Core Challenge, continued

Wow! Tonight's workout added two sets to the crunches. That was hard, but I did it. And my tricep wasn't as sore today, thank goodness. I can't believe I'm actually making progress with those pushups. Amazing what a little work will do...makes me wonder what I could do for my whole body with a good strength training program. I really need a trainer.

Crunches: W4D2, 294 crunches
Pushups: W2D2, 53 pushups

I'll do the third workout Saturday and an exhaustion test Sunday. I can't quite fit the weeks into a calendar week, but at least I'm still going.

Choices

I'm working on making healthy nutritional choices these days. It's not easy. When I'm in school, I plan my meals, pack my lunch, make a snack ahead of time...but when I'm home for the summer, I can eat what I want anytime I want. Not good. Not good at all.

And I could beat myself up for the bad choices I make each day (M&M Blast, anyone?) or I can focus on the good choices I'm making and try to make more of those.

So...today's good choices:
1. I added red bell pepper and spinach to my turkey sandwich at luch...love it.
2. Instead of mayo (100 calories, 11 g fat) and a slice of cheese (50 calories, 2.5 g fat), I used Laughing Cow Light Mozzarella and Sundried Tomato cheese (35 calories, 2 g fat)...a savings of 115 calories and 11.5 g of fat
3. The kids and I made a fruit salad using fruit we had on hand for a side for lunch (with leftovers for juice pops for tomorrow and a side for dinner)...peaches, plums, apples, pears, grapes and bananas...yummy! And I didn't have chips since I had the fruit salad.
4. I added bell peppers and mushrooms to the sausage I cooked for dinner.
5. I added onions, mushrooms, tomato and spinach to the couscous for tonight's side dish. I'm loving this stuff! I did add some parmesan and Light Italian dressing, but it takes so little of it to add such a good flavor.

So, while there were some unhealthy choices sprinkled throughout the day, I'm working on making some good ones too.

One thing I'm looking into trying is chia seeds. They are supposed to be good for lots of things...weight loss being one of them. However, they are also supposed to help with hydration and are a good source of fiber, calcium protein, and omega 3 fatty acids. Supposedly, they can really help with energy levels during a run. Some of the things I've ready say that chia seeds can also lower cholesterol, and since I haven't been taking my meds, that might be a good alternative.

I had planned on doing a core challenge workout tonight, but yesterday's yard raking left me with a really painful right tricep today. I think I'll hold off until tomorrow.

Where did Monday go?

Sunday night, I couldn't sleep. I made the mistake of taking my vitamins and supplements around 8:30 or 9 at night, forgetting that one of them contains caffeine. Oops. The kids didn't go to sleep easily either, but once they were out around 11, I realized that I wasn't tired. I started reading The Front Porch Prophet on my Nook...and kept reading...and reading. At 2, I moved to my chair in the living room. At 2:30, I was joined by my daughter, so I moved to the couch with her. At 3, we were joined by my son. I thought we might all sleep on the couch, but when my daughter kicked my son in the face, I decided I should move them to their beds...with the added thought that if they were on the couch when I tried to go out for a run at 6, I'd wake them. I finally moved back to my bed at 4 and fell asleep a little after that. Needless to say, there was no run at 6. I needed to run and wanted to run, but I just couldn't make myself get out of bed. And with the heat, there was no way I could run later.

So, I ran today instead. It was already 85 at 6 a.m. Even though it was overcast and looked promising from the inside (although it did have that look of a great morning to stay in bed too), it was very warm and muggy outside. I took a couple of walk breaks and just took it easy. I'm still trying to accept this "season of slow" but I'm doing better with it. I walked about a mile afterwards.

And then I decided to rake the backyard. It's full of sticks and pieces of things the puppy we had for a while chewed up. Ouch. That's a workout in itself.

And then I came in and decided that since I didn't do my core challenge workout yesterday (really, where was Monday?), I should do it now so I can do another one tomorrow night to get my 3 in this week. After the yard work, those pushups and crunches were rough!

Here's what I did today:
Crunches: W5D1, 255 crunches
Pushups: W2D1, 47 pushups
 
Now, I am on to getting ready for a relaxing lunch catching up with some of my favorite ladies!

Giveaways and Virtual Races

Here are some giveaways you might be interested in:
Sit for your Job. Run for Your Life. Road ID Giveaway Don't you love the title of this blog? Of course, my job doesn't let me sit much, but the idea's the same.

And here are some more virtual races:
Virtual Insanity 5K. This is a summer series being hosted by Moms Run This Town. I did this one in June, and I'll be doing the one for July sometime in the next couple of weeks. July's is sponsored by FuelBelt.

"Not" Over the Hill Virtual 5K Love this one! This blogger is turning 40 and is celebrating with a virtual run...one that must include a hill. Considering turning 30 is what got me started running in the first place, I really like the idea behind this one! This one is in August.

Freedom 5K Virtual Run This one is put on by Running Mate. The prize for this "race" is a free copy of 10K-101, a training plan for ramping up for a 10K. This one is July 9.

Independence Virtual 5K Another blogger-hosted virtual 5K! This one is from July 3-9 in honor of the Fourth of July. The blog for this one is Let's Move It Mommas. I just love all these moms running!

Hotter Than Hades Virtual Half Marathon. It definitely feels hotter than Hades around here! This virtual race is 13.1 miles from July 15 to August 15...but never fear! It doesn't all have to be done in one run. You do, however, have to show proof of the time/distance if you are drawn to win a prize.

I'll try to update this list as I find more.

Saturday Mileage Report

For the first time in a while, I feel really good after this morning's long run. It wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it! The kids could not get to sleep last night; I ended up taking them to my room with me after 11...that means one on the loveseat in our room and one in bed with me. I woke up around 5:15 and decided to go ahead and get up before 6, which means I got out the door a little earlier than normal. And it was already hot! I decided to try a run/walk interval today. I haven't done that since I first started running. I've been wanting to try it again to see if it helps me, and I figured today was as good as any to try it.

I thought I'd try a 4/1 mix, but then I thought I'd start off running a mile first then going to intervals. However, I got sidetracked by a possum! I had to stop and take pictures (which didn't turn out at all) but I didn't want to make my Garmin beep by pausing it in case it scared the thing. He ran next to a fence and around that house's sidewalk. As I passed him and looked back, he was walking along my husband's aunt's flowerbeds. He was a big thing too!

So that messed up my intervals a little. And then my math is a little fuzzy while I'm trying to run; I'm pretty sure I did a 3-minute run without even realizing it. But I kept up the 4/1 interval until about 3 miles when I went to a 3/2 mix. I could barely eat two sports beans and sip some water in 1 minute. However, at 3.5 miles or so, I decided it was easier to just run the darn thing. And it felt really good!

As I was cooling down, I saw a duck. There's often a pair of them at a house on one of my favorite parts of my run (usually my cooldown, actually), but there was just one today. I looked for my bunny at the end of that street but didn't see him. I like seeing that little bunny because it reminds me of the rabbits that used to hide under my grandmother's shed in her backyard. However, as I turned up the next street, he came running out from behind a tree and across my path :)

It just felt really good to be outside running and walking today. If I'd known everyone in my house was still asleep, I probably would have walked another half mile or so.

I did finally feel some coolness as I neared my house on my cooldown...and then I realized, of course it feels cooler...I'm covered in sweat.

I'm actually sitting out on my front porch with my hair wet from my shower drinking my coffee. It's not really cool out here at all, but the breeze feels nice.

So...here's this week's mileage:
Weekly: 16.75 miles
YTD: 379 miles

I think I'll start my next week of core challenge workout today as well.

Exhaustion Test time!

So I just finished my exhaustion tests for the core challenge I'm working on. Here are my results:
Crunches: 176
Pushups: 10

That puts me moving on to Week 5 for the crunches. My next three workouts (I'm debating whether to start this Saturday or Monday) will look like this:
Workout 1: 54/60/45/36/60+
Workout 2: 30/30/36/36/27/27/33/70+ (yes, more sets...rough week!)
Workout 3: 30/30/36/36/30/30/40/75+
Exhaustion Test

However, I'll be repeating Week 2 for the pushups. I will be moving up in columns. It shows that I could move to column 3, but the sets look a little too rough for me. I'll stick with column 2, which looks like this:
Workout 1: 9/11/8/8/11+
Workout 2: 10/12/9/9/13+
Workout 3: 12/13/10/10/15+
Exhaustion Test

I'm pretty close to finishing the 200 crunch challenge. I'm thinking that if I hit 200 at my next exhaustion test, I'll continue doing the workouts for the next few weeks switching out the types of crunches I'm doing. Right now, I'm just doing the plain ol' crunches, so I'll add it obliques, bicycles, and anything else I can think of.

Of course, I just read a little blurb in a magazine about how pushups and crunches don't really do anything for you. I'm going to finish this challenge, but I really need to get a true strength training program going. Actually, I need a complete health and fitness overhaul right now...a trainer, a nutritionist, a life coach...I need the whole shebang. Of course, that costs mucho dinero, so I am going to try and put these things together myself. That takes time, both to plan it out and to execute the plan.

Catching up

I was supposed to do the third workout of the week for the core challenge Friday or Saturday, but we went out of town and I never caught up. I did complete those workouts today and am scheduled for another exhaustion test within the next 24-48 hours. I'm just anal enough that it bugs me that I didn't finish a training week during a calendar week. I haven't quite figured out how to make it match up again, but at least, for now, I'm caught up. I didn't want to go too long in between workouts and had already skipped enough days.

Today's workout:
Crunches: W4D3, 250 crunches
Pushups: W2D3, 30 pushups
 
I could definitely tell that it had been too long between workouts, but I managed ok.

My Father's Day Tribute

So, Father's Day is winding down, and it wouldn't be right if I didn't pay tribute to the daddies in my life.

First, to my husband...

I am blessed beyond measure to have you in my life. I appreciate all you do for me and for our beautiful kids. You let me pursue my crazy running fun without question. Your support and encouragement means so much to me. You take care of us all in so many ways. Without you, I would never stop to enjoy the little moments or learn to relax (and believe it or not, I am more relaxed now than I used to be). Thank you for all you do and all you are!

And to my own dad...

I am so thankful for all I've learned from you. You never cease to offer a listening ear or a helping hand. And you are such a role model for me and for your grandkids. I am so proud of all you do, from running and biking to scuba diving to teaching to writing to helping others. Thank you for your love and support!

And to all of you other dads out there, happy Father's Day! I hope you all know that you are loved and valued and have such an important role to play in the lives of those around you!

Saturday Mileage Report

This has definitely been a rough running week. And why does that always seem to happen on a week when I need the running the most? I've been short on patience, the kids have been long on energy, and I've got a huge to do list going.

I did run my virtual run with Chandra on Wednesday and got to Skype afterward to "see" her...and even better? I actually got to spend part of this weekend with her! She is in Texas visiting her parents and was willing to drive to Dallas to meet up with us.

We got to the hotel Friday afternoon before she did and took the kids swimming. Our hotel was on the airport, so the kids were able to watch airplanes taking off and landing from our room and while we swam in the rooftop pool. It was pretty cool! Chandra didn't get in until late, but it gave us all day today to spend together. We had Dunkin' Donuts before heading to the Museum of Nature and Science at Fair Park. It has a great area for the younger kids, and it was really fun watching the kids play with each other. My parents were even able to drive down to meet us...luckily, my mom had her camera because I totally forgot mine! I'll post some pictures when I get them from her.

It was so good to see her this weekend...made me ready to buckle down for our half marathon training! We have just under 6 months to go!

Anyway, the running may not be going well right now, but I have decided that just like everything else, there are seasons or phases. I'm in a season of slow right now. That will change, but until it does, I'm going to just keep plodding along.

Mileage Report
Weekly: 10.1 miles
YTD: 362.3 miles

I've got one more core workout to fit in today, but I'm done for the week. With Father's Day meals tomorrow, that's about all I can fit in.

Moms Run This Town Virtual Insanity 5K: SpiBelt's Stuff It and Run

Today, my virtual running buddy Chandra and I completed our 5K for the Moms Run This Town Virtual Insanity 5K: SpiBelt's Stuff It and Run. It's a free virtual 5K, meaning you sign up and run your 5K when you want, where you want and as fast (or slow) as you want. There are prizes that will be drawn at random, so speed is not an issue...thank goodness!

I actually had that nervous night-before-a-race feeling last night and popped out of bed ready to go this morning. I headed out at what felt like a pretty good clip. I had on my Garmin, but I didn't want to focus on how much farther I had to go. I ended up with a 30:34. I know that's not bad, but I was on track to hit a 25:xx not too long ago. I don't know what happened to my speed. Apparently, it ran off and left me. Still, the run felt faster and better than a few of my recent ones, so it's ok. I've accepted that I might be in a "slow season" and that this too shall pass.

Here I am right after my run...I'm not so great with the self-portraits.

The coolest part of the run was that I knew that my BFF Chandra was up and running at the exact same time, just a couple hundred miles away. Usually, she's about 1500 miles away, but we're actually in the same state for once since she's visiting her parents. I actually get to see her Saturday, but we were able to "meet up" via Skype right after our run today. Cool, huh?

And you can't tell it from the screenshot, but we're wearing the same shirt in different colors...our "One Bad Mother Runner" shirts from One More Mile. I will say, the green shows sweat a lot more than my pinkish red one. I even tried out my OMM skirt. I liked it. The shorts underneath are a tad bit shorter than I'd like, and they don't have any gripping material at the hemline to help keep them down. However, they didn't ride up too much. I think I can wear it for shorter runs. And I'll definitely wear it around town...I like the way it fits and looks. 

Is it possible to die from crunches and pushups?

Are you sure?

I only did two workouts last week, but it's Monday and I'm anal like that, so I moved up to the next week in the crunch and pushup challenges.

Crunches, W4D1: 184 (32/38/32/32/50)
Pushups, W2D1: 24 (4/6/4/4/6)

Definitely stronger on the crunches than the pushups...sad, in a way, because I was really hoping the crunches would help whittle my waist a little. I don't think that's happening.

I've got to get this eating healthy thing figured out. I just can't seem to control the afternoon snack attack.

Getting the job done

You ever have one of those runs? You know, the one that isn't pretty, isn't fun, but it gets the job done? That was tonight for me.

My husband has been out of town since yesterday morning, so I haven't run since Wednesday. I know that's not a long time for him to be gone, but last night, I did not sleep well without him here. He'll be coming in in the 3 to 4 a.m. range in the morning, so I know he'll need some sleep. And I can guarantee that if I head out the door at 6 for my normal long run, the kids will be screaming at 6:15 and he won't get any sleep. So...when you add the two things together (that I don't sleep well without him here and the possibility of me not getting to run tomorrow at all), I figured tonight was a good a time as any.

Famous last words.

That run had so many things stacked against me:
1. no clean running clothes...easily solved...run in the dirty ones
2. I can't run outside when there are sleeping children inside, so the treadmill in the garage was it
3. the garage is H-O-T-HOT! I even ran inside and grabbed another fan. It didn't help. Not one bit.
4. my iPod is dead...so I thought I'd watch TV
5. I couldn't get the TV remote to change the channels...so I watched Leno
6. running to Leno isn't fun (although the stupid human tricks made me grin and forget I was running)
7. I thought I'd try G2 while I ran since I knew I'd be sweating profusely (understatement of the year)...but it didn't fit in the cup holder, so I kept having to catch it when it slipped
8. I was paranoid that the kids would wake up and I wouldn't hear them and they wouldn't know where I was and would freak out
9. I wanted to go 6 miles, but...
10. Did I mention it was hot? I haven't been this red-faced since my beginning running days

But, here's the deal...the run may have stunk to high heaven (and no, I'm not referring to my sweating here), but the deal is...I did it! I got the job done! When it didn't look like a run would be a good idea tomorrow, I could have just thrown in the towel and skipped it. When the circumstances of the run weren't ideal, I could have wimped out. But I didn't!

Of course, while I was running I realized that I didn't do my crunch/pushup challenge workout for the day, so guess what I did when I came in....yep, I did it too!

Crunches: W3D2, 156 crunches
Pushups: W1D2, 17 pushups

And since I'm done running for the week, here's my weekly miles:
Weekly: 14 miles
YTD: 351.2 miles

I'm officially more than halfway to my goal of 1100km in 2011 (or 683 miles).

Egg McMuffins

After the kids both tried to eat my Egg McMuffin a couple of days ago, I thought I'd try making my own. I thought it was really good...the verdict is still out on what the kids think.

Here's what I did...

1. Spray ramekins with nonstick spray. Crack an egg into each one. Then use a fork to break the yolk. You don't have to stir it up, just kind of spread it out a little.
2. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and place in the oven on 350 for about 15 minutes. I kept checking on mine, so it took a little longer.
3. While the eggs are cooking, toast up some whole grain English muffins.
4. Top the muffins with a slice of cheese and a slice or two of Canadian bacon.
5. Once the eggs are set, remove them from the oven. Run a knife around the edge so the eggs will slide out cleanly. Place on top of the cheese, and sandwich the two sides together.

It was easy, and the good thing is you can make as many or few of these as you need.

So, it's been a while...

I have two blogs. One is for my running. And this one is for things related to my home and children. Running makes me a better me so that I can do the things around the house and with the kids without too much screaming. But having two blogs makes me feel like I have a split personality or alter ego. I haven't figured out how to rectify that, so here's a random post for this side of me.

Today, food is on my mind. Specifically, I'm thinking about trying to eat healthier. It's summer, and I'm home with the kids. It's so easy to eat out, especially when we're busy, busy,  but I'm really going to try and eat at home for the majority of our meals. It's expensive either way, to be honest, but I know it's not as expensive to eat at home.

One of the best things I've found lately are rolls of turkey meat. They have the plain turkey, taco seasoned, Italian seasoned and breakfast sausage. They are cheaper than ground beef and they're really good.

 We've used the Italian flavor for make-your-own pizza and for a baked pasta dish.

We've used the taco one for nachos and tacos (duh, right?), but it would be really good for a taco ring.

I've got black beans soaking right now to go in the crockpot this evening. I'm going to use them in a huevos rancheros cups recipe I saw on Melissa D'Arabian's 10 Dollar Dinners  recently. I'll freeze the rest to use later in other recipes (maybe a black bean burger?).

I've got a few new recipes planned for this week. I'll try to post those later.

Thinking ahead

Tomorrow will be my first workout day of the crunch and pushup challenge I'm starting this week.

I'll do the following workouts (see how I put this in writing...more likely to do it, I'm hoping):

Crunches (Week 3)
Set 1: 21
Set 2: 27
Set 3: 21
Set 4: 21
Set 5: Max (minimum 30)

Pushups (Week 1)
Set 1: 2
Set 2: 3
Set 3: 2
Set 4: 2
Set 5: Max (minimum 3)

We'll see how this goes. My abs have been sore all day today after the initial test yesterday. I know I need to add in a "real" strength training program, but this is a start.

New Season, New Challenge

So, this is my first real week of summer since I had so much school stuff going on last week. And I'm finally going to start a challenge I saw online a while back. Actually, I'm going to do two different challenges. The first is the 200 Crunch Challenge (yes, the website says situps, but then goes on to say they use crunches), and the second is the 100 Pushup Challenge. I figure this will at least jump start my core strenthening plan.

For both of these challenges, you complete an initial test just to see how many of each exercise you can currently do. So...my starting numbers for the Crunch Challenge is 100 (oh, yes, really!).

Ok, so I'm pleased with the number of crunches I can do. I'm attributing this to the fact that I run, and while I don't focus on my core enough, running does seem to keep it stronger than if I wasn't running.

But my pushups? My starting number is just 5. Man, I am weak!

But, that's the point. I am going to follow the plan to get to 200 crunches and 100 pushups, hopefully by the end of summer.

I'm in the Excellent category for crunches, so I'll actually be starting at Week 3 of the plan. That means 3 "workouts" this week of 5 sets of 20+ crunches (depending on the day).

I'm in the lowest rank possible. Luckily, they didn't name these like they did the crunches. I'm afraid it would say something like "Weakling" or "How Pathetic." I'll be starting with 5 sets of 2-5 crunches. We'll see.

My plan is to start the workouts on Wednesday. I'll fit in Wednesday/Friday/Sunday workouts this week and switch to Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday the next week.

Across the Miles

Because I know she likes to get up in the morning and check my blog to see if I’ve written anything, thispost is all about my BFF Chandra.

See, here’s the deal. Chandra and I met during freshmen orientation week at Angelo State University in San Angelo, TX (almost 14 years ago…yikes! When did that happen?!). I was a good 4 ½ hours from home, which is saying a lot, because even then, I was the biggest homebody ever. My roommate and I were headed out to one of the events they had planned for us, and out of the room at the end of the hall came Chandra and her roommate. And that, my friends, was that. We’ve been fast friends ever since. We even lived together in an apartment for a while, until I painfully made the decision to return home after 2 years in San Angelo. Oh, she's going to kill me for this one, but look what I found:

But our friendship survived the miles between us. Chandra was in my wedding in 2002, and my husband, daughter, parents and I flew out to Lake Tahoe so I could be in hers 2006. Chandra has lived in Nebraska, California and now Montana, but that hasn’t kept us from being the best of friends.

We don’t get to see each other nearly as much as we’d like, but we do keep up through phone calls, emails, and Facebook.

And while I don’t know her whole “running story,” I do know that she has fallen in love with the sport since the birth of her second daughter this past spring. And it’s just one more connection for us. We’re able to bounce ideas off of each other, commiserate the latest aches and pains, and celebrate our accomplishments together. We keep up with each other’s running life through DailyMile as well where we can motivate and encourage each other through our various workouts and runs.

We both follow the Run Like a Mother/Another Mother Runner blog and Facebook page, another tie that connects us. I think I recommended the book to her and now we're both Mother Runners :)

We’ve been virtual run or race buddies a couple of times now, knowing that the other was running the same day. It’s kind of cool that we can send out those running vibes to each other. I know I was sending them out to her during one of her recent races. I love this picture of her (and I hope she doesn't kill me for posting it!). This one is from a Race for the Cure:

We’re planning on being race partners in a couple of weeks for the Insanity Virtual 5K, part of the virtual race series being put on by Moms RUN This Town. Of course, "race partners" is relative in our case. She’ll be in my time zone for once (but not close enough for us to meet up), so we’ll actually run a 5K at the same time, just miles apart! How cool is that?!

But, the pinnacle of our virtual running will be in December when we meet up in Las Vegas to run the Rock’N’Roll Half Marathon down the Strip at night together! It’s going to be amazing! It will be Chandra's first half marathon and my second. These virtual running buddies can't wait to cross that finish line together! And when that happens, I'll post the picture of us running together!

One More Mile

I first got a shirt from One More Mile as an encouragement gift during a rough week of my half marathon training from my parents. It said "13.1...'cause I am only half crazy." And here it is...

I was afraid to wear it until after I'd actually run that distance (didn't want to jinx anything), and because it was a tank, it worked out better to wait anyway. But once I did? I loved it! It fits perfectly, snug enough to stay put but loose enough to stay cool. The fabric breathes really nicely as well. You can see me wearing this top here:

Ok, so you can barely see me, but I'm in the white visor toward the center of the picture. I don't know why I didn't take pictures at this race. Well, I know why I didn't take them afterwards since I didn't meet my time goal, but you would think I'd have taken one beforehand.

So, when OMM offered a Running Day discount this past Wednesday, I took advantage of it. I had a really hard time choosing from all of their slogans...it was a toss-up between "Running is a mental sport, and we are all insane" and "It's funner with a runner" (funny because I'm an English teacher). I knew I wanted a non-race connected one to train in, but there are tons of great ones for races..."If you see me collapse, pause my Garmin" or "Dear God, Please let there be someone behind me to read this" and those are just a couple of them!

I finally decided on a green tank that says One Bad Mother Runner. I also decided to give their running skirt a try. At $29 before the discount, it was worth a try. I'm picky about my skirts, especially the short length underneath, but I thought at that price, I could wear it around town this summer, if nothing else.

One neat thing about getting new stuff in the mail is that it comes like this: 

And here's what was inside those sweetly wrapped gifts (with a magnet attached and a personal thank you)...

My picture doesn't do them justice! The green is a much brighter green.

I tried them on...the shirt, as expected, fits perfectly. I love the way the skirt fits...it's light and airy and I love the velcro pockets on both sides. I'll have to give it a test run soon to give you a real verdict on the skirt though. I think I'll wear it for my Insanity Virtual 5K later this week :)

Moms Run This Town Virtual 5K

While I'm not new to the idea of a virtual run, I'm really liking this one! It's a ladies-only virtual 5K, meaning you can run where you want, when you want (and as fast...or slow...as you want). It's being hosted by Moms RUN This Town. And it's free!

It's so easy. Just head to their website, and register for the Virtual Insanity 5K. They'll email you a nifty bib you can print on your own. When you complete your 5K, just go back to the website and click on the Finisher's link. They are doing one a month...what a great way to stay motivated during the summer!

And...there are prizes! This month's includes a SPIbelt (which I love!) and a few other great prizes.

You and also find this group on Facebook and can even earn more entries to the giveaways by sharing about the Virtual Insanity 5K on your page...just be sure to include @Moms RUN This Town in your post.

Saturday

Well, that long run ended up not being so long. I made 2.5 and walked the rest of the way home. I had wanted to do 6 so that my weekly total would be 20, but I could not convince myself to get out of bed early. In fact, I had convinced myself I didn't need to run at all. But then I got up...and heard the birds chirping...and saw the sunlight coming in...and I got myself out the door before the kids could wake up. I put on my socks, shoes, hat, SPIbelt and Garmin on the porch and ate my banana as I started off down the street. The run was hard, but I really enjoyed walking home...I needed that!

I tried Pink Lemonade nuun this morning in my water bottle based on its rave reviews from RLAM. I picked up a tube of them at Luke's Locker in Dallas Thursday evening. I made it to the store with just 15 minutes to spare, but they were nice enough to work with me anyway to get me a new pair of running shoes. I've been in my current Asics for about 10 months. The first few months they shared the running duty with my Saucony pair, but from January to now, they have been my only shoes (and I know that they have 300+ miles just since then). Since I wasn't just crazy about my Asics when I first got them, I really thought I'd walk away with some other brand. And while I really liked a pair of Brooks I tried on, the arch support felt awkward on my right foot. So...I ended up with these, the Asics Gel-Cumulus 13:

I gave them a test run this morning. My right third and fourth toes went to sleep, but I think I need to work on the lacing of the shoes. Just like my others, I'm sure once they are broken in, they'll be my faves.

I put in a lot of miles this week. I had 5+ Monday and then again Wednesday for National Running Day. I posted a picture of myself post-run on the NRD Facebook page and won a Headsweats hat! I have no idea exactly which hat I won, but I'm excited anyway. It doesn't take much, does it?

Then Thursday I had to travel to Dallas for work stuff, so I hit the treadmill for 3 more miles while I was waiting for rush hour traffic to calm down enough for me to venture to Luke's (hence why I barely made it in time).

I've been having a weird crampish-like feeling in my calves. It all started a couple of weeks ago when a charlie horse woke me up in the middle of the night and stayed with me all day. Since then, I have what feels like the beginnings of a charlie horse a lot of the time. I'm taking my magnesium and eating bananas for potassium, even drinking a G2 every once in a while. It's like my muscles are fatigued. I'm going to work on them with the Stick later and see if that helps.

So, the mileage report:
Weekly: 17.3 miles
YTD: 337.2 miles

Maybe I'll hop on the treadmill for 3 or 4 this evening to put me at 20 for the week and almost halfway for the year :)

It's summer!

Since I had a meeting yesterday at school, today is my first "real" day of summer! And it's wonderful for so many reasons.

1. It's National Running Day today, and I ran 5 miles outside before Chad had to leave for work.

And I'm wearing a few of my favorite things...my new Super Mom BondiBand, my favorite running shirt from One More Mile, and even though you can't see them, my Garmin and my Road ID.

A lot of places are giving out good deals for National Running Day today. I know that you can use the code RUC1326 for 15% off One More Mile. I love their shirts...the fabric is light and airy and their sayings are awesome!

I definitely felt like Super Mom when I returned, and not just because I ran 5 miles. I came in to find my little guy getting up for the morning, so I got him settled with breakfast and Sprout. Then I folded a load of laundry and took out all the trashes, including pulling the trash to the curb. A mom's job is never done :)

The run itself was good...overcast skies, not too hot (but it was still hot), and outside! I was slow, but that's ok. I haven't been eating or hydrating well or taking care of my IT bands. It's not an excuse, just an admitting of my mistakes here lately.

2. I registered for my second half marathon, the Rock'n'Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon yesterday morning, if you could call it morning yet. My son woke me up at 1:20 that morning, so I stayed up to register at 2 a.m. our time. It was cool because I was able to Facebook chat with my friend Chandra who was also up to register for the race. She and I will be meeting up in Vegas to run our first race together!

3. We finished our first t-ball season for our daugther last night. It was a long season, but I think she enjoyed the experience. Poor thing was a magnet for the balls and got hit in several games, including last night's. But she's a tough girl and after a few tears, she got right back to playing ball.

We also enjoyed some time after the trophy presentations with good friends, pizza and a swimming pool (and a Mavs game on TV). It was really nice to be able to kick back and relax, but that's summer, right?

4. Did I mention it's summer? My son is playing the Wii, my daughter is coloring and making me pictures...life is good. The house is a wreck, but life is good :)

5. I got to try out my new Running II WrightSock that I won from Running Diva Mom's blog a few weeks ago. I've worn a different WrightSock for a while now (since before the 3-Day) and love them. Of course, this morning was more of a need since all my others were in the wash. I love this style even more! It still has the double layer but doesn't feel as heavy or thick. Plus, the ankle is a little lower than my other ones. Defintely worth a try!