Makin me stronger...

As crazy as it sounds, this morning's run was fantastic!  FREEZING cold (literally and then some...), but fantastic.  I ran with a big group this morning; there were seven of us who bundled up and braved the elements!  Three of whom, I haven't run with in at least a year!  It was great to catch up with more friends this morning.  As always, I was on a total high the rest of the day and didn't mind being stuck inside all day.  I'd like to run tomorrow as well, but I don't think any of my buddies are running.  We'll see how motivated I am in the morning, supposedly it is supposed to be a degree or two colder than this morning.  Brrrr!!!

Snowy Streets!

This morning I woke up to snowy streets!  Yay!  I love to run in the snow, everything seems so quiet and magical.  My running partner and I got in about 4.5 miles, and for the first time in awhile, I felt strong.  Yesterday I snuck in a treadmill run, while N napped.  He woke from the nap early and got to watch me run for about 12 minutes, or so.  The last four minutes he spent crying!  I felt guilty for running while he was crying, so I bumped up the speed a good bit.  I started off at a 7.0 and then went up to 8.6-- not bad!  I am so thankful for this treadmill, it makes me a better mom and wife.  : ) Tomorrow I plan to run outside, even though the forecasters are calling for an "arctic blast"!  

Resolution for 2009...

I'm going to try to keep a log of my running on here... I used to do this pre-kids, keep a log of my runs, but I seem to have lost the motivation somewhere along the line.  Maybe this will keep me motivated for these half marathons that I have registered for.  The first one is only six weeks away and my longest run is only 8.5 miles!  Yikes!  I need to get some more miles in sometime soon.  Tomorrow is another one of those fun running birthday parties, unfortunately though it is going to be super, duper COLD!  I am hoping to get in five, or so.  I've taken off the past two days, so I'm ready to get out there again.  

Another Goal!

Marine Corp Half Marathon in May!  I'm thinking of bagging the half marathon in March for this one.  The thought of pumping before the half, pumping in the car, pumping in the hotel room just doesn't seem appealing to me at this time.  The more I think about the half in March,  I realize how much work and preparation it will involve and I'm just too lazy!  

This morning I had a great run with my neighbor.  She is really helping me get back into shape, which is awesome.  We ran a little over four miles, but it was a fast four miles!  Tomorrow we're going to run in the country, which means lots and lots of hills.  The hills are tough, but I remind myself while I'm struggling that my quads really need the hill workouts right now.  It feels so good to be out running again, it is one of my favorite times of the day.  

Running Goals for 2009!

1.  Colonial Half in February.  If I just finished this one and had fun while running, I'd be happy.  I'm not concerned at all about my time.

2.  The half in the DC, which is in March.  Again, it'll be a challenge to JUST get there with the baby and tax season.  Just to have a chance to run in a race with the group would be fantastic.

3.  50K in Capon Valley, May.  This probably won't happen, but I'm keeping it in the back of my mind....

4.  Marine Corp Marathon #4!  Maybe, just maybe work towards finishing in under 3 hours and fifty minutes... I'd be soooo happy.  But, I'd need to push myself soooo hard...not sure if I'm up for that challenge just yet.  

I've been back to running for quite some time now.  And, I've even been able to get out with the running girls on the nights that both of the boys sleep.  The extra pounds are slowly melting away, thank goodness!  

The First Ever Family Turkey Trot.

There was a local turkey trot this morning, but I decided to bag it and run around town instead. I refuse to rush around on a holiday morning. And, I would have been running around like a turkey with it's head cut off, if I would have decided to participate. In light of all of the food I am going to eat today and in light of the pregnancy pounds that aren't going anywhere, I decided to host my own turkey trot. The only other participant was Michael B. We got dressed in our running gear and headed outside. Michael and I ran around the block, which is about a half of a mile. There were a few walk breaks, but he did run the majority of the time we were outside. Of course I was extremely proud of him, and rewarded him with some watered down gatorade at the finish.

After dropping off Michael B, I headed back outside to finish my run. Today I ran a loop around town, which is just over three miles. It felt great to breathe in fresh air and enjoy the quiet streets. This week I have managed to run everyday. Monday through Wednesday were three mile treadmill runs, with an increase in speed each day. I'm slowly getting back into running and it feels so good. My pants are fitting better, too, which makes me very happy! I'm honestly not concerned about losing the extra weight because I know it's there for a reason. Toning my legs up and feeling stronger are of importance, however. = )

I'm Back!

I got up this morning for a feeding at five and just decided to stay up.   It took awhile to get the baby back to sleep, so I wasn't able to get out the door until six-thirty, or so.  Of course, I continued to procrastinate and then our other baby woke up in the process of me getting ready.  So, my time was limited.  I only had time for about a mile because of getting everyone ready for mass.  Somehow, everything fell into place.  

It felt so good to run and to have fifteen minutes to myself.  I can't even remember the last time that I ran outside.  I hope that I will be able to get out another time or two this week and that I will be able to participate in the Turkey Trot this weekend.