4 miles~~Saturday run

Today was Saturday and in between study sessions I got out there and ran 4 miles.  I didn't run too slow but I also didn't run too fast. I just made it a steady run.  I love getting outside and enjoying the sunshine and fresh air.  Some days it is hard to get ready and motivated to run, but once I am out there, I am so glad I made the effort.  Sometimes that alone is a big accomplishment.

2.6 miles~~short run

Today is Monday again!  Monday seems to be a good running day for me with my new schedule and classes on Wednesday and Thursday.  After working all day, I got out there and ran 2.6 miles.  This was a pretty slow run, I was pretty tired and just needed to get out and clear my mind and get some fresh air.  At least I got  out there, no matter how slow I was going.

3.14 miles~~Saturday

Today is Saturday!  I wanted to get a longer run in, but with all the homework I need to do, 3.14 miles is going to have to be it.  I did make sure I really pushed myself and ran much faster.  My pace was 9:51 minute mile, which is great for me.  I don't think I could keep it up for 6 miles or anything like that, but I did it for 3 miles.  Progress, even slow progress, is progress.  :-)   

3.29 miles--no class!

I was supposed to have class tonight, but it was canceled, so instead I went running!  Having classes two nights a week is cutting into my time for running, but so far I have been able to keep running about 3 days a week.  I wish it was more, but that is pretty good withe working full time and doing about 20+ hours of homework too.
I ran a little over 3 miles tonight at a slower pace.  My goal was just to log a few miles in before eating dinner and relaxing a bit before bed.  

3.62 miles--Monday!

We are back to Monday again...so after working all day, we hit the roads for a run.  Luckily my breathing and asthma is staying under control and not giving me issues.  We were able to log 3.62 miles. I pushed myself and tried to run faster, so I was able to keep a 10:59 mile pace.  That's pretty good!

2.5 mile walk

We had a long hard week at work this week and decided that today we were going to walk not run.  We did our 2.5 miles and had a nice talk as we walked.  Sometimes that is worth it.  Even though we have no children at home, we don't always talk as much as we could.  Since I'm doing tons of homework, I sit in the other room reading and working.  This was a great way to end the week and start the weekend.

3.6 miles~~stretching out run

Today was an easy slow run to continue to stretch out our muscles.  Luckily, I haven't been hurting too bad.  I had two blisters on two toes from running the half marathon, but that was it!  My legs weren't hurting too much, just a little tired from the long distance.  Running a few days at an easy pace seems to be helping them feel better.  I ran the 3.6 miles in 45 minutes, so it was just a slow run.  I've also been lucky as far as my lungs go.  My lungs have been doing well and not giving me problems.  I realized a few weeks ago that in the last year and half that I have been running, I haven't had to call in sick to work AT ALL!  That is a definite plus.  I have taken days off, but I have not been sick.  It makes all this hard work worth it.

4.5 miles~~our 28th Anniversary!

This must be the sign of a true runner--running on your anniversary!  We celebrated last night by going to our favorite movie theater Alamo DraftHouse to see The Butler and have my favorite pizza, The Moonstruck.  The movie was wonderful, I cried (no surprise there), but it really was a great movie.  

So, today we could run since we went out the night before!  We logged about 4.5 miles.  My watch stopped and my iPod had been left on, so I had no music.  It was definitely a low tech run today.  Sometimes that is a nice thing to do.  Get away and just really listen to the birds and bugs.  Listen to my breathing and footsteps. Listen for cars and kids.  I was a little sore due to the Disneyland run, but getting out and moving felt good.  

After running, we decided to clean up and go to Pancho Villas for dinner.  Who says you can't go out twice for your anniversary!

13.1 miles~~Disneyland's Half Marathon!

Well, the day has finally arrived!  We got here on Friday with no problems.  We were able to eat lunch with our daughter and son-in-law who were returning from their honeymoon (3 years late) that they spent with our other daughter and son-in-law.  I thought it was amazing that they actually all went together to DisneyWorld to celebrate their weddings.  28 years ago, Chris and I spent our honeymoon at DisneyWorld too!  We are a Disney family!

We are staying at the Disneyland Hotel, which is also where the Expo is being held...so no long ride to the run or Expo! Yea!  We stayed here years ago, but since then, they have renovated and added a new section to the hotel.  We have a nice room with a view of the pool.  Unfortunately, it is unseasonable hot for this time of year, so that will make the run a little more uncomfortable.  But we will still do it!

Getting to the run was simple, we walked out of our hotel and down the road with tons of other people at 4:00 in the morning. This definitely beats riding a bus for an hour at DisneyWorld to the start!  We ended up having to wait over an hour before we could start since they did all the starts in corrals.  Chris and I wanted to stay together for the beginning, so we stayed in the last corral.  While we were standing there, I realized that I totally forgot the headband that I turned into a choker!  It is probably laying in my suitcase or something.  Oh well.  It might have bothered me while I was breathing anyway.  

Once we got the start, we headed out.  We ran through Disneyland (which is much smaller than DisneyWorld) so it didn't take very long.  Then we headed out in the streets of Anaheim.  Local schools had bands and cheerleaders at various points of the run.  There were also dance teams and groups performing, the cutest was a group of 5-9 years olds doing the hula!  We ran towards Angels stadium and their were two roads full of old cars and their owners.  Some would honk their horns (a ru gah!) and cheer us on.  It was amazing how many people got up at the crack of dawn with their beautiful cars and trucks to be there for us.  I tried to shout out "Thanks for being here for us" every so often while passing them.  Such community spirit.  The best though, was entering Angels stadium.  There were a couple of scout troops outside, but when we ran in, one entire side was full of Brownies, Cubs, Juniors, Cadets, Boy Scouts, and scouts of all ages with leaders cheering and giving us high-fives.  I thanked and high-fived as many of the kids as I could.  At one point, a little girl grabbed my hand and said, "Cinderella, it's Cinderella!"  So cute.  To me, that stadium full of boys and girls was absolutely amazing.  What a community of people--all along the whole route--students, adults, all ages--there to just cheer us on.  

At this point, it was about 9 miles into the race.  It was hot, and I was pushing myself (even though I didn't know it at the time).  I made sure I was drinking water and Gatorade at every water stop to make sure I was hydrated.  I made it to the finish and realized that I had finished 15 minutes faster than the Disney Princess Half Marathon.  I had no idea that I was moving that fast, and hadn't really planned on doing that.  I moved through the finishers and got my Disneyland medal and my Coast to Coast medal!  I did it!  I had completed 2 Half Marathons!  

I grabbed some more water and snacks and waited for Chris.  It was very hot and they unfortunately had no shade. The longer I stood there, the worse I felt.  I think I had just pushed myself too hard and got a bit over heated.  I grabbed some ice and kept it on my head to cool me off.  Luckily, getting back to the hotel, cooling off and napping, made all the difference in the world.  At that point, I wasn't sure if I could do another half marathon again. But who knows, maybe I will!  We are already signed up for a couple more races--5K, 10K, and a 10 miler! :-)