booootiful family workout:) wk 17 begins...

wk 17, day 1

Goal: run 4.5 miles

We ran at the park today. Oscar ran solo and I ran pushing Xia in the stroller. We were hurrying so we could get home and go trick or treating with the neighbors! It was Xia's first time to walk the neighborhood in costume.
I'm not sure how accurate the time and distance are. I didn't fell like I was running 8 min miles with the stroller! I'm thinking we might have actually ran closer to 4.3 miles and possibly in 40mins. I didn't have my stop watch & used my ipod stopwatch. At one point I stopped it so we could show Xia the cows, and when I went to start it up again to finish our route, it was still running...anyway... it was a nice family jog:)

accomplished: 4.5 miles / 36:30 / 8:06 pace

We even had some time for Xia to slide! Her reward to sitting in the stroller during our run:)

spooktacular week 16 accomplishments!

Week 16 accomplishments:

• 30.06 miles of running
• 9.73 miles of biking

Had a great week of training. So ready to be done with training and run the FULL MARATHON already!!!
We had a wedding to attend yesterday evening and there was a lot of buzz among our friends about me running the marathon. It was even more motivating and made me even more ready to run! Can't believe it's only 2 wks away...scary!

wk 16, day 6

Saturday, October 29, 2011

goal: 13 miles

It was cold this morning! I woke up on time, but decided that it was too cold & maybe I could run tomorrow...so I went back to bed!!!!  I got a couple more hours of good, quality sleep and then decided to go out. I felt so lazy and guilty! I bundled up (a little too much!) and ran.
The real motivating factor was two of my friends had gotten up around 4am in the freezing weather to go run 11 miles. If they could do that, then I could do 13 at 8am!! The weather turned out to be perfect for a long run. I stopped about mile 5 or 6 for a bathroom break. Really want to work on that...don't want to stop on marathon day!
So glad I got out today. Totally worth it:)

accomplished: 13.04m / 1:59:14 / 9:08 pace

wk 16, day 4

Thursday, October 27, 2011

goal: 11 miles

I had to dig deep today to keep my pace at a decent rate. Mentally I was strong, physically I was ok. I had a banana before leaving & it wasn't enough, because I became very hungry mid run!!! Next time, more food!! I had a few sore joints this am as well. Particularly my right hip. I think a great stretch will make things all better:)

accomplished: 11.02 mile run/ 1:48:24 / 9:50 pace

wk 16, day 2

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

goal: bike ride for 45 minutes

Went riding after lunch. The weather was awesome!! It was a great ride, nothing too ambitious. I need to ease back into riding again. After doing 4 triathlons in 4 months, I got burnt out on riding! It's been nice riding for "fun" these days.

accomplished: 9.73 miles / 47:53 / 12.2 pace

week 16 begins...countdown is ON!

wk 16, day 1
Monday, October 24, 2011

goal: 6-8 miles

Had a awesome family fitness day! We went across the street to the elementary football field this evening where I ran laps, Oscar ran sprints & Xia ran at least a half mile!!! Aren't we a fit family?!:) Xia thought she cool running like mom and dad! Then she played in the long jump sand pit.

Accomplished: 6 miles approx (24 laps)/ 56 mins / 9:19 pace

week 15 accomplishments and diet update

Week 15 accomplishments:

• 32.24 miles of running
• 5.38 miles of biking
• 38 minutes of swimming
• 2 P90X strength dvds

Very proud of my workouts this week...except that I haven't done abs in quite some time. I MUST do abs 3x next week!!
Update on my calorie counting... Well, all went very well this week, overall. The weekend was rough with my long run, activities, and baking!! The first few days I was losing, then over the wkend I saw the numbers creep back up. I let myself have sweets Friday, Saturday, & Sunday. That in itself is unusual, but we had a birthday party, and other gatherings that we attended & I justified because of my long run and burning so many calories. I must say that I am very proud of myself because I stuck to my calorie counting and counted the calories from the cake, candy, etc. I am not giving up and will continue to count this week. We do have dinner plans on Thursday night and a wedding on Saturday night. I will plan out Thursday night carefully, and will let Saturday night be my "free" day! I really want to get about 5lbs off before the marathon. Here's to making that happen!

wkend run - 18 miler

wk 15, day 6
Saturday, October 22, 2011

goal: 18 mile run - between 2:45 - 2:55

I told myself I wasn't going to over eat this week in preparation for my 18 mile run (last week I over ate in fear of not being able to have enough energy to complete my 20 mile wkend run). By the time Friday late afternoon arrived I was STARVING. All I could think of was eating a huge pasta and pizza meal. Sure, why not. Carb up the night before a very long run. Well I ate half a pasta dish and a great big slice of pizza. Yup, that was too much!!! I woke up with a slight headache from over eating. Never again!! I was still full from Friday nights dinner that I only ate half of my english muffin with pnb and honey on it!!

I left the house around 6:30am. I took a 16.9 oz water bottle in addition to the 24 oz on my hydration belt. No camel bak this time around. I came back last wk with blisters on my back from that pack moving around so much. Luckily it proved to be enough water.
I had a good pace and felt strong. I had 2 gu gels and 1 pack of sports beans. This time around the gels didn't gross me out as much as last week. They really seem to do their job and maybe that's why I could stomach them. I still managed to find a CVS and stop and pee about 5 miles in. I really don't want to be stopping during the marathon.
Overall I had an awesome run and made GREAT time! I am so proud of myself for pushing through these runs. I find myself looking forward to Saturday mornings to see how far I can push myself. I like the way I feel, I like starting the wkend off strong. I am so grateful, happy, and amazed at my ability to run like this. I can't wait for the marathon to see what I can do and accomplish such a great feat!

accomplished: 18.03 mile run - 2:47:52 / 9:18 pace

mid day run

wk 15, day 4
Thursday, October 20, 2011

goal: 6-8 mile run

I had a choppy morning with errands, etc, so I decided to do a mid day run. The weather was awesome & I thought it'd be manageable. I didn't plan it good enough, I guess. I had to pee, and was hot and hungry... made it 4.09 miles and called it a day! Still pleased that I got a run in. Note to self: sacrifice a little sleep to get a quality run in!

accomplished: 4.09 mile run - 38 minutes / 9:23 pace

swim day

wk 15, day 3
Wednesday, October 19, 2011

goal: am-P90X legs and back, pm- swim

LOVE me some legs and back workout! Morning P90X dvd went great:)
Had an awesome, afternoon swim. I wanted to stay longer, but was out of time. I had a steady lap pace and was knocking out laps like a pro! I was stumped towards the end of my swim with ear pain. The water was coming in my ear and wasn't leaving. It was really annoying and distracting. I finally managed to breath only on my right side and it minimized the discomfort. I can't wait to go again next week! Very positive swim experience:)

accomplished: am-P90X legs and back, pm-38 minute swim

wk 15, day 2

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

goal: 10 miles

Awesome evening run! The weather was great. I had a spring in my step and maintained a great pace:) Very pleased:):)!!

accomplished: 10.12 mile run - 1:29 / 8:46 pace

cross training monday

wk 15, day 1
Monday, October 17, 2011

goal: 30 minute bike ride and P90X shoulders and arms

Slow and leisure bike ride to help ease my sore musles from Saturday's long run. Felt great. Then I worked out my upper body - awesome workout!

accomplished: 30 minute bike ride (5.38 miles / 10.9 mph) and P90X shoulders and arms

done with week 14, diet, and thoughts

Week 14 accomplishments:

• 35.44 miles of running
• 30 minutes of yoga
• 2 P90X strength training dvds

 I am happy to report a strong workout week! I kept moving and met my goals. The only thing I am NOT proud of is my eating habits of late.
A couple more pounds, on top of the last few pounds, have crept up on me. I do not like tight fitting pants!!! I have been disparing about what I should do. I counted calories, kinda, a couple wks ago and nothing happened. I had cut out sweets, kinda. I cut out diet soda, not really. As you can see, I wasn't successful!! I was seriously contemplated getting back on Weight Watchers. Although I didn't want to pay. What to do??? I really need help with portion control and making healthy eating decisions. I might be training for a marathon and run/wkout a lot, but unless I eat healthy, too, there is no weight control.
Well, I got on WebMD and they have a wonderful calorie and workout tracker. I start counting calories on week 15...I'll give an update next week:)

20 miler

wk 14, day 6
Saturday, October 15, 2011

goal: 20 mile run and finish between 3:00:00-3:30:00

I woke up early and had a banana and a mini pnb and honey sandwich. I left the house around 5:30am. I have never been so nervous in my life! I brought my ph w/ me in case I needed Oscar to come pick me up along my route.
I strapped on Oscar's camel bak with 70 ounces of water in it. It was a little heavy and I so wasn't use to running with it. I knew I would be emptying it out and as time went on it'd get lighter. Around mile 3 (30 mins in), I felt slow and sluggish. I somehow managed to swallow a thing of gu gel. Yuck!! It was horrible! I downed a whole bunch of water and then realized that probably wasn't the best decision! Now I had to pee!!!
At mile 7, I turned onto Wilderness Oak...boy oh boy was I in for a surprise! There were big giant rolling hills. Up, down, up down. My booty was burning!
I stopped around mile 10 (about 1:30 mins in) at a CVS store and used the restroom and had some more gu. Once I was at the half way point and turned around it was mentally good. I started setting landmark goals. That worked so nicely.  
The last 5 miles I rationed out my sports beans. Those are so good!!! The only draw back is you have to chew them and swallow. During a long run, eating isn't conducive to breathing!! I probably should've had another gu as well, but I couldn't bring myself to it. They aren't my favorite.
When I hit mile 18, I was so ready to be done. I just didn't want to go anymore. I knew I could, but I didn't want to. I wouldn't let myself give up, I kept running. It all paid off in the end. I finished with a 9:18 pace!!!! Such a great feat! I am soooo proud of myself. I finished in 3 hours and 7 minutes. WOW! Still amazed at my newest accomplishment! I'M READY ... bring on the marathon!

accomplished: 20.07 miles - 3:07:? / 9:18 pace

more running!!

wk 14, day 4
Thursday, October 13, 2011

goal: 8 mile run and P90X legs and back

Got out there and ran! Still slow, but I'm ok with that. Jumped right into strength training after my run. Did P90X legs and back. LOVE, LOVE this dvd. My booty is sore for days after wards! I know I get a GREAT workout when I do this dvd. Also, doing good at pull ups. Feel like I need to push myself even harder. I want to be able to do just ONE pull up with out chair assistance!! Overall, great workout.

accomplished: 8 miles - 1:19 / 9:55 pace and P90X legs and back

yoga day!

wk 14, day 3
Wednesday, October 12, 2011

goal: 30 minutes of yoga

Today was yoga day. After having a rough couple of weeks with my workouts, I decided no more laziness!!! I wanted to stay active without having to feel like I needed to run, bike, or swim. I needed something to get me out of bed, especially on cross training days, and stretch my sore muscles.  I did a simple 30 minute dvd and it felt great. Downward dog...that's all I have to say!!!  I need to always remember to keep yoga in the mix. Such a great feeling.

accomplished: 30 minutes of yoga

wk 14, day 2

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

goal: 10mile run

I started out on a 10 mile run this morning, but after hitting the 6 mile marker, I was ready to be done. I had energy to continue, but mentally I was spent. I usually do my 10 miles run early, like around 5:15am, so when the sun starting rising and all the traffic started getting heavy. It was too much for me. And all the flashing lights/busses/traffic in the 2 school zones I was crossing, was enough to push me over the edge and proved too overwhelming. Not sure if I had a case of listening to my body or quitting too early!! I headed home after 6 miles for a total of 7.37 miles. It felt good. Not too much, not too little. Nonetheless, it was great run. Slow, but good. My muscles are still a little sore from Saturday's run...yes, still sore! That's what I get for running a half marathon with an 8:37 pace!!!

accomplished: 7.37 mile run - 1:14 / 10:02 pace

beginning of wk 14

wk 14, day 1
Monday, October 10, 2011

today's goal: 8 mile run, P90X chest and back, P90X abs

Well, I really don't know how I thought I was going to run 8 quality miles this morning. I am still super sore from Saturday's half marathon. I slept in because we got to bed real late and I knew I needed the rest and recovery. I adjusted my wks running schedule, so I can still fit in my miles. I don't need to feel guilty about recovering!

I did accomplish chest and back dvd. That felt great! I didn't get on my knees for pushups the first go around and on the second go around I rarely got on my knees! WOOHOO! I'm getting stronger and fitter:)

accomplished: P90X chest and back

end of wk 13

Week 13 was tough. I only got 25.49 running miles in. Since week 11 I've been fighting to get all my workouts and my miles in. Cross training has been falling to the wayside. I really thought that week 13 I'd turn it around. Well, I didn't. I'm taking it as a challenge for wk 14.

Also, I'm working on losing a few lbs in the next month. I haven't been as diligent as I should be in eating nutritional meals, monitoring my snacking, cutting out sugar, and portion control. Just because I run a lot, doesn't mean I can eat anything!!

Week 13's accomplishments:

• 25.49 miles of running
• 1.25 miles of walking
• 1 P90X dvd (strength training)

TX MedClinic Half Marathon

wk 13, day 6
Saturday, October 8th, 2011

This morning was the TX MedClinic half marathon, 10k and 5k. I went with the half and Oscar with the 10k.

Ready to run! Pre-race photo

 I started off strong and was running sub 8 for the first couple of miles. I knew this was too fast. I had goals - attainable goals - and I wanted to meet them. I didn't want to start out way to fast and blow my chances at finishing strong.

My goals were this:

1. Finish in the top 10 overall out of all the women
2. Finish in the top 5 within my age category
3. Finish in about 1:55:40 - about an 8:50 pace

I did research using last years results as my guide. Of course it's never the same, but it's a good rule of thumb. I thought I had a good chance of coming in third in my age category, so I was aiming high, hoping to place 3rd. Of course, type A me (!!) had to say, ok - going for 3rd, will settle for 5th to be more realistic.
After the turn around point (mile 6.55), I was the 12th women (yes, I counted!!). There were 3 other women in my site the whole way back. There was just us 4 in a cluster. No one passed us the entire way back (6.55 miles). I told myself, half jokingly,  in order to be the 10th overall woman I was going to have to pass a couple of these women. I didn't know how I was going to or when, but I kept going.
Around mile 8 I hit a small wall. I had to mentally talk my way through it. I think mile 8 was about a 10 min mile. I just kept those women in my site and didn't give up on myself or my goals.
At mile 12, I took off. I was gaining on those 3 women and it just felt right. I was eager to cross the finish line, eager to be done. I was nervous that I picked up pace too early. Maybe I should've waited until mile 12.5 before speeding up. I just kept visulizing my running route at home. What was I passing at home, I kept thinking I'm almost "home", I can do this. I passed those 3 women, a few men, and didn't let up until I crossed the finish line. It was glorious!!!

About to cross that finish line - victory!

posing with my finishers medal

I accomplished/beat all my goals!!! I finished with an 8:37 pace and in 1:53:03, I was the 9th women to finish overall, and finished 5th in my age group (my age group seemed to be competitive! 5 out of  the top 9 women were in my age category, 25-29). I also finished 38th overall. I SMASHED my goals and boy did it feel good! These race times/places were the preliminary ones posted at the race. They haven't posted the official ones online yet. I'm anxious to see how many women in my age category and overall competed.
This marked #2 competitive half marathon. While I've run long distances lately, they have all been on my own. Last half marathon I competed in was the SA Rock 'N' Roll last November (2010). I finished in 2:05:? In one year I knocked off 12 minutes off my time. AWESOME!!

38 days left and feeling tired

wk 13, day 4
October 6, 2011

goal: 8 mile run, P90X dvd, and P90X abs

I started out on my 8 mile run with a great pace. I hit the mile one @ a sub 8 min pace. Right after the second mile, I felt like crawling back in bed. I pushed myself another quarter of a mile and I had nothing more in me. I stopped running at 2.27miles and walked the rest of the way home. This has only happened once before this year. BOOHOO. Don't want to burn myself out or start to hate running...

The walk felt nice. I didn't realized I was sore from the Tri over the wkend and a 10 mile run two days ago.

As soon as I got home, I laid down on the couch and passed out. Boy that hour of sleep went a long way! I soo needed it.

accomplished: 2.27 mile run 23:00/9:54 pace and 1.25mile walk 18:00 / 14:08

wk 13 begins - 40 days left!!!

wk 13, day 2
October 4, 2011

goal: 10 mile run, P90X chest/shoulders/triceps, P90X abs

I had a wonderful run this morning. It was beautiful. The first 3 miles I was at about an 8min pace and averaged a 9:12 pace overall.

I'm getting stronger! I am becoming a push up queen:)

accomplished: 10.12 mile run - 1:33 / 9:12 pace and P90X chest/shoulders/triceps

trek tri - last tri of the year

Xia and I pre-tri

All marked up and ready to go!

My cheer squad!

Sunday morning started out well. I got a good night's sleep (as good as one can get away from home and with a 20m old) and a good breakfast. The weather was perfect and cool, the sky blue and beautiful.

Mentally I wasn't as prepared as I wanted to be. I missed the course overview the day before at the expo, but I figured it wasn't a big deal. I didn't even know where the transition site was or when it opened up. I didn't figure in my time that there was going to be a .23 mile distance from the swim finish line to transition site. I thought, I'll hurry. So I gave myself 2 minutes for that transition. Bad move #1!! Then, because I was all about beating my time from the Danskin in June, I wasn't realistic on some of my time frames. Swimming I was confident I would meet or come close to my goal. Running, I was confident I would beat, meet or come close to my goal. Biking... that's a different story. I have developed a love / hate relationship with my bike as of late. So much so that I've probably only ridden it 2-3 times in the past month. I knew I wasn't going to meet my goal for biking. Rather than changing my goal, I decided to keep it and again, just hurry. Well, different courses, different levels of training, different transition lengths = disater for type A Annah who didn't reset any of my goals. I was prepared physically as I would've ever been, mentally, not so much. Mental prep is just as important. I had my mind so set on beating my Danskin time for some menial $ discount (it wasn't about the discount for me, it was about the challenge) that I risked feeling unsuccessful and like I was a failure at the end. I wasn't a failure, rather I was some pouting person that did a kick booty job!!

I had a great swim. My personal goal was around 18 minutes (I completed Danskin in 20:5?). I was right on. The water felt great. I found room to swim, and I felt strong. I finished just under 19 minutes. Off to a great start, I was pleased. I slipped on my running shoes and jogged up the 2+ hills that made up the .23 miles to transition area. Not too bad. I jogged versus ran so I wouldn't pass out on the hills before mounting my bike. It was a good move!

Got to my bike and was heading out when I realized I put on my running visor instead of my bike helmet!! Good thing I was only two racks from where I racked my bike, so I didn't lose too much time over it. Jumped on my bike and away I went. The weather could not have been any prettier. Clear blue skies in the hill country. Dreamy! I biked my two laps and it was then I knew that I wasn't going to beat or even match my overall Danskin time of 1:34:??. I had a great, strong ride. It was a beautiful day. Only something to be happy/proud about.

Finishing strong on my bike

Second transition was just as always - quick. One thing I have down good!! Put on my visor and grabbed a drink of water and hit the trails. I passed everyone on my path. No one passed me. I felt strong & proud!! I ran down the hill and sprinted to the finish line. That was amazing! The crowd was cheering, I was sprinting, I heard Oscar cheering, saw him snap a picture, and I FINISHED! No greater feeling! I remember why I do these things when I cross the finish line - pure fulfillment.

Sprinting to the finish line! lookin' good!

I looked down at my watch after finishing and it read 1:42. I was mortified. How was I 8 minutes slower than the Danskin tri? How? After much deliberation, I realized #1, first transition took over 7 minutes ( and I didn't account for that in my goal time frame). #2 how did I expect myself to actually cycle really well when I was on my bike 3 times in a month??? #3 they took the .23 distance off the 5k at the end - so instead of me running hard all 3 miles at the end, I jogged the .23 at a slower pace than I would've normally to conserve energy for biking. Also, different courses bring different results. I am ashamed to say that I was actually embarrassed of my time. I cannot believe how down I was on myself. Next time I'm mentally preparing just as much as physically!!! I did an AWESOME job. I look back just 4 months ago when I was doing my first ever triathlon. I am amazed that I ever signed up for the event and how well I've done on all 4 of my triathlons this year. I don't want to look back on this event as something I was ashamed of  or feel that I didn't finish strong, because I did. I was so wrapped up in my time, that I took away the joy of a job well done, I robbed myself of the celebration and excitement I feel the rest of the day. Never again will I set unrealistic goals for myself. I promise to always be proud of myself.

Here are my awesome stats that I am PROUD OF!!

1:42:21 total time
Overall   46 / 344
Division  7/33
Swim     18:57 / 74th
Trans1   7:17
Bike       52:05 /146th / 13.8 mph
Trans2    1:15
Run         22:43 / 10th / 8:25 pace

Received my medal! Finished!!

Callie and I before cheering on Colleen!

Callie, KT and Colleen, me and Xia