Monday, January 30, 2012

Training Plan Week 8

Training Plan Week:


WeekMonday DateTuesdayThursdayFridaySunday
801/23/201245 min run45 min runeasy walk12 x 800

Actual Week:

Tuesday - 4.11 miles 47 minutes (11:26/mm). Ran in the rain near home. 2:30/1:00 ratio. Another .52 miles or so walking warm-up/down.
Thursday - 4.14 miles 49 minutes (11:44/mm). Ran on track near campus. 3:1 for first 30 then 2:1 ratio. Another .5 mile walk to warm up and down.
Friday - 3.35 miles 58 minutes walk (17:18/mm). I tried to walk easy knowing that I would run again Saturday. It was lovely out.
Saturday - 8.79 miles 1:52 (12:44/mm). 12x800 repeats. Target time based on my magic mile was 5:33. I beat that in every repeat: 5:21, 5;18, 5:20, 5:19, 5:16, 5:17, 5:23, 5:12, 5:20, 5:18, 5:18, 5:00. I felt really good about this run. Basically for every 800, I ran the first 400 in around 2:30, walked 30, and ran to the end. I was really excited that I was able to crank out that last 800 the fastest. Pace is not great because the total includes 2:30 walking between each and walking warm-up and down.

Planks - I did at least one one minute plank every day. Friday I posted on FB/Twitter that if I got a $25 donation (I got $80) I would do the PlankanHour challenge on Saturday. I did so even though some hours I got it in just at the limit and by the end my core was burning.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Livestrong Shirt

One of my Team Livestrong teammates designed this shirt and said that she could print names on the back. It's available in yellow, white, or gray. I don't usually wear any yellow but I figure if I'm going to promote and run for Team Livestrong I should probably get used to wearing some yellow.

The back of the shirt displays the names of my sponsor, some in memory names, some in honor of Survivor names, and my donors. I'm thrilled with it and I posted it on facebook to very positive response.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Baby Blanket



This is the baby blanket I finished a few weeks ago for our friends' baby (coming in the next few weeks). I used a pattern I found on Ravelry. It was quite easy and fun to do and the soft baby yarn was so nice to use. Once ChocolateWife finishes a big brother gift for the family, I can send the two blankets and her gift along.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Big Sister Blanket


My friends are having their third baby next month. I made a new pattern for the baby blanket (I haven't posted picture for it yet) and this blanket for the "big sister" blanket. I'd never made a blanket like this but my SIL made us three blankets for Christmas (one for each child and one for our big king-size bed). It's basicaly a Granny square that just gets bigger and bigger. My SIL transitioned from the 3 dc to doing a V stitch once she got about 1/3 of the rounds done but I didn't like the way it was laying that way so I kept to the 3dc.

This was the fastest blanket I've ever done. I started it on a Thursday evening and finished it 8.5 days later on Saturday morning. It was fun to do and not challenging.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Training Plan Week 7

Training Plan Week:

WeekMonday DateTuesdayThursdayFridaySunday
701/16/201245 min run45 min runeasy walk15 mile run


Actual Week:


Tuesday - 4.88 miles 1:00 (12:17/mm). Also .52 miles in 11 minutes walking warm up/down. It was ChocolateSon's birthday (happy birthday!) so I took the day off work. I ran with a 2:1 then 1:30/1 ratio.

Thursday - 8.65 mile 1:58 (13:38/mm) trail run. It was a state holiday so I worked 6 hours, then took off early for a nice long run. I went to Walnut Creek park which is probably my favorite place to run. Because it was still during the work/school day there were very few other folks there. 2:1 ratio.

Friday - 3.01 mile walk 48 minutes. I went for a walk on my lunch hour and it was quite beautiful and lovely.

Sunday - 14.44 mile 2:58 (12:19/mm). Includes warm up and down. I never intended to do 15 so I'm completely happy with the run. It was possibly the best run I've ever had. Certainly my best LSR. Pace target was 13:36 and my time INCLUDING WARM UP/DOWN was over a minute faster than that. I wasn't trying to run fast. It just felt easy and smooth. I worked on standing tall and leaning (very chi running) and just felt like I was falling forward much of the time. I actually had the impression that I was running downhill most of the time (obviously impossible since I ran a "there and back" route.


Total miles for the week = 32! I am at 80+ miles for January so unless something terrible happens this should be my first 100+ mile month ever.

I also had a good fundraising week. Tuesday I posted a note on FB saying that it was ChocolateSon's 8th birthday and that he says he will cure a terrible disease when he grows up but in the meantime would 8 people donate $8 to my half-marathon with Team Livestrong. My brother did as asked, another friend donated $8 for each year he has been alive ($64), and my friend Jenny B who sponsored my registration for the race donated $50.80. I am close to reaching my $1000 goal so I raised my goal to $1250.

Monday, January 16, 2012

Half Marathon Training Plan Week 6

Training Plan Week:

WeekMonday DateTuesdayThursdayFridaySunday
601/09/201245 min run45 min runeasy walk10 x 800

Actual Week:

Tuesday - Nada. I woke up with a migraine bad enough that I pulled myself to the computer, put myself in as sick at work and spent the rest of the day trying to deal. I managed one plank just to maintain the #plankaday but that is it.

Thursday - 4.64 miles, 1 hour (12:49 mm). Includes warm-up/down. Ran through the park at lunchtime. Felt great. Very relaxed. Did 3:1 and could have done more.

Friday - 3.26 58 minute walk (17:47 mm). I had been planning to start running on Fridays before repeats on Sunday but since I donated blood on Thursday, I just walked.

Saturday - I completed the #plankanhour challenge, doing a 1 minute plank every hour between 8:00 am and 8:00 pm.

Sunday - 10 x 800s. 7.71 miles total 1:40 (12:59) includes warm up, down, walks between. Very tired/heavy legs. Target was 5:33 each. Actual: 5:15, 5:20, 5:12, 5:16, 5:16, 5:26, 5:18, 5:31, 5:18, 5:22.

I'm less than $200 from reaching my goal of $1000 for Team Livestrong.

Friday, January 13, 2012

Review of Simple Hydration Bottle

A few weeks ago, I was listening to the Extra Mile Podcast (or possibly the Extra Mile to Finish Breast Cancer). Kevin had on Brian who has invented a new running bottle: The Simple Hydration bottle. Brian said that he would give away 5 water bottles based on a few criterion and I was in. I've tried many different bottles and bottle systems. My solution to this point is basically that if the run is under an hour, I don't take water and if it's over an hour, I wear a camelbak water pack which also lets me carry my phone and gels. For my submission, I put on all three camelbaks in the house (a big pack for family hiking trips, my running pack, and ChocolateDaughter's small pack), my running water belt, held two camelbak bottles in my hands and even balanced a bottle on my head. When Brian announced the winners of the giveaway, he was particularly impressed with the bottle on my head.

A few weeks later the bottle arrived in the mail. I filled it with water, hooked it into the back of my spibelt and off I went. The claims that it is hardly noticeable are absolutely true. I let it rest against one of my butt cheeks and found it comfortable and easy to forget. I tried it in the middle and didn't like that feeling but on the side was great. The bottle is great for short runs when I don't need to carry a bunch of stuff. I think the inventor has a pretty good idea and really appreciate the giveaway.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

2012 Races?

It's January 12th and I'm undecided on my races for the year.

I'm registered and committed to the Austin Livestrong Half-MarathonFebruary 19th and fund raising for Team Livestrong for that event.


And because of the race that was rained out last October, I can register for the See Jane Run Austin Half-Marathon for the bargain price of $30 this year. I would have registered anyway because I felt like the organizers handled a difficult situation as well as they could. The date is not on the website yet but I'm assuming it will be in early October again.

Besides those races, I'm not sure. I am considering the Austin 10/20
which looks quite fun. That race would be April 15 so I'd be well recovered from the Half-Marathon in February and ready for a 10 mile race. The registration price jumps from $70 to $80 next week so I should make a decision by then. It happens that I haven't spent my personal "mad money" allowance the last few months so I can afford the $70.


Another choice is that I could run the Vern's No Frills 5K any third Saturday of the month. That race costs... wait for it... $1. Yes. $1. It's an official and consistent 5K with a timer but it has no shirt (although you can buy one).

I am leaning toward the two half-marathons, the 10 miler, and whatever 5Ks I happen to make.

And don't tell anyone but I've started thinking about a marathon in 2013 (translated -- before I turn 46).

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Labyrinth Blanket

I finished ChocolateDaugther's Labyrinth blanket this weekend. The blanket is a replacement for the first "big sister" blanket that I made her. That blanket is a disaster. I had been told in the first few years of my crocheting that you never tie a knot, you just crochet a stitch together to change from one yarn to another. It turns out that there is some other rule like only with thick yarns or something. This blanket is all baby soft yarn and all little pieces a few inches long and all started unraveling very quickly. I'd like to throw it away but ChocolateWife says it is fixable. To me it's upsetting and I'd rather not think about it.

In the meantime, when I made and gave the first Labyrinth blanket , ChocolateDaughter really liked it so I asked if she would like one. She was very excited so I've been working on her blanket simultaneous to working on the large afghan for my MIL and the baby blanket I also just finished. She was very excited about it and she and ChocolateSon started playing on it immediately.

I'm also really proud of the fact that the mother of the recipient of the first Labyrinth blanket posted a picture he drew of his favorite new and old presents - a plastic godzilla, his new bike, something else, and the labyrinth blanket!



Monday, January 9, 2012

Half Marathon Training Plan Week 5

Training Plan Week:

WeekMonday DateTuesdayThursdayFridaySunday
501/02/201245 min run45 min runeasy walk13 miles

Actual Week:


Tuesday - 4.09 miles 47 minutes (11:29 mm) (plus .6 miles walking warm up/down). It was gorgeous and 52 degrees and sunny. I ran up and down hills on campus. I'm particularly happy about how much I'm running hills this year and how consistently I'm running at or faster than race pace for my runs.

Thursday - 4.1 miles 47 minutes (11:27 mm) (plus .55 miles walking warm up/down). Another gorgeous day of 62 and sunny. I ran over to the park nearest my work. It had a few hills but mostly was just quiet and nice. Some trails and some rock work to concentrate of careful stepping.

Friday - 3.64 miles 1:09 walking (18:57 mm). I walked up through the park and along the street and over a pretty wide area. Nice walk.

Sunday - Long Slow Run. 13.2 miles 2:52 (13:01 mm) plus 10 minutes .6 miles walking. RunKeeper recorded about 13.4 or 13.5 total. Nike+ recorded 14.9. I recalibrated the Nike+ to be closer to the RunKeeper. Target pace was 13:36 overall. This was a very hard run. I did the 1:1 ratio that I've done in the past but it was much harder. Almost as soon as I started I felt sore and tired. My back seemed to be out of place which made my hips and legs sore. I considered quitting at about 2 miles but stuck it out and got the miles in. I ran at Wells Branch Park and had to do the loop 3+ times. The upside was running on trail surface rather than concrete.

All Week I have been trying to keep up with the Plank-a-day trend. I missed Sunday and Tuesday but everyother day I did 1, 2, or 3 1 minute planks. I'd like to make sure that every day I do 3-5 1 minute planks. I've tried to figure out a way I could do them at work but haven't done so yet. Perhaps I can go down to the lockerroom and do one in there or on the staircase landing...

Team Livestrong - I've raised $779 toward my goal of $1000 for Team Livestrong. My most recent donation was from my uncle. The entire team has raised $110,000. Wow.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Half-Marathon Training Week 4

Training Plan Week:



WeekMonday DateTuesdayThursdayFridaySunday
412/26/201145 min run/MM45 min runeasy walk8x800 repeats




Actual Week:

Monday - It was 40 and wet but not actually raining on me. Felt sluggish but also very relaxed. I don't remember what ratio I used. Maybe 2:30/1:00? Ran 5.05 in 1:04 (12:40/mile) plus another .65 walking. Also got chased/circled by 5-6 dogs. I wasn't afraid they would bite me but was worried they would trip me up.

Wednesday - Gorgeous perfect running weather. 56 and sunny. 4.95 miles in 1:00 (12:07 pace). 3/1 ratio. Had a great run until I ran completely out of gas and just could not lift my feet.

Friday - 4.65 miles 51 minutes (10:58/mile) plus .6 walking. 72 and gorgeous out. I felt very sluggish, started at a 2:1 and dropped to 1:1. Still pretty fast for me.

Sunday - 6.15 miles 1:19. 8 x 800 repeats. Target pace was 5:33. Actual was 4:44, 4:47, 4:52, 4:43, 4:50, 4:45, 4:53, 5:05.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2011 Running Totals


It's the first of the year and time to revisit my running goals. At the start of the year I signed up for various Nike + challenges. I did not really expect to meet the 1000 mile challenge and I didn't. In a way I'm glad I didn't come closer. If I had been within 15 or 20 miles, I might have gone a little crazy trying to meet it the past week. As it is, I'm pretty happy with nearly 962 miles over 221 workouts.

Next year I want to run/walk > 1100 miles including breaking 2:30 in a half.