This week

I missed one run this week. I've been going to the Gym at night to get my short runs in and I think the treadmill and I are becoming fond of each other, specially on speed work days. I can keep better track of my "speed", if going 9 miles/hr is considered fast to anyone besides me. Anyway, I have seen some improvement on my "speed" this week. Today was proof of that. I did my 8 miles in 1 hr 15 mins! That was an average pace of 9.26 miles/hr. I was pleased with myself. I also got my cross training in on both days that I was supposed (pad myself on the back)

Here's what I did this week:

Monday: missed my run
Tue: 3 miles
Wed: 3 miles on the elliptical
Thurs: 5 miles
Friday: stretch and abs
Sat: 8 miles @ 9.26 pace

On Sugar

Today makes it 21 days on the sugar free diet for me. Let me rephrase that "sugar free challenge." For some reason if I think of it as a challenge instead of a diet a feel more driven and motivated to do it.

Someone asked me to remind her of the benefits of eating sugar free when everyone else was eating yummy food, hehe! I feels that way to me too.  So I did a little research to help shed some light on the subject and found a lot of information. I narrowed it down to these three articles, all very informative and educating.

This one talks about the ugly truth about sugar:
http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

This one is a little more simple and talks more about the benefits of going sugarless:
http://www.streetdirectory.com/food_editorials/health_food/healthy_eating/health_advantages_of_eating_sugar_free.html

This is a list of examples for Simple and Complex Carbohydrates:
http://www.howtothinkthin.com/instincts2.htm

I hope this answers your question! Oh, and think happy thoughts. That helps too :)

Cross training and stuff

I created this blog to keep track of my progress, training, miles, and just to be able to look back through it and see the things I can accomplish that I once thought I couldn't or was too afraid to try. Every single mile stone of my running "carrier" has been exactly that. Something that I didn't know I could do or was afraid to try once. I also hope to inspire someone, just one person. I know I have been inspired by many, so this can be my little way of paying it forward. 

On another note. Today was a cross training day. As I have stated in the past, on my other personal blog, I suck at cross training. I'm really bad at it. I just don't have the same motivation to do anyother type of exercise than running.  I think running running doesn't really take a special skill or knowledge at least to get you started,  like lifting weights or yoga, or pilates, to do those I need an instructor or someone to tell me how many reps to do, etc. Running is more about pushing yourself on your own terms and being in touch with  your body, and mind. Sure there are things like posture and speed work, but I didn't know or care about any of those when I first started and I could still run pretty decently, I think. Anyway,  I suck at cross training. I went to the gym today specifically for that and I didn't know what to do. So I just got on the elliptical for 3 miles, then tried to do some of the machines to work my arms, but wasn't really feeling it  and pretty much just gave up and came home. I signed up for an appointment with a personal trainer next week on my way out, I'm sure that will help.

On my plans for my long run this weekend. I will be sticking to our original (my running buddy and mine) training schedule, instead of the running group's. I have been freaking out about our schedule not being there with everyone else's. Everyone else's is already at 12ish miles and ours is at 8 this coming week, but we will get there eventually. I think that is because we are doing a 16 week schedule instead of a 25 week which I see a lot of people do.

On another note. The 30 day sugar free challenge is going good. I am 18 days into it and feeling great. I am kind of bummed on the weight I have lost though. Not much. I have only lost 3 lbs. Last time I lost 4 lbs in the first week only, and 8 lbs total. I don't see that happening this time and I have been very strict, VERY STRICT. We'll see how that goes. Maybe I'll start keeping a food diary in here as well.

Anyway.Got to run! Ha!

Bad air and stuff

I read in an article today that said that the levels of carbon monoxide in the air were so high that going running on a day like today would be like smoking a pack of cigarrettes! Talk about black lung! So this week I was forced to buying a gym membership and thanks to that have been able to get all my miles in this week. I will see to get my money's worth out of this gym membership, maybe this time I will actually throw some cross training into the mix. Today for my long run though, I went to the Olympic Oval, they have an indoor track field that goes around the ice skating rink and supposedly they have the best air filtration in town. I liked it way better than the treadmill, 4 miles in the treadmill almost drove me crazy, I can not imagine 7! I also found a running group with the Salt Lake Running Company. Today was my second run with them. They are also training for the Salt Lake Marathon in April. Their schedule is a little further into the long runs than mine, but I think I can make the jump from 7 miles this week to 12 miles next week. Their schedule made the jump from 4 to 10 miles in an earlier week so I think I should be OK.

Here are my miles this week:

Monday: 30 min on the elliptical
Tuesday: 3 miles
Wednesday: 4 miles
Thursday: 3 miles
Saturday: 7 miles @ 9.33 pace

My new running blog

Ta-da! My new running blog! I've been battling with whether or not I should start my own running blog separate from my family's blog in an effort to keep things simple but, here I am now! I can go on and on about running here and have my own little place in the world wide web. Do I need to elaborate on my blog title? I think it is pretty much self explanatory. Welcome to my Running Blog!