Week Three (9/16 - 9/22)

While this post is delayed by nearly a week, I hardly feel anyone is waiting on the edge of their seats!  That's okay, I'm mostly keeping track of this for Tom and myself to look back on, because I know it's going to go by very quickly! And I'm sure there will come a time where I could use the inspiration from my past. :) Anyways- better late than never, and there were some pretty extraordinary run experiences coming out of this week, so here goes!

Sunday-- Rest!

Weigh in: 1 lb up from start of training
^This is a problem for me. Haha.. I really want to lose a few pounds during this training, and I realize, while cardio is an awesome way to lose weight, marathon training is not. You tend to compensate for all the strain you're putting on your body. Many runners admit that they run so that they can eat whatever they darn well please. You figure a little over 100 calories/ mile.. That really adds up quickly. It becomes really easy to justify the junk food.

So, in an attempt to run across that finish line a little bit lighter, I've made the decision to give a vegan diet a chance. It's something that I've toyed around with for awhile anyway. I've already given up the meat, so it won't be like starving myself cold turkey. Cholesterol has been a concern for me as well the past few years, so this should really help.

I didn't really choose a good week to go vegan, however. Sunday-Tuesday I did just fine, but I should have known I'd be expected to indulge in a variety of deliciously unhealthy meals this week...

Monday

Nothing spectacular about this one. 3 miles on the Wekiva Trail starting off at the San Sebastian Trailhead. I had been enduring a slight headache all day, so I set Pandora to Misty Edwards radio, thinking that would kind of set the tone for a quiet, laid back sort of run. Eh.. not so much. It just dragged. And the headache persevered. A couple other things made it frustrating- Jackson wasn't feeling it. He didn't want to be in the jogger, and that makes things stressful for everyone. Secondly, Tom and I had a difference of about a quarter of a mile on our Runkeeper app. We try to stick together, so when one of ends before the other and we have no idea whose was most accurate, it just gets annoying. We think the difference may be in the fact that I wear mine on my arm and Tom sets his in the jogger..perhaps?

I will say that it was nice to run this trail at sunset. This is one of our usual Saturday morning spots, so it was cool to be there during a different time of day.

Tuesday

Another sunrise run at Lake Baldwin Park. You know, I really started this run with a lot of apprehension. If Jackson couldn't take our 3 mile run last night, how would he handle this 5 miler.. I was dreading it, to be honest. Well, it turned out to be fantastic! He did have a few fussy moments, but nothing escalating.

I was still feeling anxious and down when we finished our first loop around the lake (2.5 miles). That's when I decided to take the headphones off and plug into the jogger speakers, and I prayed, "God, please just let me enjoy this run. And help Jackson to enjoy it too." I really didn't want to be out at sunrise, at a beautiful lake with my son and just feel discouraged. Our favorite station right now is David Crowder Band. Well, one of his songs, "How He Loves," started playing around mile 3, and out of the blue, this woman comes running up behind me, "You look GREAT!" As we ran, she started encouraging me about how great it is that I'm running with my son and how she did the same with her kids, teenagers now, and how they appreciate the fact that she did that with them. Wow! And during that same mile I was also encouraged to see a couple from the Orlando Runner's Club walking the loop with their dog.

I was just overwhelmed with joy and amazement. When you're out there struggling on a run and you get that little extra push- It really means the world. I actually had to ask God, "Please, not too much of that!" because this promptly answered pray brought me to tears, and that's no condition to be running in either. ;)

Jack and I followed our new tradition of breakfast at the Fleet Peeples Dog Park.  He's a pretty popular kid in there, with his pancakes and banana..  Hehe.. Time for some pictures. :)

The bandana! It disappeared sometime after this run..hmm..

"Whatcha got in there, kid??"-- Pooka, the Saint Bernard.

This is Rocky. He stayed by us the entire time. He was very surprised when I read his name off of his *pink* collar.

Rocky's brother, a little more insistent than Rocky.

 

Wednesday- 6am with the ORC

Tom joined us this time, since he had to take us to the airport shortly after. It was nice to enjoy the morning together. We met up with our runner's club at Einstein Bros Bagels and did our 3 miles in the dark. Even though I felt like I was dragging, my pace was really picking up! Though, still, I'm not a morning runner. And I felt the need to apologize to a couple members of the group for not being very talkative. I had to explain that I'm not much of a talker when I'm running. They probably wonder why I joined a runner's group..haha. Oh well. I'm already finding that I'm more comfortable on longer runs than I am on these short ones. These I just try to get them done with. 

Post-run, and post-bagels & coffee, clearly. ;)

Thursday- Rest!

Friday- Long Run

I was grateful for the timing of this 'long run' being only 6 miles this week. (Last week it was 9). Reason being, is that Jack and I were in Michigan with family and I don't know if I was up to pushing the jogger for a real 'long' run.  Stony Creek Metropark made a PERFECT spot for us to do our run- a 6 mile loop around the lake. Beautiful! One thing that I will always miss about Michigan is all of these fantastic metroparks.. Just take a look. :)

(This color is not enhanced.)

There are TWO of these blessed signs during the last mile. I grew to love them. ;)

It was so neat seeing Jackson in some jeans and a jacket. No need for them here in FL.

I love my running buddy.

Saturday- Cross Training

This was to be a jam packed day in Saginaw for my sister's first bodybuilding/ bikini competition at Northern Michigan Natural Bodybuilding & Physique Championships, so I thought it would be best to get our hour long walk done in the morning. We took a sunrise walk around Heather's neighborhood and listened to some more David Crowder Band. Jackson stayed awake for about half of the walk, singing along to the music. It was pretty chilly out there, so he was bundled up in jeans, socks and a hoodie over his long sleeved shirt, and of course his favorite blanket. There was something special about walking towards the sunrise, with worship music playing and listening to your baby sing along, arms outstretched. Nothing quite like it. :)

Good luck, Wickersham.

The sleepy boy awakes!

Heh? What?

 After all, we did end up doing this workout *twice* this day. There was really no need to do the early morning walk, because in between Pre-judging and the 7pm show, we blew some time walking around a nearby mall for 1.5 hrs +, in a futile attempt to get him to take a nap. Sigh..oh well. :)

I'm SURE she was daring him to stay awake!!

Off we go- Jackson in his jogger, and Chloe in her Princess pink car!

And this is how it ended. Yep. All that walking for nothin'.