2 miles

again. meant to do more, but it didn't happen. I did one mile inside on the treadmill and then decided I couldn't handle one more step on that thing. So I ran around the block for another mile. Whereupon I got locked out of the house when I got back. Let's just say that's par for the course today. No times to report today -- I kept the treadmill on 5.0 and then I didn't use the watch for the mile in the hood. Gotta go to bed now.

two, two, two miles

yeah, I know. It's supposed to be my long run day. But Hub and Elder Child were gone on their overnight trip, so it was just me and TDP DinoBoy this morning, which meant no run for me this morning. Instead we slept in, had a nice simple breakfast, and then headed back out to the school carnival for day two of booth duty. Afterward, my new sister-in-law was at my in-laws' waiting for all the guys to get back, so we headed over there to visit and catch up. I hadn't seen her since right after the wedding, and it was nice to have a little bit of time to just chat. But there went the afternoon, so no chance to go to the gym.

Later on, while the Cowboys were playing one of the ugliest games since, um, last week, I took TDP DinoBoy to the rink for a little extra ice practice, then we had to scurry over to Michael's for art supplies for a science project. By that time, it was pretty late, and I thought I'd have a chance to run outside. But, the science project needed a little constructive critique and artistic direction (in other words, I had to teach the boy how to tie the pipe cleaners together for his 3-D model of Chromium), and before I knew it, TDP DinoBoy was ready for to call it a night. We picked up a copy of The Hobbit at the carnival's book nook yesterday, and I'd promised him we'd read before bed. Just like that, it was 9:15 and too late to run outside. So, I had to hit the treadmill for the requisite 2 miles. If not for this little project of mine, I'd easily have just hung on the couch with the cats. So, it's good for a little motivation, if nothing else.

The next week is going to be crazy, but ultimately fabulous if I can survive. I'll do my best to keep posting, and it's non-negotiable that I get in a run every day, but I can't promise anything beyond that. It's getting late, so I've gotta tuck in now.

Four in a row

Got it done. Only about 2.5 miles, though, since I've got to go fetch TDP DinoBoy from grandma's house (he's not going hunting YET) so we can head out to the school carnival. Fun times, I tell ya! Don't believe that I ran 2.5 miles? Here's the proof! I woulnd't make up that crazy route on my own, I promise you!! Anyway, since I wont' be so close to this park anymore after this week (yippeee!!) I thought I'd do the park loop one more time for old time's sake.

Gotta blast. Have a great day!!

4 miles

This should have been posted yesterday. 'cause I ran it yesterday. I went out a little earlier in the evening than the night before, so it was hotter and I was slower. Just by a tad. but I still made it happen. three days in a row. woo-hee!

Mile 1: 10:53
Mile 2: 11:30
Mile 3: 11:02
Mile 4: 10:23

Sheesh, that second mile was glacial, I don't know what was up with that. And I did negative-split the thing by, what, nearly a minute?

Average pace: 10:57
Total time: 43:50

So not my best effort on that path, but not dreadful either. And I wasn't dead either like the night before. I didn't know ten seconds a mile would be so much work. Whatever, that was yesterday. Today is a new day. Which means I should get outside and hit it before the sun comes up. Supposed to be back in the upper 80s/low 90s today -- wheee!!! The boys are going bow-hunting today, supposedly, although they haven't left yet and they should have left around 4:00 am. They're burning more daylight than I am. Gotta go!!

4 miles

ick. I need to do something about my fitness level. bleagh. I ran the 4-mile out and back and it was not fun. even though the temps are nice October evening low 70s, the split times were dismal:

Mile 1: 10:35
Mile 2: 11:07
Mile 3: 10:54
Mile 4: 10:33

Total time: 43:10
Average pace: 10:47

OK, so actually, there was only one split above 11:00, so it wasn't that terrible. But if felt like hell. I *worked* for those, and I used to get times in the 9:50s when I worked that hard. Plus, it's hard to explain, but I just felt sluggish. Sigh.

Maybe running every day in October will help with this. Damn, did I just say that out loud? Eeep.

In lurve wid da kittehs

more animals

I have a mobile edition of this on my iPod touch. Perfect for the mall during ice practice. tee-hee.

2 miles

better than nothing. and, let's say, for instance, hypothetically, that I was engaged in some kind of streak goal for the month of October, a 2-mile run would be the minimum amount to count for said streak. I'm just saying. If I were to do such a thing. I've been known to do it in the past. Not saying that I'm doing it now. Out loud.

ORN: 2 miles on the treadmill; total time 22:30.

BTW, a happy, happy, happy 21-year-anniversary-of-our-first-kiss to my hubby. You still make me smile every day.

5K run

didn't do the full 4-mile out and back this morning. just didn't have it in me. My back was aching and I felt a little queasy from too much drainage from all the crap in the air right now. So I cut it short and did a 5k instead. I started to feel better by the time I rounded the corner near the house, but by then, it was almost time to wake up the boys for school, so I called it a day. It took me 20 minutes to talk myself into the run, so I count it as a bonus 5K that might not have happened on another day, if I was more convincing to myself.

Ended up the month of September with 83 miles -- a little short of the 100 I was shooting for, but more than any other month but March and May (those are the months of two or three halves each). October will be better, I'm sure, once we get all the stress and excitement of the house stuff over and done with. the countdown is on, with one more week to go before we close. We've done all the needed repairs to this house (really just maintenance we would have done this year anyway -- A/C service, weatherstripping, a couple of windows with broken seals so they fogged up) and have all the paperwork ready to roll. Now we just start the real packing and get ready for the signage and the trucks. wahoo. Like I said earlier, I'll be excited about it for real once I have the key in my hand and have locked the door behind me (the 8-foot, Texas star leaded-glass inset door! wheeeeee!!). Until then, I've got a ton of work to do to be ready to take a few days off next week, and the kids' school carnival this weekend, and, then, oh yeah, a big 8-year-old birthday party to plan. Fun times. Wouldn't have it any other way.

So, there. Gotta run and spend a few minutes with Elder Child before he hits the hay. He's having second thoughts about moving schools during the semester but I'm sure he'll find his niche once he gets there. It will be great, I'm sure. I just now have to convince him of that. Peace out folks! Have a good evening.

7.75 miles

meant it to be 8, but I took the wrong turn toward the end and ended up just under at 7.75 miles. Total time was 1:29:03, so that's slower than my last comparable run, but I was less concerned about pacing today and more about just getting a longer run in. The front of my right leg started aching about 2 miles in, and it was all I could do mentally to keep going, knowing that a few stretches would work it out (and it did work itself out soon enough, too, and is fine right now). I'm just working really hard to get the mental aspect of this down, and keep my motivation up when the results are not there, either on the scale, on how my clothes fit, or how fast I'm getting. I just keep working and still seem to be at the same starting point. It's a little discouraging, but I keep at it.

More later -- gotta go out and price window coverings for the new place -- 25 windows and no two of them the same size. We're thinking Roman shades will be what we will use for all the windows except the ones facing the front of the house -- those will be plantation shutters. But it's not going to be easy to find them all in the right sizes and without custom-ordering, hence the shopping expedition today. And we have a little more time, since our closings got pushed back to the first week of October instead of September 30. One more hiccup but we're still all systems go. So, I gotta run, but will be back later. Pinky promise.

6.5 miles the other way

so today, we had to stay in class until 5:00 (what up wid dat?), so I didn't head out to the lake until closer to 5:30. Ended up going toward Navy Pier from the hotel, then south on Lake Shore to the Shedd Aquarium and the planetarium. Just a couple of hours earlier, I'd chatted with Elder Child on the phone and he asked me if it was indeed windy in the Windy City. I had to laugh because, actually, it wasn't very windy at all yesterday. In fact, I was kinda wishing for a breeze yesterday because it was a bit hotter than I thought it would be. But today, it was a little windy today. But not until I got all the way around the planetarium, and then it was like running into a wind tunnel. Crazy. But I managed to make the back end of the run just about 8 seconds longer then the out end, so I thought that was a pretty good pace in any case. I think I like the northern route I ran yesterday a little bit better, if only because it was a little more natural and beachy, whereas there were just a lot of boats on the southern route. Whatever, both are a hecka nicer than the 'hood around my current house.**

So, I've got to try to get the afternoon-running arse out of bed early enough tomorrow to get a few miles in before class, since I'll be on a plane tomorrow night and won't have a chance to run then. It might mean that I'll miss Angel on TNT, too, which is a shame, since I just discovered that show. I sense that I'll be doing some DVD sessions soon -- it's a pretty groovy show and I'm getting pulled in right toward the end, it seems. But, I guess it will have to happen, right? And it'll be nice to see the sun coming up over the lake, too. That's all for now, I think. Time to tuck in so that I can get up and out the door in time, plus I have to pack. That travel day thing, you know.

**Oh, and in neighborhood news, Hub called me this morning and said that the cops were parked outside arresting the kid who lives next door. Said it was just like the scene in Boyz in the Hood. 7:10 in the morning, so who knows what was happening or what he was taken in for. I do know that I've caught the kid messing with the mailboxes up and down the street at least once, and when I warned him not to do it, he threw attitude at me and shrugged me off. And at least two other folks on the street have told me that he's bad news. So, yeah, I know, innocent until proven guilty and all that, but still.