I spent my two week Christmas break at my moms house in Pennsylvania. While visiting mom I actually completed a 9 mile run. I know that doesn't sound like much but I normally do not run at my mom's house. It is too hilly for me. I got out there on a cold drizzling day. I got one of my two long runs in for my March marathon. I am going to train for this marathon. My last marine corps marathon was brutal because of my lack of training. I'm not going to have a replay of that race. It was so rough.
While at mom's I also got to see my steelers lose their playoff game. I got two tickets before Christmas. I decided to see if mom want to go with me. The day of the game it was pouring. Thankfully it stopped during the game. And luckily the temps were not as brutal as the could be. At the beginning of the game I had to take my coat off. That doesn't normally happen for December games. So the 45 degree temps were working for me.
It was a great game even though we lost. Maybe next year. Both mom and I had loads of fun.
When I came home I was greeted with a lovely package in the mail. I love mail! Especially when it is mail that has something to do with running! :) I purchased two new running bras! Ah two new color to my running bra collection too.
You would think that I would have a black sports bra, but I don't. So now I do. And lucky for me I had another package waiting for me at my door this evening too...
Yep a new Steelers tech shirt to run in. This is my night for running packages! And that black bra will go with this new awesome shirt!
There is just something about new running clothes that just puts an extra step in your run.
So today I ran the Leesburg 20K with my running sister Megan.(I know shocker!) I will give you more info later this week. :)
I wanted to check in since I feel like it has been forever since I have posted anything on my blog. I'm blaming that on work and not a lot of running last week. I was thinking this morning before my 20K race about why I didn't really put in the miles last week and instantly I remember that I am once again a working girl...summer why did you have to leave me?? I guess we all have to go back sometime..I know I shouldn't complain not many professions give you 8 weeks off in the summer. It still doesn't mean that I want my summer to end :(
It looks like two more weeks until RnR Va Beach. I have heard nothing but good things about this race so I am really excited! I'm glad I did the 12.5 miles today because as you know I rarely end up saying that I was really happy with my training headed into a half marathon race. :) So I'm really happy that I have 12.5 miles in before race day.
My goal is to run some short runs this week and hit a ten miler this weekend. Other than that I must get ready for some Steeler football!
So far I have actually been doing a decent job on my training plan. Although I did miss a few days to visit my friend Kristi and the nieces in VA Beach. I feel like it has been forever since I posted. Here is what I have been up to since the last post.
Went to Va Beach to visit and see Train/Maroon 5 concert. I thought I would love train, but didn't. He really does not have much stage presence and he doesn't sound like the Train I like on the radio. Maroon 5 however, love, love, love! Entertaining and great voice. He sounds like Maroon 5 (go figure). I ended up staying a few days to visit. I was supposed to take the oldest of the nieces back with me for a few days but mom wasn't ready, so maybe next year :)
Came home and went to a clothing swap followed by some dog sitting. I got to my friend's house to watch her three dogs and found out the air conditioner was on the fritz. Ugh..I was going to run around her neighborhood but figured since it was already hot inside I wouldn't get hotter running outside. So no running on Monday. Luckily she is friends with an air conditioner man so the next day the air was on. That night was a long hot, not much sleep kinda night. It didn't help that my dog had to get up frequently to check on the other dogs either.
Tuesday I went to run club. I won the Stick at a silent auction. I hope my muscles thank me later. So 27 dollars to Team in Training and I now am the proud owner of the Stick. Which I have deemed the "magic stick".
Phil Jackson, Head Coach - LA Lakers "I would recommend The Stick to all athletes." If Phil recommends it, I figure I can't go wrong with the magic stick, right?
Wednesday I put on the Garmin and went for a couple miles run. It was a nice night. I did the two miles a bit faster than last week with less walking up the hill that gets me most times. So I think I am making progress!
This morning I headed out to Burke Lake. Complete my 4.7 mile loop and felt fine. I did walk some. The lake was very busy this morning. It looked like some campers or daycare people were visiting and a bunch of walkers, runners and bikers as usual. It was a beautiful day for a run. Low humidity and 84 degrees I will take most days. I think I am going to head back on Monday for another run. I hope to beat my time from today.
Friday I am heading to the Steelers/Redskins preseason game! So excited for football! My friend scored us some sweet suites for nada so that makes the game even better!
My mom and I at her first game a few years ago.
Saturday I have an OAR concert to head to, so hopefully I will get in some gym time before I head out.
So I am reading some blogs today and lo and behold I won a garmin! I am so excited! A big thanks to Mike at 26.2 is my cooldown :) And just in time for my half marathon training. :)
I think I am starting to come out of my running funk..finally :) I have ran a few times this week and felt pretty good even though it is hot as H. E. double hockey sticks out. Yesterday was run club. We were in code orange and a heat advisory, so I wasn't really pumped to go to run club, but once I got there it was fine. It wasn't that bad of a run. We did change the course a bit and stayed in the wooded area to run so I am sure that helped out. Turns out when I came back from my run (one of the last ones, we are a bit slower than most) I just missed Byron Leftwich, the backup Steelers quarterback! Man if only I ran faster!
Turns out he is originally from the DC area. So now I am hoping, since there is no NFL right now, that maybe he will be back next week. Who knows maybe he thought the run club looked like fun and will want to run with us next week. One can only hope right? :)
So I went to the gym bright and early this morning. I guess people do not like to work out on Super Bowl Sunday because the gym was pretty quiet. I attempted to run 5 miles..but it was a fail. I ran 3 instead. I just didn't have the will or the energy to run the 5. I will try again tomorrow. :) I am sure the fact that I have been a slug this weekend and eating a bunch of crap didn't help my energy level this morning. I am going to try and eat a bit better and see how the running goes. I am also going to get to the gym at 5 am during the week try to make it to the gym at 5 am a few mornings out of the week. We will see how that goes. I think I will attempt my first 5:30 am gym fun on Tuesday. Then I can either do a quick cardio or some weights and then head over to run club that evening. It doesn't make sense to try and go tomorrow morning b/c obviously it will be a late night tonight watching my Steelers. I am hoping that if I try and do something in the morning and maybe something in the evening I will see some lbs lost on the good old scale. And I am hoping that if I get it out of the way in the morning, if I don't feel like doing much after work I won't feel that guilty b/c I would have had some sort of workout in the morning. We will see how this "plan" goes. I am not too good at waking up at the a.c.o.d. (a$$ crack of dawn).
I am off to get ready and then head to my Steelers bar by 12:00..yeah a long, long bar day. But I can't let my boys down! :)
So I was a slug today...I admit it. It was rainy and gray outside, so I stayed inside. It seems like when I turn into a hermit for the day I am really really tired from all of the hard work of laying around and deciding what to watch on tv. So I decided to either run my 5 miles at 8pm or Sunday at 8am...yeah Super Bowl Sunday won. I just don't think I could muster up the energy to run 5 tonight. I did clean today, so I wasn't a total waste. And I am sure cleaning burns hundreds upon hundreds of calories lol.
After the AFC championship game this year.
The last Super Bowl that the Steelers won...what a stressful ending..
Tomorrow I will be cheering on the Steelers after my run. I have to get to the bar early (noonish) to secure the lucky table and we will be enjoying the lucky philly cheesesteak sandwich to ensure our win. Since we are basically camping out at the bar I will get a lot of reading done and some DS games played. It will be a long day for sure. The things we do for our team. Hopefully it will be a good game.
Hope everyone enjoys the Super Bowl..and GO STEELERS!
Well no gym today (I know shocker!). Headed to the Steelers bar for the Steeler's Christmas party. Free door prizes (hope I get something good and not another terrible towel) and free western PA buffet. Gotta love it. 50/50 raffle is always good, I have a good feeling this year. I won the raffle a few years back (346 dollars) but this year it has not been going so well...so I think this could be the day! My friend Grab and her boyfriend Zack are heading to the bar. If either of us win we split the winnings. So wish us luck! I also hope that the Steelers win to get into the playoffs. Not sure if anyone is going to beat the Patriots this year, they are on a roll, but you never know. :)
Tomorrow is fat club (ok it is really called wellness club at school but I think fat club sounds funnier than wellness club) and then secret Santa with the work friends. Maybe I will be able to squeeze in a gym run after dinner. No run club this week because I need to get my oil changed before heading back to PA for Christmas and Tuesday is the only day available. All in all I think this week is going to be very busy.
So I got a new cold weather zip up and decided I would try it today. It is 35 degrees outside last week it was 65 degrees outside. I figured I might as well try to get used to the cold weather running...FAIL! I finished up 1 mile with ears that were way too cold, a bad knee that was not enjoying the running outside, arms and fingers that were near frostbite (and if you think it was too warm for the bite you should feel my arms and fingers..I am sure they must have been turning blue). I hate this time of year, I never know what to wear. Last week I ran with the running club and I was sweating with thin long sleeve shirt on...do I put gloves on yet? Ear warmers?? I don't want to be an alpaca carrying all my extra layers b/c I wore too much clothing. Today, however, I didn't wear enough. The wind was a blowin' and I was a freezin'. Oh well I will head to the gym later on and try the running thing again, maybe tomorrow after school. :)
On a totally unrelated note, the Steelers play the Ravens tonight. I can't wait! I hope Big Ben with his broken bone in his foot is able to play tonight. Otherwise it might not be a very fun game to watch. Is that bad that I am wishing that a guy with a broken foot sucks it up and plays football? I mean he broke the thing in last week's game and he was able to finish the game out...
Last year's Steelers vs Ravens game. Can you tell it was Christmas time?
This Ed Reed fan was so drunk and loved to hug all the Steeler fans.
Well I went to PA for a family reunion. I got to see relatives that I haven't seen since I was 5 or 6 years old. I had a great time reconnecting with family. While I was in PA I did get in two runs. Very short runs but that is better than what I usually do. I find it so hard to run when I am visiting my mom. Her schedule and my running schedule really do not mix well. I love running at around 7 at night which means I usually don't eat a big meal beforehand. Mom makes a big meal and I am always too stuffed to run. I did run at around 5 while her and my stepdad Phil were out working, but that was miserable because the sun was beating down on my the entire time! One morning I got up and went running at 8 or 9 around the high school track. The problem with that was I didn't get a very good nights sleep and I didn't have the right breakfast to fuel the run so instead of running 5 or 6 miles I ran 3 1/2 miles. Well I guess that is better than nothing right??
Well I am off with my mom to Steelers training camp, so looks like no run today. I am thinking that I will use this past week as my low miles week and then start back on the old training wagon when I get back home. Cross your fingers that I get some good pics and maybe an autograph or too of some of my favorite Steelers. :)
Well no gym today (I know shocker!). Headed to the Steelers bar for the Steeler's Christmas party. Free door prizes (hope I get something good and not another terrible towel) and free western PA buffet. Gotta love it. 50/50 raffle is always good, I have a good feeling this year. I won the raffle a few years back (346 dollars) but this year it has not been going so well...so I think this could be the day! My friend Grab and her boyfriend Zack are heading to the bar. If either of us win we split the winnings. So wish us luck! I also hope that the Steelers win to get into the playoffs. Not sure if anyone is going to beat the Patriots this year, they are on a roll, but you never know. :) 
