Able to run

I went for a 5 mile run this morning after a leg and core weight training. I felt fine health is much better.
While runninig I remember this was the last run of the year and that boosted my energy several times. It was a very good running year. Specially since this last four months when I started to run as a main goal. I also started to blog at that time, and this has definitely helped in so many ways:
1. Knowing other very interesting people who enjoy running as well and being in "contact", has made me feel accompanied. I think running is very personal in the way that it is difficult for me to do it with someone else if training, but sharing what is not possible to share -even if you have close runners to talk to-, because when you write you say much more about what you really think.
2. Blogging is like training my mind and getting to know me more as a runner. I've realized about so many things and also learn so much while writing. It has made me more critical and analytic about my running performance and strength.
3. My schedules are easier to accomplish. Writing here had made me feel much more motivated. Running has become my life.
Well it even has improved some my English... Maybe not enough... Sorry about that and thanks for keep visiting me.
I really wish for the next year to continue like this, where ever I am.
I wish for my blogger friends many miles of enjoyment ahead, any injuries and too much health!!!!!!! Congratulations.

Being sick almost for three days.

On Sunday morning I woke up with a bad stomach pain. I went for a 4 mile run but was able only to run for three. I started veery hard, but as soon as I reached some rhythm the pain was gone!!! It was great. I stopped because I wanted to drink some and stopped to drink from a bottle since I wasn't carrying my camelback, and as I started drinking I strong dizziness hitt me.
After that, the pain continue until last night, of course I went to the doctor and the results are on the way, I feel better now. But not strong enough to run... So I missed my run today. grrrrr
I wish tomorrow be able to go to the gym. It was impossible this morning, I felt so weak!! Practicing some weight training will recover my strength... Maybe this afternoon...

12 mile, and looking good

I woke up at about 6.30 after a very bad night since there was a party close to here, and the noise was so loud that it was like the party was in my bedroom.
But you know, the emotion of running makes me wake up easily.
It took my first, about 30 minutes to get ready, then leave and started walking at about 7.15, then started the run 7.30, finished running 9:52 then stretched for 40 minutes, eat something, took a bath... it is 11:35 and still have to blog, woow this takes time!!! I tell you I am slow. At least I have all this time available. I admire so much all you people working and handling to set all this, also including family activities.
It was a great run, the best of it, is that I didn't walk at all. Yes, it was a slow pace, but still the goal is always to finish the scheduled miles and not to walk, so I feel glad to had acomplished this.
For many moments my mind was negative, but soon I brought thoughts about dgc and jen and inspired by you, -them- I just felt a rise on my energy. I dedicate this run to you.

In the search...

In august, in Mexico city there is a marathon. Elevation and polutions are facts to take on count. Would you run in this altitude?? I think I should be there training for at least three weeks before there... the marathon in other city in Mexico, Guadalajara is even higher, up to 1600!!!

By the pool

I am next to a pool taking care of the children. I don't like the pool just for fun, it steels me lost of energy to be just down there taking the sun for nothing... So I brought my notebook, and can write my beloved blog!!
The day is great, believe me....

Back to running I tried to set the training partner today but I didn't do it fine, It was telling me the whole time you are behind...And then when it was on 4 miles I stop since I just thought I couldn't be 4 miles behind!!!
I'll find out what happen, but the time said: 36' 38 '' which is about two minutes shorter than my normal time.
I ran strongly right after training for 45 minutes two exercises for legs, abs and back.
I received my Runner's world copy since last Monday and I've been dreaming with marathons and racing events the whole night. Next year I have to be on one of them!!

We are making piñatas to not forget our roots and traditions, this afternoon we are making more..

The run is over now...

I enjoyed it so much that is a shame is over... now until tomorrow.
The morning began with the thinking of those who run in the snow and in that cold weather. It happen because I was about to complain about the fresh air that was in fact, not cold at all, comparing with those low temperatures I've heard on the news.
As I reach the beach, I felt this tropical atmosphere again. Something strange, because it was like a very drastic change.
The sand was tighten enough so went on in for four miles. The scenery was so beautiful this morning!! In some areas the sand was loose, that made me breath strongly. It appear like my legs were strong enough, and that I had too much energy for it, but my breathing wasn't in a good level today.
The greatest started when I went back to the hotel. The thing is that those hard sessions at the beach are building enough strength that I can develop lately on the road.
Total today: 7.8 miles, 1.30' Av Pace 11:35 best pace 6:20.

Definitely I am stronger now after those kicking sessions, so I will start working out again on it with the group of children I have at home. It will be good for them.
I can't just let all this energy go.

Monday session:
Legs
Stat lunges, squads on plates 3-15 each 30lbs, machine leg press single 50lb
Abs.
Exercise ball double crunch, reverser crunch, Med ball rotation, and double raise with med ball legs and hands. 3-20
I've always liked those abs sessions and I am lovin'them much more now that I'm feeling strong.
I haven't being sore at all... I wanted at least some, but no it hasn't happen... Can't handle to work with more weight it would be too much. I'll do more reps then!!

What's going on on Sundays?

It is been raining early in the morning for the last three Sundays about. Grrr I wake up at 6, then can't go back to sleep, so then when I finally sleep again, I have to wake up. In fact today after arising back again, I was like disoriented, and woke up until the second mile, I was like in a dream.
The run was fine, even tough my ankle was very bad on Friday's night (I iced it)it never gave me problems during the run. Now it is... I'll ice it back again.
At the beginning my left shin was asking for attention, but it last only for a few minutes. The pace was very easy until the third mile, when I reach my normal easy pace. Today I didn't try to go farther on speed since the situation is not very good with the ankle.
There are so many thing to watch for a good performance. Well as good as it can be. Today the air was very humid since it is been raining at night and during the day lost of sun to evaporate.

We travel to Santo Domingo and made some shopping finally. I was in some way wishing to stay longer there, but we had to go back.
In fact one of the reasons for me to go back, was for not missing my beloved Sunday run....

10 but very tough...

The day started at 5:45 while raining, but when I was ready to go, at about 8, there was no more rain.
First mile status: each leg weighted a ton... Until that time I hadn't decided if I was going on the beach for 10 miles straight.
Now what I remember about the rest of the run is that suddendly I realized about how soft was the sand which means a harder effort. I had to walk over the third mile. I was dizzy and with nausea over the fourth mile. The sun came from the clouds and for moments I was feeling the heat.
I just reach 4 miles and went back, since the dangerous area seem to be besides that as always full with strange guys, with very high tides.
I return back and completed the other two miles in the hotel.
After those efforts at the beach I can go easily on the roads, is like when the effort is paying off. But still I was very very tired. This were some of the toughest miles I've done, but even tough I walk for many periods I just forced myself to complete the scheduled distance. I feel fine now.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

That was a very brief report. In fact I don't feel that fine now, my body is tired but I feel fine because I finished.
I've become so addicted to blog... That while at the beach I was thinking so many things to write that besides all the gear I already use, I will need a palm in case I want to write something, multitask at its best... I am a woman.

The last mile was tough oh yes it was, but remembered about putting in my mind the right ideas an to tell myself nice thing. And that helped a lot. I first thought that if once I want to be in a marathon, I have to get use to do some extra effort and always finish what is scheduled 'till the end.
I was saying to myself you can, you are strong, I have to finish. That's the other fact that helped me finish.

Setting and preparing for tomorrow's run

So, here I am thinking about what to do tomorrow... Running on the beach ten miles on a very slow pace, or doing it normally for two hours around at the hotel area... Well the fact is that for being two hours or ten miles on the beach I need it to be some cloudy and it is. This morning we had so much rain... I've wanted to do this for a long time, but doing it makes me nervous because there are some areas which are not that safe. (I think) The plan is to go 10 miles over and then go back to the hotel in a taxi... There is no other transportation here, in fact the popular taxis are motorcycles. It can be a whole adventure!
On next Tuesday still I could run around and see how far I go in two hours... At normal pace. At the beach it will certainly take me more than two hours since I always go slower there... The turtle runner.
I'll make the decision later...
It is 6:00 pm already and haven't done the core training... But the day isn't over!!

I am listening Bach -is being a long time since I haven't- and is amazing, I can feel every single note's intention; sounds even so modern to me at this moment. Is it maybe that with the years, you can enjoy life more and more? Or that since running is making me more sensitive?

Now, checking gear for tomorrow: sunglasses, cap, camel pack, mp3 player, clothes?, glu, garmin, HR monitor, money, towel, camera, phone, sunscreen, gel, what else??

Back to weight lifting

As I was training in the afternoons with a group I stopped for about three weeks my routine. Now I started and enjoyed it a lot!! As I was very enthusiastic, I worked the whole body: shoulders, triceps, biceps, back, chest, and legs. Two different exercises for each, two sets of twelve.
Right after it, I went for a short run of 4 miles. It was some hard, but what else could I expect after an hour of weight training... I will avoid to do this sessions the same day. I normally was doing it before, but since now my run training is more about resistance and speed, I will do it in different days.
Tomorrow: only abs session.
I'll post about pain stats tomorrow, I'm afraid it could hurt... But I want to feel the workout, I've missed that.

Building strength!!

This morning a 7-8 miles run scheduled finished at 9.15 miles.
It was a lovely run, if that can be, well it can be magical... I was thinking of doing it easily -well it was-, but in some points I felt strong enough to go faster. Now I am doing laps of 2.6 miles around the hotel. This is the hotel's photo, it is a great place to run. Running around it takes me about 28 minutes, I made two laps there, but first I was at the beach for 37min, 2.8 miles. Ended with a small lap of 12 min, free way.
35 minutes stretching session after it. Now in the afternoon my right ankle is complaining some... but doesn't matter. I am actually paying attention and being careful not to get injured.
I am just loving my garmin!! It is so helpful in many ways!!!!

I am facing the fact that since last week I haven't been working as usual with the afternoon group, so the energy developed, is working now while running. In fact we accord to start over until January, since everybody seems to be very busy this days.

Today my older daughter is doing a proyect for school about Australia. What a beautiful country really, have you been to Uluru??

Relying on glutes, hamms and quads

I will start working on my speed on the short runs. Reading other blogs has made me faced the fact that I don't use my tights while running !!!
Run 4 miles, average 10, best 7.25, cal 471, RPE 7, MR 160-171, Time 39.58
I will have to learn to push on those muscles. Squeeze them. I started today and I was watching all the time that I don't do it ever. All the time I had to be remembering myself that using them was about to rise them, to switch muscles and to bounce softly on my knees, of course this forced me to bread stronger, but not into a bad point. I assume the fact that after running for three years I should be some prepared to increase strength and improve some my speed. By consequence I am not working either on my VO2. I don't know how far I can go!!
While avoiding to be injured and because as increasing speed was painful on my shines, since last year I've been working on a slow pace which doesn't sound enough challenging on my side. Still I remember K.I.I.S.
It was a very good run, after it 30 minutes stretching session appear to have had helped a lot.

Back pain report

This last weeks, about six, I've been suffering of back pain. I have to take pills to stop the pain. It started on the neck then moved to the middle back and then to the low back. Because it comes and goes, I wasn't paying to much attention to it but this last week it was becoming worst. Well the worst in fact is that there is not a reliable doctor around, but still the good part of course that it always goes away while exercising, and specially while running.
After Friday's run, I spent about 20 minutes trying different and new stretching positions, -they are new because I don't practice them usually- that I found in my "Non marathoners" book. It recommends to stretch all body parts because while running all body parts are involved.
It worked and helped me a lot, in fact this is the first day I haven't suffer at all, in weeks. Stretching is the medicine for pain in a runner's life.
I should continue and non stop practicing them.

It's not from motion based but still a nice map.

Windy and almost a heart attack

Very windy day, in fact I think the strongest I've felt for a run. Over the second mile I was a huge struggle to run against it! I was at the beach, but then on the way back it helped me! It was like pushing me I hope it made me to develop better speed... It was a very good run, feeling strong.
RUN: 9.61 mile, scheduled 10, average pace 11.30, best pace 8.30, cal 1169, RPE 5 MHR 163.
During the first miles, I was thinking about speed, as said in the training center I am not a runner just a jogger. The run starts over the 7.5m/h the truth is that I understand that speed is build with training and also that is not good to struggle a lot in order to keep a fast pace. I faced that from the beginning and maybe that was the reason to start trying with resistance, since building it seems better for me than speed. I've achieved so much!!! Before I wasn't able to "jog" at all now I can do it for two hours. People who are able to run 10 miles very fast spend just a very little time doing it, I can be there for ever (the 10 miles) and with a huge struggle. On marathons there should be a price for the last runners since they are the ones who waist more energy for hours and hours... You can laugh.

I almost suffer a heart attack this morning while I was running in a road in the hotel -fortunately- over the end of the ninth mile, when I listened the sound of creaking wheels, but it sounded like if they were over me. I was just expecting to feel the car on me, but not, when I turned to see the car, the guy who was driving was laughing, this was a sort of a joke... It was so funny for him to scare a woman like this on the road... They didn't know that I was already at 160 HR!! That made me rise over almost a Heart attack... I hate this guys. I had to call the hotel’s security this can’t be happening in the hotel.

Hydrated...

I recorded today the laps as suggested by 2p. Much better way to learn and to struggle on every single lap.
Today 4 miles run. Scheduled: 4. Average pace 11:51/mi, best pace 9:14/mi, cal 626. RPE 5 Mhr 140.
Very different than yesterday, I felt slow and some tired. Well I woke up again at 2:00 am and was reading for about an hour... Well, reading and learning to set garmin; that should be a reason for being tired. Last night train was some hard, maybe I didn't have enough time to recover.
Over the second mile I was feeling better but not enough for a great run. The thing is that today I didn't reach the 150 HR and wasn't able to. Yesterday I was on 150 and feeling great. I won't complain more, it was fine, just not over the clouds.
I am getting use to run with my camel pack. The golite I mentioned before. It is because I feel my tongue very dry from the end of the first mile, doesn't matter if I drank lots of water the day before. Also I drink gatorade in order to get some more electrolytes. The thing is that I sweat quit a lot, much more than others, well at least it stops completely the rest of the day even when the weather is really heat. Today as it was a short run I left the camel in the car thinking to pass by to drink if I need to. When I made this stop my right shin felt a terrible pain. That is the advantage of using the camel, you can drink with out slowing down at all. The bad part of it is that I look so over dress. People look at me because I look over dress and completely sweat wet.
Running is not for fancy people.

Trying to figure out the garmin

Well for the first time trained with it, but still I need to learn to much about it!! It will take me some time...
Today's workout: 8 miles but the first one walking, next time I will start the garmin until I start running, I wanted to measure the distance, but the pace was slow.
The good news is that it recorded that in some point I reach a 7:54 pace.
And an awesome 944 calories in 1:41 time. It also said average pace 12:39, but because the first mile was walking the pace was about 17... I won't include it next...
I already downloaded some programs, but I haven't connected it to my notebook... It is fun!! It is not just go and run... There's too much more fun!!!
Thanks god I have plenty of time for this.
The beginning was hard today, my legs weighted a ton each, specially at the beach. Also I had strong rain for a couple minutes. Finished complete, not tired, that's good at least.

Two hours waiting for a run

It was 12.30 and didn't realized about it. Then I woke up at 3:00am thinking it was the time. I was very excited. Read for about an hour.
I woke up early, but it was raining. It was 6.15 and couldn't sleep again. I left about at 7:00.
Finally at 8:30 I went to the treadmill, the rain didn't stop.
It was fine. The good part of it is that there I can run faster, it seems I can't develop speed outside. I made 5 miles at 10'30'' seconds each. I enjoyed it but choose not to go for seven as planned. I preferred to save energy and wait it until Tuesday: garmin will be here!!!!!
When I went out, the rain was over since I don't know when.

Answered questions over the 10th mile!!

Sometimes as mentioned before, lately I am wondering why I have to run, why there's such a thing like spending two hours running... and there I was today flying over the 10th mile, smiling in a completely state of joy. Knowing exactly why I was there, why I like it, why I have to. The question this time is why i forget??
This time I felt that it was my spirit who was enjoying this so much.
I have to recognize that this trained body remains under the judgment of a weak mind. Incredible but today, yes, today at the beginning my mind was again hesitating if I was ever strong enough to run at least for 15 minutes.
When I woke up I was feeling so sleepy, I wanted to stay in bed longer but because of the girls I had to at least move to the sofa and from there tell them to wake up... Yes the same person who was running after for two hours.
It seems slowing down on Tuesday and Wednesday worked, and made me save energy to accomplish what I had scheduled before. Next run on Sunday, will be 7 miles.
I like this about running. (There's so much to say about it) How you can recognize and realize about the differences between body, mind and spirit. All of them can be aroused while running.
That's why I don't recommend to try to develop your willpower while starting exercising, but just go and don't listen to your mind. Just go and do it!!!

total 10 miles (about) 2 hours running.