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Tonight I caught the baking bug again. I made a double batch of green tea muffins w/ chocolate chips. I know, it's a slightly non-traditional baked good, but I assure you they're quite good.
I think I'll take them to soccer tomorrow evening and try to hand them out with slips of paper I've made with my donation url. Let's see if this works!
Muffins are DEFINITELY easier than pie to hand out at a sporting event. Come to think of it, this pretty much reinforces my mom's question the other day as to what the heck "easy as pie" means. It's a phrase that really doesn't make much sense.
Total Distance So Far: 35.6 miles
Today's workout was a 25 minute run. No set pace or distance. Due to my work/afterwork schedule, the only time I could get around to this run was over lunch time. Problem was, we seem to be having some super-summer weather today. oof.
84 degrees out, at noon, I donned my running kit and headed out. Slathered up slick with sunblock, adorned with my running hat, sunglasses, garmin forerunner and ipod shuffle, I stepped out into the beating sun.
Dang it is hot today. Even the breeze was hot.
I knew this morning today was going to be a warm one when my house only cooled down to 70 degrees overnight with all my windows open.
Today's stats...
DISTANCE: 2.6 miles TIME: 25:04 minutes PACE: 9:39 minute mile
I think there was one moment where I nearly over-exerted myself around mile 2, but I pulled out of it ok. I need to make sure to be careful this summer when it's this warm and warmer. Perhaps I should consider doing my runs in the air conditioned fitness center on a treadmill instead of being an asphalt trooper.
Total Distance So Far: 33.0 miles
Last evening we had another track session. I got there in time to do the 10 minute warm-up run too (at approx a 9 minute mile pace), so I was able to run 3 miles total last night instead of the 2 I got in last Monday.
As for my faster laps around the 400 meter track, here is how I did:
Lap 1) TIME: 1:41 PACE: 6:44 minute mile
Lap 2) TIME: 1:44 PACE: 6:56 minute mile
Lap 3) TIME: 1:37 PACE: 6:28 minute mile
Lap 4) TIME: 1:41 PACE: 6:44 minute mile
Faster than last week! I really enjoy running these laps, but I'm not sure why. It seems everyone else hates running these. I think it's loads better than the weight room at least (which is something I need to go do today, come to think of it).
For our cool down, Val and I ran together at an approximate 9:23 minute mile pace, and we both agreed that was a pretty comfortable pace to run at.
In other news, my first fund-raising garage sale is coming up in 2 weeks. I've got SOME stuff collected for it at this point, but I think I could use a good deal more. This upcoming weekend, I'm picking up some large tables from my friend Sheri, and also getting some things that she has collected from some of her friends for the sale.
My mom was in town this weekend and helped me to clean out my garage, so it's ready for larger items now. It looks so amazingly clean and organized, I hardly recognize it as my own garage! Moms are great.
I need to start working on advertising for it this week (figuring out what papers to post it in, etc). I'll need to make some signs, and continue to price the items I've already received. It's a little overwhelming, but I've also got some friends who said they'd come out and help me run the event. Here's hoping everything goes well!!
Total Distance So Far: 30.0 miles
When I say I'm not a morning person, I REALLY mean it. I'm practically non-functional most mornings. Might as well hang a hat on me and call me a coat rack. Normally that's all I'm suited for.
This morning, for instance, I had lofty plans of getting up at 7:30am, and meeting up with Val at her house around 8:10am to carpool to the TNT group run starting at 8:30am.
At roughly 8:15am I got a phone call from Val, waking me up. CRAP!
I sprung out of bed and threw on my running kit, and flew out the door. SOMEHOW I made it to the TNT group run only 10 minutes late, and they hadn't even left for the run yet. They were finishing up a clinic on proper stretching led by coach Joe.
Val and I met up, signed in, and started on our run within a minute or so of me getting there. I am SO glad Val called me this morning!!!
Today's run was 4 miles along the Willamette esplanade. I was having a hard time getting into some kind of warmed-up rhythm. I didn't FEEL like I had my running-mojo today. I think perhaps being deep asleep only 30 minutes prior to starting the run had something to do with that though.
My Garmin was again having trouble finding a signal under the big Portland bridges (like always on the Willamette esplanade), but I know it was a 4 mile run. The run took Val and I 42:29 minutes, which gives us roughly a 10:37 minute mile or so.
Also made some friends today on the TNT group run. I met Sherman and Amber. Both of them joined TNT by themselves, both very nice people, and both seeming to be currently running at a pace similar to Val and mine. I'll be seeing a lot of them over the next couple of months, so that will be cool.
Today is an official "rest" day according to our workout schedule. I'm really looking forward to doing nothing. I think I'll exceed at it even! I've got a couple rental DVDs too, just to ensure complete sedentary behavior after work tonight.
Yesterday I went back to my fitness center to lift more weights. I went a little easier on the amount of weight I lifted though (especially the bench press, and opted for hand weights instead of the nautilus bench press machine). It went better, and slightly quicker, than my first time in the gym. Probably I wasted a lot of time looking for the best mechanism available in the gym to do each listed exercise, whereas this time I knew where all the machines were that I needed.
In conclusion, I feel MUCH less sore today than on Wednesday. Hurray!
Tomorrow morning is our second group run. Looking forward to it!
Total Distance So Far: 26.0 miles
I wanted to add the stats from today's little run.
DISTANCE: 2.48 miles TIME: 25:01 minutes AVG PACE: 10:05 minute mile
The run was easier than I was expecting. I'm still sore though.
Yesterday I spent 2 hours in my work's fitness center lifting weights according to the strength-training workout schedule laid out for us by the TNT head coach. It honestly took more time than I was expecting. I thought I would be lifting weights for maybe an hour? But no. 2 hours.
I like the idea of being true to the weight lifting aspect of my training because otherwise everything I'm working on is all lower body, and I know it's better for me to focus a similar amount of effort on my upper body and core muscle groups. Plus, I was surprised how difficult I found the bench press! I remember being decent at bench presses back in high school, so when I was having trouble with my 3rd set of 20 reps at 30 lbs, I was actually quite surprised.
Man am I feeling it today too. Last time my full body was this sore with muscle aches, I think I had just done a full day or so of heavy lifting either moving into my house, or helping a friend move into their's.
Todays workout is a simple 25 minute run, and I think I'll find that refreshing, and helpful with the muscle aches. Tomorrow I have another 2 hours in the weight room tho.
I think, so far, I'm enjoying the weight training the least of this whole experience. heh. I know I know, weight lifting will get easier as I stick with it. Don't worry, I'm not planning on cutting any corners.
