Feelin' the Burn

...The burn between yesterday's PR and today's 3-part workout, that is!

So, I took Tuesday off, and Wednesday I was due for a 4 miler. I hopped on the TM, set the incline to 1%, and settled in for a moderate, comfortable run. As I mentioned before, I'm trying to hold off on speedwork due to the large increases in mileage taking place. But I felt so good that I somehow finished in 35:44...my best time yet for that distance. I burned 522 cals, and had an average HR of 162. My peak HR was 179...I watched my HRM as my HR climbed up and up, and I was anxiously waiting for it to break into the 180s, but all that happened was that it went back down to 178. I thought that was pretty funny; it's like my body is not allowing my heart rate to get that high. It's good to train your heart at higher levels like that on occasion, though. I'm determined to break into the 180s very soon! But that would require more speedwork....

I actually woke up sore today. My quads, which rarely get sore from just running now, were feelin' the good old DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness). So I probably should have ignored my desires and skipped the weight training I did today, knowing I also had to run and attend a group fitness class. But it had been so long that I just couldn't resist anymore. I did only 15 minutes, but it was an intense 15 minutes, and I used every minute as best I could.

I then hopped on the TM, but kept the incline off for today. I had a scheduled 3 miler, but I actually only got through about 2.85 miles before I ran out of time and had to get to the class. The run was nothing to write home about; I kept a 10-minute-per-mile pace most of the time. Somehow it felt way harder than yesterday's run, even though it was shorter and slower (again...the heat. I also think that the foundation of this particular Gold's is slanted, because every time I get on one of the machines it feels slightly tilted to the left. Someone else I talked to had the same observation.).

After the run, I attended PiYo (pilated + yoga...get it?) with some lovely lady friends. Throughout my run I was using this class as motivation to finish strong, thinking I'd have all this time to stretch and relax. Wrong! PiYo kept me sweating, and was so challenging that I cheated on most of the moves! Good thing I stuck myself in the very back corner. I've taken a handful of pilates and yoga classes before, but none like this! Had I not been exhausted from everything else, I would have really enjoyed this class...but it was just plain not what I expected....it was too hard! :) I would like to add that I did fully enjoy most of the "Yo" portion of PiYo. I loved switching between warrior poses and learning new moves. It felt very empowering and graceful. It was the "Pi" portion that sucked.

I didn't wear my HRM in the class because I wasn't expecting to burn calories (hah), but combining the strength training and the run, I burned 634 cals, with a peak HR of 177 and average of 162.

It's so cold outside! Let this video warm your heart. This was taken at the Washington D.C. National Zoo 2 summers ago, when I had a serious crush on the baby panda Tai Shan. The fiance & I headed up there with his brother & sister in law, and they had to drag me out of the panda section. This is Tai Shan's mom, Mei Lan, enjoying an apple while I swooned on...I think you can see me wiping a tear away at the end! Haha. Sorry for the bad video quality; I think the fiance was too excited to keep the camera still:)

Back to Reality

It's been a while! Classes started back up again today. I'm already feeling the procrastination seep into my pores. My classes should be mostly interesting, though. I'm taking an Advanced Kinesiology/Biomechanics course (my capstone Exercise Science course), a general Biology I've been putting off for years (not thrilled about that one), an online Theories of Personality Psychology course, a Banned Books English course (I've been waiting for this! Our first assignment is to read Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone. Enough said.), and an Intro to Digital Writing English course, which was described as being centered around blogs and discussion boards, which are two of my favorite things. I am really looking forward to that one and I have it tomorrow.

Running recap:

• Last Wednesday: 4 mi on the TM at 1% incline in 36:22. I actually set another PR doing this. Last week's PR was 36:48. I really wasn't planning on increasing my speed, especially while increasing mileage, but I feel like I have to compensate for running on the TM versus outside. Burned 520 cals, average HR of 160 and peaked at 174.
• Last Thursday: 2 mi on the TM at 1% in 20 minutes or so. Not even worth reporting. I was supposed to do 3 miles but my stomach planned otherwise, and rather than push through it, I decided to listen to my body and take it easy in preparation for Saturday.
• Last Friday: A light and easy 30 minutes on the elip while glued to Twilight.
• Saturday: My longest run to date. 7 miles! The fiance and I set out to the oceanfront that evening. We started at 52nd Street and ran down the boardwalk till we hit the end, took a stretch and portapotty break (eew), and ran back. I actually loved this run. I felt great and so energized for the most part. The second half, which is usually the hardest for me, was the best and I felt like I was flying...like my body was moving on its own. It was so peaceful on the boardwalk that evening because it was basically empty, and the moon lit up the ocean alongside us. Awesome Creator. It took us 1 hour, 19 minutes (I had predicted 1:20 earlier that day!). My HRM said I burned 943 cals (yikes!), and my average HR was 144, nice and moderate for a long run.
• Sunday: Off! Obvi.
• Monday (today): Headed to Gold's in between classes for a 3 mi TM run (don't worry, it was still sweltering hot). Did it in 28:18 with a peak HR of 177 and average of 164 (again, too high for the moderate pace--blame the heat).

So that's about it! My total weekly mileage for last week was 16. I'm pretty sure my previous highest total weekly mileage was 13. I probably won't be working on any speedwork for a while because the last thing I need is an overuse injury, and I'm feeling so good now that I'm pretty much waiting for something to go wrong. Positive, huh? Also, my total mileage from November 3rd up to this point (so a little over 2 months) is over 122 miles. I love having a logbook to track these things. If you're a runner, I would really recommend it!

Me? China?

Hello!

I last posted on the first day of the new year. Since then, I took off Friday (seems like so long ago--I can't even remember what I did this weekend). On Saturday, I ran 4 miles on the TM at 1% all by my lonesome...well, the fiance was there, but I made him bike/crosstrain instead since his shin splits were still bothering him. I actually hit another PR--two in one week! I ran it in 36:48. Unfortunately I forgot my HRM, but I'm pretty sure my HR was up there...I remember it being pretty challenging (but not painful!).

I was going to rest Sunday, but being glued to my desk addressing the save the dates had me craving an exercise break. I headed to the gym with the 4th and final Twilight book, where I did a total of 30 minutes on the elip and 20 strength training (yeah...it had been pushing 2 weeks since my last date with the weights...sigh). It was a great workout and I enjoyed doing something other than running at the gym. It was nice to switch it up and get back to the good old days where I'd be glued to a cardio machine with a book or magazine...reading and running don't really "go." I burned a total of 578 cals with an average HR of 143.

I had gotten mixed reviews from a co-worker about the 4th Twilight book, but man, I have to restrain myself from reading too often because I can't put it down! Intense.

Yesterday (Monday) I did my 3 mile TM run at 1% at Gold's for the sake of time and convenience...I've said it before and will say it again: I am never doing cardio at Gold's again! I don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life. My HR was at an average of 162 and peaked at 175. Pretty darn high for 3 miles. I did, however, make decent time: 27:35. I ran it fast to get it over with before I passed out from heat stroke. The gym was packed out, too. I hope everyone sticks with those resolutions!

I don't know if I mentioned it, but we completed our registry for Bed, Bath & Beyond. BOY was it stressful! It started out fun and exciting, but after a while we were just standing in the middle of the teapot aisle, scratching our heads. Good thing my mom was able to come back with us a week later and pick out basically everything...we are starting from ground zero here! One thing that really excited me (which surprised me because I didn't think I cared about this stuff) was picking out china! China never really interested me until I saw this:

Was it made for me? Bows are probably my favorite thing ever. We also spent the afternoon searching for apartments...and Lord willing, think we found a winner...guess we'll see within the next few months. I desire to be where the Lord wants us. I'm glad we're starting to look now, even though it's soon, because I tend to be hasty about this type of thing and get really excited, wanting to sign papers right away. I'm thankful the fiance worked for a property management company and knows the ins and outs of the rental world.

Signing off!

This is the year...

...the year I get married! And graduate. And live in a new place. And run the race I've been training so diligently for. Can you tell I'm welcoming 2009 with enthusiasm?

The week started off rough in the way of running. Monday was supposed to be a quick and painless 2 mile run, but after having eaten fried chicken wings for lunch (?!) it was incredibly painful and just as discouraging as the pain felt during the 6 miler last Saturday. I left myself 4 hours at least after eating lunch to run, but my esophagus was still battling against my body. I still managed to run it at 1% in 18 minutes, with an average HR of 153 and peak of 170.

On Tuesday, a rest day, I happened to have my first real dress fitting! My mom and MOH came with me, and the dress fit great--I don't need a single alteration. I loved it even more and hated to take it off. It needs to be steamed, though, so I'm going back in about a week to pick it up and take it home for good. I wish I could post a picture, but that would be breaking the rules very much!

Wednesday I had to fit in my 3 mile run pretty early in order to have time to shower and make it to work. Since I can't stand first thing in the morning caffeine-free runs, I could only give myself an hour between my small cup of coffee and tiny granola bar breakfast and my run. Bad idea. The esophagus definitely woke up on the wrong side of the bed, giving me a paaainful run! I actually was able to run the first 2 miles pretty quickly, but I had to shuffle along the last mile at a molasses pace. It took me 3o minute total. I was feeling really down, considering that was the 3rd run in a row with those incidents. I really should know better. I have gastroparesis, or paralysis of the stomach muscles, which means food stays in my stomach a lot longer than the average person, and that combined with my esophagus problems means I need to be super conscious of what and when I eat on running days. It takes a lot of planning, but running is worth it to me, so I have to suck it up and stop whining!

We rung in the new year at Chelsea & Justin's, along with some other fun people, and had an amazing time.

Counting down...

And sealed with a kiss!

I started the first day of the year off right with a quick and cleansing 2 miler on the TM at 1%, and I finished in 16:58! That's gotta be a 2 mile PR for me. It felt so refreshing to be able to run as fast as I wanted and not have pain. I hadn't eaten in 4 hours or so, and that did the trick. I burned 235 cals, had a peak HR of 176 (yeah!) and an average of 157. I ran another quarter mile to cool down at a slower pace as well, and then did some core/ab work with my little brother!

I am going through strength training withdrawal and hope to get my fix tomorrow. Also, the fiance thinks he has shin splints! He took the day off today and may take off the rest of the week as well.

Any resolutions?

Post-Christmas Post

One of the things I love about Christmas is that my older brother still is the first to wake up/wake me up, and my parents still fill our stockings! Never gets old.

After church on Christmas Eve night, the fiance & I set out for an easy 3 mile run through the neighborhood among the lights. So beautiful! It also happened to be in the 60s, so the weather was great. That was my first nighttime run, and I loved it. So peaceful.

I woke up Christmas morning with sinus pain. I have been poppin these bad boys the past few days & feel pretty good at this point.

Even though I felt pretty beat on Christmas night with the sinus stuff, I knew we had a scheduled 2 mile run to do. I was planning on just skipping it, but we ended up running it on the treadmill at my future in law's house (they have a home gym!). I kept off the incline, though.

Friday was my first rest day this week. Today was a milestone! We took advantage of the amazing weather and went to First Landing State Park, where we ran 6 miles (a half mile longer than the most I've ever run) on the trails/through the mud! All I can say is wow...painful! I have problems with my esophagus, and while the first 3 miles felt pretty good, during the last 3 I felt like someone was stepping on my esophagus. I grunted and moaned my way through the last 2 miles. It really sucks because this happens often and is very debilitating, even though my legs, respiratory, and circulatory system feel fine. I could not have finished this run without the fiance by my side, encouraging me & praying with me. It sounds dramatic, but I pray this doesn't happen during the actual race, because it could really prevent me from finishing, and that would devastate me. On the other hand, the scenery was beautiful & I definitely want to run trails again. We finished in 1 hr, 5 mins, I burned 843 cals, and had an average HR of 151 (pretty high for me to sustain for that long).

Tomorrow will be a well deserved rest break. Keep it real.

Christmas Eve Eve

Sorry for the delay! I assumed I'd be having the most relaxing break, but I've been so busy I haven't even had time to crack open Twilight in a week! Don't be alarmed, though, I have been keeping up with my training (I know you were worried).

In case anyone's interested, here is the training program we've been following to a T, straight from the Shamrock website. I'm really pleased with it. It progresses slowly and always seems challenging, but never unattainable.

Guess what? We already have our Valentine's Day date planned. We are going to be running the Virginia is For Lovers 14k! Romantic, huh? We aren't officially signed up yet, but have been meaning to do so. I'm doubly excited because it fits right in with our training program, which calls for an 8 miler that day anyway (I think the 14k is 8.62 miles if I'm not mistaken).

I had an amazing birthday, by the way, and *thanks* to all of you who made it possible. I took the day off from exercise on my actual birthday. The day after, Friday, I did a simple 2.25 TM run at 1% followed by 10 minutes on the elliptical, because the run didn't leave me sweaty enough. I chose to not wear my HRM that day because sometimes it's just uncomfortable! I always fidget with it when it's on. Friday night I had my birthday party at Shorebreak's!

Here is me in the center with all my pretty laydays:

The fiance, me, the bff, the bff's husband:

I love Joanna even though she's wearing my birthday crown:

The fiance and I did a side-by-side TM run for 5 miles on Saturday. I stayed at an incline of 1% (it's amazing how just 1% grade can make it feel so much harder!). I finished in 48:50 (slightly under 10-minute miles) and burned 548 cals with an average HR of 146. Not too bad at all--if only I wasn't suffering from esophageal problems the whole time :/

Sunday, of course, was a rest day:)

I woke up early on Monday to hit the gym before work. Sitting in my freezing cold car waiting for it to warm up in 26 degree weather, in the dark, was not very encouraging! I love late morning workouts, but I really don't care for early morning ones. They seem too forced! Sometimes you have to work with what you got, though. I did the 2 required miles at 1% (no HRM data here--forgot that, along with my ipod--talk about boring).

Today I met up with Chelsea at Gold's for our weekly strength sesh. Feeling the burn already! I was at the gym for 45 minutes, so I probably was only working for 30 minutes. We moved right along, though, and finished with our side plank competition: trying to beat each other out for holding the plank position the longest!

I am exhausted from holiday baking! Seriously, my back hurts from slaving away in the kitchen for so long tonight. Luckily, I just now (at almost midnight) found unexpected coverage for my shift at work tomorrow--so I get Christmas Eve off!

Tomorrow I solemnly swear to do what I can to run outside for once. It's supposed to be a lot warmer, but we'll see....

hurt so good!

I love being off from school! It's so nice to come home from work and be able to do whatever I want! I was also pleased to finish with 4 A's and 1 B (ugh...physics). One more semester to go. I do like school and am kind of passive about graduating, but all I really want is to be married! Not having to worry about schoolwork for our first year of marriage is very appealing as well. I wonder what it will be like when I start Physical Therapy school after that year? I think I'll be refreshed and ready to get back into classes, but I hope the long days and long nights of studying won't be such a drag.

I have no wedding news to announce...I really hope we don't put off getting the save the dates out any longer. You're supposed to send them out 6 months before and we're already under 6 months. What is our deal?

We finally saw the movie Fireproof yesterday, which I've been wanting to see for a long time. It was excellent! I would recommend it for anyone in a serious relationship. While the couple's relationship in the movie did not really apply to us, it was uplifting and really makes you appreciate each other and the importance of the Lord as the center of everything you do. It's true...the only way to know what true love is or how to truly love someone is to know God's unconditional love.

Onto running news...yesterday I ran 2.25 *fast* miles on the TM at a 1% incline. I mean, I smoked it! While on the way to the gym, I decided that I wanted it to hurt. I mean, I wanted to sweat so hard and run so fast that I'd never forget it. Mission accomplished. I kept my speed up between 7.5 and 8.0 mph for the majority of the time (something I rarely do). My limbs were flying so fast that they felt detached from my body. It was great! I managed to finally get in some strength training as well. It had been an embarassing 2 weeks since I'd strength trained, and my body let me know it. I am feeling it today....

I had a bff workout date today, starting with a 3 mile TM run. While I kept an easy pace, the run was just plain hard. I seriously think it's the fact that Gold's is so incredibly hot. We did some insanely fun and challenging ab work after. I go through phases with ab work...and right now I'm just into it.

Goodnight! Tomorrow I turn 22!