Not Wind nor Rain nor...

Christmas dinner will keep me from my training regimen for the Seattle Rock & Roll Half Marathon in June 2013. 

Well...to be perfectly honest I did take 3 weeks off from training for various less than adequate reasons, but I am back on track now. 

On Christmas eve I ran 3 reps of 12 minutes followed by 1 minute of walking and finished up with a rep of run 8 minutes and walked the rest of the way home.  Yesterday I upped it to 3 reps of run 15 minutes.  Not too bad except for the 6 minutes spent running up a fairly steep and lengthy hill.  My arms were swinging and my feet were moving but I am not quite sure you could consider it "running". 

I can no longer use my out and back route, so will have to branch out to other neighborhoods.  Problem is there are lots of dead ends and very little shoulder so running safely is a bit of a problem.  Yesterday I added a new loop, and when needed there is one more loop that can be incorporated, but all in all it doesn't add up to more than about 5-6 miles.  I guess when the time comes I can start running it twice.  It is very hilly, making it necessary to find a nice flat route somewhere so I am set to run any terrain they throw at me.  I am guessing the Seattle Half Marathon route will be hilly because it is after all...Seattle.

Now I need to get my diet in check and I should be in shape in plenty of time for June 2nd. 

To Gu or Not To Gu...That is the Question...

Ooooops I did it again...

I have, for the 3rd time no less, registered for a Half Marathon.  It was originally my 50th Birthday goal, but that didn't work out.  I signed up for the Seattle Amica Half in 2009 but missed it due to a bum knee...then I signed up for the BMO Vancouver BC Half in May 2010...which I also missed due to a bum knee.  I did attend to cheer on my friends - some of whom were running their first ever full marathons.  They did great and we had a wonderful time there.

Since then I have had knee surgery and a little brush with mortality, but I still want to do this thing! 


A little whippet puppy therapy after my knee surgery and before my PE August 2010

It has been 14 months and I think the time is nigh (and the Doctors have cleared me medically) so today I did something rash.  I registered for the 2013 Seattle Rock & Roll Half Marathon on June 22, 2013.  This gives me 8 months to either put up or shut up. 

We all know by now that I get all hot and bothered about something or other and go full tilt until I don't.  So how do I make this one THE one where I actually make it to the starting line ~ hopefully the finish line ~ and a big fat finisher's medal?  Good question - and one I will need to ponder a little further.  It is, after all, Fall and daylight is a little more limited each and every day plus I live in a very rural area where it is not safe to run in the dark.

Stay tuned for further details.....

Can it really be March 1st already?

Time is passing so quickly I get dizzy sometimes.  My health has been up and down, my weight has been up and down...nothing seems to change too much on those fronts. 

This week I have been "prepping" for a colonoscopy and so far it hasn't been too bad. Of course I haven't done the actual prep...that happens tonight when I get home.  I am not looking forward to it, but it has to be done.  I have chosen to use this week of leaving out all the different foods necessary for the procedure to go well as a week to start yet another healthy eating regime.  I know I KNOW!  But I have already lost weight cutting out the desserts, dairy (LOVE cheese), breads, and most especially Adams Old Fashioned Crunchy Peanut Butter.  Sigh.  Wish me luck, and while I am gone you can just relax looking at a beautiful photo...