PHOOEY!

I hate all the things and all the people today, and I don't have an ounce of motivation in me. I think I need a week off from everything.

Love,
Blanda

Whoops!

Alright. I should try and document my year of serious ass kicking. No, really! This time I mean it!

The first week of the new year, after getting all pumped to go the fully Monty, I didn't do much of anything at all. A little indoor soccer, some pullups for my pullup challenge, and a family 5K, which wasn't a whole lot of running, but fun.

Today the kids are back at school, and I'm back to my 1.5 hours of "me" time to get a good chunk of training done. Back to running in the hot, hot sun. I should by stock in a sunscreen company.

OK, so for real. Pinky promise.

I'm too nice sometimes...

So I have this new running partner. I see a whole lot of potential in her, especially seeing that she's bumped up her miles comfortably since we've started running together. Problem is, she's rotating out in December. Son of a $&(&#$! Typical. I always meet a fabulous person to lose them shortly after.

Anyway, she's a total runner and doesn't even know it. She even pushes a super cute little girl in a double jogger and can hang at a good pace. So, today we did a 9 miler and she's on the edge of signing up to do the Koko Half Marathon. The one I'm looking to kick some major PR ass in. She's worried that she wouldn't be able to hang, but I KNOW she can and that's where I'm near throwing my goal out the window. I am tempted to tell her that I'll run with her instead of trying to achieve a new PB. DAMN MY KIND HEART!

Torn.

Lonely Road

 

I need a running partner. Long runs are so lonely and it definitely takes some mental fortitude not to walk back to the car and go home. Especially when the heat can be so defeating.

Bitch o' the day. That's all.

Week 7

Just finished the 7th week and am over half way through Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training Program. Short and long runs are getting longer, more 400Ms, and time added on to tempo runs.

I'm feeling confident that I will finish the Koko Half Marathon feeling pretty good, and quite possibly a few minutes better than my PB. I'm finally not dreading running itself. I get nervous about the challenge of running faster and harder, but I'm focused now while I'm running on those two things rather than how awful I'm feeling for majority of the run.

I can't wait to see what I can do at the end of the program. There are so many things going on in 2013 that having a solid running base and cardio fitness will help immensely. Marathons, triathlons, soccer tournaments, oh my!

A Family Affair

I think it's natural to want your kids to enjoy your hobbies as much as you do, so I'm always trying to find stuff we can all do together.

Hash running for adults is pretty wild and inappropriate, so I don't do them. You pretty much run, booze, and flash your boobs. Don't take my word for this. Just what I've heard. You also get fabulous hash names like "Tampon". I'd totally be game if I wasn't such a prude. They run trails and often at night! How cool is that? Being a shy one though, I have yet to participate in a hash run.

They do, however, hold family hashes. These welcome children with two legs and four (pet doggies!). Courses of different levels of difficulty are offered from stroller to long. The kids loves this! My boy takes off with the big kids and adults for the long course and Mia and I take the stroller course as I am usually the stroller, as you can see in the picture.

The family hash is pretty much like the adult hash where you have "hares" you chase on a marked course. These markings are usually shredded paper or cooking flour. Now, I'm not seasoned in this, so I'm not 100% clear on the how-to's, but with it mostly being held on off-road courses, you help each other out by shouting out "ON ON" when you see piles of shredded paper or flour, or "ON ON ARROW" when you see them with an arrow marking a change in direction. At family hash there is nothing cuter than a 3 year old hollering "ON ON" with authority. Mia refused, but she traipsed like a good little hasher through the boonies until there was too much mud, of course. Can't muss up the cute socks, you know. That's when the Mama has to get her weight training on and heft the diva on her back. LOL at my camel pack pulling in all kinds of directions. The ship that was my dignity sailed off long ago without me.

In the end, my kids are not afraid of getting a little sweaty and dirty as a family on a Sunday afternoon, and I may just be planting a seed that will blossom into a love of the outdoors with a side of physical fitness.

I think I may have found the mark where the kids will take off in healthy directions in their lives without me. ON ON!!

Progress!

Week 3 or 4? I can't remember. I'm feeling pretty good about AT LEAST shaving some time off my 13.1 PB. 8 miler yesterday at high noon was hot, and sometimes challenging with hills and traffic, but it was not miserable and once I got to where I had some cool wind in my face and a stretch of uninterrupted running, my pace stayed below 10:00.

The toughest part was trying to start running again after being stopped at a light. Some of the crossing signals did not work. Ended up standing at some for a while before I decided to just book it, but then I rested so long my knees and locked up. ARRGH! That hurts! Starting again while in pain like that, it took time to get back to a decent pace.

I may just do my next long runs in the 'hood on my little .5 mile stretch of road. It's mind numbing, but it's safer and uninterrupted. Also at home in case I'm running behind schedule. Little Girl's school is right there.

Starting to feel good about this!