a little negativity...

...... goes a LONG way!

Not much to ramble about today ~ other than a great midweek short run last night ~ 3 miles with a big, fat negative split on mile 3. I mean BIG. Like almost a minute per mile negative BIG.

Yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about.

Again, still just patting myself on the back for getting a midweek run done, so indulge me for a while until this becomes a habit, will ya??

I'm in a bit of grief that I don't think that a trip to weight lifting class will materialize tonight ~ darn kids ~ but I am plotting to see if I can work from home tomorrow and squeeze it in. We'll see what happens. I love me some weight lifting....gotta have it!!!!!!

It's also nice to see the mileage numbers in my side bar actually increasing for a change. Apparently this happens when you actually start running ;)

Check out them legs!!!

Somedays I really wish I looked like my shadow.....check out them super model legs!!! And look how TALL I am!!! Awesome!!! It must be Pat's expert on-the-run photography that makes me look so good. It's the only way I'll ever get legs that long in this lifetime ;) Can you guess which shadow is mine??? (I love stealing pictures from Pat)

Great run this morning with the TRC ~ 4 miles along the canal, plus another 2.4 at Tumbleweed Park with Pat. Weather was relatively good again, and my legs and energy held up nicely. I'm still on the high of getting back into the swing of running, and I'm over my garbage-disposal-style of eating from the past week. The goals this week include 2 short runs, a weight lifting class, and one other XT endeavor (probably a quickie Tae Bo session) ~ and of course, a week wouldn't be complete without a long run on the weekend. Seven miles this week ~ BRING IT!!!


ORN: Long Run ~ 6.4 miles

I've had a really lousy week food-wise. Not sure what happened, but I fell off the wagon and consumed way too much of the foods I've been trying to avoid ~ namely PIZZA!!! It's absurd the amount of pizza I comsumed this week. ABSURD. And I wonder why my stomach isn't getting smaller???

Enough of that. I guess I'm entitled to food diversions every now and then...and this one is over.

On a positive note for this week, I stayed completely on track with exercise, including two short runs!! Count em ~ TWO!!! You may wonder why this is such a big deal, but it really is. Mid-week runs are extremely hard for me to fit in my schedule ~ just trust me, it's not an excuse ~ they really are tough.

But I think that planning my training in two-week blocks has helped ~ it allows me to see where my other commitments are and plan my mid-week runs in the gaps. Sure, it's usually 9:00 at night ~ but they got done! Last night was particularly cool as I got to run again with Caroline, and another runner Kristina (who happens to be C's neighbor and friend). What a treat to run with others during the week!!! 3 miles passes nicely when there is chatter :)

I hate to break it to Pat, but it looks as though Kristina is going to be yet ANOTHER woman added to the Tumbleweed Running Club!!! Dang it folks, this man needs a friend ~ a MALE running buddy to help him counteract all the estrogen on weekend runs!!! Sorry Pat, buddy....looks like you'll just have to tough it out for a while ;)

6 on tap for tomorrow....happy weekend running!!!

It's like Crack

(Or, I guess it is.....seeing as how I've never actually done crack, it's just an educated assumption!)

Running, I mean. Running is like my crack.

No, not like Plumbers' Crack......RUNNING CRACK! Are you following me now???

Nothing makes me feel physically and mentally better than a great, morning long (ish) run with friends. This morning Pat and Caroline and I (in our attempts to revive the Tumbleweed Running Club) met at 6am for the start of the long-run season.

We were blessed with better-than-normal weather, which included a mostly overcast sky ~ which in our temps, is a HUGE bonus. We hit 4 miles together on the canal, and then I added an extra mile around Tumbleweed Park to round off my even 5 miles for today. I started feeling pretty good around mile 3, which is typical for me....so I decided to take advantage of the feeling and keep on keepin' on!!! And the first long run of the fall is in the books.

There is NOTHING better than coming home and taking a long shower after a great run. It boosts my mind, my body ~ and I just feel exceptional for the rest of the day! Days like today remind me why I run. It's my CRACK! I'm addicted.....I love it....and I need MORE!

See you next week TRC ~ same time, same place! I have 6 miles on my plan....could it be another 6 at 6???

Virtual Mile + A Little Humble Pie

I really had not even remotely planned to run the virtual mile race (which happens to be sponsored by one of my fellow Zonies), until somehow some inspiration spilled over from Pat ~ and made me slap on some running shoes at 9pm last night and head out the door. It also helped that I had missed my short run on Tuesday night (due to an explosion of craziness at my house that night) so I needed to make up the run any way. I am committed to NOT missing a scheduled training run. I need to make it up some how, some way.

The mile really isn’t my favorite running distance. Especially the FIRST mile of any run ~ it is always the total WORST for me. It seems to take forever for me to find a groove ~ which if the planets align properly, sometimes happens between miles 3 and 4. So that explains why a 5K distance never works out well for me either. Maybe I am really a distance runner at heart????

Last night's run was also in celebration of my RACE-aversary, which as Wes articulated ~ really should be celebrated with a RUN. So I donned my Bridge to Breakwater shirt in honor of the occasion and headed out. It was still somewhere near 90 degrees at the time. No sun obviously, but toasty.

And to totally buck the system, I even took my least-favorite running partner out with me: Mr. Garmie. I had to dig, mind you, to find him after a long summer of 4-5 mile per week, Garmie-less runs….but we rediscovered each other after a relatively short search. I had asked hubby for assistance in locating my friend and all I got was this:

Me: I’m looking for my Garmin

Hubs: Oh, that watch-thing?

Me: (in utter disbelief, covering Garmie’s ears and walking out the door) I believe he prefers to be called a PERFORMANCE DEVICE.

Sheesh!!!! Non-Runners.


So the plan was simple: one mile out, one mile back. Shower. Bed. Sweet Dreams.


So I ran. And ran. And RAN….

I even passed a jogger up ahead of me ~ and believe me when I say that this kind of stuff NEVER happens. I am always the passEE, never the passER.

Garmie was tired, almost running on zero battery power….just like me. We made a perfect pair last night. I glanced at him 3 or 4 times during the first mile ~ and was elated to see a 10:18 or 10:20 smiling back at me. I was convinced that I was going to ROCK this Virtual Mile race with my fastest mile split ever. The fastest mile I had ever run was in June over in San Diego ~ about a 10:48 with hills ~ and I knew I was trucking along at a much faster clip last night.

It takes a lot for me to run that pace and not allow myself to stop. I thought of all the blogging buddies that might be running a Virtual Mile right along with me. I told myself that I should be able to do ANYTHING for 10 minutes.

When Garmie screeched loudly at me over my huffing and puffing, I came to a halt. I was excited to see the final verdict.

That’s when a big piece of Humble Pie came falling from the sky and landed squarely at my feet: 11:05.

I was in utter disbelief! Didn’t even break 11 minutes?? All that effort and I couldn’t even beat my June split? I believe a string of profane sayings came out of my mouth ~ or at least went through my head ~ as I took a quick breather and turned around for the jog home. I donned my usual comfort pace, turned off Garmie, and went over it all in my head again.

I tried to convince myself that maybe Garmie had a bad night. I mean, after all, he was totally on almost nothing for battery ~ so it can happen, right? I’ve read many accounts of other runners with messed up splits. Right? Or maybe it was too cloudy and the satellite didn’t pick up properly. Right? There had to be a reason. Maybe Garmie was just paying me back for the watch remark from Hubs? I wouldn’t blame him for being angry, you know.

But sadly, I am a logical person and while I believe that Garmie can mess up individual mile splits on a longer run, or even be vindictive on a whim, I happen to know that TIME is TIME and there was no way to dispute that it took me 11:05 to run the single mile. It was 11 minutes and 5 seconds after I had left home, and that could not be disputed.

It was time for me to eat the Humble Pie that had been served to me and make my way back home. I analyzed many things on that last mile ~ perhaps that maybe I should have timed my SECOND mile for the race, after having a chance to warm up…..or perhaps it was the heat…….maybe it was my new shoes not being entirely broken in…….maybe………maybe. But by the time I got home, I had a new appreciation for who I am as a runner….as well as who I am not.

I am not fast, but I AM a runner.

I am a runner that has to work hard all the time and not take things for granted.

I am a runner that has run 4 miles a week for the past couple months, yet expected to knock out a stellar mile on a whim.

I am a runner that has to do short runs in the late evening hours after all the work and family obligations are satisfied.

I am a runner that just a couple years ago would not have been able to run continuous mile at all, at any pace.

I am a runner that shouldn’t compare myself to others, but relish in my own accomplishments instead.

I am a runner that not long ago was still running 12-13 minutes splits, no matter how short the distance.

I am a runner that despite what I often believe, is making slow progress on a regular basis.

I am a runner committed to setting goals and reaching them.

I am a runner that will continue to be inspired by others.

I am a runner...

I could go on and on about all the things I learned about myself last night in 11 minutes and 5 seconds. And instead of coming home disappointed and deflated, I came home renewed and inspired. I have many, MANY things to work on in the coming months ~ last night gave me a very clear indication of that. It was both a wake-up call and a reaffirmation.

So thanks Reid, for the idea of this Virtual Mile ~ and to my buddy Pat, who without even knowing it, in an indirect way gave me the mental push I needed to go give it a try.

Today I officially registered for both the PF Chang’s RNR Half next January, and the Surf City Half in February.

The goals are officially out there again ~ now it is just time to do the work.

Sing with me, willya????

Happy RACE-aversary to ME!

Happy RACE-aversary to ME!

Happy RACE-aversary dear Pokeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!

Happy RACE-aversary to ME!


(applause….hoots & hollers…..)

Okay, so it was actually YESTERDAY and I missed it. Oh well, it is still a sweet day on my record books.

September 2, 2006 ~ the day of my very first “real” race (real long, that is!!) I had never in my life imagined that I would be able to complete an almost-8 mile race.

It was the Bridge to Breakwater 12K in San Pedro, CA ~ it was hot, humid and miserable ~ but after my finish you would have thought I had just won a world record. Time was 1:36:34, or about a 12:44 pace.

What a sweet, sweet day. It was the start of many great things for me, the most important being the pursuit of health and fitness. I’m not that much of a better runner today than I was two years ago (I’m still hecka slow!!) but I am a much healthier and stronger person ~ both mentally and physically. For these reasons alone, this day of running was a true success.

This was back before I discovered that running with a hat or visor in the heat is truly a necessity, but you will all be happy to know that even back then, I only wore black ;) In case it’s not obvious, I am the short dumpy one next to the two tall, skinny ones.
It also reminds me that I need to reconnect with my friend Lisa (in the hot pink) who shared this day with me :)



Thank you, Running ~ for such a monumental day in my life. I am ready for MORE!

In the Zone

It is finally September.

And it is TIME.

Time to get moving again after the long summer heat. It is time for FALL RUNNING in Arizona!!

(well, almost) It is still going to be 106 here this weekend, but I am trying to block it from my mind.

I love this time of year when even the slightest notion of cooler temps hits my brain, and I can start planning out the next few months of running. Fall is prime running weather here in the desert, which is good because there are a couple of big race goals on my agenda.

But today isn’t about the races themselves, it is about my TRAINING GOALS.

Pokey Training Season officially begins today, so it is time for me to get back on the running wagon. And here is how I plan to do it:


Run ~ 3x a week ( a lofty goal for me due to a hectic family schedule in the fall, but it is a must this year if I want to see race improvement)

Strength Training ~ 1x per week (in the form of a Body Pump class where I get my butt whooped by an overly hot instructor on whom I have a serious girl-crush!)

Cross Training ~ 1x per week (not sure what form this will take, but it is a necessity. This will be the hardest for me incorporate into the regimen because my mind subconsciously wants to tell me that it is unnecessary)


I am committing to planning out my training weeks in 2-week blocks, so that I can shuffle training as necessary to help mitigate family / schedule conflicts. I already have the first two weeks of this month mapped out ~ now it is just time to go and DO.

Oh yeah, and did I mention I still need to drop some pounds? Yeah, just that little issue called “weight loss.” *sigh* It is so hard. I am really kicking the diet in gear during the month of September before training runs become really long. I’ve been doing well on the eating front ~ for the most part ~ and maintaining my weight….but now I have to focus on LOSING again. I need to be 10 pounds lighter before my next half marathon.

Now how many times have you all read THOSE WORDS??

Yeah, I know.




ORN: 4.2 mile weekend run ~ slow and sweaty