What an Awesome run! - 6/30/07

I went on my first trail run this morning with Lori and Jim and it was great! We started at about 5:30 am and ran for 8 miles. Lori and Jim went on after I finished but I was scheduled for 8 miles so I kept to my plan. I finished in 1:27 which was a 10:52m/m pace. This is a slower pace than normal for me but I ran the whole distance instead of using the run/walk technique. I thought it was PERFECT! I'll be interested to see if my ankles or knees baulk from running on the uneven ground. Lori and Jim are a lot of fun to run with and I love getting out on the trails - I would run trails every day if I could! I now know why Julie B loves her trail run so much! I will be back next week for sure!!

My eating was great yesterday and my weight dropped to 140 which was my goal weight for the week. I still have some exercise minutes to make up if I want to make this week's leverage. Charlene from LL challenged me to eat according to my plan all weekend which is going to be difficult because I'm taking Ally to a birthday party today. I will really need to stay focused so that I don't find myself nibbling. I just need to keep my goals in mind and stay strong!

Off to do my weekend chores!

Friday 6/29/07

I've really had a couple of good days with my eat! I've dropped a pound which I'm happy about but I really thought I would have seen a bit more of a drop - I have been spot on and I honestly thought a bigger portion of the excess water weight would have dropped. However, it is just about that TOM so I'm hoping that is the reason for the water retention. It doesn't really matter though, the important part is that I'm getting back on my program and I'm starting to see results! Baby steps will get me to my goal!!

MY GOALS! - I posted earlier that I would list my goals so here they are:

1. Long Term Goal - I will weigh 130# for my marathon on October 28th.
2. Six Week (Team) Goal - I will weigh 134# by the end of my team challenge on August 9th.
3. Weekly Goal - I will perform 420 minutes of exercise (cardio & resistance training) and weight 140# (the actual weekly weight goal will change but the exercise minutes will stay the same).

I will also be setting up some daily goals for myself. Things like drinking enough water or having extra veggies on a given day etc. If there is one thing that I've learned from LL it's that goals are huge. Most people never sit down and actually make them. They might have some vague idea about what they might want....someday but they never actually define what they are, write them down and then make them public. It is a huge step!

The other thing I'm doing is setting up a leverage. This is also something I learned about at LL. Simply, and this comes right from The Leanness Lifestyle book, it is "self-applied pressure to reinforce your focus and maintain your commitment through the journey. It establishes a cost for failing." There are different types but I'll let you purchase the LL book to read more about it! If you've never used a system like this, it is amazing. My leverage is financial (it doesn't have to be but that is what I chose). I have a savings account that I've set aside so that some day I can become an Elite member at LL. I'm taking $200 out of that account and if I don't make my goal it will be sent to the KKK - a group I absolutely despise! I'm also going to fine myself $25 each week that I don't make my weekly goal. That money will also go into the end leverage.

Another weekly leverage I will set up is a massage. I have never had one before and have always wanted one. This is a reverse leverage - you purchase the session before hand and if you make your goal, you get to keep/attend the session. If you don't make your goal you don't get to go to the session and you are out the money you paid for it. I hope that all made sense because a good leverage is SO effective!

Well, today is a rest day for my exercising. I may go for a nice easy spin on the bike trainer just to keep my legs loose but other than that, I'm taking it off. Tomorrow is my long run and I'm thrilled to be meeting up with a group and then going for a run on the trails. It will be my second group run of the week but my first one on the trails. I will have to travel a bit to get there but I think it is going to be a blast! The only thing that concerns me is the possible lack of bathrooms - I'm sure some of them have had the problem before too so I'll just follow their lead, so to speak.

POSITIVE NOTE: I just found out this morning that Tim has started to drive again. That is such wonderful news! I'm going to email Donna soon and leave a message on Tim's CarePage. I'm so excited to hear he is making progress. I will be writing my sponsor letter this weekend and hope to get it out early next week. For those who may have missed my earlier posts, I'm raising money for a co-worker's son who had to have a hear transplant due to a genetic problem. He is a young man and this is going to hit him hard financially. He already has enough on his plate and I'm hoping to raise a minimum of $3000 to help him out.

My first group run!

This picture is actually pretty cool because it is of a group finishing the 2005 MCM. They look awesome at the finish and I would love to look the same!

It was so much fun! I met 2 other people and we went out for a 5 mile run. The pace was right at about 10 m/m. I can't tell you how awesome it was to run with other people - it was great to have a conversation while running (with someone else that is). The best part was that I already kind of knew one of the other runners. It turns out that she knows my husband and we had met a few times before. I think I'm going to try and go back tomorrow so that I can meet Pat who was the one who told me about the group in the first place. I will definitely meet them on Saturday for some trail running. I am so looking forward to that!


After my shower, I will be sitting down and trying to write my "Why". I did get a couple of responses from my post over at LL and got some good ideas. I will also be following up on them. One of the suggestions was to do one of Coach's Boot Camps - I would love to do one but I don't think I have the money for it. Our family budget is quite tight and if I spend all my savings on a boot camp (which I don't have enough for) then I won't have any for either my Elite membership or a Platinum Lifetime Membership. Boy do I wish I could win the Powerball and then I could do both - LOL!

What is my problem?!?!?!?!?!

I am so frustrated with myself! My workouts are going great - I feel good about how my running going but my eating has been - I'll be polite in my wording - pretty poor! I don't know what my problem is. I start every day with a plan and I usually get a good 3/4 of the way through the day just fine and then before I know it - BOOM! - I've messed up the day by eating like......(I'll let someone else fill in the blank).

I'm trying to stay positive but I feel like I've been struggling for months now. I just can't seem to get my eating on track. The good thing is that my exercising has been keeping my weight pretty constant. I'm between 140 and 142 but I want to be down around 130 (I would be happy between 130 and 135).

I don't even know how to put my frustration into words! How do I get out of this downward spiral? It is so easy to just say....just stop the bad actions....just don't do it anymore! I've been sitting here for the past 10 minutes or so looking at this page because I really don't know where to go from here. I know the important part is to NEVER give up trying and I won't but boy is it hard! It is wearing me down mentally. I keep putting myself down by saying things like: "This time last year I was in a groove, why can't I get that back?!"

I don't have any answers but I am going to take some action steps. I've done these before but I'm going to do them again!

1. I'm going to write another "Why". This is something I learned about at LL - it is something I've struggled with in the past but I'm going to give it another shot.
2. I'm making a new weight loss goal.
3. I'm making a leverage - I'm taking $200 out of my account which has been created to save money so that I can become a LL Elite member. There is a little over $300 in the account so I'm taking a big chunk out of the account. I will withdraw this money and I will give it to someone to hold. If I don't make my goal this money will be donated (I'll determine where in a bit) and I will be that much further away from my Elite status.
4. I'm going to make a daily, weekly and monthly goal and I will post it here for accountability.
5. Finally, I will post a copy of this blog entry at LL so that I can get even more accountability and support.

I have lost a fair amount of weight since I started at LL over a year ago - I'm proud of my accomplishments! However, I have come to realize that even though I have changed on the outside I have yet to change on the inside. I have not been able to make this a lifestyle. I'm still making bad decisions and craving junk. I long for the day when the junk won't be a temptation. I don't know if I'll ever get to that point, but I hope and pray that the day will come - soon!

IT'S OVER!!!

My night class (TECE I) that is! It was a lot of fun and I learned a great deal but boy am I glad it is finished. It started back in January - can you believe it? It was 60 hours of class work, which was very hard but we had an awesome group of women in the class which made it a blast to attend each week. I'm planning on taking the second class in the series (TECE II) starting in September. So, there won't be a huge amount of down time but I'm definitely going to enjoy the summer!

TECE II will start at the beginning of January but because they are going to start doubling up the classes in November, we will be done before Christmas! I figured that if I was already in the classroom mode it would be better to get right back to it. Having it finished before the end of the year is just an added bonus!

Now back to training! I have officially started my 18 week marathon program! Yesterday was a cross training day (biking and weight lifting). Today was the first run of the program. I did a touch over 3 miles and my pace was 7:54 m/m. I decided to push the pace today to get in a hard workout. I want to make sure that I put a bit of a push into some of my runs but I need to make sure that I'm careful. I chose the Intermediate I program so I just need to be careful.

Tomorrow I'm scheduled for a 5 mile run and I think I'm going to try and head over to the Y and meet up with a few other runners. I'm hoping to be able to meet them a couple of times a week (maybe for my longer weekday run - Wednesdays and for my long run - Saturday). I haven't run in a group of people since I was a kid. I would occasionally go with my Dad to a group run a long time ago but haven't done it since. I'm really hoping to be able to work it out. I just need to make sure I get back in time for Bill to get to work on Wednesdays. The Saturday run is kind of far away so when the runs start getting really long we will have to work something out. I'm hoping he will be his normal supportive self!

Well, it is time to start getting us ready to get the kids to their swim lessons. Yesterday went pretty well and they are both looking forward to going back today. Yesterday was a bit of a short lesson because they had to get the kids into their correct classes. I'm hoping they will be able to cover a bit more today. I think Will is a tweener - he is a bit passed some of the things they are covering in his class but not up to the class Ally is in. I think Ally is right where she needs to be.

Off to get ready!

Monday 6/25/07: Readings and other stuff

One of the new routines I'm trying to establish is daily Bible readings. I've started a great study with some friends on a book titled "It's Not About Me" by Max Lucado. We've only gotten through 1 chapter so far but it is a good book. One of the things is brought back out to me was that I was not spending enough time in prayer and intimate relationship with God. As with most people, the excuse I've been using is time - "I just can't seem to find the time because......". Ya know what? That is a bunch of crap! Just as we say you much schedule your exercise time and make it a priority - you have to do the same with your prayer life. It is that important!

Long story short, I have had to really good Reading/Prayer Sessions the past 2 nights. I shared my first session insights with my Bible Study friends but decided to start putting my insights into this blog to share with everyone. Last night I read Psalm 90 & 91 in The Message Remix. The section that really spoke to me was in 91:14-16

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life, says God, I'll get you out of any trouble. I'll give you the best of care if you'll only get to now and trust me. Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times, I'll rescue you, then throw you a party. I'll give you a long life, give you a long drink of salvation!"

Hold onto me, get to know me and trust me.....3 things that I am really trying to focus on right now. I am also coming to realize that trust is not necessarily something I'm good at. Trust goes hand in hand with releasing control which is another thing I will have trouble with "upon occasion".

Onto the "other stuff"...Wouldn't you know that it is raining today! The first day of swim lessons and it is raining and is supposed to rain all week. I'm assuming that they will have the lessons as long as there isn't any thunder and lightning but it isn't exactly the way I intended to spend the time. I was really looking forward to relaxing in a pool chair, at the side of the pool, watching the lesson for things we can practice on our own. Oh well, I guess we'll just play it by ear and see how the week progresses.

The rain also messed up my training plan for this morning (hence the longer post at 5ish in the morning). I had planned on doing a rollerblading session followed up by a lifting session but since it is raining, the blading got ditched. As soon as I'm finished here I will do my lifting session and then decide on the cardio portion of my workout.

I'm feeling better about my decision to go with the Intermediate I program. I really think I will do well with it....it is a nice compromise between Novice II and Intermediate II. I think it will challenge me but yet not be so overwhelming that I breakdown physically.

I have procrastinated enough and it is now time to go lift!

Addition: I published my blog and it did something that has happened to me before and that I don't understand. It takes out spacing that I had in when I was typing and it pushes things closer together (notice the section right after the quotation it is different from the top section!) - I really don't get it!

I Think I've made a decision.......

I've had my training plan set for over a month now. I decided to use Hal Higdon's Intermediate II program and have been steadily building up my mileage so that I would be ready to start that program tomorrow. Then I started doing some reading in one of Hal's books and on his web site/forums. Everything that I was reading was that you should start with the Novice program even if you don't consider yourself a novice runner. If it is your first marathon - use the novice program.

I saw it so many times, I started to worry if I was being too aggressive. I don't want to get injured while training for this race. So I sent some notes off to some friends (thanks Julie B. and Julie A.) who offered some great advice. However, it ultimately comes down to me making the decision.

I'm splitting the difference and using Intermediate I. There isn't a huge difference between Novice II (Novice I was too easy) and Intermediate I. The mileage is quite similar in terms of daily distances. The biggest difference is that Novice II has 2 rest days scheduled and Intermediate I has 1 rest day. I'm using the Intermediate program but I will keep a close eye on how I'm feeling and if I feel like I need a rest day or that I need a cross day instead of a run I'll do that.

I will probably second guess this decision over the next 18 weeks but I have to decide on something and it will be Intermediate I!!

Speaking of rest days, I took and extra one today. I was feeling a bit tired this morning - mostly because I stayed up later than normal last night. Food has been pretty good today but there is still room for improvement. I'm starting up with a team at LL this week and I am really looking forward to that! It is always great when you can get that extra support!

Kids start their swim lessons this week and they are really excited about it. I'm interested to see what types of things they will be doing. They have improved so much all ready but I'm sure these lessons will really bring out the fish in them!

Saturday 6/23/07

I had a really good long run today! I ran 11 miles - I had originally planned on going 11.5 but my legs had had enough so I stopped at 11 and then walked another 1/4 mile.

I did a couple of other things that turned out to be good ideas. Normally, I run the entire distance around Delcastle (in a figure 8 style to increase the miles in 1 loop) so that I'm close to the bathrooms. It occurred to me today that if I run the loop until I use the bathroom I can then go out into the neighborhood and run a moderate length loop and finish back inside Delcastle just in case I need the bathrooms again. I can't believe it took me this long to figure it out! I tried it today and it worked great!! It was really nice to get out of the "normal" routine. The other change I made was that I forced (and yes I had to force myself) myself to run slower. My pace was right around 9:30m/m which is about a minute slower than I have been running my long runs. I think it is something I really need to focus on and try for a while. I'm starting to get nervous that my body is going to baulk at all the miles - I guess it is just my psyche getting the best of me.

The 2 changes also worked really well together for another reason. I found myself unintentionally picking up the pace so that my walking breaks were in a certain spot on my route. By changing the scenery and by changing the pace it got me out of the routine. I think it was good for my head.

My official 18 week marathon training schedule starts on Monday! I'm planning on contacting some friends about the program that I've chosen. I decided, quite some time ago, that I would use Hal Higdon's Intermediate II program. The Novice program just didn't look challenging enough. However, now that I've been doing some further reading and have been on Hal's message boards I'm starting to have second thoughts. Everything I've been reading states that you would be better off being undertrained at the start of the race instead of overtrained (within reason of course). The last thing I want is to put all this time and effort into the training and then have it all blow up in my face because I chose the wrong program. More on this topic later.

Wednesday 6/20/07

Training has been very good lately. I've had some very productive runs. Today's workout was speedwork: 9 x 400. I haven't looked at my paces yet but I felt like I was working pretty hard. The weather was not helping - at 5:15 am it was 71 degrees and 93% humidity. We had a storm front come through last night and it is making for some really icky weather.

I'm really beginning to wonder whether I want to go through all the trouble of trying to lose weight while training for this race. I have been maintaining my weight at about 140 for a while now and have been struggling to lose more. Most of my problem is mental and I realize that - a part of my brain keeps telling me that I look good at 140 so why do I want to drop lower. Would I look better at 130 or 135? Probably, but I just can't seem to get all cylinders firing at the same time. Anyway, something to ponder!

Saturday 6/16/07

WOW has this week gone by quickly! It started a little crazy but ended with a really fun time. Yesterday we took the kids to Dutch Wonderland (DW) which is an amusement park. It is really nice for younger kids because it isn't huge like the Hershey Parks and the Disney parks. DW has a small water section with slides and a play area as well as your typical ride section. The kids are able to make it around the entire park and do everything they want without being so exhausted that all you do is fight by the end of the day.

I think it was a really good way to end the week especially for Will. Although I have to say both kids got some other treats this week as well. Ally got to spend some 1 on 1 time with Mom-Mom and Pop-Pop and I took Will to see Shrek 3. It made me feel really good when he got so excited telling people that we did a special thing together - just the 2 of us. He was more excited about that than he was to see the movie - melts your heart!

Workouts this week have been really good. I completed all my workouts including a 10.5 mile run this morning. I tried using my Hammer Nutrition products that I received earlier this week and they worked really well. I didn't have any stomach problems and used both gels and Heed (lemon-lime flavor). I added a bit too much water to my Heed powder so it was really diluted but I still liked the flavor and it didn't leave any aftertaste in my mouth which is what I was really looking for. I also have a packet of the orange flavor and will try that tomorrow. I think I may also have a local place that sells the Hammer products - now all I have to do is find it. I know generally where it is but I haven't seen any signs or anything for it so I'm not positive.

I was also excited to see that I've now run over 300 miles this year! When I first put that ticker up on the blog I just picked a number that I thought would be a real challenge to hit. One that would give me incentive to go out and run each morning. Now here we are, half way through June and I'm already over 300 miles. The interesting thing now will be to see just how many miles I can run in a year!

Until next time!

We both did well!

Yes, we both made it through the ordeal without too much difficulty. Will got upset only two times. The first time, which was pretty funny, was when he was supposed to put on one of the hospital gowns. He was wearing his Thomas the Tank Engine jammies and did not want to wear the gown. He cried and tried to run away and screamed and cried some more. We eventually decided that we wouldn't fight it.

The second time he freaked out was when he was coming out of his anesthesia. He was ANGRY because we wouldn't let him get down and walk around. The nurse was great and explained to us that because the anesthesia wasn't out of his system, he needed to either stay in bed or sit on our lap. She did say that if we held onto his arms/hands we could walk him around since he was fussing so much. Will didn't want any part of any of those situations. So, it came down to me holding him on my lap (in a big bear hug) while he screamed and cried and punched and kicked (all at me) and just pretty much tried everything he could do to squirm out of my arms. This probably lasted 25 minutes or so and then is just switched off and he was his normal loving self. It was very strange to watch - when he was upset, he didn't want any of the drinks or foods that the nurse was offering him. After he calmed down, he drank some juice, had a Popsicle and drank a Slurpee/icee. He was a totally different person. He doesn't remember any of the violence and the nurses told us that it would probably happen that way.

As a result of all that, I am already really sore. All the muscles in my back hurt. Just sitting still is uncomfortable and when I reach my arms in front of me like I would in a hug, I can feel every single muscle in my back - and yes they all hurt.

However, it was all worth it! His eyelid is all clear out and the doctor said he couldn't believe all the gunk in his eyelid. It pretty much filled his whole lid. He got 2 stitches to close it up and can't go swimming until Friday or Saturday. I'm going to take him to see a movie tomorrow so that should be fun. I'm just really happy that it is all finished and that we can hopefully move on and not worry about this any more!

We Need your Prayers!

This morning is Will's surgery. Please keep us in your prayers! We have to be at the hospital at 8:45 am and his surgery is at 10:15 am. The procedure is supposed to take about 30 minutes but we could potentially be there all day. I'm really hoping that everything goes smoothly, on all levels, and that we are out of there pretty quickly. I must admit that even though I know it is a very routine procedure, I'm getting a touch nervous. I know this will turn out just fine but he is and always will be my "baby".

My parents are watching Ally so it is really cool that she doesn't have to sit with us and be board to tears. She is going to have a great time with them (as she always does).

Thanks for your prayers and support!

Saturday 6/9/07

Today's long run felt really hard. My legs felt very heavy and tired. I still ran it at a good pace but I never really felt "good" this morning. It was quite humid and that may have had something to do with it. In addition, I did some lifting the other day and my legs were a bit sore still. Not that it really matters - I'm going to have days when I feel awful and days when I feel like I'm flying. The important thing is that I got my 9 miles in. It took me 1:20 and my pace was 8:48m/m. I'm feeling a bit sore and stiff right now so I'm definitely going to be doing some more stretching as the day progresses.

I think I'm going to try and get a 2nd pair of running shoes today. I can't remember if I wrote before, but Bill got me 2 gift cards for a local women's sports store for my birthday. I think I'm going to get the same shoe I have right now. I've read different things about it - some say get different types of shoes so that your foot gets a different feel and others say to stick with the same shoe because you know it is already a good shoe for you. I'm just going with the same shoe and see how it goes. If I continue with the longer distances, I may try a different shoe after the marathon.

Have a great weekend!

Friday 6/8/07

"The five S's pf sports training are: Stamina, Speed, Strength, Skill and Spirit; but the greatest of these is Spirit."Ken Doherty, former coach and Penn Relays director

Today was a pretty trying day. First thing this morning I had to take our dog to the vet. Let me just say, Boomer (my dog), does not like the vet at all. It is always stressful for both him and us when we go - not to mention expensive!

Then in the afternoon, we had to take Will (my son) to the hospital for his pre-surgical check-up. Today was pretty much just paper work and physical type stuff but it still makes you realize that he is have surgery on Monday. He has a blocked oil duct on his eye lid and the surgeon is going to make a small incision and unblock it. Everyone is telling us that it is a short easy procedure but it isn't really the procedure that concerns me. You never know how someone is going to react to anesthesia and that is really the part that concerns me about the whole day. I know deep down that God is looking over us all and will watch over him and keep him safe but I guess it is human nature to worry - I need to find a way to hand it all over to Him and be at peace.

Today was a rest day and tomorrow is my long run (9 miles). I have been able to drop about 3 pounds since starting my last goal on LL. My eating has in no way been perfect but I think I'm actually starting to turn things around. I am thinking about things before I eat them - I think that is a positive step. Sometimes I still give in and eat the "crap" but at other times I am able to stop myself and either make a better choice or just forgo all together.

One thing I am disappointed in is that I have only gotten 1 donation, for Tim, from my daughter's Kindergarten class. I would have expected to have gotten more of a response from them in particular. I sent notes to the entire school but didn't necessarily expect everyone to run up and donate. I did however, expect the Kindergarten class to show more support. This isn't to say that I won't hear from them as the summer progresses - I just don't know.

Until next time!

Happy Birthday to Me & Day 2!

No I'm not crazy, it is not day 1 of my birthday, it is day 2 of my challenge. Yesterday was a pretty good day and my weight dropped to 140.5. Just so that everyone knows, at LL we track our weight daily. I don't get all that hung up on the number because I know that weight can fluctuate wildly in the course of the day. Until I started at LL, I never realize just how much what we eat and drink can effect our daily weight - I knew it fluctuated but didn't realize the extent of that fluctuation. I realize that some out there would consider daily weigh-ins excessive. However, I feel that as long as you don't get obsessive about it, it is a great tool. Coach Dave suggests you weigh daily and plot it on a chart (done for you at Club Lifestyle). By doing this you really do see trends and the big picture. Trends are important (especially for women) because you can get a handle on what happens to your body within a given month. The big picture is obviously important - even if your weight goes up and down every day, by plotting it on the chart you can watch the overall weight move downward - very motivating!

As for my birthday - I started it out with a great interval workout. I ran a total of 4.7 miles and the average pace was 8:08m/m which included my warm-up and cool-down running. I've also made some of Hokie's Sweet Potato Brownies. So far a pretty productive morning! We are going out to dinner tonight - I think I'll choose Red Lobster as my dinner place that way I can get some yummy food but try and keep it a bit on the healthy side. I want to enjoy the food and the company (my family of course) but not go completely off the deep end.

I'm also really excited about starting a Bible Study! Kristen, Julie, Melissa, Helen and I are going to be studying Max Lucado's book called It's Not About Me and I am really looking forward to it. It has been a long time since I've been able to participate in one. Ever since I started working, I lost my weekly Bible study group and I have really missed it. It will be good to get back into a study group.

Well, off to run some errands!

Tuesday 6/5/07 - 7 DAY CHALLENGE

I am issuing a 7 Day Challenge to myself:

7 Days to:

Follow my exercise plan

Eat according to my LL plan

Record my calories correctly and accurately

I am also going to take some circumference measurements and will add them to this post after I take them. My eating has been my weak point lately (as per the norm.) and this needs to change. My marathon plan is really starting to kick into high gear and the miles will be adding up quickly. I need to make sure I am giving my body the good fuel it needs so that I stay healthy and injury free!
I took a break and did all my measurements. Now I must note that the skinfold I took is a 1 site test, which isn't going to be the most accurate and it is taken at the hip area which happens to be my worst spot. So, I believe it to be a bit high but the important thing is that it gives me an objective number to compare against. For better or for worst, here are the numbers:

Date: 6/5/07 Time taken: 8:30 am

Weight: 141.5
Body fat: 24%
Fat pounds: 34#
LBM: 107.5#
Upper chest: 35.75in
Chest: 36.75in
Rib cage: 33.5in
Waist: 35.25in
Hips: 37.5in
Thighs (avg): 20in
Calves (avg): 14in

Well there it is. I will stay with my challenge for 7 days and then take the measurements again - not necessarily the body fat values but definitely the circumferences and we'll see how I do.

Feel free to call me out if I don't post my progress. Speaking of progress, I had a good run this morning. I went 4.7 miles and ran at a pace of 8:05m/m. I still need to get some lifting in today and I will be taking the kids to the pool after lunch. Looks like another busy day!

Saturday 6/2/07

"Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is usually more important than the outcome."
Arthur Ashe, tennis player

I've been getting motivational quotes from Runners World and I love this one. The best part is that it is true. Just by keeping at it, day in and day out, you become a success. You may not be where you originally pictured yourself but you will be better off than when you started. How many times have we told ourselves: "I don't think I'll exercise today because I'm just too tired." but then we force ourselves to get out and do it anyway and feel absolutely AWESOME for having accomplished the task. The journey that we traveled in order to complete the exercise session that day, made us a success in that one aspect of our lives. Deep stuff for sure (LOL)!

Yes, I did get out and exercise today - 8 miles. It felt pretty good. The pace was around 8:45m/m and the temperature was around 70 degrees when I started at 5:30 am. The first heat wave is officially here. Nothing monumental happened - it was just a nice run on a nice morning.

Nutrition has been fair this week. There were actually a couple of days when I didn't prepare well enough but overall I'm slowly dropping a couple of pounds and will drop down at least 10 pounds for the race. That is one of my goals - to run the race at 130#. I think that is a doable weight that I can not only attain but also stick with over a period of time.

Hoping to have a nice fun day with the family. Maybe get to the pool or go for a bike ride. Have a great weekend!

I just realized that I have officially passed the 1/2 way mark to my goal of running 500 miles. I now know that I'm going to pass that total relatively easily - I made the goal before I decided to train for a marathon. It will still be cool to pass 500 miles and then see how far I can go during the rest of the year!