Getting Back Into The Routine!

As Thanksgiving approaches, I am so very excited to feel like my running and fitness is coming back to me again. I am getting the sleep, the nutrition, and the volume of training I have missed in the past few weeks.  Today, the weather was in the 20's and 30's as I was blessed with wearing my first pair of long tights on a run for this year. I love winter running!  When everyone is inside fretting about the cold, I am out on the roads and trails bettering myself.  I love the challenge winter poses and I love the real tranquility of running as the sun goes down and all that seems alive are the very breaths coming from my lungs.  77 Minutes of running!

I really am interested in snow-shoe racing and I have a feeling I could be insane at the sport. Last winter, I averaged 5:35 miles for a 5k at my GMC high school course where  I ran through 6 inches of snow and for a mile and a half I ran through 3 feet of snow and still managed a fast pace. If I could do that without snowshoes, just imagine what will happen once I get those bad boys on.

I really do hope to live somewhere that I can run up ski slopes in the summer to build ascent endurance and in the winter take Ashlee out onto the trails with snow shoes where we can frolic in the woods and enjoy being alive.  I have learned that Oklahoma is a great place to live but it does not provide enough opportunities for work and for a recreation base of activity that Ashlee and myself really deep down desire.  We are both working hard and I am excited for the future.

AND THANKSGIVING!


Friday---63 min run in Sutton Wilderness

Saturday---Night Run of 82 minutes out along OU campus and into Trails Golf Course!  Nice serene run and felt good considering all the work hours I have put in!

To Begin A New Week!!!

Monday---Run TO Bank and then  Westheimer Airport off towards Rock Creek Road and then back home!---83 minutes of action and 13 miles


Tues--Run TO the The Post Office and back--42 minutes 7 miles in AM

PM---35 minutes of running and 5.7 miles in which equates to about 12.7 miles of running.

Wednesday---Long 2 hour and 20 miles of running out on hills off of CEdar Lane!!!!!! It was cold and windy and I ran like a really champion and now must recover with a chocolate chip muffin!!!

PineCone Classic Backwoods 5k!!!!!!

Today was race day and it was super exciting to have Steven Pyle with me at the race. That man ran like a champion today running a nice 17:13 effort which is awesome!  The race a cold with temps thanks to a nice 25-30 mph windchill in the 40's so I debuted my arm coolers from Pearl Izumi that I bought for the Mount Washington Road Race.  Those arm coolers/warmers are awesome. They keep you warm but also can help ventilate so for those brisk mornings help to regulate your body temp.  The 5k is a very fun low-key race with no bibs or time chips but has a lead bike and a very great traffic-controlled course.  I just went out for a 5k run and my pace was nice and easy. I felt like I was running a decent clip but then began picking it up after 9 minutes in to ensure I was running my best.  I love this race because they give out an awesome goody bag with running gels, key rings, an 80 dollar gift certificate and a 3 month personal training pass for the winner which is AMAZING for a nice low-key 5k... I hope this race in Norman continues to grow in popularity and can help this store out!

With all the working and lacking in distance training, I have been doubtful of what I could do. Today, I pieced together a nice 14:56 winning effort which was 5 seconds shy of last year's time but was solid.  This race gives me tons of confidence for the winter and spring racing season as I hope to string together some hard efforts of winter running (my favorite) before the big OKC marathon.  I feel like I am back to normal again and my spirits for running have been lifted. The sky's are the limit and only time will tell where my running can take me.

Photos courtesy of Backwoods.com

Fall Dirty Bird Run!

1 Hour and 21 minutes of a nice hilly Lake Thunderbird Run. It felt sooooo nice to run in the peace and quiet of the park. Hit the beach front and ran along the shoreline for a solid 2 miles before heading back through single-track trails and the hilly park road! I am ready to run a fast 5k.  Right now I am working every single day of the week for the most part and have not much free time. It can be hard to run and even shave my face anymore. I have been wanting to take Ashlee out to eat and maybe a movie or something like laser tag but since my work schedule is booked, I cannot do so.  It really sucks having to work an insane amount just to be able to put back a couple 100 dollars for graduate school. I find life a challenge just to progress. SO many people stay stagnant in their lives that it angers me when I feel like I am not continually improving my condition. It is just like with running,  I always would like to see improvements and it has been tough but I know that all this hard work will pay off at one time or another.


Friday---Simple taper run of 70 minutes out towards highway 9. Ran real easy as the sun was going down already at 5pm. Time to recover and gear up for the PINECONE 5k.  Thank you Backwoods for sponsoring the race and for providing awesome gear for entering!

Run To Belmar...Run Back Home!!!

Yesterday I ran to work at Belmar.  It was a nice cool morning and I felt like an ultra runner who decided to load up all of their belongings and to run wild out in the world.  I woke up at 6am and then shot out the door at an early 6:15.  I carried a gym sack on my back with my work clothes inside and ran.  It was soooo much fun. I jumped on Sooner Road and just began to roll with the steep uphills and downhills.  It was a roller-coaster run and before I knew it, I was 36 minutes in and I had one more mile to go.  I felt so smooth as all the cars heading to work must have thought  I was a looney.  I arrived at Belmar at 6:54 where my watch read 42 minutes. I had averaged mid to high 6 minute pace with a bag flopping around. Not too bad. Then I worked at the golf course which was a great cold day where the sunshine brought golfers out to play. It was grrrreeeeaaaattt! Then when work was over with, I packed up my belongings again like I did in the morning and ran back home. I made the crucial mistake of packing only cold gear so running in tights and a jacket in 60 degree weather made me pretty darn sweaty. I was so sweaty that all I could think of is running in a desert on the verge of passing out. I made it home in 41 minutes and never felt so relieved to have run 14 plus miles!  A great day. I then was blessed with time with Ashlee running errands and just having fun.  It was a much needed great day and I am so  happy to have such a wonderful and supportive family.

36 hours awake!!!!---No RUnning!!!

Running as of late has taken the back-seat in my life and it does anger me. I have started a new job and I have been working numerous 14 hour days where my running is broken up or I skip running all together!

It was crazy. I stayed up all night long and then worked from 5:30am-3pm. I just got back from running at Cedar Lane in the dark for a nice 71 minute run. The lungs and chest feel heavy so I took it easy. I am needing some sleep and hopefully I can regroup for Saturday's Pinecone Classic 5k where I look to beat 14:51.  I love running and all this working has compromised what I love most.  I am never home and I miss out on working out and with spending time with Ashlee. Graduate school emails have suffered too and I really need to gather myself.  This month is the final leg of the journey before I can work and save up and focus on the next chapter in my busy life.

I hope that wherever Ashlee and myself end up, we will be in a place with mountains and plenty of outdoor fun. And most importantly, we can be happy and really enjoy our lives together and not become mechanisms of society.


Sunday run of 70 minutes in the dark as I ran by Ingels Vineyard. I am just trying to get back into feeling well-rested and in shape to run fast!

Monday---Long Day at the coffee shop and then a run to the bank!  Total time out...1 hour and 13 minutes and run time of 65  minutes for a nice 10 miles. I have run 21 miles as of this week of training and will look to add some more mileage at the end with a nice 5k.  I have been so busy lately that my running blog has suffered immensely but I am optimistic that I will be able to get back on track with running and refueling! The weather looks like there might be huge rainstorms or tornadoes! First earthquakes now Tornadoes...Lovely!

Lets the Games Begin!

Tuesday--No Run except at work....3 miles of running around plus more walking~~~~maybe 5 miles of effort!  I have begun my other job at Embassy Suites and I will find that running will be very structured on some days.


Wednesday-----1 hour and 30 mins on Alameda with a car accident! Witnessed a car accident and tons of wind. A nice run with the hills!

Thursday---66 minute run at 6 min pace through wind all in Moore at Belmar. It was a nice fun run! Cold and Windy....Whooosh!