Another Early Morning

This morning at 5 we ran five miles. The full moon illuminated the mist rising from the river, and we could see the paved path winding through the trees like a silver ribbon. That's one of the great things about getting up so early - you get to see these beautiful moments that are long gone by sunrise. And that's pretty much the only thing great about it. Ha!

Seriously, we had a good run, but I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day. I'll be up late tonight working after the kids go to sleep, and it will be nice to sleep in until 6. :)

Going Strong

I haven't posted since last Sunday, but I have been running. Here's the breakdown...

Tuesday: Five miles with Erin in the wee morning hours.

Thursday: Between five and six miles with Erin in the pouring rain at 5:15 a.m.

Saturday: Between three and four miles solo on a gorgeous, sunny afternoon.

Sunday: Eight solid miles with Erin. We started running in a slight drizzle, but the sun was out by the time we finished. I wore a heavy rain coat (the only one I have), but I ended up with it tied around my waist and feeling like a 10-pound weight. This week I'm buying some new running shoes and a light rain coat for running, since springtime in Tennessee comes with lots of rain - at least this year.

All in all, it's been a great running week. Those early runs are not always easy, but I'm grateful to have a steadfast friend and running partner who is dedicated to our goal - even when it's cold, rainy, dark and inconvenient.

My body is sooo sore today after the eight-mile trek. The kids are asleep, and I'm heading now for a long, hot bath.

Here's a photo of Erin on our run today when the train was coming through.

We Rock

I ran seven miles solo yesterday. It felt pretty good, and I was helped along by my new This American Life iPhone app. This $2.99 app is great. At any time, I can listen to any episode ever aired. No downloading to my Shuffle anymore. The Shuffle died in the washing machine anyway. :(

Anyway, I ran six miles today with Erin in the pouring rain. We rock.

Coming up:

Tomorrow is rest day, and then a five-mile run Tuesday morning.

Just Three

I squeezed in three miles this morning before my husband left for work, and now I'm packing up to visit my parents with the kids for a couple days. I hope to run once while I'm there. Looking forward to a long run Saturday when we're back in Nashville.

Life Gets in the Way

I've taken a hiatus, but not by choice.

My 2-year-old had a throwing-up virus last Wednesday night, so I couldn't make my Thursday morning run (and it was pouring rain and lightning, so Erin didn't run, either.)

See my last post below: Throwing-up children are acceptable excuses for missing a run.

Friday we left to visit our family friend who is terminally ill in a hospital in Indianapolis. The decision to go was a quick one, and we just piled in the car and went. So Saturday and Sunday - my long runs - were out. My idealistic plans to run on the hotel's treadmill ... well, that just never happened. Not even close.

I did run about 3 miles today just before dark; I'm trying to hang in there during this week or so of tough schedules. But tomorrow I'm off to Arkansas to visit my parents for a few days. I'm hoping to find somewhere to run there.

My motivation is down lately. I think the cold, gray, rainy weather plays a part, and definitely sadness for our friend, C.P. Also, I think, because I haven't been as running regularly as I'd like. It really does make a difference. I plan to be back on track by Saturday, when I'll be home and ready to do the long runs with Erin.

By the way, Erin has officially registered for the Country Music Half-Marathon - YAY! We're going to run it together.

Running at Daybreak

This morning I ran 4 miles with Erin (including two 1-minute aerobic intervals), and we were out and about before dawn - 5:15 a.m. I am so glad we got it out of the way early, because my resolve wouldn't have lasted long today.

Last night was terrible. I went to bed late, and then I couldn't stop coughing. I cleaned the garage yesterday, and I think the dust got to me. So at 12:30 I was up digging in the cabinet for an allergy pill. Then my 2-year-old woke up crying, so I went to snuggle with him. I came back downstairs around 3, and he started crying again at 4. So I went back up to his room. Thankfully, he is not sick; he just needed some cuddles.

At 5, my husband came up to get me so I could meet Erin at 5:15. So maybe I got two hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Bailing on our run just wasn't an option, though. There are so many excuses that can be made, and you really just have to get over it. As long as I'm feeling OK and my kids aren't throwing up, I have to take advantage of the free time I have - even if it's before daybreak.

Speaking of daybreak, I snapped a quick picture of the sunrise this morning with my iPhone. Running is so worth the effort once you're out there.

By the way, I think Erin is going to do the Country Music Half-Marathon with me. Yay!

I'm Feelin' It - Finally!

I took an extra day off Saturday because of my cold, and I feel much better today. So good, in fact, that I ran 6.5 miles with my (avid runner) neighbor, Erin. Let me tell you, running with a friend makes a world of difference. We sailed through 6.5 miles in one hour with no problem - and no stopping. We're going to try to run together more often, especially on weekends.

After the morning run, I trekked all around the Nashville Zoo with my family. It's a beautiful, spring-like day here - 62 degrees! I'm looking forward to more of these gorgeous days for running, gardening and just hanging out.

Some extra half-marathon incentive: I've learned that two of my neighbors, a neighbor's daughter and several friends are running the County Music Half-Marathon. Also, one of my friends from our New Hampshire days is coming in from Philadelphia with her Team in Training team to walk it. She's bringing her husband, and we're all going to hang out before and after. Fun!!

Now I'm going to try to get Erin to do it, too.

Four More

Today, four more miles. I was supposed to do four "gentle pickup" runs (about 100 yards each) after that, but I didn't feel up to it. I'm battling a chest cold, and I was a little worried about pushing myself too much. I wonder if I caught the cold running in the rain/snow on Wednesday??

I'm going to bed early tonight, and maybe taking the day off from running tomorrow (a rest day, according to my schedule) will help me feel better for Saturday's run.

Some Hard-Core Hoofin'

Today's running distance: four miles, including two miles of one-minute aerobic intervals, despite a steadily falling mix of snow and rain. The snow didn't stick (yeah!), but it looked beautiful coming down.

My mantra for the day was this, from Runner's World: "Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day."

Tomorrow is rest day, and I'm meeting a friend for coffee and munchkins at Dunkin' Donuts. That's one great side benefit of running - no guilt over donuts!