I've been slacking!

So several people have asked me to update my blog with a new journal entry and to be honest I haven't ran since the last time I posted, which is about 11 days ago... I know, I know! Bad Toni ;)

Well, I'm back on track for tomorrow. I won't give you any of the excuses about why I haven't ran. I just felt like slacking off this last weekend. Maybe I hurt my foot a little too but I'm just being a baby about it. I'll have an update for you this week for sure.

The one thing I do want to note though is that although I'm not running and I feel like I'm still eating right and eating regularly, I weighed in at 105 lbs this morning. I was kind of surprised. That's the least I've weighed since about 7 years ago. Now Grandma is getting worried but let's be clear here. I'm not a big girl. Never have been. I hit 100 pounds when I was a senior in high school. I know this because we had a party with a cake and the numbers "100" on the top. Good times! So really I'm not that far off from then.

That whole theory of when you exercise regularly, your body still metabolizes even when you're not exercising, must be true. I haven't done anything in almost two weeks and I weigh less than I did before. Woah! I'm thinking I should probably cross train though or I'm gonna get way too skinny and I don't want to look anorexic or anything. Guess that's what happens when you don't have an amazing chef cooking for you anymore, or dinners out with boyfriends... Ha! If being single means you lose weight, than I've just found the secret to nearly every woman's wish! Maybe I'll write a book... Ha!

Today I took Monty to the DP and back. Man, that first 10-15 minutes of running sucks. I'm so not ready to run, I'm tired after like 2 minutes and I'm stopping already. Today I looked down at my watch and it was 6:26 and I was like "What? I'm tired of running already." But finally once you get past that hump, it's almost euphoric after that. I feel bad that Monty is in his crate all day and when I get home I just want to cook dinner, crash on the couch and then go to bed. I haven't taken him to the dog park all week so this morning I thought I would just run with him. He loves it on the way there and pretty much pulls me the whole time. He runs like crazy at the DP so he must still have energy and then on the way back he goes he's pulling me, and now I'm tired, but as we get closer to home he's tired and is running behind me. I definitely can't take him on anything longer than 45 minutes.

Start Time: 6:25 am
End Time: 7:10
Total Time: 45 Min's
Total Distance: 3.14 Miles
Calories Burned: 263
Weight: 109lbs

New canal run

Today's Details:
Start Time: 6:20am
End Time 7:05 am
Total Time 45 minutes
Total Dist. 3.05 miles
Approx Cal's: 283
Route details Click Here

I ran for the first time in almost a week today and after going to 4 restaurants last week for AZ Restaurant week, and spending some time with the family in Prescott this weekend, I gained 5 pounds and felt completely sluggish. I also took Monty since it was a quick run but he was tired and I felt like I was dragging him along so I don't think I'll take him on any more runs unless its really only going to be a quick 30 minutes. I also forgot to log my run on 09/23 so it's included below today's run. GOTTA GET THE WATER FANNY PACK! I don't know why I keep forgetting to grab this but I really don't drink enough water and I felt very dehydrated today half-way through the run. I need that one that hugs my hips and has the little bottles instead of the one I have now that is HUGE and bounces around and my elbows whack it when I run.
Today's Details:
Start Time: 6:25am
End Time 7:00 am
Total Time 35 minutes
Total Dist. 2.66 miles
Approx Cal's: 263
Weight 111.00
Route details Click Here

09/23/08 Details:
Ran to Dog Park, Stopped at DP for 10 mins and ran back home
6:20am - 6:35 (Running)
Dog Park: 6:35 - 6:45 (Walking around dog park)
6:45 - 7:05 am (Running)
Total Time 35 minutes Running, 10 Walking
Total Dist: 3.17 Miles
Approx Cal's: 312
Route details Click Here

Weekend Long Run Week 6

I'm tired. I need to drink more water. I need to have food at the house to eat before my run. I should probably map out my path before I leave the house. I have to get one of those mini fanny pack things with the small water containers. I didn't want to take the big one today so I didn't take anything and I stopped to get water but it wasn't enough and I didn't like carrying it. Okay, enough bitching.

Start Time: 7:50am
End Time 9:30 am (approx)
Total Time 1hr 40 mins.
Total Dist. 6.85 miles (I was shooting for 8 and thought I would get close)
Weight 106.6
Route details Click Here

Week 5, weekday run

I really don't like getting up in the morning to run. I have to find someone to run with me so I can have an accountability partner and vice versus. I mean I took like over an hour to get out of bed. Geez! I like running... I just don't like the getting out of my warm bed part. And that's only going to get harder when it gets colder outside.

The run went well today although it wasn't as long or as far as I'd like. I took Monty along to see how he would do and it was definitely way too much for the little guy. He loves it and I know he enjoyed it but at the end he was just way too tired and I felt like I was dragging him along. Maybe for the short runs (if we ever have them again) but nothing over 45 minutes.

I also REALLY need to get a different water pack to take with me. The one I have now is too big, too spread out, just too much so I didn't take it today and after reading some online marathon stuff, and after really wanting water this morning, I gotta get those cute little bottles or at least one single one.

Oh, Oh, Oh! Bonus this morning... I found a hidden pocket in my running shorts. Yes, running shorts I've had for more than 6 weeks and I just found it. It's that little pocket for your house key and I was so happy to find it. It's definitely the little things that make me happy.

Also, I added stretching afterwards today and that was a good thing. I'm finding that my calves are very tight. I imagine its because I wear 3-5 inch heals every day and now all of a sudden I'm slamming my legs down on the concrete with flat shoes for an hour a day. Stretching is awesome! I found marathonrookie.com and they had some good ones on there.

Total Time: 52 mins
15 mins of stretching
Running: 36 mins
Walking: 16 mins
Total Distance: 3.91 Miles
Map My Run: Route

Group Run - Week 4

Today was week four of the group runs, and if you've been paying attention, I missed the last two so this is only the second one for me. SOOOOO glad I made it... for two reasons, first that I got my run in (which feels awesome just to run on a regular basis by the way!!) and second because there was a little social afterwards and it was nice to chat with the other runners. On one hand, I'm very social in my professional life and I know how to "network" and sometimes frankly I get sick of being social and talking it up but on the other hand, it was so freakin' nice to "network" and chat about things that ARE NOT WORK RELATED. I really don't get enough of that in my life. It was great meeting some new people and hearing their reasons, goals, etc for doing the marathon or the half.

So now back to reason number one. I can't believe how amazingly happy and energetic I feel after I run. I'm not down, stressed, or any of those bad feelings that everyone gets from time to time. I leave there feeling great, energized about the day and ready to rock out on whatever chores or other fun stuff I have to do on Saturday. It definitely makes up for any lame arguments I have to make on Friday night to all my friends who want to hang out and can't simply understand why in the world I would want to get up at 5:00 on Saturday morning. Love you all but this high is way better than cocktails on Friday night.

One thing I'm bummed about today though is that it was hard to track exactly my run because I was chatting it up during the run and at the end so.... I'll try my best to note how much I ran. I also have no idea how long the route on the canal is so I'll have to ask Coach Dave but I think it was a little over 4 miles round trip... but that seems short since I was walking or running a total of 46 mins... Well no, maybe that's right since Tuesday I ran over an hour and did almost 6 miles. Hmm.

Total Time: 6:42 - 7:28
Running 38 mins; Walking 8-12 mins?
I think today's route was a little over 4 miles.

The 1st LONG run

So today I completed almost 6 miles, which is the usual for the weekend long runs with the Team D group. The only thing is... I haven't participated in the last two long weekend runs nor have I been running over the last week. Bad! So, needless to say I was a bit nervous about how I would do trying to run 6 miles this morning after not having done that in probably the last three years. Well, to my surprise, I did way better than I thought I would. I was out of town two weekends in a row, the first for Labor day so I missed that group run and frankly I had a little too much fun in Mexico to work in a solo run. Then this last weekend I was feeling so tired and run down (most likely because of the time you need to recoup after going to Mexico... Darn you Mexico!) so anyways, I didn't make it to the group run on 9/6 either. Well I knew I didn't want to let it slide by so I decided to get it done today. I geared up with my goofy fanny pack that has pockets and two water bottles since I knew I would be running nearly to Prescott. (Had to have the water for sure and a phone for safety because it felt at least that far when I started out). I had a quick piece of toast with peanut butter by the way and I think that was just right.

So I ran up Hayden to Indian Bend, along the bike path and sidewalks and I ran most of the time with a few walking breaks in there. I had an appointment to give computer training to Trudy at 8:30 and it was 7:10 so I thought I had plenty of time and I knew I could't be late so that helped push me. I had a goal to run the first 3 miles in 30 minutes and I did it in 32 mins, including a couple breaks for walking. Well woah! I felt great that I did that. That's like a 10-minute mile... what a great job!

Then there was the second half... At this point it's almost 8:00 in the morning, it's getting hotter, and I'm definitely feeling very dehydrated. So I take a few more walk breaks on the way back than on the way there but I still ended up getting home by 8:25, making the second half about a 40 minute leg, which again as I'm writing this... that ain't bad for a twirpy girl who hasn't run all that much. Wahoo! I did it. I didn't pass out. I didn't throw up. I was able to challenge myself or "compete" with myself as they say and I kept pushing myself which felt so great that I can't wait to do it again.

Well, that being said, it's the end of the day and I've sat on my butt all day schlepping insurance and now my left hip and left knee are a bit sore but I'm confident it'll melt away by morning.

P.S. Remember to stretch after your runs!

Total Time: 56 mins running; 16 mins walking
Total Distance: 5.42 miles
Approx. Calories Burned: 432
Maymyrun.com route: Click Here

Team D's First Group Run

Wahoo... here's a picture from the first group run last Saturday. Can you find me? There's Dorothy in the second row with the red visor... she's 81! That's right, I said 81. And the rest of the team is pretty diverse as well. All ages, sizes, running experience levels... It's so COOL!

Donation link all set up now

I got the Team Diabetes donation link all set up today on my blog. Finally, after working out a few kinks at active.com and with my personalized donation page, it all got worked out so that my fundraising page was actually working. Wahoo! I added the picture and a link so now anyone can donate directly to my personalized fundraising page either from my marathon blog or my myspace page. Hopefully I'll have the chance before heading to Mexico this weekend to get the email blast out to all my clients, friends, family & associates. I'm confident that I'll exceed my $1000 minimum. I'd be so excited though none-the-less to reach the $1,000! GO TEAM D! http://www.active.com/donate/teamdiabetes/tonisays

Running day two

Today I didn't want to get out of bed but finally after an hour of smacking the snooze button, I got up at 6:45. Walked the dog and left the house at 7:00. Warmed up by doing a couple stretches and then ran east on Camelback to Pima for a total of 11 minutes. Then I walked for 6 minutes south on Pima, ran another 8 minutes down Heatherbrae and then stopped by Joe's house to pick up my bike and rode my bike the rest of the way home for a total of 8 minutes. I'm finding that the first five minutes of running SUCKS! There's this little hump you have to get over but then once you do, it's a pretty good, consistent feeling. Again, I still need to find out from someone if I should eat before or after my runs. I didn't eat today and I think I felt better than I did last Saturday when I had eggs & toast.

I actually made a couple sweat drops today too... that was weird. I never sweat. I need to drink more seriously because I know I should be sweating. I think I only did today because of the rain and humidity from last night. It was nice and cloudy out today so it wasn't that hot.

My body feels pretty good. My right calf was a bit sore but not too bad. And my stomach only hurt a bit (the usual sharp pain under the right lung) during the last few minutes of the run.

I gotta remember to take some tunes... maybe I'll get an iPhone so I can have music and a phone with me. It might not be that safe for me to be running around by myself in neighborhoods and when it gets darker in the mornings, it might be that much more important. Besides Joe was trying to call me when I was on my way to pick up my bike and he couldn't reach me and he had to go to the office. I made him late and mad. Phone might be a good thing.

I also started using mapmyrun.com today to help track routes, training notes, distances, calories burned etc. Here's a link to my new public profile: http://www.mapmyrun.com/user/869643586079/tonisays


Total Time: 19 mins running; 6 mins walking, 8 mins biking
Weight 108
Total Distance: 3:01 miles
Approx Calories burned 293

First real day of training for MARATHON!

Today was the first official group training run with Team D. Started at 6am, phew! That 5:00am alarm clock came around fast. I went out Thursday night and boozed and danced it up so I was sure to stay in on Friday night and head to bed early. I think I can still feel the effects of Thursday night so I think I'll try to avoid doing that again (although I did have a blast). It was pretty hot out this morning and the cotton shirt was not a good idea. I think I'll get some new gear to wear. When I run during the week, I only wear my sports bra but I don't think I want to do that with the Team D people... not sure everyone would be comfortable with that.

I guess I would say that I did better than I thought I would and not as good as I thought. We did a warm up run around the parking lot, probably a quarter mile and then we took a quick break before doing a timed quarter mile around the track. My time was 2:31. Then we took another quick break and ran 4x around the track, or one mile and my time was 10:10. If I remember from three years ago, that's more than two minutes better and a 10-minute mile is nothing to balk about. I guess I just thought that since I'd been running for a couple weeks prior to today, I wouldn't be so tired during it all. On the other hand, all my running up to this point was a walk/run combo and all I did today was run so that's obviously an improvement and something to be proud of.

I'll have to do some research on food and eating prior to the run. I had two eggs with cheese and two pieces of toast before heading up there and I think it made my stomach hurt a bit. Might just need to eat something smaller and lighter like cottage cheese. I definitely need to drink more water during the week. I haven't been drinking all that much and I can tell that I'm dehydrated. I drank about 50oz on Friday and about 32 before the run but its just not enough. As Coach Dave says, I gotta get my pee to be nearly clear and its most certainly not right now.