Introducing Super Amy!

SuperAmy is a longtime friend of mine. We worked together 16 years ago here in Florida and since both of us have moved around the country a bit. She currently is living just outside of Houston.

In 2003, Amy and a mutual friend of ours (Margaret), got the idea to run a half marathon together. We signed up to run the Disney World Half in Jan 2004. Amy was unable to run that race and I nearly dropped out but decided at the last minute, with little training, to do the race anyway (my first half marathon). Margaret trained and ran an 2:10 race!

The following year, Amy and Margaret returned for the 2005 Disney Half and we all ran it together with my husband and another friend.

This year, Amy is training for her first full marathon. She will be running the San Antonio Inaugural Rock 'n Roll Marathon (yes, that is the same one I am training for and a good part of why I signed up for the race!). She is running for Team in Training. She has been a triathlete - biking, swimming and running - but also a softball player along with her duties as full time mother of 2 and full time career woman! She is challenged by a number of aches and pains, but is pressing on to run the big one.

She has started her own blog to capture her journey to her first marathon. Check her out and say hello!! :-)

Running for a Cause: Run for the Fallen

Beginning on 6/14/2008 a campaign called Run for the Fallen was started. I heard about it on an episode of the Phedippedations podcast. There is a group of runners that are running across the United States - 1 mile for every soldier fallen in Iraq and Afghanistan. To join in the spirit of this run, I added a challenge to the Nike Runner+ system - a challenge to run the same number of miles as the Run for the Challenge group. The response has been incredible!

There are currently 46 runners participating, and each week a few more join in. Last week we were just under 3500 miles - but this week the team has run a total of 5015 miles. There are still 2 weeks left to go! The Run for the Fallen runners were planning on running just over 4080 miles - we have already gone beyond that.

Check out their website! You can participate by running 1 mile on August 24th - the last day of the run. You can even download a runner's bib for the event!

Feel free to join the Runner+ challenge or join on the Run for the Fallen site for the 1 mile on the 24th.

Hot, Hot Run!

Yesterday was a very long day of travel. I was up at 3:30 am to catch a 6 am flight to NJ where I attended a meeting out on an Army range. Much of the activity was spent standing and walking around so I was on my feet for a good part of the afternoon. Then it was back to the airport and the flight home, arriving at the house last night at 11 pm. My feet were not pleased with all the standing and walking around in work shoes, so they were pretty sore last night. Running was not in the cards for this morning.

So I figured I would get my 4 mile run in while the kids were in karate class. I dropped them off at 7 pm and headed out. The sun was still out, so it was pretty hot. About 2 miles into the run I passed a church sign that showed time and temperature...it was 91 deg F! My miles got slower as I went on and my heart rate got higher:

Mile 1: 11:01 min - AHR 154 bpm (not too bad here)
Mile 2: 11:15 min - AHR 166 bpm (keeping pace but heart rate rising)
Mile 3: 11:43 min - AHR 171 bpm (this HR is HIGH for me...max was 176 bpm)
Mile 4: 12:09 min - AHR 173 bpm (MHR 177)

Total average pace: 11:30 min/mi, AHR 166 bpm (anaerobic)

I am pretty happy with the pace in spite of the heat and humidity. As hard a run as it was, I feel I have acclimated to the heat again so I can tolerate the work.

Friday is a rest day (also pushup day). Saturday I am going for 7 miles and Sunday I plan to do 14 miles.

Pushup progress: My husband and I are doing the pushup program together. We got through the first 2 weeks ok, but I was always JUST making the minimum for the first column (easiest). Week 3 was another story. I should have done the pushup test and gone back to week 1, but instead I just pressed ahead to column 1 for week 3....and could not do it! So instead we have been doing as many as we could. Instead of 15 I could do about 10. Next week we will attempt week 3 again.

Core workout: I happened upon Runner's World videos for building core muscles and have decided that I am going to add some core work to my program. I haven't been getting in the strength training like I wanted. At least the core work I can do at home.

I think I am going to begin by doing Planks (front and side) and the Bird Dog and add stuff from then. I will probably try to do them on the non-pushup days. I am open to recommendations!

Tomorrow is a day off! My company has gone to a 9-80 program where for every 2 week period, you get your 80 hours of work in the first 9 days, taking the 10th day (every other Friday) off. Sometimes working on that Friday is unavoidable, but this is the second one I have managed to take. Hubby is with his brother this weekend so it is just me and the girls. I think we will go school clothes shopping tomorrow and try to beat some of the crowds...next weekend is the last weekend before school - and things can get a little crazy then!

TNT Runner Seeking Support

I know a few of you have run for TNT before. My sister, Tammy, is training for her first half marathon and is doing it with TNT. She has raised some of her funds but is headed toward missing her milestone this week. She cannot makeup the difference herself, so she may have to drop out.

If you have a place in your heart for TNT and can spare a few $$, Tammy will run in honor or memory of anyone you tell her. She is already running in honor of Elijah.

She will run in honor and memory of folks, even if she has to drop out from the TNT program.

Thanks for any help you can provide!

iRiver Located and 12 Miles DONE!

Yummy Salad Shared with Fellow Runner Rachel!

This week has been a mixed bag of training. After a full week last week I was hoping to continue, even while on business travel to McLean, VA. But travel really threw off my running.

After taking Monday off, I ran 3 miles with my hubby Jim on Tuesday. He currently trains to run 1 min and walk 1 min. I use the run as an interval session and run a bit faster in between the walk breaks. I really enjoyed running with Jim - gives us lots of time to just catch up on things.

Tuesday night I was not feeling well and wasn't able to get up early to run on Wed. I traveled to VA Wed evening and thought to run but by the time I got in it was too late. Perhaps a run in the morning?

Meanwhile I had been Twittering with fellow runner Rachel who lived in the area. She wanted to get together for a run...so Thursday I put the run off for later in the day. As the day went on, we found something better to do on Thursday night. We saw Ultramarathon Man - Dean Karnazes story about running his 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days! What an inspiration!

So not much running....but a good movie!!

Friday is supposed to be a rest day, but I thought I might try to get a short run in after my flight got in to Florida. Instead, I skipped the run in favor of dinner with Jim and a plan to run my scheduled Sat morning run.

Saturday's 4 miler was really tough! My heart rate at the start was 98...about 20 bpm higher than normal. I struggled to keep it low and did lots of walking...but got the run done. I hoped that Sunday would be like last week - tough run Sat followed by good long run on Sun.

And that is how it pretty much happened. Although my heart rate was about 90 at the start, it stayed nice and low, below 160, for the first 4 miles or so. After 8 miles I stopped at the house to see if Jim wanted to run the last 3-4 miles with me - but he was having foot issues so I headed back out for the last 4 miles. They were not easy miles since it was already after 8 am and the sun was well into the sky, but even with my heart working hard, the run went well. Finished 12 miles at a 13:15 pace - 2 hours 40 min. I also found my iRiver and took it along on the run today. Maybe I can sneak out a mini-adventure this week!

Now to get a few things around the house done. Feet are a bit sore...a sign I am getting into the longer run territory! The end of week 3 of marathon training for San Antonio as well as the end of week 2 of the 100 pushup challenge!