In the beginning...

I decided to start a blog since my mind wanders aimlessly while I run and I feel the need to regurgitate it after I finish. If I could do this while running, it would be even better but I haven't quite figured out the logistics of that yet...

So in the past 8 days of running, I have experienced the extremes and everything in between. Last weekend, my schedule had me running a 10 mile long run with a 4 mile easy run. I should have done the 10 miles on Saturday but after getting up early and going to the Honda dealership to get a new car, I convinced myself that I had been productive enough and just ran 4 miles around the neighborhood. So my only option was to run the 10 on Sunday in horrible weather. It was 40 degrees at the most, raining, snowing, and very windy. Thinking I had appropriate clothes for these conditions, I headed to the local park trails which I figured wouldn't be crowded. I was right - I think I saw a total of 5 other people during my 2 hours on the trail. I headed south which is all downhill and felt fine. My only grievance was that the Garmin was way off in my mileage. Mile 1 was about 1/10th of a mile too long and then mile 2 beeped at about 1.6 miles. I was a little irritated but kept going, trying to remember split times in my head. I turned around after about 4.2 miles figuring I could double back on my route to get my 10 miles total. Turns out that going back, I was heading into the wind. I still felt good after 6 miles but then I hit some serious uphills and gave into my head telling me I could take a short break for the next 2/10ths of a mile. I tried running again after that and was completely miserable. My feet slapped the ground as if I had wooden boards strapped to my feet and I just couldn't go on. At this point I was 1.6 miles from the car, wet, cold, and exhausted. With Mr. Thisgirlrunz' support via cell phone, I walked back to the car vowing to never run again. The icing on the cake was finding 2 bloody toes after returning home (the 5th toe on each foot).

Considering I'm already signed up for a spring half-marathon and a fall marathon, the never running again promise was broken on Tuesday. I was scheduled to run 4 miles but it was raining. I reconnected our extra TV to a DVD player, turned on Auntie Mame and slowly pounded out 3 miles on the treadmill (5.6) instead of the 4. Thursday I ran 4 on the local park trails and since I didn't do intervals on I tried to increase my speed as I went which wasn't difficult since the majority of the second half of my run was downhill. I also had extra motivation to hurry up and finish the run when my ipod battery died after 2 miles.

Saturday's long run was scheduled to be a step-back to 8 miles but since I didn't do 10 miles the week before, I changed the plan to the 10 miles I didn't accomplish last week. I headed out equipped w/ 20 oz. of Gatorade, 20 oz. of water and 2 packs of sport beans (I'm convinced my problem the week before was lack of fuel). This long run went exactly how their supposed to go. I tried to start out slow and keep my pace around 10:00 minute/mile. Overall my pace quickened slightly as I progressed which I was happy about considering the second half of my run was almost all up hill. (sound familiar - this can only make me stronger, right?)

Sunday's run was scheduled to be 3 miles. If the weather had cooperated, I would have run 4 outside to make up for the mile I missed on Tuesday but due to rain, I was back on the treadmill w/ Mame and Patrick. I considered going for 4 miles on the treadmill but my lower legs were aching so I decided to call it a day after 3. No sense in injuring myself for an extra mile, right?

So that adds up to 20 miles for the week. This coming week I should run, 4, 4, 12, and 4 miles (24 miles total) according to my schedule.

Highlights from this week's long run include: 2 dead birds smashed into the road, 13 "10"s on street signs/buildings/mailboxes, 2 Civic hybrids, one guy riding(?) one of these in full spandex, and one boy approx. 12 years old (clearly old enough to know better) urinating in public.