How Much Recovery?

(Mason decided not to nap in his room during Mommy quiet time and later passed out on the dog.)

Are you in the mood for a nice healthy meal after you run? Or do you like to just rest while stretching. Or how about a nice nap to help get your body feeling like it is back to normal. Ever since I got pregnant I have felt that I NEEDED a mid day nap just to be able to function during the later end of the day. Add in exercise on top of pregnancy, I will literally crash at about 5 if I don't get a rest/nap. The big key is to listen to your body. It will tell you what it needs. 

This week on Tuesday, I did my first run since Thanksgiving. Like actual, pushing myself run. Mace didn't want to nap later in the afternoon. I went straight during the day without a single rest. Then I had to teach, make dinner, family time, and put the kid down. At 8pm my body just crashed, and crashed HARD! I could hardly stand up. Matt had to help me up to bed and once my head hit the pillow I was out, until my dad called about an hour later. I learned my lesson. I know that I need to rest, I have to rest. I am pregnant. I am also putting my body through rigorous exercise while pregnant which means I require more recovery time. It is what it is. 

So now I know. I know that on long runs, like today, I have to nap. Even if that means for my nap to be during Sesame Street, then in my bed with my 2 year old next to me cause I don't have enough energy to deal with him not wanting to sleep in his own bed. (At least he slept for 2 hours, which is exactly what I needed.) 

I am planning ahead now. I know that the day of the 1/2 marathon we will be go back to our hotel, request late checkout and go back to sleep for as long as possible, then go play! (That is the plan at this point.)

Listen to your body. Do what it needs and it will thank you and work with you in the end! 

QOTD: How do you recover after a long run, or any workout in general?

Workout Goals for the Week

Next week is Christmas! Can you believe it. Let me say that again, NEXT WEEK IS CHRISTMAS! It feels like it has snuck up on me this year which seems weird that Christmas would sneak up on me but it has. I have way too many things to do this week to get things done and sent out on time before it is too late.

One thing that I can no slack on this week is my exercise. I have really taken a break for the last 2 weeks from heavy cardio training due to my cold or whatever I had. I still don't have my full voice back. Everyone is asking if I am getting sick, nope getting over being sick. (The hard part about being sick while pregnant is you can't take anything to help you through it.)

I decided that today would be the day that come feeling 100% or not I was going to get my exercise done. It needs to be done. I do not want to gain excess weight with this pregnancy unless. In the last 2 weeks, when I haven't exercised, I was gaining the 1 lb a week that can happen. So at this point I am -2 from my pre-pregnancy weight for this pregnancy. Still 30 lbs over what my pre-pregnancy weight before Mason. Exercise is so important to me right now. I am using it as a tool to help me stay as healthy as possible and so that I can have a healthy as possible pregnancy for my baby. And eating right of course. But since next week is Christmas, I know that I will indulge just a little, and I did this weekend when I made my mom's yummy candy cane cookies. I might of had a couple.

Goals for this week:
Monday- 30 min elliptical, 2 miles walk-treadmill-CHECK- Totally did it today
Tuesday- 3 mile walk/run, Prenatal Pilates at home- CHECK- updated 12/17
Wednesday- 30 min elliptical, 3 mile walk-treadmill- did Pilates stretching 20 min- updated 12/18
Thursday- 2 mile walk/run, prenatal yoga
Friday- 30 min elliptical, 1 mile run
Saturday- 4.5 mile walk/run with training program

We shall see how this works. But I am determined to do better always. I am in full training mode now for my 1/2 marathon as I only have 9 weeks until race day!!!

QOTD: Do you hit it hard at the gym when you are getting back into the swing of things?

Can't Do Them All

(source)

Today I couldn't run with my training program. I actually had rehearsal for a gig at a church with a performance tomorrow! So how did I get my long run in this week??? Yesterday! I did my 4 miles yesterday. I have my 8k next week with the hubs and know that I can do 5 miles. And next week would have been 5 miles anyhow so I am feeling great for the race. I did do more walking than running yesterday as I realized how much I love to run outside. I find it easier to run outside. Our bodies were meant to be outside. We love the fresh air, we need the vitamin D. Also, I guess focusing on getting to the top of the hill then when at the top I get to just go and let the hill take me down seems to make it more fun and interesting.

Running the treadmill, or the hamster track at the gym can get boring. Even if I am watching the food channel salivating over all the yummy looking foods, especially all the Thanksgiving specials they have on there right now. So how can we make treadmill work more fun? Make it a game!

1. Intervals of running and running faster. Push yourself. If you are comfortable running at a 5.0 on the treadmill for 1-2 minutes try running at a 5.3 or 5.5. Then go back to the 5.0. I have been doing this, for me though I jog at a 4. When running faster speeds I go up to a 4.5. I have noticed that my new comfortable speed outside is now 13:30ish which is about 4.5 on the treadmill. Pretty neat.

2. Add hills. Add the incline on the treadmill. Be careful though that you don't add too much so you don't injure your self. Make them short splits too. Just do a few to work your quads a bit. That's all you really need.

3. Good music, or a movie if you have an iPad in front of you. If you have a movie or show to watch you are more than likely not watching the time on the treadmill. You loose track of time and realize that your interval run of 2 minutes was over with 2 minutes ago and you are still going strong! (That has happened to me a few times, pretty neat.) We become dependent on the clock and distance. Try covering it up or put on a good show.

4. Always do try to fit in an outside run at least 1 time a week. Outside running is different than treadmill running. Treadmill, you are being pushed by the treads. Outside you have to do the pushing. A few years ago I was purely a treadmill runner. Could not run outside for the life of me. I just did treadmill and was ok with that. Now I am the other way around. I love running outside!

Just have fun is really what it is all about. Running in a gym is convenient because, it is climate controlled. No bad weather. Great for super hot or super cold times of the year. No dogs. No ice. No bugs in the teeth. But make it fun. Enjoy it and do what you have to to stay in shape!

QOTD: What do you do to pass the time on the treadmill?

Disclaimer: I am not a professional trainer. The opinions listed here are of my own through my own personal training exercises. Find what works for you. If you have any questions on exact training or running programs consult a personal trainer at your local gym or a running trainer through a local track club. 

Breaking The Stereotype

(source: Active.com)

One thing I have noticed over the last few weeks and this week in particular, now that I am showing, is everyone is SHOCKED that I am still running while pregnant. At the training program last Saturday people were so amazed that I could still run while pregnant. People at the gym are the same way. They all ask, "Is your doctor ok with this?" "How are you feeling?" "How long have you been running for?" And such. For so many years it was so taboo to do exercise without just sitting in a chair but to get out and actually run was FORBIDDEN!

Even recently doctors have changed their tune with what to watch for while pregnant and exercising. It used to be don't let your heart rate get above 140 bpm. But that is all done with now. Doctors say that if you have previously been running/exercising you may continue to do so. Their main concern now is with overheating and dehydration. Especially while running. And the other day I read this article here about the benefits of exercising while pregnant. And here is another great article about running while pregnant.

I think it is just so funny when I am running or exercising now to just get these looks of shock. Just you wait peeps until I am HUGE and still running. The 1/2 marathon will be an interesting sight to behold because I will have a very "out there" belly!

Rule of thumb about exercising while pregnant. TALK TO YOUR OB/GYN! Seriously. Ask them what they think. And listen to your body. You will know if something doesn't feel right. If it doesn't stop, slow down and/or try again later. 1st trimester is hard to exercise in because you are sick, sick, sick. 3rd trimester is hard to exercise in because you are huge, and getting huge-r (still walk or run though it is great for you)! So use the 2nd trimester to get back into it and just walk if you have to. But LISTEN to you body!

QOTD: What is your favorite exercise to do while pregnant?

Disclaimer: I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL! I have talked with my own doctor about what he wants me to do and continue with. These opinions are purely mine and the sites that I listed. Talk with your doctor or medical professional for help and advice on medical questions.

One More Step!

~I will be adding this to my running wardrobe soon! For Two fitness~

I'm getting stronger everyday that I run or even walk, walk quickly that is! Exercise while pregnant is hard business! It takes extra dedication to go to the gym and get your butt moving. Well that is how I feel because my butt doesn't want to get moving most days. It would be so much easier to just stay at home and rest, and let my body make a baby and just not push it to work any harder. But you know what the amazing thing about our bodies are. THEY CAN DO IT! Women used to work out in the fields up until they had the baby, and would be out working again in a few days. That happens still now! Women work up until they have the baby and are back at work in a week because they need to support their family. Those women are strong, and powerful and amazing! I couldn't do it. HONESTLY! Well, I guess if I had to I would do it but I sure wouldn't want to. I am so thankful to my husband in supporting me in our decision to be a stay at home mom, with an at home teaching part time job. I'm am doing the 2 things I love!

The cool thing I keep thinking about though when I am exercising now is, how much more easy this will be when I am not pregnant. How much more I will be able to push myself and yes, I might be able to run without stopping. This is a for seeable goal of mine now because I am pushing myself during the hardest time in my life and it will just be easier after this! (at least that is what I am thinking.)

So here is to one more step and getting stronger. Feeling empowered! And making great choices for me and my family in choosing to exercise!

QOTD: What did you do today to be one step stronger?

Baby It's Cold Outside!

(Disney and New Balance will be announcing new running shoes next year. This weekend at the Wine & Dine race weekend is the last chance to snatch up these beauties!)

Ooooo! BURRRR! It was cold, cold, cold this morning! Morning run was in the upper 30's when we finally set out. That kind of cold just burns your lungs awake!

This morning was the 3rd week of the training program, 1st week for me though. There was a ton of confusion though with which training group to join and such. The program has us broken down into 6 different groups. I was put in the 2nd group. (I was hoping for the 3rd but I run/walk and don't run straight.) I do have to meet a certain mileage by January and the 3rd group is where I need to be.

I met my running captains for my group and one of them happens to be a Labor and Delivery nurse at my hospital. We had a bit of a talk during the run. She is going to tell my doc that she will watch over me and keep me safe and such. She gave me pointers on what to "listen" for with my body if I pushing too hard and when to back off. She did say that it is ok the whole time to just do run/walk intervals because my focus right now is for health for me and my baby and keeping up good exercise habits, not breaking personal records. She was very helpful, and I will probably do the mileage for group 3 next week because the 2 miles today just wasn't enough. I felt ready to go and it was time to stop. 3 miles is my base amount during the week. Anyhew. I will figure it out.

QOTD: How did you transition to run/walk to run all the time?

Getting Back To It

So I really have taken a couple of weeks off from serious training. I wanted to rest. I hadn't really taken a "rest" since before I started the W4MTP in June. I needed one.

Well, rest time is over! This week I am back into it, seeing in how I have my first long run scheduled this Saturday with the 10 miler training program, I really ought to run prior to that. So Today and Friday are my short run days. Yesterday I did a 2.5 miles walk and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned. Wednesday is my swimming class and Thursday is my yoga class. And Saturday, long run. No idea how many miles but thinking at least 4 miles, maybe. We will see what group I get placed into.

Also, we did see our little baby yesterday! Healthy and happy and squirming around all over the place! Every time the Doc tried to get a good profile pix it would move around. But the one below is pretty good! This one is going to be a super active little baby. It will be interesting to see if it is more active than Mace was when I exercise. That was when Mace would go crazy.

My Future Bling!

Run Disney Facebook just announced/showed the pictures of the new medals for the Princess Half Marathon, Enchanted 10k and the glass slipper challenge medal. Also the new Tink medals for the Disneyland race in Jan.

I am so excited to see that beautiful piece of hardware that in a few months will be swinging from my neck. Ok I know this is silly but I first got interested in running a Disney race because it was, well, Disney but I saw the Disney World Marathon Medal with Mickey on it and I WANT IT! Someday I will get that medal. But for now, I am a princess in training to get my royal princess medal!

~Here are the 3 medal you can get in the 2 days of races. Not doing the Glass slipper challenge this year. Kind of glad seeing how I will be near 30 weeks pregnant!~

Pick up training with a vengeance next week! I have been walking more but next week back to jogging, slowly. Then a week from tomorrow I will finally be able to begin the 10 miler training program. (Hubby had military duty last weekend and this weekend)

Oh, and I did find a race in NC for Thanksgiving day. They are offering an 8k and a 5k. I think I am going to do the 8k. Just trying to talk the hubby into doing it with me since he can speed walk as fast as I jog.

Some Days

Are not like the other. I am coming to the end of my first trimester next week and I am hoping for some relief of some of the common pregnancy related symptoms. My morning sickness is almost all gone, all the time. YEA! But fatigue and now dizziness has been more of a annoyance.

Yesterday was bad with the dizziness. Anytime I get up I have to take a few seconds to right myself so I don't end up on the floor. I have to remind myself that I can not stand up as fast as I used to. I don't remember having the dizziness this badly with my 1st pregnancy. So this is something that I have to either just get used to or just be more careful with.

My gym solution. The treadmill and elliptical have been giving me motion sickness. Inside my gym there is an indoor track. I call it the gerbil wheel. It is a small little thing. 12 laps equal a mile. So that is what I am doing. Walking and moving with things moving as they should instead of me running in place and bobbing seems to work best. So for the time being now, I will be running around on the indoor track. Yea for gerbil wheel track!

Oh and here is a pretty neat site for natural homeopathic remedies for morning sickness that goes along with my picture.

QOTD: What exercise would you give up if you had to due to a sickness or pregnancy?


Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. Contact your doctor or medical professional for any medical questions you have, diagnosis or treatment. All information found and offered on my blog are of my own opinion. 

Pregnant In Running Shoes!

I HAVE BEEN WAITING NEARLY 2 MONTHS TO WRITE THIS POST!!! I am so excited to start this topic of exercise while pregnant. This is the reason why I have not been posting as much. All the posts I have wanted to write about have been about my pregnancy and running and I couldn't spill the beans until we passed a certain point. Yesterday was that point.

I am currently 11.5 weeks pregnant. Yesterday we had a doc appointment and we have been waiting to hear the heartbeat over the doppler and yesterday was that day. It took a good 5 minutes to find the heartbeat but the doc did and yeah I pretty much lost it in pure happiness. With the 2 previous miscarriages I have been a nervous wreck but was thankful everyday that everything was going ok.

So here is the thing. I have been running while pregnant. I ran my 4 miler before we even found out I was pregnant. We found out a week after actually. Continued to exercise and run as best as I could. All those posts about having a hard time and such, was because of morning sickness. It seems running on a stationary object while pregnant can make me very motion sick with the morning sickness. The elliptical has been the worst culprit to bring it on. More swaying. But I have persevered and have continued as best as I could.

2 weeks ago tomorrow was my 10k. I was 9.5 weeks pregnant. I told my doc at my 7 week appointment about the race and he ok'd it. He asked me to have a running partner for safety so that I was never running alone and to slow down a little on my pace. He said that I would naturally slow down anyways, which I have. That is why I was aiming for the hour and a half time. I pushed myself but not too much. I actually felt really great during the race. No cramping, no pain just really empowered and strong.

So a couple of things. My blog is going to follow me training for my half marathon in Feb. Yes, I am still planning on running in it. Yes, I will be 28.5 weeks pregnant. Just I will be doing run/walk more than what I was planning on. My doc has ok'd the half as long as no complications arise in the meantime. He is actually really proud of me for continuing to run. (He is a marathoner, and usually take 1 week a year vacation to run a race.) The other thing is that I hope to encourage you that if I can do this pregnant you can do this anytime. It is not easy. I am exhausted after exercising. I want to sleep for days, but on the flip side there have been so many positive reason why I HAVE to continue to exercise. One, I have LOST 8 lbs since we found out I was pregnant. 6 right in the beginning and 2 in the last 4 weeks. I am hoping to gain as few pounds as possible!

Anyhew please join me on my journey of pregnancy and exercise. Tell your friends all about me too! I am so excited to take this turn on my blog and can't wait to see what I learn.

QOTD: Did you or do you plan on exercising while pregnant?

Stress Remover!

I felt it today! While doing my 3 miles I actually felt the stress of this week just melt off my shoulders. I have a crazy crazy busy week this week, in some ways it is great, and in others I am super stressed but not anymore. I just let it lift from me and AHHH! I feel so much better now.

This week is packed with teaching in the afternoon, then straight to a gig tonight, making halloween costume tomorrow then straight to symphony rehearsal all evening. Thursday is yoga, hair appointment and our family pictures followed by our church's fall festival. Friday is my least busy day with only an appointment in the late afternoon.

Next week is dead compared to this week and honestly I don't remember the last time I was this busy! This means the week should fly by.

Happy healthy running!!!

QOTD: Does exercise help you relax?

3 Days

It took me 3 days to not be sore anymore from the race! Wow, I think that is a new personal record for me. I have still been doing light exercise to keep the lactic acid moving and not building up. My friend K is adamant that after the 1/2 marathon in Feb, no resting just go straight to the park and walk, walk, walk. I'm a little nervous about that but I do know that moving is best. That and a hot tub would be really good too.

Now on to just taking it easy and in a week from Sat the 10 miler training program will commence. And a new running schedule will begin!

(on a side note, as I am writing this Mason is pushing his truck as fast as he can and when he hits the carpet he is doing barrel rolls and laughing up a storm, then does it again. He is having way too much fun. Oh to have that kind of energy!)

QOTD: Are you participating in the 10 miler training program?

Something New

(source) 

I tried something new yesterday! I tried yoga. I have never done a class setting. Only by DVD. Thought I would give it a shot. It was actually really cool and I guess the DVD's did help me a little. I knew the names for most of the poses already and was able to hold most of them. It was a beginning super easy class. And to top it off.. I was the only one in there. I guess the cold rain kept everyone away from the class and I got an hours worth of personal instruction from the teacher. It was really neat!

I did the class to help me stretch a bit before Sundays run. I am feeling more relaxed and stretched and ready for the run. It is going to be a COLD morning and possibly rainy still. Looking forward to it.

QOTD: Any advice for cold rainy runs? 

Burnout?!?

Seriously! Already! It has been a hard 6 weeks for me. I miss the motivation I got by going every week to the women's 4 miler training program. I had set goals. I had to meet said goals to accomplish what I wanted to do. Currently, I have been my own trainer. I set myself to run 2 days a week and Saturdays are my long runs. Saturdays are going well, and I generally do the 2 day runs a week but the other 3 days of cross training, not so much.

So how do we get out of a rut? I just read an article here that I felt answered a lot of my questions and actually defined what I was going through. Yesterday I just thought I was getting lazy, today after reading the article, I AM BURNED OUT! I need something new. I know I have races coming up but I need that drive, push and motivation I felt with the 4 miler to get me going!

Sunday is my 10k. This past Saturday I did 6.5 miles out on the road with a friend. I did really well as that was my first time EVER doing that distance. So I know I will be fine on Sunday for the race. I just want to stay under 15 min/mile. That is my goal. Actually I want to finish the race upright but would like to be under 15 min/mile.

In a few short weeks I will begin my new training program for the C-ville 10 miler. I am excited for that and I think it will give me the drive and push I am missing.

I am going to try an incorporate some of the items in the article above to help get me going again. We all go through these times. It is ok. We just need to change our game plan a little to keep it fresh and new.

Thanks for hanging in there and still reading my blog!

QOTD: How do you stay motivated? 

October? ALREADY!?!

I can not believe that we are already into October. It is by far one of my favorite months of the year. The cooler, crisper air. The leaves changing. Apple picking season. And the jumpstart to the holiday season. I LOVE OCTOBER. In AZ, where I grew up I loved it when the nights were getting colder when I opted to keep my marching band coat on instead of nicely folding it inside out and stashing it somewhere on the stands. (Yes I am a band geek, don't judge!) Being in VA we get the wonderful season of the things I mentioned above. Today for the first time in the 6 years we have lived in this state we are going to the State Fair. Super excited.

Another great thing about October. Pretty much across the country it is getting cool enough to run outside, almost any time during the day. All my AZ buddies are super excited to get out of the gym and out on the streets pounding the pavement. Last Saturday I went on a very early morning run out on the street with a good friend. It was chilly, but so much fun running in the early morning watching the sunrise over the beautiful are we were in. This Saturday we are starting WAYYYYYY earlier, 5:30am, and doing a beautiful 6.5 miles. I am thankful for the people in my life that support my running and I am so glad to help support them too.

If you are in the C-ville area and want to join us, send me a email or msg me and I will certainly pass on the details. We are doing a nice slow steady pace so don't worry we won't leave you in the dust.

QOTD: What is your favorite fall activity?

Training Programs

~Me with 2 of my running buddies and Sarge. T (rainbow skirt) one of the pink ladies in the Women's 4 Miler Training Program~

I am so excited to begin my next training program. It gives me the drive and push to actually run, and to run during the week. I have fallen off the wagon a little this past month. I didn't run at all this past week but I was taken it easy. I did do 3 miles today out on the road with a friend and it went fairly well (especially for slacking this past week.) But there are going to be weeks where we don't run all that much, and weeks that we just kill it! It is OK! The point is to KEEP ON RUNNING! 

Ok back to topic, training programs. The Women's 4 miler training program was awesome. Had running buddies every Saturday morning. We all suffered through the heat and humidity together and got through it. 

In about a month from now is my next training program for the 10 miler. I am excited but slightly nervous as it is going to be frigid in the morning runs. (it was fairly cool this morning too and I was shivering until my body warmed up at about mile 1.) 

Look for a training program or group near you. They help you with your form, keep you motivated and just help encourage you to keep on moving. Do not worry if you can't run very well. Most TP will will have different running groups. The super speedy Gonzales' and even the groups where people are just getting back into running or learning to run for the first time. 

If you can't find one, make one with you and some other friends that have wanted to go running, or would like to go running but just don't know where to run or where to start. Be the leader. It really does make the time go by nice and fast too! 

Just the key to running, keep on moving! You can do this!

QOTD: Have you been part of a track club or training program?

I Can Do IT!

~Cute pix of Mason playing in the rain this evening! AZ baby at heart!~

I am doing it! I ran 5.5 miles today, again on the treadmill. I ran a comfy 15 min mile. Well actually I did more walking today than running but I am keeping my walking at a faster pace. I am currently in the process of getting a more comfortable cruising speed for running. It is hard but it is totally worth it.

I have now lost 8 lbs from my heaviest in the last 2 months. I have lost an inch from my waist, tummy and hips. My thighs are more toned with less "stuff" on them that I have been trying to get off since I had Mace 2 years ago.

I have more energy most of the day, I do crash a little later in the day but that is ok. I feel better overall. I am recovering faster after my runs and I AM DOING IT!

~Me after my 5.5 miles. Sorry for the bad lighting but I AM STILL SMILING!~

Feeling The Burn!

OOOO! Don't you just love it when you feel the burn in your muscles that tells you that you are working, and working it hard! Firing up your muscles! I LOVE IT! That is the point I know that if I push just a little longer it will make me stronger! I felt it today with my run as I upped the speed on the treadmill for my run. So when I was running, I was running faster than usual and forced myself to just go a little farther.

Burn is different than hurt! Don't hurt yourselves but it is ok to get a little burn going. So excited that my training is going well and that I am still running even after the 4 miler. I have new goals and will keep going!

Speaking of being on FIRE, GO SUN DEVILS (my alma matter) on their win this past weekend!

QOTD: When you weight train do you feel the burn there too? 

Rest Day

So Sundays are my rest day. No blogging, no exercising, just rest and relaxation (after church and after the kid goes down for a nap of course.) Today things have been a little crazy with visiting with friends and grocery shopping. My body feels fine after my run last Saturday, but it is just...tired. It feels tired. I am happy that I don't hurt, or too stiff, or anything but my body definitely noticed the upgrade in mileage this past week. So I will still keep up the mileage but I decided to take an extra rest day today. (Nap time for the kid and then I have a full schedule of teaching this afternoon.)

So here is to rest day for me and to keep on going! Tomorrow is 4.25 miles run. I'm loving it!

QOTD: Do you let your body rest an extra day when it needs it?

5 Miles

My first 5 miles post baby! YEA ME! I took it really easy so that I didn't overdo it at all. I am still doing a walk/run style of training which is great for me! Today though I increased the amount of running time compared to walking time. My goal was just to do a nice steady 15 min/mile pace which is what I did. I actually went just a hair faster than that due to the warm up which was nice and slow and I took the whole 5 min for that. At the end of the 5 miles I continued to do a long cool down giving me a total of 5.5 miles walked/ran. I normally don't include my warmup and cool down in the timing but since I new I was going to be on the machine for a long time I included the warm up and did the cool down as extra.

Findings for running my first 5 miles in 3 years:

IT IS A LONG TIME TO SPEND ON A TREADMILL! Even doing it in just an hour is still a long time. Today was a nice day out too and I should have run outside but I didn't and opted for indoors. At least I knew exact mileage though and I could time myself on the walk/run intervals.

Find a good show or have good music! Thankfully the machine I used had a TV and I could watch the food network, but I downloaded Pandora on my phone for next time just in case.

Use the bathroom. It is a long time on the machine or out and about.

Need more energy. Time to start using gel things or energy beans to keep me boosted up on energy. I got super tired and just felt like I was limping in my energy at about 4.25 miles.

Listen to your body. I realized that my breathing is amazing, now! I had a steady breathing pattern. I was taking full breaths not short little spurts that I used to. I would have been able to run and talk. I finally didn't sound like I was dying. I sounded like a runner. My thighs were burning which is great! They were really working it. NO SHIN SPLINTS OR CALF CRAMPS AT ALL!

I am so proud of my mind and body for doing what I asked it to do today. 5 miles is a long time, but every Saturday it just keeps going up by 1/2 a mile for the next few weeks in preparation for the 10k coming up. And honestly today I thought, "ok next week I am running 5.5 miles and the 10k is only 1.2 miles more, I CAN TOTALLY DO THIS! It isn't that much further!!!" And I felt like I was in a good groove and pace and one that I could sustain longer. Would I like to be fast, heck yes! But, I want to be injury free and cross every finish line with a smile on my face and as I proved with my 4 miler, I will get faster. This was just my starting point!

Total walk/run mileage this week alone: 16.4 miles!
Elliptical mileage: 11.75 miles
Spin Class: 21.4 miles

My legs have done a lot this week! 6 days out of 6 days! GO ME!

QOTD: Do you prefer indoor or outdoor long runs?