TIaRT - Time & Balance

The theme this week for TIaRT is Time and Balance. I'm a planning freak and get completely stressed out if my week isn't planned out. If something happens to throw off my schedule, I get really worked up. Good thing Andy is a planner, too. We'd never work if he wasn't. The only down side to our planning is that we drive poor KT crazy. She's a fly by the seat of your pants kind of girl. :-) Anyway, the best way I find to manage my runs, and make sure I get them in, is to have a schedule. Every week I know what I need to run each day and what the pace will be. That way, I even know how much time to allow for each run. Aside from having a set schedule as far as what time of day to run (before vs after work), this really helps manage getting my runs in and doing everything else that needs to get done.

Thanks for all the nice comments about my last post. I ran the following day and felt great. I really must have needed that day off. I ran my last speed workout before Broad street yesterday and average a 7:40 and a 7:20 for my two race pace miles. Once again, I felt good at this pace. I hope that's the case on Sunday. I ran another 4 this morning and man, I'm really sucking at the morning runs. I don't know how I used to do this every single day! I have 3 miles tomorrow and then I'm off on Saturday. I haven't had a Saturday off in I don't know how long!! I'll be heading to the Expo to pick up my race packet and then taking it easy. Sunday after the race we'll be going out with some friends to hopefully celebrate a PR!!

Oh, and I finished April with 143.5 miles! Not too shabby!

Tank is Empty

I'm disappointed in myself. I didn't run my scheduled 6 miles last night. I got home from work and it took too much effort to even make it upstairs to get changed. I just had nothing in the tank. It bothered me all night that I didn't get out there, but I just couldn't. I never miss a run unless I know for sure I can make up the mileage later in the week. Unfortunately, I'm running every day this week and have the Broad Street 10 miler on Sunday so there is no time to make up that lost mileage.

I woke up today feeling equally as lousy. Not sure why I'm so beat up. I have 4 miles scheduled for today and I just emailed Coach Jack to see if I should add on to any of my runs or just forget about last night's missed run. I have plans to meet up with a friend to run tonight so I'll definitely get out there, but I have to say, laying around sounds more appealing.

The Raw Bakery Review

The nice people over at Blue Mountain Organics sent me a bunch of goodies from The Raw Bakery to try out. The Raw Bakery produces raw, sprouted super foods. All of their products are hand made in small batches from fresh whole, raw foods. Their process increases the bioavailability of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients which yields an extremely fresh, easier to digest product. I've gotten through a few things so I thought I'd let you know about them.

Just 4 Nuts Butter --- mmm, mmm, good!! I could taste each individual nut in the butter and thought this was really good. It's made from premium organic, whole, raw almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts. I enjoyed this on bread and on apples...Perfect!

Almond Butter --- I've said before that I preferred peanut butter over almond butter, but that may have been because I had yet to taste this! I didn't think there could be that big of a difference in almond butter since the only ingredient is exactly the same. But I was wrong! I loved the texture of this butter and prefer it to Barney Butter. Sorry Barney.

Chocolate Snackaroon --- KT guest reviewed this for me. Here is what she had to say. "Excellent mix of chocolate and coconut. Would never guess it was a nutritious, organic food. Delicious, like a Mounds bar." The Snackaroon is 100% organic and made from coconut, agave, cacao, and BTR cashews. As for the Vanilla Snackaroon, KT thought it was "like a sugar cookie with a touch of coconut." Mmmm, sugar cookies!

Cacao Brownie --- This was just ok. It was really dense and I thought the cacao flavor was a little intense. But it did contain dates, which I loooove, so of course I ate the whole thing. The brownie is made from dates, agave, cacao and BTR flax.

I'm all about the process at the Raw Bakery and thought each item tasted SO fresh. They also have a big selection of nut butters that I would like to try out. I have to say, though, seeing everyone experiment with their own nut butters is making me curious to try it out myself. Just need to get a fancy food processor first.

Rather than giving each item a biscuit rating, I'm going to give The Raw Bakery itself 7 biscuits.

Bullets!

• What the heck happened to Spring? It's 90 degrees out!
• Newman fell out of the kitchen window today. Went to lay on the window up against the screen and fell out. He survived though and is sleeping comfortably on my lap right now.
• I'm cooking dinner for my parents tonight...steak. Which I do NOT eat and have never cooked. It was quite the process trying to buy it. I had to cover my eyes with my grocery list while I was asking the butcher a ton of questions. One of which was, "do I have to wash this before I cook it?" I thought it might be like chicken...
• One week until the Broad Street 10 miler! I can't wait.
• I ate too many Warhead extreme sour candies and I burned the crap out of my tongue. I should have paid attention to the warning on the container.
• 32 miles on tap for this week.
• My sister keeps getting disappointing news regarding her adoption process and it's breaking our heart to see her going through this long and stressful process. Keep your fingers crossed for her.
• I'm so not in the mood to go to work tomorrow.
• Some times I really like the bullet posts...this is more how my mind works. Random thoughts.

Bad Kitty

I woke up feeling great today! I think it must have to do with the excitement of knowing it's going to be in the 80's tomorrow! There's a HopFest beer tasting at a local restaurant with live music outside so we're going to hit that up and spend some time sipping cocktails in the warm sun. This of course will be after my 12 mile run.

I had a CRAZY day at work yesterday but managed to get out late yesterday evening for my scheduled speed work out. I was suppose to do 6 miles with 3 miles at race pace (7:50) but I cut it back and only did 5 miles. I was so busy at work I didn't really have the chance to eat and I needed to get home to work some more. I would typically beat myself up over cutting the run short but I was happy I got anything in at all to be honest with the day I had. I woke up this morning and did an easy 3 miles at an 8:40 pace and it was a great way to start the day.

On a completely unrelated note, does anyone else have a cat that can NOT handle moving? Every time I move Newman goes through a funk. He gets a bladder infection followed by some behavioral issues like peeing on ONLY my stuff. I've had to throw out 2 bags this past week. I can't blame that he feels out of whack because I'm feeling it, too. I'm going out today after work to get some of that feli-away plug-in stuff which I've used before. If any of you have any suggestions, please let me know. I can't let this go on in a brand new house!!

Bad Kitty

Forgot the Biscuits

Oh my gosh, I forgot to give my last review the biscuit rating!! No one even pointed it out to me. I guess that goes to show that no one really gives a crap. But I started something so I'm sticking with it!!

Moons - 2 biscuits
Shot Bloks - 10 biscuits (I absolutely, positively will buy and use these again!!)

I switched my schedule up a bit this week and took off Monday (today was suppose to be my off day). It was raining and windy on Monday and I just couldn't get myself out the door. I'm really sick of running in the rain. It's days like that when I miss my gym membership. I ran my 7 miles yesterday after work and once again, the mileage wasn't a big deal. I'm fitting the longer runs in just fine after work. This morning I got up early to get 4 miles in before work and I have to say, it was a struggle. Either it was too soon after the 7 miles last night or I'm not use to running in the morning or a combination of them both...but I wasn't feeling it. Last night for the 7 mile run I struggled to run slow enough to keep a 9:20 pace. Today I did my first mile in 9:35!! I ended up averaging a 9:10 pace and my target was 9:00. Every run I tend to end up a little faster but not this morning. I didn't eat anything before this run and I didn't really give myself much time to wake up. I rolled out of bed and started running. I'm sure they both had something to do with it.

I have a 6 mile run on tap for tomorrow with more sharpening for Broad street. After last Sunday's workout, I'm really looking forward to more speed work tomorrow!

I hope you can all rest better now that you know the biscuits!

Moons vs Bloks

Since I've come to the conclusion that I can't handle gels, I'm on a mission to find something that doesn't upset my stomach during my long runs. Clif Bar recently sent me some goodies to try out so I thought I'd compare the LUNA moons to the Clif Shot Bloks. If you haven't tried LUNA products, it's a line of nutrition products geared towards women athletes. I tried the Pomegranate flavor during my 15 mile run the other day and I have to say, I wasn't a fan. While they are smaller bites than the Clif shot bloks, I thought they were really hard to chew and the flavor reminded me of medicine. Nutritionally, they provided what I needed during the run with 100 calories, 70mg sodium, and 24g carbohydrates. The nice thing about the LUNA moons is that each flavor has an added benefit. The pomegranate contains 50% of your daily value of vitamin C. Blueberry has antioxidant vitamins A, C and E while watermelon contains your B vitamins.

I then tried the orange flavored Clif shot bloks with 1/2 shot (25mg) caffeine during my 16 mile run this past weekend. I thought these were a lot easier to chew than the moons, even though they are bigger, and the taste was much better. The packet contains 2 servings so I emptied them into a ziploc prior to the run so I had only what I needed. For 3 bloks, they contain the same nutritional values as stated above for the moons, minus the added benefit of vitamin C.

Both of these products use organic ingredients I am happy to report that neither of these upset my stomach. However, I personally did not like the moons as much as the bloks.

Comfortable

I had such a productive morning! By 11:30am I had gone to breakfast with Andy, went to Target, grocery store, Trader Joes, and ran 7 miles. Have a ton more to do this afternoon, but I just woke up from a nap and I'm too groggy to get moving! Anyway...the 7 mile run today...it was GREAT!! I was a little worried about it because it was a sharpening run, as Coach Jack calls it. I was suppose to warm up for 2 miles, run 3 miles at 7:50 (my Broad Street 10 miler race pace) and then cool down for the last 2 miles. I wasn't sure how I would feel running 3 miles at 7:50. Since it wasn't race day, I didn't think I'd mentally have it in me. Turns out I did and the one thing I kept thinking during those faster miles was, "this feels so comfortable." The pace felt perfect and I didn't feel like I was struggling or exerting much effort at all. Sometimes running slow feels like it takes more effort than the pace I ran today. Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 9:10
Mile 2 - 9:08
Mile 3 - 7:45
Mile 4 - 7:46
Mile 5 - 7:32
Mile 6 - 8:47
Mile 7 - 8:46

My schedule for this week calls for 35 miles, which is a few less than this past week. I joked with Coach Jack saying "35? That's all you got for me?" He replied, "you'll be begging for 35 miles when we get into the heart of training." Bring it on!!

WINNER!! WINNER!!

The winner of the My Mix Granola giveaway is LINDSAY!! Lindsay, please email me at pfismyfriend@yahoo.com. Congrats!

Hurt So Good

Sorry for the crummy picture but I took it with my cell phone. Evidence of my first ever ice bath. Let's just say, it was a little painful. If you look closely enough, which might not be that pleasant of a site, you can see my goosebumps. I lasted 5-6 minutes and as painful as it was, I will be doing this again. Felt great afterwards!

After seeing how this looked on the main page...UGH, I can't believe I just put this out there for you all to see. Sorry!

TIaRT - Running Blogs

This week's theme for TIaRT is Running Blogs - How and Why. I honestly didn't expect much when I decided to start a blog. Like a lot of other things, I thought it would be a fad and I'd get sick of it. I started it after my sister started one to keep everyone updated on her adoption process. So yes, if it wasn't for you Jeanette, I would never have even known about the blogging world.

I started my blog to keep me on track during the training for my first marathon. At first, I didn't even want to make my blog public because I was a little embarrassed. But Andy convinvced me that the whole point of a blog was for other people to read it, so I went for it. I started with talking about running but along the way I opened up and shared a lot more then I had intended. From pooping myself, being a touch on the crazy side, to my issues with food. I'm glad I shared so much because I've learned one thing, and that's that I'm not alone. Blogging has connected with me so many interesting people who share the same passion for running that I do, as well as a whole group of people who have taught me so many new things. I love the virtual support system bloggers provide and think it is a great way to stay motivated and on track with your running/training. I definitely recommend it!!

And before I go...I was contacted yesterday about doing another GIVEAWAY! Stay tuned!!

Philly Marathon: Take Two

I feel like I haven't talked about running in a while, the house and the move have really been consuming my life! But I do have some good news to report...I registered for the Philly marathon yesterday. I wanted to try a different marathon this Fall but with the Ultra in July, I wanted to time it right to allow for adequate recovery and then training. Philly is exactly 18 weeks after 20in24, so that will be perfect!!

Running has been going as well as it can this week with this cold I have. I took off Saturday when we moved because I was feeling pretty lousy and it was raining. With everything going on, I didn't think it was a good decision to head out in the cold rain when I was already run down and sick. I've ran every day since and have off today. Had to run in the rain again last night so when I saw it's going to be 70 and sunny on Friday, that really cheered me up this morning. I have a 16 miler on Friday that I'm actually so excited for. I can't wait for a warm, sunny run!!

And since I have a lot of random thoughts right now, it's bullet time!

• I'm STILL splenda free. In fact, I'm artificial sweetener free since 09Mar2009!
• I've been slacking on the 100 sit ups lately. Starting back up on Monday.
• I haven't been lifting since the move, and I miss it. I feel like I'm getting mushy. We haven't joined a new gym yet so I'm thinking until I do, it's back to the 100 push up challenge to at least keep the upper body toned.
• I've been neglecting to give Andy a 1 minute hug every day. It's terrible how busy life gets and you can't find time to hug someone. This is going back into effect pronto!
• I NEED to get back to studying for my personal training certification. Now that the move is behind me, it's time to buckle down and get busy. I lost a lot of time and will have a lot of reviewing to do to get caught back up. I still want to complete this by the end of the year, so no more screwing around!
• Also, regarding the GIVEAWAY...Ellen, please contact me. If I don't hear from you by Thursday evening I'll be picking another winner. (Sorry, don't have your email or blog to contact you directly).

Barney Butter Review & My Mix Granola WINNER!!

Jennifer from Barney Butter sent me a jar of Almond Butter to try out, along with some single serving packs. While I eat almonds every day, 12 to be exact, this was my first time tasting almond butter. It wasn't what I expected, which to be honest, was for it to taste like peanut butter. I tried the smooth variety which was SO smooth. Much smoother than a creamy peanut butter in my opinion. There was a touch of sweetness to too, which of course, I liked!

Barney Butter is made with almonds, evaporated cane juice, palm oil and sea salt. In 2 tablespoons, there are 180 calories, 15g fat, 3g fiber and 6g protein. It's actually manufactured in a peanut free facility so this is a great option for those who are allergic to peanuts. It also has less saturated fat than peanut butter but more calcium, iron and vitamin E.

I liked this (as seen by the empty jar in the photo above!), but I have to say, I prefer peanut butter. I didn't try it in my oatmeal and I really wish I had, but it didn't last that long in the house!! I'll use one of the single serving packs for that. Also thought one of those might be a good choice for nutrition during a long run. Anyone ever try that? Andy liked it a lot and actually said he prefers this over peanut butter. Now, for the Biscuit Rating...we're giving this puppy 8 biscuits!

And now for the winner of the My Mix Granola GIVEAWAY! I randomized the entries using http://www.random.org/, then used random.org to pick a number. The lucky winner is ELLEN!! Ellen, please email me at pfismyfriend@yahoo.com.

For those who did not win, Raoul has offered $3 off your order if you use the promotion code "RUNDENISE" at checkout!

Finally Moving!!

Tomorrow is moving day! I took off work today to do some packing, run errands, get my long run in, etc. and I didn't get as much accomplished as I would have liked. My sore throat turned into a cold but at least I still managed to get a run in. I squeezed 3 miles in yesterday and was hoping that would knock the cold out of me. Wishful thinking. This morning I headed out with 15 miles on the schedule but was only able to do 12. I was really dragging. I'm actually sore right now and my IT feels a little sensitive. Definitely apparent that I wasn't running in good form, just struggling to finish. Anyway, I've been using the foam roller and just iced, so I'm hoping I can make up some of the lost miles tomorrow morning before things get too hectic with the move.

I've been wanting to catch up on so many blogs lately, especially some of my new followers (welcome!!), but the move has been keeping me beyond busy. Things will settle down soon and you'll all be hearing a lot more from me.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. I'll be back on Monday with the winner of the GIVEAWAY and another product review!!

TIaRT - Running Technology

This week's theme for TIaRT is running technology tips. I wasn't going to post, because I really don't have any tips, but you all know I can't keep my thoughts to myself. I'm really not into technology, of any sorts. It doesn't interest me and sort of overwhelms me. Now, I do own a Garmin, but that's the only thing aside from an on line running log that I use in terms of technology when it comes to running. When I bought the Garmin, I HAD TO HAVE the heart rate monitor, so I bought the 305. I rarely use the darn thing and when I do, I do nothing constructive with the information it provides except wonder if I'm really dead. My resting heart rate is in the low 40s and during my 16 miler last weekend my average bpm was in the low 90s. Now, needless to say, I wasn't running fast since it was a long run, but still, I was putting some effort into it. Yesterday during my 4 miler I averaged a bpm of 120, so at least I know my heart can beat when it needs to. Hmm, just had an idea. Maybe I'll wear my heart rate monitor during all sorts of activities (wink, wink) and see which one really gets my heart rate up!

I've had a good week of running so far. I say so far because I woke up with a sore throat today, thanks to germy Andy. Perfect timing for the move this weekend. This week's schedule actually calls for 7 days of running *if* I can get some runs in on Saturday and Sunday around the move.

Mon - 4 mi
Tues - 6 mi
Wed - 4 mi
Thurs - 3 mi
Fri - 15 mi
Sat - off or 3 mi
Sun - off or 2 mi

I'm hoping to get all 7 days in, but considering there will champagne on moving day, the Sunday run might not happen. However, I was able to run the New Orleans half marathon after some bubbly so I should be able to knock out 2 miles.

Also, don't forget about my GIVEAWAY. Contest ends on Saturday!

How We Got Here

I apologize for the non-running related post, but this is our last week in the apartment and I've been reminiscing a lot about how we got here. To recap, 2 years ago I drug Andy kicking and screaming (not really, he was more than willing to move) from Michigan back to my home state of Pennsylvania. I had moved to MI 3.5 years prior after doing the long distance dating thing so Andy and I could start our life together. I never felt at home while I was living in MI. In fact, the entire time I lived there, I never referred to MI as "home." When I left PA in October 2003, I left not only my family, which I'm so close with, but a great group of friends and a job I loved. Before I even arrived, MI had the odds stacked against it. Don't get me wrong, I was happy in MI, but it wasn't the place for me. I knew I could stay there and make it work because after all, all I wanted was to be with Andy. I never once mentioned wanting to move back to PA.

I ended up landing a job at a very large pharmaceutical company and while I didn't like my job, I dealt with it. About 9 months after I moved to MI, Andy and I got married (on the beach in Jamaica!!), and Andy started grad school for his MBA. It was a trying time. He would get home from a full day at work and go straight to the books. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a long 2 years and that I wasn't lonely. But Andy made as much time as he could for us and about half way through his schooling, we decided to sell our town house and build a single home. The whole time I had an unsettling feeling and never really got into the details of the house. I could not stop feeling that the house was going to be too big and lonely for us. I always imagined my house filled with my crazy family, being loud, laughing, and having cocktails, of course. Sensing my uneasiness, Andy asked me out of the blue one day, "Do you want to move back to Philly?" Shocked, I began to cry and said "are you serious?". He hugged me and said, "let's do it."

The following weekend we pulled the plug on the new house and licked our financial wounds caused by our lost down payment. From there, we knew we had a struggle in front of us...finding jobs in the not so great economy and on top of it, Andy was switching careers. It never seemed real that we were moving back to PA until the day Andy got an offer. Figuring it'd be more difficult for him to find work, I held off on looking for something until we knew it was a done deal that we were moving. I'll never forget the day we found out he got a job. We had just landed after a week vacation in Punta Cana and Andy checked his voicemail. There were 2 messages from the HR person where he had just interviewed prior to our vacation. TWO! This had to be good!! We could not wait to get off the plane so Andy could call him back. It was also Valentine's day, our engagement anniversary!! Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity while Andy talked on the phone, he finally gave me the thumbs up. He got the job!! I once again, started crying. A huge weight was lifted, this was actually going to happen, I was moving home!! I was barely in the door before I was calling everyone I knew telling them the good news. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor talking to my mom, both of us in tears!! It must run in the family!

This news could not have come at a better time as the company I was working for announced the site was closing down. Yes, I was Pfired (anyone else??). Once Andy got his letter in the mail, I requested to be let go in the first lay off wave so we could move on. I was granted my wish and 2.5 weeks later, cats in tow, we were on our way home!

We rented an apartment for what we thought would be a temporary situation until we sold our townhouse in MI. I was unemployed for several months and it was starting to get really depressing. In August 2007 I accepted an offer back at the company I was at before I left for MI. Remember, the job I loved? Yes, I was going back there! Turns out this is also where Andy landed a job. This could not have worked out better...a personal chaffuer to take me in every day! Things were looking up, just had to sell the house in MI. Which we finally did after drastcially reducing the price a year and half after we moved to PA. Our "temporary" situation ended up lasting 2 years, with still unpacked boxes to show for it!

But today, we're counting down the days until we move into our new house this Saturday. It's been a crazy few years of being unsettled, but in the end, it's all been so worth it. Andy has made a home out here in PA and our relationship could not be better. We've been put to the test a few times and every single time we come out on top. We make such a great team and I can not wait to see what's in store for us next.

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click here for my first GIVEAWAY!!

My Mix Granola Review and GIVEAWAY

Raoul from Mix My Granola gave me the opportunity to create my very own granola to try out. I love granola so I was really excited about picking exactly what I wanted to go in it. My mix had: "Low fat granola, organic dates, dried melon slices, chocolate mini morsels, goji berries and lots of LOVE." I'm a sucker for dried fruit and have never had dried melon before. It was unbelievable! There were some really big pieces and they were so soft and fresh. Definitely some of the best dried fruit I've ever had. As for nutrition information, my mix had 228 calories, 3g fat, 4g fiber and 5g protein. I enjoyed snacking on this right out of the container but also put it on my yogurt. It was soooo good!! In addition to making your own, they also have a selection of pre mixed granolas. There's a fun sounding Easter one right now and also a "runner's mix" which has the right balance of protein and carbs for post run nutrition.


Now for the biscuit rating...I'm struggling. This was REALLY good but I'm not sure it's something I would buy on a regular basis. I only say this because if I wanted to, I could buy the ingredients and make it on my own. With that being said, I'm giving this 7 biscuits.

Ok, so now it's time for a GIVEAWAY!! Raoul has graciously donated a $20 gift certificate to one lucky winner. To be entered in the contest, leave a comment telling me how you would enjoy your mixed granola. To get another entry, become a follower of my blog. If you're already a follower, mention that in your comment and you'll get another entry. For a third entry, mention this giveaway on your blog with a link back to my post. That's THREE chances to win kids!! Good luck. Contest ends at midnight on Saturday April 11, 2009. I'll announce the winner next Monday with another product review!!

Unusual Saturday

I got my 16 miler in yesterday and rewarded myself with a good time at the Bob Mould show. Maybe had one too many Chimays, but it was worth it. I had to be at the new house yesterday by 7:30am so I woke up at 5 and put in 7 miles on the treadmill before I headed over. Around 8am I headed out in the POURING rain and wind to get the remaining 9 miles in. I forgot my water bottle but it didn't really matter because I was being pelted in the face with water the entire time I ran. When I got back to the house, soaking wet, my dad asked if I saw any other runners out there. When I told him no, he said that's because I was the only nut that would run in that weather. I like being a nut. :-)

I just realized that this is the first Saturday in FOREVER that I'm not out running. It feels like a Sunday, sitting here catching up on blogs, etc. It's nice getting the long run out of the way on Friday, it's like I have an extra day to the weekend!

Speaking of the weekend, we have a really busy weekend ahead of us but there's finally an end in site. We will actually move into the new house next Saturday. We hit our first bump in the road with the hardwood flooring but I guess I shouldn't complain because everything has been going really well. Kitchen cabinets went in this week and they look fabulous! Here's a sneak peak.

Don't forget I'll be doing my first GIVE AWAY on Monday. Hopefully there will be many more to follow!

I'm Not The Only One

I want to thank everyone for their comments to my post yesterday. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who stresses over getting their runs in. I was starting to feel really silly about the whole thing. That I just couldn't let it go and roll with the punches. But rest assured, I figured out a solution to get my long run in AND have a fun filled Friday night. I'm going to run my 16 miler tomorrow but break it up over the course of the day while I'm at the house waiting on contractors to come and go. Coach Jack gave me his blessing to do this because I already have a good base for my 10 miler coming up in May and because this will be good practice for 20in24.

I also wanted to partake in TIaRT this week. The theme is Ode to My Running Shoes. I will always be fond of the Asics GT-2140 which got me through training and running my first marathon (don't worry, it wasn't the same pair that did both!). I alternate my shoes and have recently fell in love with my Saucony Progrid Guide 2, but those Asics will always be one of my favorites.

Lastly so I can get back to work...I will be doing my first GIVE AWAY on Monday!!! I'm so excited about this, it's a good one!! Make sure you check it out!!

Planning

I'm a HUGE planner. I need to know what's going on, when I'm going to do it, how it's going to get done, etc. This Friday we have plans to see a show in the city. Happens to be one of Andy's favorite artist so I'm happy we're going and know it will be a good time. But with that being said, it's been stressing me out ALL week. Knowing we'll be out really late on Friday and that there will most likely be cocktails involved, I probably won't get my long run in on Saturday. On top of that, we have a lot of moving to do Saturday so I can't just disappear for a few hours in the middle of the day. I'd usually run around 7am so I still have the whole day ahead of me to get stuff done. So it's looking like I might have to wait until Sunday. Big deal, right! But for some reason, I feel so discombobulated! (I love that word!) Any time I have to deviate from my routine I get all stressed out. I hate it! Sometimes I think it would be so nice to be one of those "fly by the seat of their pants" kind of people rather than this rigid, by the books planner. So, I'm trying to realize it's not the end of the world if I wait until Sunday and that I should go out on Friday with intentions of having a great time and not thinking about the long run. Anyone else struggle with this?

After providing Coach with my weekly summary from last week, I received my schedule for this week. On tap:

Mon - 6 mi

Tues - 4 mi

Wed - off

Thurs - 6 mi (sharpen*)

Fri - 3 mi

Sat - 16 mi

*For the "sharpen" run, I warm up at an easy pace and then alternate half mile intervals with my Broad Street race pace and my easy pace. Broad Street is the 10 miler I have coming up in May. Last year I ran it in 1:19:11. I'm looking for a little PR but nothing too big as I haven't done any specific training for this race.