SUSHI NIGHT!

Mr Incredible is back in town! I finally got to see him after I got off work at 7:30.. I went for a quick 3 miles and then met up at a local restaurant for some sushi! I haven't had such a a great dinner in a long time! I've been so busy at work this week, but I'm still trying to keep my thoughts on the marathon, eating right, and staying hydrated. I started to think this might be the reason I haven't been able to stick with work out plans as well I thought I could. Now, because there is a goal in sight - and such a high goal - I keep drinking water instead of a soda and eat granola when I would rather have dorritos. All in all these goals are keeping me healthy. Too many times, I get caught up in all the busyness of life and do whatever is convient at the time. Training for a martahon you really have to make a change in your life- to make good decisions no matter what the circumstance.  Fall is very busy for me, but I know I can keep on track. Keep me on track!

Mr Incredible got the top one....crazy for a baseball player to get that one...but very excited!

I got the bottom one. WHAT IS THE NEWS?

The water is gone...but left quite a mess. That used to be green.

WEEK 3 HAS BEGUN

It looks like there is a lot of treadmilling to come for this week! AHHH noo!! I envisioned training for this marathon to go much differently! I thought it would be more like waking up early to beautiful sunrises after running 5 or 6 miles. Hopefully, that can still happen. So far, however, the rain has sort of put a damper on things. The trail that I normally run 3- 6 miles has been lost - at least for the next couple of weeks.

This one was taken on my lunch break. After work, it looked like part of the river.

This is the entrance to the Chatahochhee River Park.

The river consumed this road too.

A view from the bridge that barely goes over the river.

The River?! No...just the parking lot. My TRAIL!!!! GONE!

Monday was my day off, but tommorrow I will either find somewhere to run or hit the dreadmills as Morgan likes to call it. This is the week's training schedule:

Tuesday: 3miles

Wednesday: 4miles

Thursday: 3 miles

Friday: off

Saturday: 5 miles

Sunday: Cross Training

I was hoping to join a running group who's monthly meeting was today, but because of the weather they cancelled it :-( Hopefully, I can still run with them next Saturday on my 9 miler. Which reminds me, as I get closer to running the longer distances I was wondering what gels I should start buying to get me through my runs. Any advice? (from my 3 followers) :-(  I did try something else new today!

I'm not a huge fan of yogurt, but I kept seeing it on Caitlin's blog and thought I should give it a try. As I stomached it down with some granola and a bannana, I started reading how good it was for you! Most yogurts - if they are any good have "active and live cultures" which are good bacteria that help the immune system. This "Stonyfield" yogurt has 6 live bacteria's ! And when I visited their website I learned that it can also help people who have a lactose intolerance (me). Good to know! Hopefully, it's an acquired taste, though, because it wasn't my favorite thing in the world - I think maybe because of the texture. Anyways, got to get to bed early. Running day tommorrow!!

Rain Rain Go Away... I Hate Running on Treadmills!

(I ran on the one sticking out)

Long run today!! I thought it was going well in the beginning, but after about 3 miles I hit a wall that was hard to recover from. I didn't eat and hydrate as well as I could have, but I did finish my 7-mile run in less than an hour. I had planned to wake up early this morning and run on the trail by the river, but the lightning storms pushed my run till almost 4:30 when I finnally gave in and ran on the treadmill. Whenever I run inside I have to watch sports - for inspiration. I watched the first half of the Bears - Steelers game. Da bears ended up winning - I don't really have preference for either, but kept thinking if they can play hard for 3 hours or so, then I can finish these boring 7 miles on the treadmill.

I had to run errands/ finish laundry after my room and did so without any energy! The back of my left leg is very tight. I need someone (uhhemm - Mr Incredible) to rub out that muscle. I have been stretching and will probably do some striders tommorrow to try and get out any extra lactic acid- which causes the stiffness.

I discovered a new sports drink today! I have been trying new "healthier" foods every week. (I try not to buy a lot of new foods at once - in case I don't like it and wasted all my grocery money on food that I don't like.) This Cliff drink was pretty good. I had a bannana with it. Mmmmm. They are a little pricey, but definately delicious!

Triple A Champions!

Mr Incredible has had quite a year this year! After a long season - that felt more like a roller coaster - the season has almost come to the end. Tuesday night his team will play for the Triple A Championship (on ESPN 2). They celebrated a sweep last night to win the Pacific Coast League Championship. Champagne bottles were popping as they shutout their opponent for another sweep. Right now they are postseason perfect! I can't wait till Mr Incredible gets back to ATL, but I am excited for his baseball victories! Go Redbirds!

Mine is the blue eyed hot-e in the middle/bottom of the picture. :-)

Also, Congrats to my alumnus! F-L-O-R-I-D-A S-T-A-T-E, Florida State, Florida State, Florida State, whooo!!!

"Girl Crush"

Did you see the finale of America's Got Talent? Well I didn't, but I happened to flip through when Shakira was performing. This is my favorite song right now - to run and dance to. I listened to it this morning on the way to work...

"When There are Clouds in the Sky, You'll Get By"

I don't think it's stopped raining in Atlanta for at least 3 days :-( It's been extremely hard to get up in the morning when it's still dark. It's especially difficult to muster up some enthusium about running when it's so soggy and gross out. I was able to get in a good run Monday and also yesterday- both on the treadmill. I decided to take a rest today. This week's schedule is almost the same as last week except the long run is 7 miles instead of 6. HOPEFULLY, it won't be rainy like this on Saturday. Poor Heidi-bear is also hating the weather. She never wants to go for a walk when it rains like this, so instead she pouts.

 Many blog posts in the works...but for now - happy running!

Nike Plus

I have been using my nike plus chip for about 3 years now. I've gone through about 7 of them - due to my dog taking the chip out of my shoe and chewing it up. For the most part I would say that the chip is pretty accurate. Recently, however,  I purchased a new one and it has been a pain in the ***  trying to calibrate it. I noticed it was way off - telling me I had run a mile when on the trail it had only been a little over a half. So... I calibrated it on the trail.

Tonight I was running on the treadmill at 8 mph and after I ran the first mile I noticed my chip was only at half a mile. It also said I was running 11 minute miles - which I know I wasn't. Sometimes I want to throw my whole ipod in the river but there are reasons that I don't:

1. If I'm running somewhere that isn't marked it gives me some clue as to how far I have run.
2. If I just want to run for a certain time - I can just use the time settings.
3. It's fun to do challenges against your family and friends.
4. I LOVE when Lance Armstrong tells me how good I've done after a work out.
and last but not least
5. It's a great way to journal all of your running and look back at your progress.

So if you use nike plus think twice before you toss it out. It does have its moments when it makes you happy. :-) Tommorrow I'll try to get to a high school track and properly calibrate it. I'll let you know how that works out..
On another note.... TRAINING HAS BEGUN! Today was the official start to our 18 week program. This is this week's schedule:

Wednesday: 3 miles
Thursday: 3 miles
Friday: 3 miles
Saturday: Cross Training
Sunday: 6 miles

My week is starting a day late - due to Labor Day weekend. Yah for running! :-)

"Nipple Patches?"

So I was reading this article that outlines usefil tips for marathoners. Most of the article was pretty normal - stop at all of the water stops, consider wearing a water belt, wear comfortable shoes (I should have stopped there.) Then I read this:

Your Bare-Bones Marathon Survival Kit You'll need more than just a good pair of marathon running shoes to run 26.2 miles. Unless you're a fairly fast and serious competitor, wear a small waist-pack style water carrier – one with a zippered pouch. Virtually all marathons provide multiple water stops – but they don't come often enough for the average runner. Before the race, fill your bottle with cool water or an electrolyte solution that you're already accustomed to drinking. In the pouch, carry the following: • A couple of packages of energy gel. Twenty-six miles is a long time to go without nourishment. • At least four 3/4” round adhesive bandages. These are to prevent “runner's nipple.” This painful complaint results from the fabric of your running top chafing the nipple raw. • An anti-friction product, such as “Runner's Lube” or “Body Glide” for thighs, armpits, etc. • Two or three adhesive bandages in both 3/4” and 1” widths for quick blister patches.

I have NEVER heard of a "runner's nipple," but, I guarantee I'll be thinking about it every time I run now. I will definitely test this theory whenever I get to some of the longer runs. If so, I also will definitely be looking for a very comfortable sports bra on race day. I'm not so sure about wearing band aids on them.

On another note - Tuesday is the big day! The official start to the 18 week training program. Happy Running!