps keep me working out every day. And with the weather getting worse, I'll need any extra motivation I can get.

Whew.... I did it!

I survived a marathon! I won't say it was a great, enjoyable experience, because it wasn't (it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be), but I'm glad I did it. On the plus side: the course was quite scenic, and the weather was just right for running. The run down the canyon was beautiful: the trees are starting to change colors, and there was a nice cooling breeze blowing.

Unfortunately, things started off on the wrong foot when I woke up and discovered I'd started my period. I was afraid that would happen, but was really hoping it wouldn't. I always feel crummy, very crampy, and back-achy on the first day or so, and that was the case today. I was really counting on a good, fast pace (ok, 10 minutes/mile isn't a fast pace for a lot of people, but it is for me) during the 14 miles down the canyon, to compensate for what I knew would be a slower pace during the last 12 miles.

Because I was feeling crummy (and in pain) from the beginning, I was slower than I wanted coming down the canyon. Add to that the blisters I got on both feet, and I wasn't enjoying things too much. I stopped at the half way point to put moleskin on my blisters (I had bought some moleskin to put on my feet before I started, then realized last night as I was laying everything out that it was actually molefoam. Molefoam, while having thicker padding, doesn't stay stuck to your skin at all, and I ended up pulling it off at around mile 7 or 8.) When I pulled my right sock off, I found a blood blister on the side of my right big toe. Not good at all.

I hit the wall just before mile 20. I had tweaked a muscle in my right leg (I think I may have torn something; I'll get it checked out on Wednesday when I go to my physical follow-up appointment), and it was getting progressively more painful, the blisters on my feet were getting bigger and more painful, and the bottoms of my feet were quite sore and fatigued. There must have been something in my face, because the first aid people asked how I was doing, and put some Biofreeze on my leg and sent the bicycle paramedics after me with some ibuprofen. I almost started crying as I left the aid station: I was really hurting, I still had 6.2 miles to go, and I was going way slower than I wanted. I managed to hobble through the next 3 miles, then the ibuprofen kicked in and my leg felt better and my cramps stopped bothering me and I was able to run most of the last 3 miles. I was able to finish just before 1 pm, at 5 hours 56 minutes (it may have actually been a little less than that, I forgot to check the official results before we left and have to wait for it to be posted online). I think altogether I managed to run about two thirds of the race, and walked the rest.

I was originally hoping for 5 and a half hours, with an optimistic hope for less than that even, but by the time I hit the half way point I decided if I finished by 1 pm (6 hours) I'd be happy. So I managed to finish by 1, and I survived. There is some damage though: a massive blood blister on my right big toe, 5 blisters on other toes, a tweaked (possible torn) muscle just below my right knee, very sore feet, sore muscles through my legs, matching blisters on my back where my sports bra rubbed the muscles that lay on either side of the spine (very weird- never thought I'd get blisters on my back), and a bit of a light sunburn on my face. They haven't started hurting yet, but I'm sure my shins will be hurting by tomorrow night.

Despite all that, I don't feel any more tired now than I did after the half marathon, which I find surprising: I was expecting to be exhausted after the race. I guess if I'd actually run the whole thing I might be more tired.

End result: I completed a marathon! I might possibly try another one sometime in the future, but it won't be till after I've lost weight and have been able to train properly (without shin splints to bother me). In the meantime, I'll stick to half marathons: that's a much more doable distance.

Schizophrenic weather

Yesterday morning I rode my bike for an hour. It would appear I got the bike trainer and treadmill just in time: the weather has been just nasty lately. Yesterday was cold and rainy, and while today was actually fairly warm, sunny, and nice, I doubt it will last. At least I can keep exercising no matter how nasty it gets. I am looking forward to some snow, though: I have some skis that attach to our bike trailer, and I can tow it behind me with a harness that attaches to my waist, and I can either cross country ski or snow shoe while pulling the trailer. It's been way too long since I last cross country skied, and I haven't yet had a chance to go snowshoeing, though I'm looking forward to it.

This morning I walked 5 miles on the treadmill, the first little while with Little Miss Sunshine. She insisted on 'nunning' with mommy, and she lasted about 13 minutes before deciding she'd had enough. After that she was content to sit on the floor and play with her legos.

It's good to be exercising regularly again, especially biking. I didn't think it had been that long, but apparently it's been long enough to lose my bum calluses. Riding my bike is painful again, darn it! Hopefully it won't take too long to get the calluses back.

This morning I tried out what I'll be wearing during the marathon: toe socks, running skirt with longer shorts underneath, fuel belt around my waist. The toe socks are supposed to eliminate friction between toes. I didn't notice any problems, but I only did five miles, so it's kind of hard to tell for sure. I'll wear them a few more times and decide for sure whether or not to wear them during the race. The shorts and skirt are great: no further chafing problems. I do need to adjust the fuel belt a bit. I guess I bought it too large, so I'm going to have to put in some seams to take in the extra length. It's got room for two small water bottles and my packages of shot blox. I can also attach my ipod to the belt. I didn't listen to it during the half marathon, and I don't usually listen to it while out walking or running, but that's because I have to be aware of cars and all my other surroundings. Six hours is a long time without any diversion, so while I may not listen to it while I'm running the 14 miles down the canyon, I'm quite certain I'll have it on during the last 12 miles.