5 miles - December 27th

I normally don't post about my weekly runs but I had a great run today. I probably had a lot of "stored energy" from Christmas.....that's what i like to call overeating. ;) I ran 5 miles on the treadmill and on the three middle miles I incorporated the incline to simulate the Austin hills. I need to do this a lot more often in the coming weeks. After my run I did a chest/tri workout and legs, then 15 minutes on the bike. I think the leg workouts and bike crosstraining are key to keeping my knees from acting up. It is so nice having this week off of work. I will be able to get in all of my workouts and not be pressed for time. Yay! And this weekend I only have to run 14 miles....double yay!

18.2 Miles - December 23rd

I was much better in preparing for this long run. I picked up pasta for dinner on friday night, got a good nights sleep, and was mentally ready for this run. I got to the lake at around 11:00. I definitely should have started earlier but I needed the sleep and I was a little dehydrated in the morning so I decided to do some things around the house while downing water. It was a beautiful day though, a little chilly, I wore three quarter length tights and I would have been fine in shorts, but I didn't get too hot. I ran around the lake clockwise like I always do for the first lap. I got back to teepee hill and got more Gu out of my car, then decided to run counter clockwise for my second lap. You would think you wouldn't see anything new just going the other direction but I actually found a water fountain that I didn't know was there on one stretch...which is nice to know! Overall it was a good run. I think I could have run another few more miles at the end, but I was happy to be done when I got back to my car. It was exciting for me to run the furthest I've ever run and then have Christmas coming up. :) Merry Christmas everyone!

9.5 Miles - Sunday December 17

According to my training schedule I was supposed to run 12 miles. But I decided to run a little shorter of a run and incorporate more hills to simulate the first half of Austin. This was not a great run. I had gone to a Christmas party the night before and didn't eat a carbolicious meal, stayed up late, got to the lake late, and it was warm and windy. I felt like I was running next to the ocean at times! The wind was so strong that it blew my earbud out several times. I was a little dissapointed in the run but I'm looking forward to the challenge of 18 this coming weekend. It is supposed to get cooler this week and I can tell that I run so much better in the cold than in the heat. I'm crossing my fingers that Austin will be cold! So the plan for this week is to get in several good weekly runs of 5-6 miles, get in a good bike workout to help strengthen my knees, and carb up and get a good night's sleep on Friday night.

16+ Miles - December 10

On Saturday I had a Junior League volunteering commitment, so I wasn't able to do my long run. We had church on Sunday, and a Christmas party for our jr. high kids afterward, so I didn't get to the lake until 2:15 or so. It was a disgusting day...cold and misty, and it was also the day of the White Rock Marathon, so the number of runners at the lake was further reduced. I think I passed around 15 people total. I felt really good during this run, and the knee that had been bothering me barely hurt at all. It was a little creepy at times, like the stretch on the dam side of the lake where I was running in the mini canyon all by myself. But I'm paranoid and checked behind me a zillion times for crazy predators that prey on solitary women runners. ;)

I tried something new on this run, and that was pushing a Gu before I started, which helped immensely! I'm not sure exactly how far I ran, because I know the exact spot for 14 miles, and from there I ran an additional 10 minutes, then continued to the next water fountain so I wouldn't be without water for too long. It was starting to get dark on my last mile and so paranoid me was always looking around for rapists and murderers. I totally scared myself when a car drove by, and I turned to look behind me on my other side and there was a dad with a jogging stroller right by me. I almost jumped out of my skin! Overall, it was a good run, but I hope this isn't the weather for the marathon.

14 Miles - December 2

I was really bad this week and only ran two days, three miles each run. I also biked, but I've got to keep up with my weekly runs. Finally, back at White Rock, I get to Teepee Hill and see Shannon and Chris there, who just finished running the lake. We chat a bit, and then I'm off. It was a cold sunny day, the best running weather in my opinion. For some reason I don't enjoy the first half of my long runs nearly as much as the second half. Once I'm over the new bridge and on the other side of the lake things get much better. I pushed two Gu during this run (Chocolate is my favorite) and made sure I stayed hydrated. I saw a ridgeback again for the third time on my WRL long runs. It's sad when you pass your car and think to yourself "I wish I was ONLY running 9 miles today." But I kept going. I was feeling good and had just had my last Gu which equates to liquid energy for me. At 11.25 miles I get to one of the many little parking lots and who is there but Shannon with a lemon lime gatorade for me, which was very cool of him. I had a few sips, and he said he would leave it on my car for me to finish when I was done. The last few miles were fine, and I completed my first 14 mile run without a problem. This was the furthest I had ever run!

12 Miles - November 25th

So we are back from Houston but we are in Arlington. So I didn't get to run at my beloved White Rock Lake. That's ok though, because instead I ran around my old course that I started running in high school and in the summers home from college. I remember when my friend Peter and I would get up early before my summer school classes at TCC, and run 4 miles with Brett's crazy dog. And I say crazy because he would put on his "brakes" anytime we got close to a drain in the sidewalk. After we got back from our run, Dakota the husky would make for the pool to cool off where he would lounge the rest of the day.

So back to the run..I left my dad's house with a water bottle in hand and made my way to Woodside. I dropped the bottle at Kelly Perkins and continued running up to Pleasant Ridge, where I turned around and headed back down to Kelly Perkins, turned left and went around "the loop", ran in Phil's parents neighborhood, and back to my dad's, completing six miles. I Gu'd up, had some water and continued my run, deciding to alter my course and complete two three mile loops, rather than run up to pleasant ridge and back. It was a good run, mainly because of the hills it involved, which are key in preparing me for Austin, and also because it was much easier than the half for me.

Afterwards we enjoyed brunch at Joe T's, where I guiltlessly ate my chicken fajitas...after burning 1200 calories, you need to make up for it, right? ;)

5 Miles - November 24th

Phil and I were in Houston for Thanksgiving, and I brought my running clothes along. I started this run with the intention of doing my 12 mile run, but alas it was hot and humid and I didn't drop enough water bottles along the way and let's face it, watching the Aggies beat Texas was way more fun than running 12 miles in the Houston humidity. Needless to say, this would be the worst kind of weather for me at the marathon.