Running for a Cause

We all run for different reasons.  For me, it started as a way to shed the baby pounds.  But every year from January through May, I run in honor of my late grandmother and all the brave women who fight the ugly breast cancer disease.  One of my favorite races each year is the 5K Race for the Cure in Peoria, IL, hometown of Susan G. Komen (read her full story here).  It's an amazing race day and source of inspiration for me.  This year, I pledged to raise $1000 for the fight against breast cancer.  And this weekend is my big Valentine's drive with Cupcakes 4 Cure (check out my website).  I will bake and decorate over 75 dozen cupcakes... that's almost 1000 Valentine cupcakes over the course of four days!  Sometime in there, I'll squeeze in my 10 mile long run...


Know someone fighting breast cancer?  Post their first name here in a comment, and I will add them to my prayer list.  Currently I pray for a young mother and friend named Tiffany who has two little girls close in age to my own darlings.  She's currently in round 8 of chemo.  I am in awe of her strength!


And now I wouldn't be a very good fundraiser if I didn't tell you how to help, would I?!  So here's the plug... I'll be accepting donations on my Komen Race for the Cure webpage up until race day on May 7.  Even a $5 donation makes a difference in the fight against breast cancer.  Thanks!

Mixing up the cupcake batter

Valentine minis

Yummy chocolate!

Boxes are assembled, time to fill 'em up!

Run off the Stress

Yesterday I hit my Spinning class to fulfill my cross-training for Day 10 of the Furman FIRST program.  Unfortunately, I had a very long mommy/wife list to complete, so I had to cut my workout short with no strength training.  Days like this get me so stressed when I feel cramped on time.... and when I'm stressed, I eat.  So count four cupcakes and numerous chocolates down the hatch.  Argh!

This morning (Day 11), the last thing I wanted to do was go to the gym.  Despite a funky mood, out-of-town company, and numerous errands to run... I eventually got there.  Even as I laced up the sneakers, I was reaching for an excuse not to run.  Never the less, I made it on the track for a one mile warmup, and then hit the treadmill for my 5 mile TEMPO run.  As I started, I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable the 9:30 pace felt.  By mile 3, I'll admit I was wishing it over... and yet by mile 4, I was feeling good and cranked the pace up to a 9:18.  After a strong finish and cooldown, I realized a good hard run was just what I needed melt away the stress that had me in a funk.
TOTAL:  6.5 miles

Endless Rope

I've been eying the Endless Rope machine in my gym for quite awhile now.  Today the gym was fairly slow, so I jumped on and gave it a good 10 minutes.  Wow, that thing is hard!  Since I missed yesterday, I burned through the FIRST strength exercises:  Standing wall slide, Single leg squat, Walking lunge, Calf raise, Stability ball pushups, Single arm row and an additional 50 stomach crunches for my muffin top!


Up Next (Friday): Rest/Yoga   (Saturday): Long Run - scheduled for 8 miles, but going for 10 miles at a 9:52 pace.

Climb the Ladder

Today's Interval Ladder

As I drove to the gym on training Day #9, I mentally prepared myself for a tough workout (last week's intervals were near torture!)  It's my first time doing a ladder interval, workout sessions where you increase/decrease distances and/or paces.  After an easy 2 mile warmup around the track, I switched to the treadmill and got to work.  Four interval steps to the top, and then back down with 400m rest intervals... It's not easy, but I DID IT!!  The 1200m was tough to hold on to, but I visualized the previous finish lines I crossed.  Just when you think you're completely tapped, somehow you find more in the tank... Where do you go for that "extra fuel"??

After a 1 mile cooldown, I got in a good stretch session with some stomach crunches.  I feel great, legs are stable... Interval workout a success!  

TOTAL:  8.25 miles in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Tuesdays are my weigh-in day. After all that work this past week, I'm exactly where I stood on the scale last week.  I'm sure the Friday pizza and Super Bowl snacks/beer didn't help... Today starts a new week.

Up Next (Wednesday):  XT - Spin class followed by weights.

Champion Ride

I woke up feeling like a champion this morning... Super Bowl World Champion that is!!  I lingered in bed longer than normal relishing the tough-fought Packers victory last night.  There are so few times in your life when your #1 sports team makes it to the very top.  So as I dressed for the gym this morning, I decided to show my Packer pride... a brave task living in the middle of our arch rival Chicago Bears' territory.  Hee, hee...

It's Day 8 of FIRST training and I'm feeling good on this plan so far.  After the blizzard cancelled Spin class last Wednesday, I was anxious to get back on the bike today for my cross-training.  I missed my bi-weekly sweat session, and my instructor did not disappoint with a tough "Rock 'n Roll Ride".  After yesterday's careless eating and a handful of beers, the burning thighs and sweat pouring off my body felt great.  I finished up with a quick 2 mile run on the track, but careful to go easy (10:00 pace).  As I ran, I mentally gave myself a check-list to eat well today, hydrate well and hit the bed early tonight... tomorrow is the workout that I need all my energy.

Up Next (Tuesday):  INTERVALS - 15 minute warmup, sprints of 400m, 600m, 800m, 1200m, 800m, 600m, 400m, with 400m jog rest intervals, finish with a 10 minute cooldown.  FIRST program emphasizes training at the correct pace as one of the most important elements of the plan.  Since I'll be running my intervals on the treadmill, I've figured out the appropriate settings for each interval ahead of time.

400m (1/4 mile) - maintain 8:20 pace or 7.2mph on treadmill

600m (3/8 mile) - maintain 8:25 pace or 7.1mph on treadmill

800m (1/2 mile) - maintain 8:30 pace or 7.0mph on treadmill

1200m (3/4 mile) - maintain 8:40 pace or 6.9mph on treadmill

Go Long

Simply awesome Day 6!  It's days like this that make me happy to be a runner.  I was up early for my pre-run oatmeal and coffee, then off to the gym with the kiddos in tow.  To say I was anxious to run would be an understatement... I was pumped this morning for my first long run since last September!  My goal was to maintain a consistent pace through the entire run.  My scheduled run was 7 miles, but I immediately clicked on the 10 mile distance as I started up the nano.  The miles ticked away quickly and easily.  My mind drifted away as I ran the laps round the gym track.  Ever notice how the gym community is so nice/polite/courteous compared to the general population out there?  Even through the sweat, blood and tears, smiles are plentiful.  Think about it... when someone accidentally steps out or cuts you off on the track, there's no screaming or throwing the birdie around.  And yet when we jump in our cars, that's all we see.  I just can't help but think... what if everyone was a runner?  What a happy world it would be...

I couldn't believe it when Carrie's voice chirped through my music "2 miles to go".  (Carrie is the nickname I gave the lady's voice that narrates your run on the Nike+ Sport program for the nano.  Why Carrie?  I love the name, and my hubby would never let us name a girl that.)  I pushed the pace a bit more for the last mile and a half, and finished with a strong 400m sprint.  I felt amazing!  10 miles done in my first long run... maybe this marathon thing is doable after all!  After a quick shower, I scooped up the kids from the child care, and we hurried to the sledding hill.  Probably not the smartest move I made.  For the next hour and a half, I spent zooming down the snow... and then climbing back up a very long steep snow hill!!   Oh-my, I'm gonna feel this tomorrow.
TOTAL: 10 miles in 1 hr 39 minutes (9:54 pace)

Up Next (Sunday): Rest with Yoga  (Monday) XT-Spin class, followed by an easy 2m run.

Workout after my long run!

Rest baby

I spent my Friday rest day the same way any young mother would (wait a second, did I just called myself young?!  Bahahaha!)   The morning started with coffee on the couch, cartoons with the girlies, and then off to the gym we went.  No-no, not my gym... but the the open gym for kids.  It was their turn to run!  After three days inside from Blizzard 2011, they had energy just steaming off the top of them.  The girls too are excited for an upcoming race... the Leprechaun Leap Kids Dash (March 20 in Chicago).  Big Girl says "I gotta start my training!"  So they ran a couple laps around the gym as fast as they could... and then straight for the toys.

I finished off Day 5 with a giant pizza and salad (for good measure!) with the hubby and girls.  And I stole a cutout cookie from the Valentine batch too.  Double Crap!  I'm feeling so guilty about the diet slip, so adding an extra mile or two onto the run this morning to make up for it.  Either way, my rest day was a success!  I did very little of anything, which now has me pretty darn excited to head to the gym this morning to complete the long run!  Woo-Hoo!

Super Bowl weekend... Did I mention I bleed green & gold?!?!  Go Pack Go!
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Power Station

Day 4: Today is my first TEMPO RUN of half-marathon training.  It's sub-zero temps here today, so I head down to the basement treadmill while the little girlies nap.  Easy warmup for first two miles, then ramped it up to 6.4mph on the 'mill, which equates out to a 9:22 pace.  Hold that pace for 3 miles... Whew, hold on Jess!

As I completed the 1st tempo mile, I surveyed what I have come to call my "power station"... the treadmill dash.  I'm kinda silly and decorate it up.  Hey, whatever gets you through the boredom of treadmill running, right?!   So take a look... No power station is complete without posted goals, quotes, photos, big screen remote control (Fox-News or Sex & The City reruns are my viewing choice), huge water bottle (gift from hubby's last deployment), hand weights (for a punishment run after a bad meal! Just try it - you'll sweat like a pig!), built-in fan (absolute must for me!), and even Life Savers candies hiding behind the weights (for an energy boost on a long run).  I change it up from time to time, but that's where I go to work...

Okay... so by the 2nd tempo mile, I'm starting to feel a muscle twinge in the back of my right thigh that throbbed right to the end.  I'm hoping it's nothing, but to be sure, I'm icing it now as I type.  Amazingly I finished all three miles at the prescribed short-tempo pace!!  The harder I push myself, the more and more astonished I am at the results.  Finished up with a 3/4 mile cooldown.
TOTAL:  5.75 miles in 57 minutes.

Up Next (Friday):  REST day with Yoga.   (Saturday)  LONG RUN - 7 miles at a consistent 10:24 pace.  Pace seems a little slow compared to the runs I've been through this week.  I think I'm gonna start to look forward to the "long run" more than anything on this new training program!

Sweet recovery

Rest day are almost important as run days, according to the experts.  So that's what Day 3 is... kinda.  My legs were aching as I went to bed last night, and this morning they were noticeably weak as soon as I awoke.  So I was a bit thankful Spinning class was cancelled this morning due to yesterday's blizzard.

With cross-training still on the schedule today... I popped in The Biggest Loser Yoga DVD once the kids went down for a nap.  Nothing like a good stretch with my buddy Bob to make sore legs feel real again.  This is by far my favorite yoga DVD to date.  Afterward I hit the exercise bike for 45 minutes, racking up 12.3 miles at a level 3 resistence.  Topped it off with 50 crunches on the ab lounger, 50 overhead tricep lifts and 25 tricep kickbacks.  I want those defined shoulders back for summer!

Up Next (Thursday):  TEMPO RUN - 2 mile warmup, 3 miles short-tempo at the prescribed 9:18 pace (yikes!), followed by a 1 mile cooldown.

The need for speed...

The work begins on Day 2 of training.  One of the key workouts each week in the FIRST training plan is INTERVALS to increase your speed... in a nutshell, teaching your legs how to move faster!  I can run and I can run long, but fast is not my game.  The authors of the FIRST plan also dictate the speed/pace at which you should run these intervals (based off your last race time).  Here was their prediction for me:

2:09 Half-Marathon = 27:50 5K... thus I should be able to do 400m intervals (1/4 mile or one lap around a track) at a 8:20 pace (7.2 mph on the treadmill).  Needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive for this workout.

But I'm so excited to report that I DID IT!!!
18 min. warmup jog on gym track (2 miles)
Treadmill:  Repeated 12 times... Run 400m at 8:20 pace, Recover jog for 90 seconds (5 miles)
10 min. cooldown jog on track (1 mile)
TOTAL:  8 miles in 1 hour 18 minutes

When I got to the 5th sprint, I was exhausted and starting to doubt myself.  By #7 the side pains kicked in.  By time I hit #10, my only salvation was "just two more to go".  Pretty sure I let out some nice grunts, but hey, I couldn't hear over my pumpin' playlist.  Special thanks to Kelly Clarkson for "My Life Would Suck without You"... that song carried me through the toughest ones.  In fact, I repeated the song twice!  By far, the toughest run workout I've ever done.  But just goes to prove my latest favorite quote... "You are capable of so much more than you think!"

Up Next (Wednesday):  CROSS-TRAINING DAY.  Typically a 45 minute Spin class, but I have a feeling it will be cancelled with the looming blizzard.  So I plan to do my 20 minute Yoga DVD in the morning, followed by 45 minutes on the exercise bike.

Here We Go!

Official DAY 1 of training for Half-Marathon.  I got 13 weeks to get my booty into a running machine!  I'm setting my goal time for the half-marathon for 2:05, but I can't lie... I'm really hoping to get under the two-hour mark.  I've studied the book "Run Less, Run Faster" and formulated my training plan (see "In-Training" tab on this blog).  Day 1 was easy... started with a cross-training day. Sweet!  I did 45 minutes of Spinning class, followed by an easy 2 mile run on the gym track.  Cross-train days are suppose to be light-moderate exertion.  That will be my biggest challenge I think.  It's difficult for me to go easy once I get started.


Up Next (Tuesday):  SPEED INTERVALS!  15 minute run warmup, 12x400 sprints with 90 second RI (rest intervals) in between, 10 minute run cooldown.  This should be interesting... and by that, I mean painful!

On another note, I weighed myself today, and the scale finally budged after a two week plateau.  Down 10.1 pounds for the month of January!  Only 24 lbs more to go!