Days 12 and 13

Day 12 was a bit of a bust.  I was supposed to run 3, but didn't really feel all that well, so I did the laundry instead.  This morning, got up and ran the park with Jacob, 3.4 of the 3 I was supposed to do today.  I may make it a two-fer day, and do another 3 or 4 tonight.  Kinda belly-achy today.  Gotta watch the food intake carefully.  All is well, though.  It's beautiful out, and kids and dogs are happy, so far!

Day 10 and 11

Yesterday was a cross-training day.  I hope that I can count giving a speech on the ethics of dog training, and walking many miles with clients and their dogs counts as cross training!  I didn't get a chance to get on the bike, but we did walk around at Pride Fest for a bit.

Today was, thankfully, a rest day.  I think I overdid it a little, either with food, or not resting enough, and I woke this morning with some focal pain in the same spot.  Back to mostly liquids today, hoping the discomfort will pass by tomorrow.  Just a 3 miler tomorrow, but lots of driving, kids back and forth to camps and stuff.  I did walk a mile or so today, with a client's walk-and-train dog.  He did well, although he's a real challenge.

Day 9

Began with our traditional thunderstorm!  It cleared up nicely with temps in the 70's, so Jacob and I put the little kiddos in the stroller and ran our 5 miles around Tower Grove Park and the MO Botanical Gardens.  Busy day at the park, Farmer's Market at one end, Pride Fest at the other!  Everything was extra green, shiny and fresh-smelling from the rain.  Respectable time, 1:05, despite my being quite tired and weak after a fun evening playing pool with Dixie and Shane, and staying out too late.  Now on to calisthenics and then a day of work with private clients and reactive dogs.

Day 8

Today is a rest day.  So, I had planned to do upper body weights at the Y, but I didn't have time because I had to walk dogs this morning.  I will do my cals in a bit, and Merlin and I took a lovely probably 2 mile walk this morning. Tower Grove Park is beautiful in the morning.  Loving the barefoot shoes, too!
Tomorrow, 5 miles.

Day 7

Today Nitro and I ran the perimeter of Tower Grove Park.  We were scheduled for a 3 miler, but it's actually closer to 3.8.  I always count it as 3 and figure that's just some extra change in the bank for when I need it!  Nitro wore his New Trix halter, and I wore my Merrell Pace Glove barefoot shoes!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these shoes!   My legs feel like I actually had a workout, which doesn't happen very often anymore, except after a really long run.  In a good way.

I thought I should give some background, since some folks have expressed concern about me running so much, or so far.  I have been a runner and swimmer since I was a kid, and I started "competitive" running (at least with myself!) as an adult around 1996.  Since then, I have run 6 marathons (Lake County, Chicago twice, Twin Cities, Honolulu, and Lewis and Clark), too many half marathons and 10K's and 5K's to count, 2 olympic distance Triathlons (Mrs. T's Chicago), a bunch of Sprint distance Tris, and although I have never finished an official Ultramarathon, I have unofficially run about 36 miles at a time, and am a member of the St. Louis Track Club, Clydesdale Virtual Racing Team, and St. Louis Ultrarunner's Group. So please don't worry about my health, hydration and nutrition!

 Due to my recent health challenges, and the still unexplored issues with my colon, I am taking it quite easy, and following Hal Higdon's Novice 1 training plan.  It is steady, and low mileage.  I have successfully completed marathons using it and using his intermediate plans in the past.  I am on this dreadful Low-Residue diet until I see the gastroenterologist again, and have a colonoscopy, which is challenging for fueling, but once I have more information after the colonoscopy, I should be able to begin to resume a more normal, fresh, whole foods diet, like I used to eat.  And if not, I will make it work!  If it's a big issue, like cancer, I will also find a way to make things work.  But that's a bridge to cross when I get there.

Also, even if I mention fundraising often (that is the point of this run, after all!) please don't be put off!  Even if you can't donate, following and commenting on my blog is a great form of support!  It's fun knowing that people are out there and interested in what I'm doing!

For today, we had a lovely run, breezy, relatively cool (80F's) and the park is beyond gorgeous.  I am so lucky to have such a great park, a great dog and a great pair of new shoes to run in!

Day 6!

Today I took Nitro with me on a 3 miler.  He wore his new New Trix head halter.  I'm giving it a mixed review.  It was definitely more comfortable on his face than his fuzzy Gentle Leader, and I really like that it hooks to the lead in the back and doesn't whip his neck when he "squirrels", it really is great at immediately stopping pulling when there is any pressure on the lead, but, when he climbed into a bush to mark (for the 20th time in 15 feet, he was nervous about a dog) and I said, "Let's Go!", he backed right out of it.  So definitely not the best choice for a very reactive dog, or a fearful dog who is experienced at backing out of collars.  It does have a safety snap to the collar, which was a good thing!

I ran in my regular Ryka shoes today, but yesterday I ran in my new Merrell Pace Glove barefoot shoes.  They are awesome.  I've been wearing them as my everyday shoes since I got them, but Merrell recommends easing into wearing them for running.  As as caveat, I always wear flat or negative heel shoes, or go barefoot, and I have calves of steel, and tough feet, so I don't really feel the need to ease in, so much.  I am going to do every-other day runs in the new shoes, for a couple weeks, then try a long run in them, and go from there.  It's good for the proprioception anyway, to switch up your shoes every once in a while.

Beautiful day in St. Louis today.  Temps in the 80's, clear blue skies with puffy white clouds.  Hawks were flying, kids playing in the sprinkler pool, the water liles are beginning to bloom at the park, and all was right with the world.  I am so fortunate!

While my philosophy is that every day you wake up is a good day, this one was particularly spectacular. Tonight, Bananagrams with my wonderful 16 year old daughter who just returned from a trip to Pittsburgh and Washington DC.

Hope everyone else is having a great day, too!

Day 4 and 5 of Training

Monday was day 4, it was a rest day.  I did an upper body weight workout at the Y, and rode the stationary bike for about 15 minutes, just to stretch out.  Busy day, 3 camps for kids, some work, Daughter #1 home from her Pittsburgh/DC trip.  Bad news, father-in-law diagnosed with Alzheimers, so we will likely be moving to Washington to help the in laws.  The move will be a good thing, fresh starts are nice, but I will really miss all the good friends and support system I have here.

Heading out for a 3 miler with the kiddos in the jog stroller in just a few minutes.  Wanted to run earlier, but yet again, we were having some Missouri weather, quarter sized hail, thunderstorms, and tornado warnings.  We didn't actually get much beside the rain and some wind, but it's cleared up now!  It's clear blue skies all the way...

I'm still running!  Please keep giving!

Day 3 of Training

Today was another Mother of All Thunderstorms morning, so Agility class was cancelled.  I managed to read Sophia Yin's new book, Perfect Puppy in 7 Days straight through.  Good book, I recommend it!  Today was supposed to be a cross-training day, I had planned a bike ride, but we had a bee swarm from one of our hives, so Jacob spent the day re-homing bees, and I read, worked, took the kids to the City Garden.  So I guess my cross-training for the day was just calisthenics and a lot of walking.  Good news is, no soreness from yesterday's long run.  Oh, and NEW SHOES!  Merrell Pace Glove barefoot running shoes.  Hoping to do a good part of my training in them, and run the race in them.  Tomorrow, another rest day.  But I may move a 3 miler to Monday.

Day 2 of Training!

Late post, I know, but better than no post! I got up today, at 5:15, which is normal for me. I was ready to go run, but we were having the Mother Of All Thunderstorms, so I decided to take the dogs upstairs with me and go back to bed. I was scheduled for 7 miles today, so I figured I'd run for about an hour and a half, and call it done. Late in the afternoon, we went to find a new bike for our 6 year old, and took the 6 and 4 year old along.  The bike didn't work out, but since we were already a ways out, we decided to run at August A. Busch Wildlife Reserve, in St. Charles County.  It was lovely, we ran, we saw the prairie grasses and flowers, the wetlands, Red Winged Blackbirds, Goldfinches, cardinals, and our state bird, the Bluebird (eastern) and a gorgeous Indigo Bunting.  The kids got to see some fish, minnows, tadpoles, and deer tracks.  The swallows nesting over the dock were so adorable.  Over the 13 year cicadas, we could hear a bullfrog, and some geese.  We ran for 1:23, and spent some time goofing around on the dock and lakeside.  It was a lovely run with the family, I feel so lucky to be able to do this, and to have the life I do.  Cooking some low-residue miso soup, then stories and bed.  Tomorrow, Father's Day!  And a cross-training day. I haven't decided if I'm going biking, or swimming.  Definitely taking the family to the City Garden, though.  Maybe we'll go on our bikes.

Day 1 of Training

Well, training should have theoretically started on Monday of this week, but since I just got released from the hospital on Thursday of last week, I'm having some challenges.  Not to worry, though, I'll definitely get there!  In keeping to the schedule, today is a Rest day.  Gives me a moment to take a breath, do my daily calisthenics, and think about tomorrow's run, which should be a 7 miler.  If it's not 100F, I can probably run walk that with little trouble.  Glad to be off the meds as of today.  Hard to fuel on this lousy, low-residue diet, but I'm doing the best I can!  Don't forget to donate!  If you want to go mile by mile, that's fine, too.  I'll try to post every mile I run,  so y'all can keep up with your donation schedule!  :-)