Race Ego Booster

Mike and I had a great run this morning. 4 miles at a 7:54 pace! I thought I was just struggling, but it was that I was running fast! Mike was focused on talking about a topic he is passionate about. I told him he will have to talk about it at the race and he will have the best time ever! A cool morning, but I was determined not to wear tights!

Post Mother's Day run.

A nice 4+ mile run today. (Forgot my Forerunner). Jordan, Mike and I. I think illness has taken out a couple of the marathoners.

So, a few benefits of running:

Running is better than sex. Well, aerobically speaking, that is. An adult weighing 150 pounds will burn about 520 calories running for 40 minutes at about 7:30 pace. That same guy or gal will only burn 192 calories having sex for 40 minutes. (I put that one first since I know it would be the one that interests you most.)

I am sure Larry would LOVE to chime in here, but I can't help but thinking that it must have been a guy writing this article... come on - 40 minutes? Obviously the person does not have kids.

There is evidence that shows long distance runners have higher IQs, do better in school and earn higher incomes than non-runners. The thinking is that all of that time we spend out there running allows us to sort through problems and generally exercise our brains while we exercise our bodies. Of course, that assumes you’re thinking about something other than the bacon cheeseburger you’re going to have for lunch.

Life on the Other Side

This morning I got to experience life on the other side or what Mike experiences most mornings. It was me and Mike, Jordan (newbie) and Tom (see I mentioned you again!). I felt like the President running with his Secret Service! The topics were quite different too... no talk of child birth, or which sports bra is best! I have to give them credit though, no football talk. I think they were just being kind since I knew the route and they didn't want to get lost.

The marathoners ran this morning too, but of course they were wimpy like marathoners can be and ran at 5:00 instead of 4:45. (I wonder what route they ran?)

Hopefully we didn't scare Jordan away. We had a good run going. 8.17 miles at a 8:32 pace. Come back Jordan, it gets easier.

My Google home page gives me new fitness tip everyday. Today it was "Surround yourself with people and things that promote a healthy lifestyle.". Isn't that true!

Birds Chirping

It was a much cooler 60 degrees. It is amazing how different it feels with lower humidity. A nice 5.9 mile run with Sandy and Jill this morning. It was one of those many morning runs that made me love mornings in Wisconsin.

Thoroughbreds

A great group of 6 thoroughbreds running this morning. Mike said we sounded like horses. I am sure he meant the type that win the Kentucky Derby! A 5.77 mile run. Another new route.

Benefits of Running in the Morning (just one more reason)
Research has shown that people who exercise in the morning keep their metabolism elevated for hours and thus get a jump on burning calories. Studies also show that people who start each day with a workout tend to stick with their programs longer.

Fuel up First
Grab a banana before you hit the gym, and it may actually help you slice off more calories in the long run. Shoot for 100 to 200 calories to nibble on: Yogurt, a piece of fruit, peanut butter and crackers, or half an energy bar are all excellent choices.

I remember when

As I was struggling through this morning's run I remembered a time when I would take a week off after a half marathon to recover! I should go back to those days! Plus a weekend of yard work! Needless to say my body and brain were feeling it this morning. The sprinkles were the least of my worries! Fortunately Mike and Jenny didn't give me endless grief when I shortened our run to 5 miles. Sometimes you just got to give yourself a break!

St. Clare's Half

A good half for everyone! I ended up being my PR by 9 seconds. Not a huge improvement, but still.... Jim also got a PR and I think a couple of other people did as well as place in their age groups - those speed demons Jenny, Katie and Judy. RESULTS

I would still like to improve that at GB. I need to hold myself back and not go out so fast. So my strategy will be to run about an 8:45 for the first 5-6 miles and then increase pace to 8:30. The hard part is beating those negative thoughts the last mile especially "Where the Hell is the finish line???"

See what you miss?

A new route! Spring was in the air which means ditching the old and making the new - route that is! Sandy and I ran a new 6.5 mile route this morning. It was a nice change! The old two were just getting well... OLD! A beautiful morning - again!

SPEED and HUMOR

SPEED:
A fast run with the COUSINS today. A 8:14 pace! Felt good although I don't know how people do that for a full marathon!

HUMOR:

Speaking of Marathons- I hate to do this to you marathoners before the race, but this was too funny! Watch this video called "The Day After the Marathon". Make sure you watch it all the way through until the guy sitting down in his chair - sorry men - but it will make you cringe.

Now that I have done a little good humored teasing - you know I am supporting you all the way - but as LARRY says - "You've got to have FUN too". Here is an article that appeared in last months Runners World. I thought of it during Larry's taper talk when he was talking about keeping the negative thoughts out. It is called Choice Words.

Monday

A beautiful 5.63 mile run with the Credit Union Gals! There were points where I was struggling and points where I felt great, but overall I felt like it was a good run. It was so good that I thought our pace would be a little slow, but it was 8.31. A nice way to start the week.

Back in WI

First run back in Wisconsin. It was a beautiful 7.37 miles with Jill. It went quickly - at least I thought it did! Then I added on another 4 to get my long run in for the weekend since I am deferring to Jim's marathon training. Good Luck to Jill at Crazy Legs! It will be a GREAT weekend for it!

Last DC run

I got up a little early to squeeze a run in before we left DC. It was cooler than other days, but a refreshing 60 degrees with a pretty strong wind. A run around the capitol, down the mall to Lincoln Memorial and back - just about 5.5. It is a great place to run and there are always other runners. It was a great way to start the day of traveling - which went incredibly smoothly!

Run, Wait, Run, Wait, Run, Wait

I went on a bit of a sightseeing run today. I get a little tired of running the Mall even though it is beautiful. So, today I turned off and tried to run around the White House. The thing with D.C. is that there always seems to be construction which closes sidewalks. So, I slowly made my may around and also got to see some beautiful historic buildings. I decided to run up Pennsylvania Ave (I could see the Capitol - so I knew I was heading in the right direction), it was a nice change but I had to do a lot of stopping and waiting for stop light changes. It would have been frustrating if I was on a serious run, but I was just out to enjoy the day and see some new sights.

My feet are giving me trouble - mainly huge blisters under my big toe. Not sure why I got them since I was wearing the same socks and shoes. Now one has snuck up in between my big toe and the next one - a little bothersome. Plus I am once again getting a black toenail on my second toe. I'm not even running the marathon! Ah - the feet of a runner!

D.C.Run

It was a great day for a run in D.C. today. It was about 55 when we started, but it felt warmer. It felt a little strange to be running without any wind. Tons of people were out running or biking. It was just a beautiful spring day and it made you love being a runner and getting out and enjoying a new town. We took a new route this year that Dave and I liked much better, Jim of course, seems to prefer running next to busy highways and airports. Strange for a guy who is very traffic concerned (always running on the 'right' side of the street, always single file (even on country roads) and never crosses a street unless the crosswalk says you can go. It must come from his days on safety patrol! So - we did 12 miles at about an 8:41 pace. I am feeling good about PRing at GB, but will need to run better than that pace - barely.

Grace had her very first piano recital today. She said it went well, only one mistake. She said no one notice though because no one else knew the song. I think she heard that from Grandma Betty. Grace was the first one to play and Betty reported that she walked right up without any hesitation. No surprise there! Proud of her!