It's been too long since I talked about running

Tomorrow evening I finish my Old Chicago World Beer Tour #2. Only took me 2 years to finish 110 beers with driving 40 miles one way for it. HAHA. It'll be good.

I've been swimming this week for cross-training purposes. I got in the pool on Tuesday, did some laps and spent a total of 30 minutes in the pool. I was expecting to be more sore on Wednesday but nada. Was in the pool again tonight. Only spent 20 minutes this time but that was because Zach in the next lane swam 22 laps in a row and totally showed me up. I can only swim 3 laps in a row. I blame the fact that I have no goggles. So I'm buying goggles this weekend or next week.

Next week cross-training will be biking. My legs will be more sore after that. I like the recumbent bike better. I can read or watch tv better and it's easier on my ass. I go for like 7 or 8 miles on that in 30 minutes. It's a pretty good sweat workout.

I'm hoping to lose 10 pounds. It'll help with the running, if I'm more svelt. I don't want to lose it for the body image but to help me run. So maybe it's not the weight I want to lose but instead the bulk around my hips, thighs and stomach. We'll see if it happens. I highly doubt it. Three years ago I was 15 pounds less than what I am now but I was also younger too. I don't know what I did to lose it but I did. I think it was the working nights and driving an hour to work.

I'm also doing a few sets of weights after running on the treadmill. Nothing too big and fancy. Just working the tricep (a problem area), the hamstring lift (I need to make that stronger for running) and free weights curls for the biceps (my skinny arms need to get stronger).

I saw an orthopedic last week. He told me that I'm incredibly flexible which is why I'm having problems with my wrists. But he said what will help me with that is strengthening up the forearm. So I have to look into getting a squeezy thingy for those muscles. I can work those at home. This guy I know just does it while he's watching tv and his forearms are HUGE. So I'm hoping that will keep my wrists good as I have a cyst back in my bad one and my one good wrist is painful as of late.

I'm also training for the St. Jude Children's Hospital Half Marathon for later on this year. It'll be in December. Someone from work motivated me enough to get excited about the stupid thing. It's in Memphis. Here's a map of the route. I have a regimen to follow for 16 weeks. I started it this past Monday and I only run 3 times a week. That seems way less that what I should run to me but I up my long run mileage by a mile each week. It has tempo runs (which is slightly faster than your estimated HM pace) and speed work (in which you run like a mile fast - mines is at 8:06) and easy/long runs done at a pace slower than your HM pace (mine is 10 minutes). I've never really done those before. I always just ran a straight steady pace which might be why I only run at that pace.

I got this schedule from Runner's World. I subscribed to it 2 months ago and it's been really helpful. I totally look forward to it every month. It has good articles about running, shoes, strides, food, etc.

For the past two Friday's, I've been running at lunch because I usually end up staying until 7pm to get our weekend classified sections out. I can't explain why but it sucks. Luckily, because tomorrow is my WBT finish, I'm leaving at 5pm, I don't care and I'm not running. It's a rest day for me! With a 6 mile run on Saturday. :-)

I've been planning my camping weekends for this summer. I'm totally looking forward to Alton/Grafton and then sometime to Wisconsin. I also plan an overnight trip to Springfield. It's been way too long since I've been to our state capital. I like Abraham Lincoln a lot. My dad is also going to come up here for a week of camping in August. I'm excited about that. He's actually staying in Sycamore too so he'll be close to me! Unfortunately, since all my vacation time is all ready locked in, I can't take any of those days off but I'll find stuff to do with him during the week. May lose out on a few training days. We'll see.

I swear, if I see one more story or hear of another newscast or commercial about the iPhone (which is all I'm seeing on NBC tonight), I'm going to scream. I can't even go to some of my favourite geek sites because all they have are links and articles about this iPhone. How not to be jealous of the iPhone, how to make your phone look like the iPhone, how the iPhone stands up to other phones, finding Wi-Fi spots with your iPhone, how the lines are building for the iPhone launch, the fact that the iPhones are arriving and being unpacked. I want to stage a sit-in in protest over this hype that they are having over this new device. I'm sick of it. SICK. OF. IT. People were complaining about the overexposure of Paris Hilton. Well, how about this iPhone?!?! I'll end on that note.

Categories: camping, iPhone, orthopedic, Runner's World, speed work, St. Jude Half Marathon, swimming, travel, weight, work

iDo

I also got an appointment with Midwest Ortho to look at my hip. Hopefully they'll tell me what to do to make it not hurt after running! I ran yesterday at 4.5 miles and it hurt but only after I quit running. Today, I ran 4.5 miles but it started huring WHILE I was running. Even afterwards while stretching, something wasn't right. And it's not the muscle. It's the joint. I know it is.

So last week, Bob won an iPod shuffle. Got it through Lee's Summer Fitness Challenge. He gave it to me. Every week they are giving away iPod shuffles (week 1 - 1 iPod shuffle; week 2 - 2 shuffles; week 3 - 3 shuffles; etc.) and one iPod Nano each week. I was really wanting the Nano just so I can get the iPod + Nike thing and then when I run outside it'll keep track of how fast and far I'm going and how many calories I'm burning. That'll be awesome. But I'm happy with the shuffle. For now. I had iTunes put random songs on it and most of it turned out for good running today. Today, in fact, was easy running, even with the pain in my hip. 4.5 miles in 41:08. Not too shabby. I couldn't tell if that was because of the running I did yesterday, the not being sick anymore, or the music helping me along. In any case, I own an iPod brand mp3 player now. I guess I should delete the above icon now huh? :-)

Speaking of October 8th, I gotta remember to register for the Autumn on Parade race soon. This one is gonna have hills. :-/ And water only provided at the 2 mile mark. Gotta remember to bring my own little bottle then. But all racers are guaranteed a shirt! Awards for the first 3 male and female in each age group. I'm starting to look at clothing to wear for the cooler weather. I'm thinking at least long running tights. My thighs were red in the last race from the cooler weather.

Tomorrow is weights and bike. I like the bike, I just sit, listen to music and work out my legs. It's kinda fun. :-) BTW, I'm 3 pounds away from my goal weight. Then what?

Categories: Autumn On Parade 5k, iPod, orthopedic, weight