I made it 3!

Well, yesterday my running partner surprised me and said she was ready to run 3 miles. I knew the path that would be 3 miles and knew that once we were halfway there, there was no turning back. We'd have to keep going ;) She thought it was a turnaround loop. We made it non-stop 3 miles in just over 32 minutes! I wanted to see how fast we could do the 3.1 but she needed a break, she hasn't run 3 miles, and I've never ran it the whole way.

I felt like I could keep running though, so that was refresing to know I could make it!

We walked another 0.6 mile to cool down. I have a busy day tomorrow and can't run, but maybe this weekend we'll do it again. I think our regular run will be 3 now! And I'm starting to enjoy doing it. Not addicted like some people are but still it's a feeling like I've accomplished something.

Race for the Cure

I'm gearing up for my second 5k. I'm going to run the Race for the Cure. Didn't know when I'd get to another one. But when I found out an old friend from high school in East Texas was going to run in honor of her mom, a survivor, I decided I had to. If you would like to help Holly reach her goal you can donate by Clicking Here - I've helped Karen Thibodeaux photograph this race before and it was a very touching race to be part of.

So I've got a couple of weeks now to get back up to a 3 mile run.

Back in the saddle again

So after a one week hiatus, I put on the running shoes again. Monday night my neighbor said she was running at 8:30pm did I want to go. I really didn't feel like it but Edwin encouraged me to go. So we ran our 2 miles and walked a .5 mile cool down. Ran the two miles, surprisingly, in 21:35. I really thought I would not have been able to run the whole 2 miles after such a long break. But I did!

Then at 8am the next morning (yesterday) we ran 2 miles again, at just at 22 minutes. But wow! The cool front had come thru, it was about 75 degress, low humidity and the sun was behind clouds. That was a nice way to run! If only every day could be like that!

Today it was still cooler than normal. We ran 2 miles in about 22 minutes again, but my legs were a little sore. My hamstrings started cramping up. It was easier not to quit while having a partner. If I had run by myself I probably would have come home after the cramping started, but I kept at it.

After a shower I used a bunch of BioFreeze, which I highly recommend! I got it from my chiropractor and it's better than the Theragesic or SportsCreme. And now there's no soreness. I'm on schedule to run again tomorrow.

I hope the weather stays this nice for a while.

Weight update: Finally starting to see the numbers go down a tad - 5 pounds lighter, but it's taken me 3 months to do it. I'm thinking I might add a nightly power walk a few nights a week at a lower heart rate to burn some of that fat :)

No running for a week

I wasn't able (rather didn't make the time I guess) to run all last week. So tomorrow I'll start again. BUT we went in to visit Edwin's mom yesterday and I just sucked it up and said "We are taking these pictures for me and for my kids" so told Martha to rest up and told me sis in law that I was ready to do it.

Actually I didn't even cry when doing them, which I thought I would, but I guess it went so fast and it was a pretty good day for Martha so there were no tears. And I got some of the shots I was hoping for. Here they are:

Martha will all four grandkids


Martha and Reed


Martha and Owen
Martha and Ashton

Martha and Jenna

Wiley, Martha & Edwin

Martha & Haywood
So there you have it . . . I feel much better for having these now.

Tomorrow, back to our regularly scheduled events . . .

I've got the blues

Just don't feel like doing anything right now. If you don't want to hear whining or frustration then just close the blog now.

My mom had a big birthday that ends in a 0 today so she is depressed. I didnt' make it out to visit her while she was on vacation and I'm upset that she'll be upset about that fact sometime when she gets over her birthday thing.

My nephew went in for coclear (sp??) implants today and had some minor problems with spinal fluid leaking.

My mother-in-law is doing worse every day. For those who may not know, she is in her final stages of brain cancer. It's returned for the third and final time, they can't do anything else for her now. Hospice started coming out to her house last week. I really don't expect to have her at Thanksgiving this year. It makes me so sad.

Today Ashton, my 7 year old, said "Mom, I cried at school today thinking about Diddie dying." I asked her if her teacher said anything. She said "she didn't see me, I was sitting at the back of the room working. My friend asked me what was wrong and I told her I would tell her later." So that made me cry, makes me cry thinking of how it's affecting my babies too. We will miss her so much . .. .

I have two things that make it harder - back in June or July I wanted to get a photographer friend of mine to take some very special portraits of Martha with each of the grandkids, real close up shots of them hugging or holding hands or something on black backgrounds, with black clothes, in black & white. Very intimate portraits. And a family portrait since our last one didn't have our little nephew in it. I wanted a big wall collage of all these. BUT it didn't work out. Edwin couldn't go in that weekend, and his brother had to work. They just didn't understand how important this type of thing is to me. Now she's too weak and depressed to do it. She doesn't smile anymore. She had a beautiful smile . . . .

Another regret is that backin July I sent a book where she could record herself reading a book to our kids. So they would always have this and get to hear her voice read to them. But could anyone help her do it??? NO! I asked Edwin and a couple of other people to help her do it and I am just so frustrated that no one seems to understand how important these two things were to me! Geez now I'm bawling again . . .

Now she's to the point that I don't think she can read out loud anyways ... .

maybe I'll feel better soon, but for now I'm just staying away from everyone.

Steady training

Well, i haven't blogged much because I feel like I'm doing the same thing over and over.

I ran 2 miles Monday, 2 miles Wednesday and 2 miles today. Time varies, I tell you I have no sense of time when running, it all feels the same. We (my neighbor Ana) might run 11 minute miles one day, sub eleven one day or like yesterday both miles were over 11:35! However I am running the whole two miles. She doesn't walk until she finishes 2 miles :) At least we change up the route every day. I think we've only ran the same route twice since we started running last week.

I missed Tuesday because it was Jenna's birthday and I had to take cupcakes to her school. I can't believe my baby is 4 years old already! I took her out today in her new boots for her birthday photo session, she's so cute if I do say so :) She came up with her own posing too, she likes to do that . . . So here she is, our 4 year old princess . . .

First Official Race Today!

Wow, I can't believe I've gone 11 days without posting. I HAVE been running, but haven't been posting it.

But today I ran my first OFFICAL 5k. I ran one a couple of years ago with zero training, just one of those spur of the moment really stupid ideas. That time was 40 minutes and something. My goal today was to run in 35 minutes. I forgot to bring Pedro (Edwin's GPS watch thing) So I have no clue what my splits were today or even how I was doing. I ran the first mile with Cassie & Sarah but after Sarah and I walked a little in the second mile, Sarah passed me too and I had no sense of time or speed.

It was unbelieveably hot and humid. It was pretty cool when I could pass someone, a little embarrassing when someone would pass me though. I was number 141 to finish with a time of 34:06 I think! So a PR (personal record for all my non-running readers) and better than my goal. If I had a watch I would have kicked it up a little at the end to get in the 33 minute range. Oh well, next time.

It was so nice to finally meet some of the Houston Running Bloggers! Vic, Barbara, Keith, Holden and Fran, Dave and son, is that all? I had already met Cassie, Manny, Sarah, Jon and Waverly. And I got to meet Jon's wife :)

Here are my latest runs:

August 6 - Total miles 1.78, Total Time 20:00
Mile 1 - 9:54
.78 - 10:06

August 8 - Total miles 2, Total Time 22:52
Mile 1 - 10:15
Mile 2 - 12:37

August 10 - Total Miles 2.32, Total Time 28:49 (with neighbor partner)
Mile 1 - 11:13
Mile 2 -12:08
Last .32 walked to cool down - 5:28

August 11 - Total Miles 2.5, Total Time 30:43 (with neighbor partner)
Mile 1 - 11:03
Mile 2 - 11:07
Last .5 to cool down - 8:31