New Training Schedule and NOMalicous Food

Hello there! Yes, that's right I created a NEW word - NOMALICIOUS. It means food that's so good you just want to NOM it.

So, I was on Hal Higdon's website yesterday and saw that he had TWO different types of Novice training plans... He only has one of them in his book, which is the easier one for those who've been running for less than a year (what kind of crazy  person would just start running in less than a year and run a marathon anyways?). Novice 2 is for those who have been running for a while and have done half marathons, 5Ks and such, just never a marathon before. That's me! Here's the schedule... It's really not a whole lot different, but the mileage is higher in the beginning and adds "pace" runs. I think those are either like tempo runs or race pace. We'll see how I feel. I am on my third week now, so obviously the first two weeks were different from this schedule, but not too much. This is the plan I'll be following from today on. I even ran four miles today instead of three because yesterday I only ran four when I was supposed to run five.

Marathon Training Schedule: Novice 2

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	8	cross
2	Rest	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
3	Rest	3 m run	5 m pace	3 m run	Rest	6	cross
4	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	11	cross
5	Rest	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	Rest	12	cross
6	Rest	3 m run	6 m pace	3 m run	Rest	9	cross
7	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	14	cross
8	Rest	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	Rest	15	cross
9	Rest	4 m run	7 m pace	4 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Mar
10	Rest	4 m run	8 m pace	4 m run	Rest	17	cross
11	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	18	cross
12	Rest	5 m run	8 m pace	5 m run	Rest	13	cross
13	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	19	cross
14	Rest	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
15	Rest	5 m run	5 m pace	5 m run	Rest	20	cross
16	Rest	5 m run	4 m pace	5 m run	Rest	12	cross
17	Rest	4 m run	3 m run	4 m run	Rest	8	cross
18	Rest	3 m run	2 m run	Rest	Rest	2 m run	Marathon

Blake ran with me this morning. It was a nice, cool, sunny morning. Perfect weather for a morning run. I didn't have to work until 11 AM, so it was nice to relax after my run before work. OH, and I got to watch LIVE with Regis and Kelly. :) Always a plus. I'm off tomorrow and of course Monday for the Fourth of July. YAY four-day weekends! Two 5K's this weekend too, one Saturday night and the other Monday morning.

Dinner tonight was Hawaiian chicken on the grill, corn-on-the-cob and homemade garlic red mashed potatoes. NOM NOM! Mom worked the grill. :)

I forgot to post the picture of my home-made chicken pot pie me, my mom and Blake made Sunday night. We made everything from scratch, including the WHOLE WHEAT crust. OMG, it was AMAZING! Blake and I have also been making our own smoothies pretty much every night. They are NOMalicious too! Ever had a smoothie from Pulp? Well, our's is better! We use about a half a cup of ice, cup of fat-free Activia yogurt, handful of strawberries, two bananas and two tablespoons of honey... Mmmm...

Tuesday night was turkey tacos with whole wheat tortillas, romaine lettuce, salsa and cheese. I had leftovers Wednesday. I think my seasoning made me sick though... Been running to the bathroom all day. =-/

Well, tomorrow is an off day for the legs! Going to do arms and abs. Then Therese and I are going on a hike at the Peninsula. :-)

Running for a Good High

Like the title? That's probably what got you to read this, wasn't it? Well, good, I'm glad you opened it because this post is dedicated to an amazing feeling some lucky runners get when they do what they love most....

So, the alarm went off at 6:00 AM this morning and I pondered hitting snooze and sleeping for another 10 minutes or so. Instead I jumped out of bed and remembered what I was getting up early for - to RUN! It's my favorite part of the day. It really gets my blood flowing, heart pumping and energized for the rest of the day. I love a good sweat in the early AM! I need to run to get me going in the morning. Yesterday I did Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown DVD and I still felt sleepy afterwards... But, this morning I felt great! I even got into work a half hour earlier than I normally do! If I'm lucky I get a good high too. No, I'm not talking about puffing on some marijuana or anything, I'm talking about a natural high. Endorphins anyone?

According to MedicineNet.com, "Endorphins are among the brain chemical known as neurotransmitters, which function to transmit electrical signals with the nervous system. At least 20 types of enforphins have been demonstrated in humans. Endorphins can be found in the pituitary gland, in other parts of the brain, or distributed throughout the nervous system."

Check out this article: Running can make you high, and this one out: Exercise and Mood!

NYTIMES.COM

The first article was written by my favorite New York Times reporter, Gina Kolata. She's a science journalist who does a lot of fitness articles. She interviews runners who have experienced the high and those who have not. It's a really good article - check it out. The second link talks about all aspects of endorphins and how they affect our moods. It stated that 60-70% of well-conditioned runner experience the "runner's high." I love it when I get a high off running, it's like a rush of euphoria and your brain just goes numb to everything around you and your body just wants to keep on going. I even have a Nike T-shirt that says, "Just say YES to Endorphins." :)

The best runner's high I ever had was at last year's Akron Half-Marathon. I felt OK for the first 8 miles or so. Then once I got to the 10-mile marker, I felt like I was on top of the world and had a rush of euphoria. I don't normally get a high when I'm running 3 miles on my own, but I might during a 5K race. It just depends.

Just another reason to love running, right? :)

One bad thing about today's run though was... SHIN SPLINTS! I've only had my shoes since March and I already think it's about time to get new ones... I'll give them about another 50 miles or so and see if these darn shin splints go away. If not, it's time for a new pair. Eeeee!! I LOVE getting new running shoes!! Most girls probably love getting a new pair of pumps or a Louis Vuitton purse. Not me, nope, give me a pair of Mizunos or Nikes, please! :)

Well, that's it for today. Going on a four-mile run tomorrow morning. I have to get to work pretty early for a big meeting, so I'll probably end up waking up around 5:30 AM. It's worth it though, not complaining. :)

Stay fit my friends!

Colleen

The X in P90X and a Message to Drivers

Ahh yes, just got done doing P90X Plyometrics. LOVE plyos! Tony Horton begins by telling you to "Get ready to get airborne" as well as to grab a bucket to prepare for all the sweating you'll do. And he's right! There are 30 explosive jumping moves in a highly intense 50-minute cardio workout. Tony claims it will dramatically improve one's athletic performance, no matter what sport. This isn't a testimonial or anything for his workout, just another blog post. :) Seriously though, if you want to sweat and loosen up your tight muscles, P90X plyometrics is the workout for you! Plyos were always my favorite back when I did sports in school, from soccer to track, I always looked forward to the plyos. Except 
this workout is a lot more intense than high school and is about 50 minutes long.

I think I made a boo boo yesterday... Somehow, I don't know whether it was during my seven-mile run or if I bent wrong, but I did something to my lower left-hand side of my back. This has happened quite a few times before. It's due to my scoliosis... my spine curves about 40 degrees to the right so it can sometimes affect my running... So, I've been going to Lewis Family Chiropractic in Streetsboro. Dr. Lewis has definitely helped my back A LOT. But, sometimes I turn the wrong way during a run and it freaks out on me again... I was still able to do my workout this morning, but when I went to work on my abs is when my back was like, "HEY NOW! I'm hurt, cut it out!" So I didn't get too far on that... I'm going to ice it some more and do some stretches. Tomorrow is another off-running day, so I think I'll do some of Jillian's Michael's Yoga Meltdown. :)


Can't wait for next weekend! I'm doing the Tree City 5K at KSU on Saturday night at 7 pm and then the Aurora Fourth of July Fun Run 5K on Monday morning. Two 5K's in one weekend, YES! I'm supposed to run five miles on Saturday, so I'll probably run two miles early Saturday and then the 5K that night.


Oh, and another thing.... DRIVERS: If you see a person running on the side of the road, please give them some space and try not to get too close to the runner. As I was driving to my Psychiatrist this morning (yes he is open on Sundays) I saw a fellow runner running on the side of 43. Cars were only a few inches from his body... I moved over more into the other other lane to give him more room. Now, I didn't try to cause an accident with other drivers on the other side of the road. But I went slightly over the line in the middle so I wouldn't get too close. He gave me a grateful wave and smile as I drove past him. As I politely nodded I thought, "I understand my brotha... Drivers have no respect for us runners or bikers on the roads..." . Maybe they're jealous? Or maybe they just don't give a shit... I'll probably go with the later as I saw a dead BABY dear lying in the middle of the road close to where I saw the runner... :-(
So, please drive safely out there, whether it's to save the life of a runner, biker or even a poor, little deer...


Have a great Sunday! :)

Makeup-less Running and PB&J's

Just got back from a nice 7-mile run with Blake at Silver Springs in Stow. My legs felt great and I felt like I could keep on going. The weather was perfect. It was cloudy, so no sun in my eyes, slightly breezy and not too hot. I was sad though that I forgot my Nike iPod at home because then I couldn't keep track of my miles and pace. Luckily we run that trail a lot so we knew how far it was. I love long-runs on a trail with Blake. It gives us time to talk and to enjoy nature at the same time.

I saw lots of things on my run this morning... Dead mice, lots of bikers and fellow runners, trees, cute puppies, and one of my pet peeves when running... A woman wearing makeup... She had the eye shadow, mascara, cover-up and all! Can't stand it when people dry to doll themselves up when they go to workout, even to the gym. No one cares what you look like and I feel bad for people who try too hard to look good when they're going to just sweat it all off anyways... Maybe they don't have a good self-esteem that they think they're not beautiful without makeup? Or maybe they're trying to look good for the hott guy or girl? Now the first reason, I can see. But, I think it looks pathetic when people wear makeup when working out. I bet men (or women) find it more attractive if you're not wearing makeup when working out. It shows that you don't need to try hard to be beautiful and it shows more confidence. Makeup is used to cover up those insecurities we have, short, thin eye lashes, pale skin, dull eyes, etc. A real woman (or man) doesn't need to wear makeup to feel good about themselves and to be beautiful. Now, don't get me wrong, I too wear makeup on occasions, but not EVERYDAY. It's just unnecessary... A little bit of mascara and lip gloss every so often is OK, just leave it at home when you're going on a run or hitting up the gym, please.

This is how I look on my runs, makeup-less! I may not be a supermodel , but I don't need no makeup to feel beautiful!

Carrots, banana and most of the PB&J were already in my tummy at the time of this picture.

Now that I'm done with my rant... (lol) I just got done eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat with carrot sticks and a banana on the side. NOM NOM! I don't think I can go a day without having a banana or peanut butter. They're like a necessity for me. Definitely my two favorite foods. They're just so good! Especially together on a bagel... Mmmmm...

Well, time to go shower and get ready to head over to my grandma's house. My younger cousin is out of rehab for the day. So proud of him. :)

Stay fit my friends! :)

Colleen

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything... Nothing At All...

Happy Friday! It's almost 7:00 PM and I haven't melted yet because I haven't ran or worked out. Hallelujah! As I mentioned in a previous post, I HATE rest days. But, today was an exception. I got up early to go into work early this morning and decided not to do my P90X Plyometrics as planned. I got out a little later than usual from work too. I had it set in my head that I was going to workout right when I got home - I was even somewhat annoyed when my boss asked me to stay later because I was thinking, "Dude, are you kidding me? Don't you know that I was planning on doing P90X soon? GRRR..." But, I soon got over it, extra money - yes please! :)

Instead of working out when I got home, I headed to me bed and took a nearly TWO-HOUR nap! It was pretty amazing... Much more refreshing than an hour of jumping around, at least today anyways.

This is a BIG accomplishment for me. If I say I'm going to do a workout, I do it and maybe that's not always the best for my body. Sometimes my body just needs a rest. Not only did I run yesterday, but I did strength training and went on a nice long hike with a good friend. I'm still struggling with that "voice" in my head from my eating disorder trying to tell me to not eat, to workout more, but I've learned to ignore it. So, maybe to some people missing a workout day is no big deal, it is the usual and working out is something to celebrate. For me it's the opposite. It's still a little hard to swallow that I didn't workout today, but I didn't do it and I'm sticking by my guns! Go me!

Eating my whole-wheat pizza with green peppers and broccoli now. NOM NOM! Blake is too, but his has pepperoni, lots of pepperoni, on it.

Noah wants some too!

Nom Nom

Well, that's it for today... Tomorrow morning is a 7-mile run. It's supposed to be a nice 70-degree day out tomorrow, can't wait! =-)

Stay Fit my Friends!

Colleen

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Happy Thursday everyone! Wow, FOUR followers in four days. :-)

No work today, YAY! That means I get to sleep in until 7:30ish, eat breakfast before I run, watch ALL of Good Morning America and LIVE with Regis and Kelly. YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! I actually kind of like running before I eat breakfast, but most mornings I'm starving when I wake up, so it's kind of nice to eat before. Either way, I HAVE to eat breakfast in the morning. I don't know how people cannot eat something in the morning. Actually I do... Most people who are not hungry in the morning, it's because they ate too much the night before. If you eat the right amount of food the night before you should be slightly hungry when you wake up in the morning. Plus, a nice well-balanced meal in the morning revs up your metabolism and helps you eat less throughout the day. People who eat breakfast tend to weight less, proven fact.Check out this article if you're a non-breakfast eater. Lose Weight: Eat Breakfast

NOM NOM NOM

My breakfast this morning, and most mornings for that matter, was my all-time favorite whole-wheat Giant Eagle's bagel with Jif's All Natural Creamy Peanut Butter (has much less fat, calories and sodium then regular peanut butter) and slices of bananas on top and a glass of skim milk... NOM NOM!

I wouldn't say this is the BEST breakfast to have before a run. The peanut butter seems to stick to my insides while I run. And milk is also not the best either... But, it's so good and it gives me energy. It's better to eat this after my run because of the amount of carbs to fat ratio with the peanut butter, wheat and milk. One of my best before-workout breakfasts is oatmeal with almonds and blueberries... Or Post Grape-Nuts with grapes and skim milk. I love me some Grape-Nuts! Those are pretty much it when it comes to breakfast for me. The bagel and peanut butter banana one is what I eat pretty much everyday, but I try to mix it up a little with my other two favs.

I can't wait until my mileage increases over the next couple of weeks. I LOVE when I get up into the 30-miles plus weeks. By the middle of my training program is when I feel the best. This week is only a 16-mile week. Three miles three times during the week and then my long run on Saturday will be seven miles. Some people may think I'm crazy, but running is seriously my FAVORITE thing to do and if you're following this blog then we're probably on the same page. I may not be the fastest or run the furthest, but I sure do enjoy it when I do run. I do have my days where it's a struggle, but why would I want to do something that's easy? I like a challenge, hence why I'm running my first marathon in a few months. :)

Courtesy of Netflix

After my three-mile run today I decided to do some strength training since I had time. I found an excellent workout video on Netflix called The Trainer's Edge: Integrated Strength Training. He's no Jillian Michaels or Jackie Warner, but this guy knows what he's talking about! He doesn't just focus on one muscle group, but he does a whole bunch of muscle groups at a time. I did this workout last week and felt it in my arms and obliques the most the next day. 


Now I just got done eating my yummy home-made turkey chili from last night (so much better the day after) and waiting on the rain to calm down so me and my long-time best friend Therese can go on a hike! We've been friends since we were like four years old! :-)


Stay dry my friends!


Colleen

What's Cookin'?

I've made a self-discovery in the past couple of weeks... I'm a pretty damn good cook! I've always cooked for myself back at my apartment and over the summers when I was home, but it would just like chicken, a BOCA Burger or spaghetti. We would also go out to eat multiple times during the week and I decided that needed to stop! Lately I've been making real, home-cooked meals and they've all been quite a success with the fam all thanks to AllRecipes.com. This site is amazing! Type in a certain ingredient in the search bar and it gives you a whole list of different recipes, I fell in love...

Why am I posting this on my RUNNING blog? Well, because your diet has A LOT to do with your physical self. As many of you know, I do not eat fast food like hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries or any of that garbage. I haven't had a slice of cake in years. I won't even touch a slice of white bread. Yes, ALL foods are good in moderation and there's no such thing as good foods and bad foods, but there are foods that have higher nutrient density and ones that have lower calories, more fiber, less fat and sodium. Now, this may be due to my history of Anorexia Nervosa on top of my Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but I am a complete heath-nut! I used to be a lot worse, I wouldn't eat potatoes, peanut butter and a whole array of different foods. But, since I've been running, I've let loose a little and even make my own whole-wheat pizzas! I think running has definitely helped me overcome a lot of my mental illnesses. It gives me time to think, let those endorphins take over and make me feel better about myself. Just another reason to love running even more!

Now that we've got that out of the way, as I was saying... As a runner (or any athlete for that matter), you need to watch what you put into your body. So, I decided to start making even healthier meals and cut the family's eating-out regime to once a week at the most. As I said, I'm not a junk-food eater, but my family and I would go out a few times a week to restaurants such as Ruby Tuesday's, Bob Evans, Pulp, Panera, Olive Garden, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, these restaurants are among the healthier-choice option, but as we all know, there is so much more sodium in restaurant foods. I also want to help my family eat healthier and save money. I thought it would be helpful if I took care of the grocery shopping and the meals.

My first cooking adventure was Broccoli and Garlic Penne Pasta with Chicken and I even added peas. It was pretty good! (all pictures are from the allrecipes.com website)

Broccoli and Garlic Penne Pasta

Home-made Chicken Pot Pie was my next concoction. This was everyone's FAVORITE! I used already-made pie crust, next time I'm going to make my own whole-wheat one!

Next, Turkey Chili! I actually made this last week and tonight. I added carrots and green peppers to the recipe to add more vegetables. Yum!

Everyone's second favorite was last night's meal, Angel Chicken Pasta. I actually would rename it to Mushroom Chicken Pasta, because I didn't use angel hair pasta, instead I used whole-wheat egg noodles - AMAZING! I didn't add a picture of it here because it didn't look any of the pictures shown on the website - mine was much more appealing, plus I added broccoli!
Monday night was Ground Turkey Taco night! I made my own seasoning instead of buying those high-sodium packets you get form the store. Super delicious on whole-wheat tortillas with salsa and romaine lettuce!
                                                               

Turkey Chile

Turkey Tacos

Fridays are PIZZA nights. I make them with Boboli's Whole Wheat Crust with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, broccoli, onion and green pepper. :)

Tomorrow night is going to be Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken with sweet potatoes, peas and carrots!

I think it's important to make home-cooked meals as opposed to frozen dinners or eating out. You can limit the amount of fat and sodium when you make it yourself and can add or do with out certain ingredients. I'm not saying it's bad to eat out, just try to limit it. For me, I usually feel bloated after eating out or get sick if I do it too much. =-/
Plus, cooking is fun! :)
Wow, TWO posts in one day, impressive. :) See ya tomorrow!

Dogs, Iron-Mans and Morning Runs

Good Morning! Just got done with a three-mile run and some core work. So happy it didn't storm this morning like it said it was suppose to. I would have ran no matter what (except for if it were storming REALLY bad and there were tornadoes), but it was nice. Legs are still a little sore/tight. I think I may do some plyometrics on Friday to see if that helps.

Blake and his beagle fox-terrier mix, Max, ran with me this morning. A lot of tugging and pulling, stopping to poop, pee and just sniff... Beagles are NOT good running dogs... I actually am not a big fan of beagles period, but that's a whole other story.

Vizsla running

What is the best running dog? The Vizsla of course! They are also one of the more beautiful dogs, in my opinion. I want one SOOOO bad, but I don't have the money for a $1,000 dog right now. Not only are they great running dogs, but they're known for hunting and as the "smell-good" dog, because even when they're wet they don't smell! They are hypoallergenic because they do not shed and have such a short coat. They're also very lovable and great family dogs. I hope to adopt one by next summer. My other favorite dogs are Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Great Danes, Labrador Retrievers, and Huskies. Yes, I LOVE big dogs. The bigger the better and all the more lovable. :)

Beautiful Vizslas!

Vizsla puppy =-D

#2 Fav. Dog - Rhodesian Ridgeback! Notice the  ridge down their back?

#3 Fav. Dog - Great Dane! So big and cuddly!

# 4 Fav. Dog - Siberian Husky! 

#5 Fav. Dog - Labrador Retriever. This is my late dog Junior. He was the BEST dog EVER! RIP Junior. <3 

Another update... I think my next goal after the marathon will be a Half Ironman! That is a 1.2-mile swim followed by a 56-mile  bike and ending with a 13.1 (half marathon) run. It's definitely a tough one, but I think it would be super fun to train for and to say that I've done. I think the swimming would be the toughest to train for, at least for me. I'm really not a swimmer. It'll be quite a challenge!

Well, that's it for now. Got to get ready for work... BLAH!

Stay Fit my friends!

Colleen

Going Gym-less this Summer!

Good Morning! So, I did it - I gave my legs a rest! :) Because even Hal Hidgons takes off days. He says in his book:

"For those who failed, often the reason was that they trained too hard and were too unwilling to take days off."

Maybe that was my problem last year when I attempted to train for the full marathon in Cleveland. I resisted rest days but not resting enough.

I plan to take off at least one day a week for my legs to recover. On my cross-training days of Monday and Friday I'll either do some strength training, with legs or just my arms and core. Then on Sunday is when I plan to ride my bike. I think another mistake I made last year was not enough strength training in the early weeks of my training. I would just run and ride my bike, no weight-training or yoga. Although I will be resting at least one day a week, I will be working on my arms and core on the days when I give my legs a rest.

I worked out my arms and core this morning actually though with the lovely Jackie Warner and her video Personal Training with Jackie Warner.

She is a BEAST! Check out those abs! Jealous... She has a 40-minute circuit-training workout that focuses on all of your muscles - it's a killer! You can pick and choose certain body parts too and that's what I did this morning. Her ab workout is pretty awesome! I actually think she's better than Jillian Michaels, and that says something!

The real meaning of this post is to say that I am going gym-less this summer. I normally go to a gym every summer like Snap Fitness, but I decided to save money and just do my workouts at home. I've got TONS of different workouts to do right in my bedroom, why waste money at a gym? My summer equipment includes two sets of weights, 5 lbs and 15 lbs (I would like to get a 10 and 20 lb weight too), resistance bands, 6 lb. Empower Ball, Swiss Ball, a treadmill in our family room, my road bike and a Yoga mat.
I also have my favorite workout DVD's. The best, of course, is Jackie Warner's as I mentioned already. I also have Jillian Michaels' Yoga Meltdown, which is about 30 minutes long. I also have the P90X workout videos on my computer. The ones that I usually do are the Yoga (an hour long) and, my favorite, Plyometrics. Plyometrics is jump training and a little less than an hour-long. If you want to sweat, this is the workout for you! I really think this workout will help me with speed.

Once school starts in August I'll definitely take advantage of Kent State's Recreation Center. It's AMAZING! So much better and bigger than BGSU's Rec Center...

So, that is it for today. I'm actually running a little late on getting ready for work. OOPS! P.S. I HATE my job... Trying to find a new one.... Ok, well I don't HATE it, it's just not me...
I need something that is actually in my field. Business and Entrepreneurship to me is BORING... The people are nice though.


Stay fit my friends!

Seize the Day!

I decided to change things up this week. I normally have a rest day today (Monday), but I got out of work and decided it was much too nice out to pass up a good to run, especially since it's supposed to "storm" all week.

Right before I hit the road, my right headphone went out! This is not a first... I've gone through probably eight different headphones over the past couple of years because of this. But, I think these ones are troopers. The same thing happened to me a couple months ago and it started working again. For now I'll just deal with music coming in through one ear. 

Also, I thought a 14-mile bike ride was nothing yesterday... Well, my legs think otherwise! My quads, calves and even my shins were throbbing the whole three miles today... I felt like I was going 10 miles per hour, but when I checked my speed on my handy-dandy Nike+ iPod it said I was going 8:30/mile. Not too bad for being sore and going up the hills of my neighborhood. I'm used to running at 6:00 AM and I ran at about 3:00 PM today so I was sweating like crazy! Even my sunglasses were fogging up... HAHA

So, I may just take off tomorrow to let my legs recover. I hate rest days though... In my head I'm like "Ohh ohh I wanna run, I feel like I can go 10 miles super fast!" But, my legs are saying "Take a chill pill, Colleen. We need to recover, damn it!" I usually don't listen to my poor legs, but I think tomorrow I will. :)

Oh, and an update on upcoming races... Saturday, July 2nd is the AMETEK Tree City 5K run for United Way of Portage County at 7:00 at Kent State and then on Monday, July 4th is the Aurora Fun Run 5K. I am deciding between the Kathleen Neitert Race for Hope 7.5 mile at Sunny Lake, which I've done for two consecutive years, and the Eddy's Bike Shop Sweet Corn Challenge on July 31st. These two are normally not on the same day, but this year they are... :( I've done the 50-mile ride with my dad and Blake for the past two years at the Sweet Corn Challenge... We'll see as it gets closer I guess... Also, I'm thinking about doing the Perfect 10-Miler on August 14th since I have to run 10 miles that day anyways. 

Well, I think that's enough for now. Have a great day! :) 

One Week Down, 17 More to Go!

Why hello there! Thanks for visiting my blog and for reading my first of many blog posts! I can't wait until October 15, but I'm also excited for this training program and to see the progress I will make. I am using Hal Higdon's "Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide" for my training program. I am on the novice program since this will be my FIRST marathon.


Woo hoo! Week one of training for the Columbus Marathon complete! It really wasn't that difficult. Three miles on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and then six on Saturday. I also rode my bike today and did some strength training Friday on my rest/xt days. But, I figured he's starting off in lower mileage and will build up.

This is my first post, so it's pretty short - not many obstacles, YET! Legs are a tiny bit sore, but nothing I can't handle. :)

Here is a picture of my Mizuno Running Shoes. I have a little over 250 miles on them now, so in the next 250 miles I plan on buying the Nike LIVESTRONG Lunarswift+2  Shoes - see below. I've heard some great things about these shoes. Plus, they're yellow!


I'm going to try to update this thingy a few times a week - usually after my Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday runs. I'll also be sure to share articles I come across that may appeal to my fellow runners.

Stay fit my friends!                                                  

Colleen