I kicked this week's booty...but not food-wise!

     Okay, so I have not completed my training for the week yet, but I just want to say that I am pretty pumped up and ready to rock this training program. Again, I am using the Hal Higdon Intermediate training program. For more information, or to look at the different Higdon training plans, please visit: 
Hal Higdon rocks my socks! <<<Click here
     Anyway, the strange thing about this running program is that it skips both interval and tempo training. I don't know if this is a good or a bad thing, but I loved interval training throughout both of my half marathons. I think I am going to mix it in once a week, or even every other week instead of a short run. I think it would be more effective if I did it every week though, if I want to get faster...but I have discovered something very obvious this week:
If I want to race faster, I have to become uncomfortable in my training! Go figure. Who would have thought!? :) And so, for the past few days these were my average paces for each of my runs:
3 mile run: 7:52 min/mi
5 mile run: 8:15 min/mi
3 mile run: 8:15 min/mi

I am already getting a little faster, and I am getting to be somewhat consistent. I think I was at a 7:59 min/mi average a couple of different runs last week, but if I can see a seven something once each week, I would be absolutely fine with that.

I am trying to eat healthier, but that has been the constant battle my whole life. I probably do not eat as bad as most people, but I expect more from myself for some reason, although I have never been the perfect eater. I think the problem is my self-control (I have none), and I get disappointed in myself if I eat too many sweets, or large portions.

Being a teacher is hard I have realized when it comes to having to turn away sweets. When any student has a birthday, they bring treats and they are usually HOMEMADE. I know, the hardest treats in the world to resist. It isn't just that my students bring treats, but all of the students in our building come around and offer goodies for their birthdays. So in a year, you would have to turn down a great many treats! Don't get me wrong, I do turn down some of them, but not all. Sometimes I just take the treat, and once they leave I  take a bite and throw the rest in the trash...that should count for something, right?

It is also a constant struggle when the people you live with eat differently than you do. There are temptations everywhere, and with very little self-control...I'm sunk! 

Anyway, I would like to eat better. I just want to be HEALTHIER. I want to establish BETTER eating habits. I see a new goal for February...

We have a five miler on Saturday, and eight miles on Sunday! Looking forward to it. 

“You only ever grow as a human being if you’re outside your comfort zone.” -Percy Cerutty

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<One of my favorite running songs!

and I run...

Well, it feels like it has been a while since I last posted. 
I have been running...but I can't wait to get back into MARATHON training. It has been hard without a set schedule (as usual). 
Last weekend, I only logged in ten miles (four Saturday & six Sunday). I was able to run in my hometown on both days. It is a lot flatter in My hometown than it is in Albuquerque, so I was speedy. I think I am getting faster, and it is great to see those faster times on my Garmin watch. 

Recent Times: Sunday 6.08 miles 8:18/mi

Saturday: 4.01 miles 8:29/mi

January 16th: 3.01 miles 7:59/mi

January 15th: 4.01 miles 7:59/mi

January 13th: 5.01 miles 8:18/mi :) 

My husband's family have been here for the last few weekends working on our house...so he has been unable to workout consistently (since he is helping). However, since I am not very handy with tools, I am able to still get my runs in, and I noticed that even without him I am keeping it consistent (GO ME!). 
Tonight I am going to change it up a bit and go to Hot Yoga. My friend told me about a Living Social deal, and I decided that I needed to stretch more often, so I went for it. We will see how nice it truly is. I haven't done any type of yoga in a year and half, and supposedly yoga is a good thing for runners...so we shall see. If all goes well, I will continue going once a week, just so I make sure I am aligned in all of the necessary places. :) I will let you know. 
We start training again on Monday, and I cannot wait. We already did a week of training, when our schedule got pushed back a few weeks. I am ready to go strong again. 

#runner #irun #workhardtrainhard #runner +Stephanie Miers 

How do you feel about running with your significant other? ;)

Last week was an amazing first week back. I think I ran harder and faster than I have in the past because I had my husband by my side.

 What do you all think...is it hard to run with your significant other? Do you get frustrated easily with one another when you are running? I know we do, but I think that it actually ends up making me push harder. It will make our relationship stronger, I just know it (well I hope, at least). My BFF Steph and I are closer than ever because of running, so how could Conrad and I not bond throughout the process ;) I will definitely keep you updated with this whole thing, but if anyone reading feels the same way I want to know! Don't be shy. 

Anyway, we had a little bit of bad news this week. Stephanie's boyfriend, Jalen, had something come up on the day that we were supposed to run the marathon, SO change of plans! We will now be running the Newport Marathon on May 31, 2014. Exciting, right? I read GREAT reviews, and we are all determined to do it in better than four hours. It is supposed to be a fast course, so we will see. 

We did a lot of running last week that ended up totaling 24 miles. Monday-Crosstrain, Tuesday-3, Wednesday-5, Thursday-3, Friday-Rest, Saturday-5pace, and Sunday-8 miles! I would say that my favorite run was on Thursday. It was memorable because for the first time training, I maintained an average pace of 7:40. I never usually push myself that hard when I am training, and it felt good. When your body does things that you don't expect, it is really motivational because you learn more about yourself and your body that you never knew before... and then you gain more confidence and have more faith in yourself. I <3 running! 

Running in the Bosque was tough this week. I don't know if it was because I wasn't ready for the eight miles, if the weather just sucked, or a combination between the two...but wow. The first four miles were a piece of cake, and my husband and I were trying to maintain an 8:30min/mi pace. I told him at one point that I could run like that forever! Then came the turn around, and it was awful. I guess a reason why I felt so great was because the wind was helping me go...but on the way back it was against us, and the gusts were horrible. It was making me so mad. I was trying to tell myself to get over it, but it was tough.

I see all of these amazing women on Instagram and they push through much more than I do, and go out in much colder weather. I really and truly find myself motivated by other people who are stronger than I am. Other people have stories much more amazing than I do, and I want to hear them. I see them and think, "If they can do it, why can't I?" So then it just inspires me to run harder or longer...or those are the people I think of when the wind is blowing against me, and I think I cannot go another step.