12November2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
I was so proud to break the 4 mile mark… it was my first time since I started training… of course, being the person that I am, it was not happy that I just missed 5 miles.
Go figure! 
Workout:
9November2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
I never had biscuits until a few years ago… My husband introduced me to the wonderful southern treat that he smothers in sweet butter and honey. Unfortunately, since I started running, I have had cravings for foods that I don’t normally eat; that weekend it was the biscuits.
I had a hard time getting out of bed Sunday morning and contemplated sleeping in, but knowing that I was going to make biscuits, bacon and eggs for breakfast, I figured that I should run… If I didn’t run, there would be no biscuits.
I hauled my tired buns out of bed, threw on my clothes and hit the road. There’s a farm close to my house with a long road that wraps around it… For the first time I ran down that road and someone was making pancakes and bacon… it was such a motivator! How sad.
I wanted to run longer than I did, but time was a factor. My husband, daughter and dog were all awake when I came home; what a welcome.
I got cleaned up and made my biscuits… it made the run well worth it.
Workout:
30October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
Yesterday’s run was a first in almost a full week.
I took the weekend off and of course, it rained for the next two days. Tuesday afternoon I picked up a sick little girl from day care and I, too, felt sick. Last night my husband got home from work and I pretty much told him I was leaving for about a half hour.
I quickly got dressed… daylight was burning away! I hit the road at about 6:05 pm, walked for about 2 minutes and started off with a brisk jog. I had mapped out a cool new route last week, but I knew I wouldn’t have enough daylight to run the entire thing, so I decided to stick w/ my usual loop.
It was cold out and I dressed warmly, but not properly. My turtleneck was perfect, but the longsleeved shirt and zip up hoodie were too big…I felt weighed down. I almost peeled those two layers off and threw them to the side of the road, but I didn’t because I’m attached to my hoodie AND that turtleneck is spandex, or some tight wicking fabric… it’s not too attractive w/ my 8 month post-preggo body! I decided to save the neighbors and just dealt with the extra clothing.
About a mile and a half into it, I pulled over to the side of the road and puked. That was shocking to me…and the poor woman driving by in the mini-van. Oddly enough, it felt soooo good and it added an extra spring in my step. Being the ‘hardcore’ person that I am, I wiped my mouth and kept on trucking…I didn’t want to call my husband cause I would have never heard the end of that!
I made it home with the ‘Rocky’ theme pounding in my ears. Definitely cheesy, but what a motivating song (and so are the other songs on the multitude of Rocky sound tracks that I have on my MP3 player).
Workout:
21October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
Well…I was definitely nervous.
I registered by myself and I ran it by myself… It would have been nice to have a friend run w/ me, but I didn’t. Maybe it was better that way… I didn’t know how I would do, pace-wise, and I didn’t want to hold anyone back or felt that I was being held back.
Anyway, I showed up about 15 minutes before the race…it was COLD out… definitely around 40 degrees…at most! I was wearing a bumble bee costume (cause it was a 5K prior to a local Halloween Parade). I had a knot in my stomach and just wanted to get started. There were over 100 people and they all looked lean and seasoned runners. I wasn’t the oldest, but I wasn’t the youngest either…
As soon as the race started I got a little teary-eyed. This was a grand moment for me. I saw one of my friends at the beginning of the route…we high-fived each other as he said, “Go Christina!” What a great feeling.
There were thousands of people along the route cheering for us. I was so motivated.
Then I saw it…a sign being held by a little girl that read “1 Mile”. Because I was overcome with adrenaline and felt like I was in a timeless moment I didn’t know if that was one mile to go or one mile that I had 2+ til I finished. Yeah, so I had 2 + miles to go…
I got into a steady rhythm, running behind a pair of bananas…remember, it’s a Halloween run. Then coming up behind me I see a young girl, gotta be half my age, running in a field hockey uniform. So, I high-tail it. There’s no way this person is going to pass me… I mean the Father/Son team already passed me - and the son was about 8 years old. She’s NOT going to pass me.
This was my focus; this was my motivation. I continued to stay in front of her for the rest of the race. Each time I heard her step up her pace to pass me, I did the same.
Coming up to the finish line, the bright lights were shining, but I didn’t have a problem spotting my husband, daughter, mom and two friends. They came out to stand in the cold to see me finish. It was a grand moment. I was so full of energy when I was done…I almost felt light headed, and I felt like I was going to puke out of sheer excitement! Since then my husband has commented on his pride for me. Man, I love the support I get from my family. It was great to pick up my 7 1/2 month old daughter and hold her after the race. She giggled. After all, Mommy was dressed as a bumble bee!
I finished at 30:05. Not bad for only three weeks of training.
21October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
I was definitely sore the day after the 5K… And of course, I wasn’t going to run the day after. My sister-in-law and bro-in-law came over and we made Southern Fried Chicken and Corn Pie. Hey, I’m not gonna argue with that. My body needed some good refueling!
The next day, Monday, was pretty rough, too. I take a Stroller Fit class in the evenings (as I said in an earlier post, I have a 7 1/2 month old daughter) and it took the power of the earth to move my legs. It felt like I was running through cement. At times I swore that my feet weren’t even being picked up off the ground, but somehow, I survived that class.
Tuesday I decided that I needed to face the inevitable and hit the road. I mapped out a new route, cause frankly I was getting bored with what I was running. It was cold and windy. That was enough to discourage me, but I pressed on. The first 1/2 of the run I was fighting the wind, so that running through cement feeling was magnified.
Then I hit the second half and it was so much better! The wind was carrying me and I opened up my stride. I was almost disappointed when I reached my house…I could have gone further, but my time was up.
Workout:
17October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
I teach yoga every Friday morning for an hour starting at 5:45 am. I got up a little earlier and went to the gym for about 5:15. I hopped on a treadmill for about 15 minutes to do some walking and running. I didn’t go as long as I hoped to, but I had to teach…
I geared my class towards poses that would help me relax my lower body.
Tomorrow night is my first 5K and I’m a little nervous. The race starts at 7 pm and they’re having the award ceremony around 7:35 pm. Yikes!!! I don’t think I can run a 5K in that short amount of time. Now, it is all flat through the town of Emmaus (via the Halloween Parade route) and having all those spectators there might pump me up and get me to pick up the pace, so maybe it’s okay. Maybe…
I’m concerned about what I should be eating for lunch, dinner and all day tomorrow…
Oh and let’s add more complexity to my already complex situation - I’m running in a bumble bee costume!
Workout:
7October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
It was definitely a though to turn the alarm off at 6:15 am and just go back to sleep. Instead I hit snooze and woke up 10 minutes later to hit the pavement. I couldn’t find my longsleeve shirt so I had to work with alternate clothing. Boy, it was cold outside! I found out later that the temperature was just hovering over the freezing mark. I know it’s just going to get colder, but that was a shock to my body!
It was light out, but no sun yet. I expected to be the only soul on the road, but I was amazed to see a few walkers and a few runners.
I ran more of the distance than I walked, which is definitely an accomplishment considering I’m so early into my training. Once I crossed the line of my driveway I pumped my fists into the air. Awesome. What a great way to kick off the morning.
Now I just need to eat…
Workout:
2October2008
Posted by muffinmadness under: Run.
I’m a woman from Allentown PA USA, born in 1977.
My goals are: training for a 1/2 marathon in May.
I am a certified yoga and aquatics instructor. I am also a certified group fitness instructor.
This is my training blog which I am using to keep track of my fitness progress.
Please come by and read my blog. It will help me stay motivated and keep me on track as I achieve my fitness goals!
Location:Allentown PA USA 18103
My goals are: training for a 1/2 marathon in May. I am a certified yoga and aquatics instructor. I am also a certified group fitness instructor.
