The Gym and Soccer Practice Running

Lately I have been either at the gym on the treadmill or running with Lucy (black lab that adopted us) while the kids are at soccer practice. Today I did my regular fast 3 miles at the gym during lunch. This week I have increased the speed yet again. I am still trying to adjust to the change but it is getting manageable. Hopefully a 5K will be in my future next weekend so I can figure out what the heck my VDOT is. I am ever so curious what my marathon pace should be. Thus far I have just guessed about the shape I am in based on my long run. Anyway my second run of the day was with Lucy at her pace of 11:30-12 min miles. She can go 2.5 - 3 miles at this point and it seems she is getting faster. Today when I stopped to give her a walk break she wanted to keep up the pace so we kept running steady. She is the best dog ever and such a good running friend even if we are very different paces.

Yet Another Long Sprint

I went for my weekly Sunday sprint with the fast peeps. I was able to hold my own this week for a little longer than last time so that was good. I guess there is no half marathon in my future due to a conference I am attending Saturday. I would run if I had a quiet weekend planned but seeing as I would be paying to run I would like to go into the event rested which I know would not happen. I will settle for a long run with any of the group that happens to show or on my own. I will continue with the training in hopes that I can do at least one or two races before the marathon. I hope everyone got in a good run this weekend.

The Visitor That Ike Brought

We have been mulling over getting a dog for about a year. That is what we do with most decisions go back and forth and than something happens to make the decision for us. So a little more than a week ago we went outside to find a black lab in our yard. She was limping and hungry. Our neighbor gave us some food for her and she has been with us ever since. We went around the neighborhood asking if she belonged to anyone and I also called the local animal shelters, hospitals and the SPCA. The vet closest to us scanned her to see if she had a chip to identify her. No luck so we have welcomed her and tried to make her comfortable with us. I have to say she is the best dog and wonderful with the kids. She is very old but still has a lot of energy. I just feel bad for the people that lost her (if she was lost and not dropped off). I know many have lost all they had and maybe they just couldn't keep her but didn't want her to be put to sleep at a shelter. She has stopped limping and seems to have new life in her the past several days. I run with her in the morning and then do my own run later at the gym. I enjoy the leisurely runs with her in the morning. She is much more Mike's pace and he ran with her today while the kids were at soccer. I think it went well. I am going take her back to our local vet next week to get an exam and shots. We also need to get her a dog house because we have two cats that are rather old and have never lived with or been around dogs in their lives so she will have to stay outside. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday.

Moving On, Something Funny & Races

Sorry for yesterday's post. Maybe it went unread or unnoticed but I spoke of Sunday as "today" on Monday. The days go by way too fast for me lately. Anyway I went to my class at the gym yesterday and found out the trainer will be leaving the Y for a better job. He is moving on to take a job as a corporate trainer for Chevron. A much better opportunity for him but we will miss the hard workouts. I guess I will just have to get used to the new trainer or do the workouts on my own. Of course I am sure I will not work as hard as when I am in a group so that does suck. I was in a yucky mood after hearing that news and I went home to work. I found the video clip of Tina Fey on SNL as Palin and that instantly had me laughing despite my mood. She really nails the corny, cutesy, clueless quality of Palin. I watched the debate skit and the Katie Couric interview which were soooo funny. Definitely worth a watch. I have been debating about running the 10 miler this weekend but so far I am leaning toward not doing it. The weather never fails to be horrible and I always regret going. I think I will instead opt for 16 miles in the park and through River Oaks. I am sure that will be more to my liking. The next race up will be the Houston Half if the weather is favorable.

A Long Sprint

Today was my long run and I covered around 15 miles (forgot watch). Really I did a 3.5 mile warmup and then 11.5 sprint. We just kept speeding up and I have to say I payed the price at the end. I am not too tired today. I also took a short nap when I got home from the park so that helped alot. Then it was time for soccer and brithday parties. I hope everyone had a good weekend.

A Relaxing Neighborhood Run

I opted for a nice run in the neighborhood this morning before the craziness of the day kicked in. The legs were still tired from Wednesday's workout but I soon got into a good rhythm. I have no idea what pace I settled into but I felt good so I went with it. Tomorrow I will go for a medium distance run at more of a tempo pace. Tonight we actually got to relax and watch a movie which was a nice break from working until 9 pm. Last night I made the mistake of watching the debate. I definitely watched way tooo much. Really it can all be summed up with Palin, yikes! Seriously troubling. I could say more but this is a running blog so I will refrain from long political commentary. I would like to see the Tina Fey interpretation which I'm sure is hilarious. I miss Saturday Night Live as I have to get to bed early for the Sunday long run.

A Good Workout

I like class at the gym. When asked how many miles I run before class I answer only three. To the more serious running and racing people it is only three. The gym crowd looks at me like I run a marathon and then come to class which they think is an amazing accomplishment. I guess it is all relative. Many of my group there hate to run so I am bordering on professional to them. This can make you feel good. Anyway I did my faster three and felt good. I then went out to the field where the class was meeting. I was told to grab hand weights and bring those with me. The group was doing push ups, rows, and sit ups. When you finished twenty of each exercise you would run around the track and get your time called out when you finished one lap. When you started you were given a time to meet or beat. I had time for two laps and on the first I beat the time I was given which was three minutes. I did 2:45 on the first and 3:08 on the second. I felt like crap after the laps. The distance was just under a half mile. Not sure exactly. After each lap we would go back and continue more rounds of the exercises. When this was over we went inside to continue more weights. I am tired but this was a good workout. Time for cookies!!