Heavy lifting...

....of the bottled kind. Happily, today is indicated as a day of rest. Unhappily, I reviewed the Jeff Galloway marathon training book and apparently, even for us elderly types, day of rest does not mean watch TV and drink beer. It means, don't run, but walking and cross training are OK.

Oh well. Time for that tomorrow. Sunday is a long run - 6 or 7 miles. The knees feel good today and the hips are fine. Legs are feeling strong. Have to say, though, I'm not exactly a Glamour fashion "Do"wearing my former running shoes as regular foot wear with skirts during the day, but they keep the joints healthy. And that's the priority until October 8.

Ok, back to the heavy lifting. :-)

Kelly's Update

After seven hours of driving to Virginia and back, I knew I had to go to the gym and at least walk the two miles that were on the plan for the day. I mean, Susan ran so how could I not go??? It was the hardest two miles yet! Shin pain and overall blech, but I got it done. Woke up this morning for my workout with Greg unable to move. My lower back refused to cooperate. PAIN! I remember on Monday feeling something in my hip and lower back as I was doing leg presses......... So today, there is no running. For exercise, I walked into the spa for a pedicure! My feet are happy, at least for the day! And I love the fancy shoes they give you. I promise to get at least some walking in tomorrow - preferably on the beach!

Where is the love?

So, some days in training are not as motivating as others. I made it to the gym and sat around outside playing with Facebook until I talked myself into going inside. Only 2 miles on the training plan today..you would have thought it was 200. Everything hurt BEFORE I even started. The left knee is better but just for spite the right one started. And you know how the song goes, "The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone?" Well RIGHT THERE is where an annoying new ache has developed.

So I walked for about 20 minutes, and then did the two miles using a modified Jeff Galloway technique of running 1 mile and walking a minute and then running the other. Then I walked a bunch more for pure cussedness. And then, I was so aggravated I did some weights. But motivated? No, just pissed.

Also, taking an IPhone into the gym is a STUPID idea. Between missed calls, beeps and bells of mesages arrving, the music kept cutting off, and it's insane trying to use the controls when you're on the treadmill. Note to self-get a new ipod shuffle ASAP!

Oh well, sorry to whine. Maybe next time will be better. Anyway, running outside is so much eaier than running on a frickin treadmill. Thanks for listening.

Susan says..

I'm sitting here still icing my knees and taking Advil because all the running books I've read say OLD PEOPLE who train for long distance races should take a day off after running to "recover." Like I really needed a book to tell me that. Meanwhile, I am getting worried that Kelly's Blogs are getting funnier than mine... but I have to admit that while I listen to music, play on my Iphone and watch captioned TV on the treadmill, too, the one thing I don't do is read a magazine....so yeah, she IS more ADD.

Kelly's A.D.D. Training

The gym time continued with the upper body workout and 4 miles on the treadmill today. As I hung in this contraption where you put your arms into straps and then dangle (looking like someone who lost hangman) so you can do leg lifts, and possibly grow a few inches at the same time, I was thinking that people who are really into this stuff are a bit crazy. Who invented this contraption? It is kinda fun to watch people hanging there though. Anyway, upper body days are no picnic, but WAY easier than lower body days. I always love when Greg throws in some exercises with the big Pilates ball. I have to concentrate so much on not falling off the ball, I sometimes forget how much it hurts!

Today I also had the realization that I may never be able to actually run OUTSIDE. I'm doing great inside, the 4 miles today was not too bad at all. The treadmill becomes a paradise for my attention deficit self. I pick a machine in front of a tv with closed captioning. I have my cell phone in one cup holder, my iPod in the other. The gym has wireless so I can check my email, Facebook and Googletalk while I'm running. I find a magazine just in case. There is usually at least a little good people watching too. Then I spend an hour so distracted by the world around me that I, again, forget it hurts. Sometimes I focus by staring at the digital display and clearing my mind. If I'm not too tired, I can do mental math and calculate how far I will be able to go if I run a certain number of miles per hour for however many minutes. Today I realized that if I get a treadmill next to someone who really CAN run, I can entertain myself by pretending like we are competing. Even better when it's a nice looking guy. Today, the guy kicked my butt. So all this to say that when I finally start running outside, I'm not sure I will ever be able to create the level of distraction that I trained for! Not to mention that on the treadmill, when I drop my iPod and it flies across the gym, some nice person always brings it back to me. When this happens on the street, I think bad things will happen!!!

Susan's Running Adventure

Many thanks to Kelly for motivating (i.e., SHAMING) me into running today with her Blog entry.

Lately I've been using visualization of the actual half-marathon to get/keep me going. Since I criss-crossed Baltimore last year to watch Becky run her marathon, I am able to "see" myself at the start of the run (happy happy, loud pulse-throbbing music, cheering crowds), on the last big hill of the course (AKA "The Hill That Causes Middle-aged Wannabe Half-Marathoners to Stop Running and Call a Cab"), and running down Charles Street over the finish line, straight to the free beer tent. Today I was also armed for the first time with my cool new GPS watch - which I couldn't remember how to use - and my iPhone for music -since my Shuffle fried during the thunderstorm in the rain on Saturday. I was pretty sure I was going to get struck by space alien death rays, by carrying so much electronic equipment on me. Definitely I'm going to have to go out and get a new Ipod Shuffle; this will be the FIFTH since my running career began two years ago. That whole thng about not getting them wet and throwing them in the washing machine is getting SOOOO yesterday.

I tried a nifty new route by running two connecting long country driveways back to the highway. About halfway along, some sketchy fat lady starts waddling out to me to tell me that THIS IS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND TO STOP RUNNING. So much for my theory that Frederick people are nicer than MoCo ones. I guess that she was worried that I weighed so much I would damage her gravel road. I politely gave her my best Kyra Stedgwick, The Closer, "Thaaaank yew...." and ran off into the sunset. It's not like she could chase me, oh please.

I also ran the loop around the neighborhood where both Jesus' and Alfonso's cousin Jorge live, and said "Hi." I never get over the irony of ending up living 1 mile away from the one Mexican relative who knew me when I was married to each of them. Too weird.

Anyway, I made it safely home after the prescribed "3 mile" run. Stretched until I felt like a rubber band and am icing my knees. Time now for dinner, Advil and a trip to the store for kitty litter - the latter not being related to running at all, but if I write it down I am less likely to forget it, being old and all....

A New Week of Training for Kelly

This week started out strong and then my motivation started to fizzle. Sunday I ran/walked 4 miles on the treadmill and felt great. On Monday, Greg cancelled due to his trip to SC, and I never made it to the gym. Today I made up my missed training with Greg and it was a struggle! I wasn't motivated but luckily Greg doesn't care. These are the days when I remember why I pay someone to work with me. I would have quit wayyyyy sooner without someone there with no mercy! After leg lifts, bench steps, squats, dips, and leg curls....ugh.....I was sentenced to 20 minutes on the stairmaster. I think Greg has my number. As he was sending me to the stairmaster he said, "I'd like for you to get 20 minutes for the calves, but after what we've already done, you'll be lucky to get 5." Oh no he didn't!!!! See, now I HAVE TO do 20 minutes just because he said I can't. AND I DID! So there. :-) So now treadmill today. Tomorrow will be an upper body workout so I should be able to run after. I'm tired just thinking about it.......ouch.

Susan's Report, 7/26

I spent today duct-taping plastic sheeting to the place where my rear window used to be, icing my knees and taking Advil. Tomorrow: A new knee brace and Body Pump. Oh, yay...

Kelly's First Post

So Susan has not only convinced me to run this half marathon with her, but also to blog as we prepare. I suppose it will make it harder for me to chicken out if there is written evidence!

I have started this new challenge like all good challenges should....shopping! I have new workout clothes, new music, ordered new running shoes, socks, and a book about middle aged women who decide to run. Maybe it can tell me why! I suppose for me it is a personal challenge. I need something to motivate me, push me, keep me going. This should work!

Today was a much needed rest day from the workouts. My body was sore from my trainer upping the weight and number of sets the past week, and the effort to add some running into my treadmill time. Back on the treadmill tomorrow. I am going to start recording how long and far I can go each time to measure progress. Got my new music and playlists ready to go!

Susan: A very expensive run and fear is a great motivator

Today was "long" run day, in this case, 6 miles, and it cost me over $500.

Note to self: If you are paying over $100 a month for your iPhone service plan, you should probably go ahead and use it to check the weather before you start running on the C&O Canal towpath.

So, I am coming up on mile 4, tired and bored to tears, and wondering how I ever thought that I was going to finish two more miles when Boom! The heavens open up to the lovely accompaniment of wind, thunder and lightening... and where am I exactly? Oh yeah, on a tree laden TOWPATH with the canal 3 feet to my left and the Potomac River 5 feet to my right. And I'm wondering, WHERE exactly am I supposed to go to be safe???? The Girl Scouts were not clear about this when I was a kid, so I run faster. Two phrases repeat themselves over and over in my head: "Oh SHIT!!!!" and "Please God, I don't want to die like this."

Note to self: Fear of getting hit by lightening or a falling tree limb will give you abundant energy for running a new PR!

Finally, though, the bridge over the canal back to the car is in sight. But hey, where is the car? Oh, there it is but it's kinda hard to see with a TREE coming out the back window. A damn TREE LIMB fell on my rear window and broke all the glass.

On the bright side, I barely noticed those last two miles. On the other hand, my Ipod shuffle died in the rain and some doofus actually took the kneestrap that I left on a fence because it was chafing.

And that's the story of how a lovely run on the scenic C&O Canal towpath, cost me $500 but got me a new PR.

We begin our journey

Welcome to Susan and Kelly's excellent journey to the Baltimore Half-Marathon on October 11th. Apparently there is also some lame Marathon taking place at the same time/place, but this is all about US! Meanwhile, I am getting bored with posting Facebookk Updates like: "Planning to run 10K today. I hope I survive," and I'm sure FB readers are tired of reading them.

These are random photos to document the fact that we have a long way to go to even get to the Start line.

These blurry photos show me, last week, before, starting and having crossed the Finish line at the Rockville 8K Twilighter at a sound-barrier blasting pace 0f...oh heck, I'm too embarrassed to say.






Kelly is going to post her own photos, as she is a mere 360 miles away in North Carolina. I'm sure she is actually training to RUN the entire distance to Baltimore to get here.

She and I will post Before/During and After photos here and self-indulgent whining about the fun we are having getting ready. Hopefully the quality of our photos will also improve.