Team in Training: Days 8-13

**Don't forget to visit my fundraising page and donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society today!

This week flew by. Work was busy, so I was stretched for time to train. Still managed to get in a couple of good workouts and a mediocre one.

Day 8- Saturday, June 13- Mentor Run

Woke up pretty early for a Saturday to meet at Marina Green for 9 a.m. I got there and thought maybe I'd mixed up the times because I saw a bunch of Team in Training shirts out running. Turns out they were the Spring class. They looked pretty sharp, which got my hopes up for where I might be in a few months' time. It was an active morning, as vendors set up for the next morning's Escape from Alcatraz triathlon. Now that's hard core.

The mentors upped the ante on us. This week we chose between a 3 mile or 5 mile run. I went with the 3- a big enough challenge for me at this stage. The first half of the run went by pretty smoothly, though we did stop about 1/2 mile in to stretch. That probably helped by breaking it up a bit. We we staring at the Golden Gate Bridge for the first half, and then out on the bay on the way back. The 2nd half wasn't quite so easy, but at least the surroundings were beautiful.

My running buddy Fritz and I were jealous of all the dogs that people had brought out for walks. They made running look so natural, so easy. I wonder if any dogs can last 13 miles though. That seems like a lot for those little legs.

I had one scary moment on the back stretch as I stepped down on an odd angle and tweaked a toe. No lasting damage though. I think I was probably just getting used to my new shoes. It was our first run together. (all together now: "awwww, isn't that precious?")

Oh, I also met up with my friend Rachel from high school for dinner the night before. She was visiting town and mentioned she was going to walk to the bridge in the morning. As luck would have it, she passed by as we were running. So now I have teo witnesses! :)

Day 8 stats
2.9 miles completed (15.4 total- more than a half marathon!!)
4 pounds lost
1 new pair of shoes
$430 raised (11% of goal)


Day 12- Wednesday, June 17- Cross Training

Not a hugely eventful workout, but after working a few very late nights to meet an important project deadline and missing our Tuesday Coach's workout, it felt good to be active again. I was able to get in 25 minutes on the elliptical and cranked up the resistance a good bit to make the most of it. My eating discipline slipped a bit over the past couple days due to stress, so I needed to burn a few extra calories when I could.

In between these two workouts, Megan and I did make time to stock up on running gear. I got a few new workout shirts, some shorts and a nifty running jacket. So far I've been using an all cotton sweater that I love but isn't great for running- a bit too heavy. Oh, I also got a quality heat/ice therapy kit and broke it out immediately on Sunday. I have a feeling we'll be spending some quality time together soon enough.

Day 12 stats
2.2 miles completed (17.6 total)
4 pounds lost


Day 13- Thursday, June 18- Solo Run

Tonight I tried for my first solo run, but quickly missed the motivation of having someone else there. That definitely makes it easier to keep going. I went to run laps around a park near my house. It's rather hilly, which I thought would give my workout an extra boost. Instead, it zapped my energy pretty quickly. I was aiming for 35 minutes, but lasted about 25, a good chunk of which I walked. Next time, I'll need to seek some flatter ground and see if it makes a big difference. I have to admit that I feel pretty unsatisfied after tonight's run. Maybe the hills were just in my head and I only needed to push myself more. Hmm. Either way, I feel as if I need to make up for the lackluster performance today.

On the positive side, I dropped another 2 pounds over the course of the past 5 days. Woohoo!

Tomorrow is a rest day, which is good, because I'm taking a redeye at night. Of course, that means I'll miss a coach's workout Saturday morning. I think the plan will be to do a make-up run on Sunday. Am a bit afraid of traveling to a different climate though. Supposed to be in the low 90's during the day, so I'll need to wake up extra early to get out while it's still tolerable out.

Day 13 stats
1.6 miles completed (19.2 total)
6 pounds lost

**Don't forget to visit my fundraising page and donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society today!