Bitching Running Update

So V started football camp this week…he is drop dead tired in a way I have never seen him. Good stuff..I LOVE to see my children physically exhausted…good for the soul to go to empty. Speaking of empty…my gas tank is empty…and not just the one in my car. I scratched my long run on Saturday…something I haven’t done in over a year. I just couldn’t talk myself into it..did you hear that? I’m having to talk myself into running. Not sure where this funk is coming from…. I did end up doing a 1.5 hour Tae-bo DVD instead and could barely move for the next 3 days. Scratched my Monday weight lifting due to that fact. I’ve said it before and stand by it….I am less tired after a 15 mile run then after an hours worth of Tae-bo.



I did get a run in on Sunday. It just ended up being Bruce, V and I. I didn’t have a good time…I was just pissy…and bitchy…just not feeling it.


But..Tuesday morning..after ALMOST talking myself out of it and going back to bed….I got on my gear…grabbed my Brian and off we went. It wasn’t one of ‘those’ runs….those really good ones….but it was ok. I ran on the trail across the highway….and as I was bopping along I see a big fat skunk waddle onto the path. I stopped…but could see a biker coming in the distance….so I yell ‘DUDE!!!! SKUNK!’ and he came to a screeching halt. And we all sat there until that fat little bastard waddled on his way. In spite of that…I not only stayed sub-10…but sub-9:30. How bout that?


I did manage to hit the weights yesterday morning and again this week I had to adjust my long run day to today instead of Saturday…seeing as I have to put in a few hours at work. So I got up early to be able to get those 8 miles in before Skip had to head out…and for the first time in weeks…those 8 miles turned into 10 miles at a 10:06 average pace. I miss distance…and it was good to be able to go a little longer and still maintain a decent pace. This was Brian’s first 10 mile run…he held up nicely..little shit.


It’s been over a month since my *bitching running* post and my update is as follows. I can now consistently and with considerably less pain maintain sub-10 minute miles on my short runs *6 miles and under*..and those sub-10s are turning into sub-9:30’s. I would like to shove that number closer to 9 minutes…and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to..hopefully by fall. I would like my long run pace to be around 10 minute miles…give or take. My marathon training goal is for 10 minute miles for my long runs…so by the time I start actual training..I want to be able to hit that pace consistently for at least 13 miles.


Here are my July stats.


7/1    5 mile run/9:17 pace


7/3    8.5 mile run/10:10 pace


7/6   5 mile run/9:23 pace


7/8   8 mile run/9:56 pace


7/10   5.2 mile run/9:52 pace


7/13   5 mile run/9:53 pace


7/15   8.1 mile run/10:04 pace


7/17   5.5 mile run/9:35 pace


7/20   5.1 mile run/9:29 pace


7/22   6 mile run/9:33 pace


7/27   5.3 mile run/9:18 pace


7/29   10 mile run/10:06 pace


Now I didn’t count my running that I do on Sundays with my brothers because it’s so slow right now…but just look at that shit…all from deciding…not training…to run faster. The *speed* training didn’t do shit but make me tired and piss me off because I didn’t see any results.


Now my question is…why? Actually..I don’t care…I’m just glad it’s happening.


I hope everyone is having a wonderful week…..and what’s working for you this week?

Keyes Lake 2010

So I’m alive….sort of. Been busy….recovering from vacation and all that. Florence, WI was lovely…quaint and small and just right. The campground was a bit over 4 miles out of town and perfect…exactly what we wanted. We spent four days in a part of the state that didn’t even look like the Wisconsin I know. We drove out even farther on one of the days to see two different waterfalls. These ‘roads’ that led to them were something else. Let’s just say that the underside of my Charger will never be the same.

V and Lil T on a rowboat.

This is how Skip spent much of the trip.

Kiss the fish Tinky.

V and Dom near the falls.

There was actually a fully functioning phone booth in Florence...and I stuffed my entire family into it and took their picture.  Can anyone say Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure?

I still did my running….I don’t stop for much of anything it seems. I did my ‘long’ run on Thursday the morning after we got there. Let me just say that this is terrain I am not used to….very hilly….very unlike Racine. But I almost hit my sub-10s and I was happy with that. I did my second run on Saturday morning and clocked my very and I mean VERY first sub-9 minute mile…couldn’t believe it. Maybe northern Wisconsin agrees with me.


I ran with both my brothers and V again on Sunday morning. They’re doing amazingly well..not that I’m surprised….but I think they are. I know Paul logged some other miles this week….not sure about Bruce though.

Check this out..makes me look like I still have cleavage!

In shoe news….if you recall…I bought the insurance the last time I purchased shoes which was in February. I replaced them once already at no cost to me…and I sent my current pair in to be replaced today. Now I just have to hope that back-up pair will hold up for the next 10 days of so till my Dicks card come in the mail and I can hop my happy ass over there and get a new pair. Hmmm…do I go with my ASICS or try the unknown.


So the big weekend plan is an either 8 or 9 mile run in the AM at a 10 minute or less pace. Then onto school supply shopping. Three kids, three different schools….Lord help me. Hope everyone else has an equally entertaining weekend!

Sucky Summer Running

I’ll take sub zero temperatures to run in over this garbage any day of the week. What a disgusting mess…yuk. I left work an hour early because…well…this morning…the run just wasn’t happening. Which is weird in itself because usually…regardless of how little I’ve slept…and folks…that can be darn little…I can usually pull myself out of bed and run. But this morning…not so much. Anyways…I changed into running clothes and left work an hour early to make up for my morning sloth. It was ugly, nasty and hot. And Lake Andrea has NO shade to make it better. But but but!!! I was still able to maintain a pace of under 10 minute miles…I’m really getting there I think…even if it was a crazy struggle today.



So in the morning…Skip and I are packing up the offspring and heading up to Florence, WI for a 4 day camping trip that I’m sure we’ll regret. And when I say camping…I mean the most rustic of camping..as in I rented a freakin air conditioned cabin and told the kids they could pitch a tent outside if they wanted. It’s on a beautiful lake and hopefully they’ll have good places to run. I’m thinking of swapping out my long run day again this week. Not sure what to do now though because I’ve now maintained the sub 10’s for the whole 8 miles. Do I increase the mileage and lower the pace slightly? Or keep doing the 8 miles at sub 10’s till it doesn’t suck anymore. Thoughts?


Anyways….I don’t think the place has WiFi so I’m outta here till Sunday or so. Hope everyone has a great week and sending out big kisses to the Tahoe area for no reason at all.

4 Miles w/ the boys

How lucky am I to be responsible for populating the world with more runners?



I picked up Paul and Bruce this morning and we headed down to the lake. I also drug poor V out of bed and Brian as well. It was a beautiful morning…not too hot..not too cold.


Paul put in a bit of time during the week on the treadmill at his gym…Bruce..not so much. We did 4 miles today and rocked 3 minute runs with 2 minute walk recoveries. Our time was 1 hour 30 seconds for the 4 miles. I think next week we’ll only run the 5K but work on upping our running times. Told them both that these Sundays will go a lot easier if they put in some time during the week. It should only take another week or so for this to sink in….HA!


I am so completely proud of them! I don’t know if they like it yet…but given enough time…they’ll either fall in love..or at least learn to respect it…I’ll take either. But I love to watch Paul especially…the one who swore he couldn’t run 3 feet….complete a 4 mile run..and not die. Can you smell that? That's possibilities...and racing in their future.

Paul...can you say Clydesdale?

On a walk break..2 miles in...

This was about 2 seconds before Paul shoved V in the water.  I love running with men!

From left to right...Bruce, V, Paul and Brian.  4 miles...DONE!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Dragon Boat Festival 2010

It was good…..we didn’t do well…but we had fun. I think out of the 38 teams…we were..like… 35th.



I started out the morning with a 5 mile run down to the festival which was at the Racine lakefront. I planned on taking it easy but my pace just seems to be settling into the high 9 minute mile range….which is mad cool. It was a warm morning but I felt pretty good when I got down there. I had about 25 minutes to change and relax before our first race which was around 9:30. We were up against the Pink Paddlers and somebody else..and let me just say…these ladies ROCK! They’re team is comprised of all breast cancer survivors and they chicked us like nobodies business. There was even one lady that was quite obviously still going through chemo. I can’t even imagine…wow.

So we took 3rd in that race……and 3rd in our next race….and 2nd in our final race…so we did end up beating somebody..LOL!! I didn’t expect to do well…and honestly…out of the 20 people that paddled…only about 6 of us had ever raced before. I hope I don’t ever have to see video of those races because it would just be embarrassing I’m sure. I like running better…just me…and well….me. Not relying on anyone else…no one to point fingers at when shit goes wrong except that broad in the mirror.

V enjoyed it….but he’s my boy through and through….full of ideas of ways to improve things but you can only do what you yourself are capable of in a situation like that. He wants to do it again…and hung on like a champ as the youngest participant at the festival this year…go V!


Meeting both my brothers in the AM and V is going to run with us.  Happy Saturday all!

Thursday Long Run and Dragon Boat

With Dragon Boat this Saturday I had to either adjust my long run day or scratch it altogether….and although I didn’t like either option…I am a creature of extreme habit after all…. I did it this morning. I decided to try running the entire 8 miles at a 10 minute mile and see how that went. I like playing with pace and different things it appears….although holding a steady pace is damn near impossible for me..I am just all over the place. Here are the splits.



Mile 1- 10:12
Mile 2- 10:02
Mile 3- 9:38
Mile 4- 9:53
Mile 5- 9:46
Mile 6- 10:07
Mile 7- 9:58
Mile 8- 9:52


Total- 8 miles


Time- 1:19:35


This is just so crazy to me. If you told me 3 weeks ago I could do this I would have laughed in your face….seriously. Now why couldn’t I have pulled that out of my ass at Lighthouse?


Anywaysss….our first race on Saturday is at like 9:30 in the morning. The lake is exactly 5 miles from my house so I’m toying with the idea of running down there just so the day isn’t a total running bust. And if I take it easy..I won’t be too tired to paddle. Three of our 20 people never even made it to a practice so we are scrambling to find a couple people to replace them that have actually been on a dragon boat before. I begged Skip this morning and he’s ‘thinking’ about it….shithead. What the hell is wrong with people? Where I come from…when you commit to doing something…you actually do it…maybe that’s just me.


Hope everyone is having a great week!

Running with Brothers...and Dom.

What an amazing morning!!! I actually got to sleep till 7 am which is HUGE for me…HA!



I woke Dom up at around 7:30 because we were due to pick up Paul around 8:15. I wasn’t sure if Bruce was going to bail because I texted him last night with no response. But after I picked Paul up, he texted back and we headed over to his house. We decided to head down to the lake in hopes that it would be cooler….well that was a flippin bust because it was already almost 80 degrees and heading up.


So we got down there and I gave them my new runners spiel and we headed out. We walked for a couple minutes and I hit the Garmin and we started running. Before I could blink we were already at 2.5 minutes and I called a walk. But that’s what we did for 3.75 miles….2.5 walking and 2.5 running. Crazy good for their first time out. Dom hung in there and everyone was wooped by the time we were done. We did take a break on the way back and threw Brian in the lake…which he was none too happy about…but it cooled his crazy little ass off.


Here is the photographic evidence….don’t I have some beautiful specimens for siblings?

According to Paul..at his age..which is like 30 or something..you need to stretch before you run...little bitch.

Bruce...wondering what he got himself into.

One of Dominic's beautiful photos of Lake Michigan.

Hittin the fountain...post run...feelin like hell.

Dom...I cut his hair when we got home..and Uncle Bruce.

Me and my 'little' brother eh?  Nothing like a little testosterone in the morning.

And maybe a bit more testosterone?  This SOB doesn't even work out.

So there is our first of I hope MANY Sunday morning reports.  They did fantastic and it felt all warm and fuzzy to run with them.  We passed a dude by the marina who commented on the 'fit family'.  Hmm...there was me....a pre-teen boy..and two grown men...wonder which one he thought was my husband..and which was my 'other' kid?

Have a great fourth everyone...I'm going to make potato salad.

Dragon Boat and the Long Run Take Two

So we had our final dragon boat practice last night….again..if you don’t know what dragon boat racing is, click *here*. It is a killer workout…but not the kind you’d think. It’s all abs and chest and back…your arms are really just along for the ride. It was good…felt positive and strong. Not that we’ll place or anything…there are professional teams there that are very serious…but it’s like running…you’re going to beat your time..not necessarily the other teams. But it’s a good time…and something to keep V off the streets and out of trouble. He loves it…loves to sweat and loves to work hard…at things he likes anyways….14 years old…good lord.



Going over my workout log this morning after logging my long run I noticed that I have not had a total rest day in over 2 weeks. Not sure how that happened…Friday is my rest day but I don’t count paddling for an hour and a half as much of a rest day. I feel good though..not burnt out…and Saturday is the start of my workout week. Tomorrow should be an easy day because I’m meeting Bruce and Paul and as new never run before runner….the pace should be non-existent.


Anyways…this morning was my second long run experiment. I got out late as in after 7 am but damn…I need to sleep on occasion..and I figured the worst it would be was hot right? I was going to follow the same plan as last week which was holding 11 minute miles the first 2 miles, sub-10 minute miles the middle 4 miles, and cool down with 11 minute miles the last 2 miles. It didn’t end up going quite that way…but I’m still pleased with the results. Here are the splits.


Mile 1- 11:04
Mile 2- 10:23
Mile 3- 9:47
Mile 4- 10:10
Mile 5- 9:40
Mile 6- 9:56
Mile 7- 9:52
Mile 8- 10:23
Mile 9- 10:11


Total Miles- 8.50


Average Pace- 10:09


I did it a bit different then originally planned. I upped my pace and 1.5 miles instead of waiting 2 miles…and then I kept my sub-10’s until I was about a mile from home…and I did 8.5 miles instead of 8 miles. But my average pace was faster then last weekend….and I did a half mile farther. But I was feeling strong….my only problem was being hot…and stopping every couple miles to stretch my Achilles on a curb.


So there it is…long run experiment take two. This is working….crazy huh? Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe 4th!!

Running Faster...My Way

So I’m doing it….going faster. Funny how when one puts ones mind to something….things start to happen. Can it possibly be that easy? Mind over matter if you will. Look at these times and you decide.



I made my Bitching Running post on June 24th…..these are my runs since then.


6/24- 5 miles, time- 48:10, average pace- 9:37


6/26 (long run experiment) 8 miles, time-1:23:27, average pace – 10:26


6/29- 5 miles, time- 47:53, average pace- 9:34 *middle of the day, crazy hot*


7/1- 5.04 miles, time 46:47, average pace- 9:16


I didn’t put in my run on that Sunday because I ran while Tinky biked…so I couldn’t really average that in. I have to say that I’ve never clocked a 9:16 mile in my life let alone hold it for 5 miles…..and my average long run pace is easily up into the high 11 minute miles. It’s hard…and totally kicking my ass..but I’m doing it.


So here’s what I’ve learned. For me….doing everything by the book, magazine, blog, etc…as far as getting faster is concerned….has NOT worked for me. I did all my research…mapped out the intervals…drug my ass to the track..ran those hills….fartleked….blah blah freakin blah…and none of it got me much if any faster. What is working is making the conscious decision that I am going to run FASTER because I KNOW I can. Accepting the fact that it’s going to suck for awhile….and it’s going to hurt….but lord knows I’m not afraid of hard work and pain is temporary. So I’m going to keep doing this….until it’s my new normal pace…and then maybe I’ll work at dropping it again.


In other amazing news….my brothers have BOTH agreed to start running with me on this coming Sunday!!! We have never done anything like this before. Both of them are in pretty decent shape. Paul is a weightlifter…big ass boy….gym rat…but has never run..doesn’t think he can…but I KNOW he can. Bruce has a very physical job and has amazing muscle tone naturally..played football in highschool…did track but never any kind of distance and certainly no running. So if all goes as planed…I now will have Sunday boys instead of my Sunday girls. I can’t WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hope everyone is having a great week!