Ahhh! Temperatures have soared into the 20's out here in sunny Minnesota! Guy and I are in Rochester for the weekend with Bobby and Ally - Ally is swimming in the President's Day "A" Meet. Not doing really well - she was home two days this week with a 102+ temperature, but now she just has a really bad cold. She has swum in 3 events so far (will be 7 total), and all were slower than her qualifying times. But that's ok. We are still really proud of her just for getting here. Go Ally! We love you so much! UPDATE 5:00 p.m.... Ally just swam the 100 yard breaststroke in a Championship Qualifying PR!!!!
Anyway, this morning at dawn we headed out, intending to run 15 miles on the Douglas Trail. It was nicely packed by the snowmobilers, but it was still a lot of work: a good ankle-strengthening work-out for ultra runners, and I do say that like it's a good thing! So we hopped on and off the trail, running on the streets as well as on sidewalks in and around the old neighborhoods. It was SO nice outside that we ended up with 18 miles~! Yea!
We were especially proud of ourselves because we've been running just a fraction of the miles we used to over these last 10 months with all the changes in our lives that needed tending to. It hasn't been easy, as we've had to work our way back from SCRATCH. Like, we struggled with our first 3 and 4 mile runs on the dreadmill. But after today, our confidence is back, and WE are back, baby!
We used to be "marathon-ready," even "Ironman-ready" all year round (I did 5 Ironman triathlons and over 20 marathons in 2 1/2 years), but we completely lost all that conditioning in the strange year we look back and call "2010." It's been a long road back. So we really, really needed that confidence-building run, and today we got it.
In two weeks, Guy is heading down with some buddies to Oklahoma to do a 50K on Saturday and a trail marathon on Sunday - 57 miles in two days... sounds like old times, honey! Have fun and good luck!
Hope you all got your long runs in this beautiful weekend! We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Training for Chippewa
Ok, what's my identity here? It started as an Ironman training blog, then an ultra running blog, then an I Love Jesus blog... now I think it's time to blend all these things that are or were important to me and start blogging again!
It's just been such a weird year, 2010... death in the family, the settlement of bills, the reorganization of all the household "stuff", knowing what stuff to throw out, and what to keep - both tangible and intangible. So much just had to GO. It was a shocking, freeing, revealing year. And here's what I ended up with:
- A man who loves me so much more than I ever thought I could be loved.
- Kids who love me - still - even though they are 10 and 12 and I hear that this is the stage where they start to pull away, but I have really lucked out - they still think (and tell us) that they are the luckiest kids in the world cause they have us for parents. I am so thankful I get to be their mom and I tell them everyday!
- An extended family who loves us - including cousins, aunts, sisters-in-law, and Grandparents who go overboard making sure my kids feel treasured.
- We are so blessed.
Deep breath. Now that I have all those comforts, I can get back to training. So here is what is planned:
Guy and I are registered for several races in 2011 - starting with Chippewa 50K in April, Superior 50 mile in May, and Grandma's marathon in June. We took some time off and had to work our way back up the milage charts, but I am up to 11 and Guy is up to 13. I can leisurely work my way up to race day in April...
...But in a couple of weeks Guy has to be back up to 50K cause he and a couple of trail runner buddies are doing a crazy road trip race-weekend in Oklahoma that is a 50K on Saturday followed by a road marathon on Sunday. Now that is jumping back in the saddle. Glad I am staying home watching kids!
I've been treadmilling most of my runs as we have had a lot of snow, like pretty much everyone else in the USA. I can't wait to get back outside - and back on TRAILS. Chae, who is doing Chippewa with us, has been keeping her miles up, too, and we'll all be ready come April.
Gonna feel good to actually pin on a real race bib again.
It's just been such a weird year, 2010... death in the family, the settlement of bills, the reorganization of all the household "stuff", knowing what stuff to throw out, and what to keep - both tangible and intangible. So much just had to GO. It was a shocking, freeing, revealing year. And here's what I ended up with:
- A man who loves me so much more than I ever thought I could be loved.
- Kids who love me - still - even though they are 10 and 12 and I hear that this is the stage where they start to pull away, but I have really lucked out - they still think (and tell us) that they are the luckiest kids in the world cause they have us for parents. I am so thankful I get to be their mom and I tell them everyday!
- An extended family who loves us - including cousins, aunts, sisters-in-law, and Grandparents who go overboard making sure my kids feel treasured.
- We are so blessed.
Deep breath. Now that I have all those comforts, I can get back to training. So here is what is planned:
Guy and I are registered for several races in 2011 - starting with Chippewa 50K in April, Superior 50 mile in May, and Grandma's marathon in June. We took some time off and had to work our way back up the milage charts, but I am up to 11 and Guy is up to 13. I can leisurely work my way up to race day in April...
...But in a couple of weeks Guy has to be back up to 50K cause he and a couple of trail runner buddies are doing a crazy road trip race-weekend in Oklahoma that is a 50K on Saturday followed by a road marathon on Sunday. Now that is jumping back in the saddle. Glad I am staying home watching kids!
I've been treadmilling most of my runs as we have had a lot of snow, like pretty much everyone else in the USA. I can't wait to get back outside - and back on TRAILS. Chae, who is doing Chippewa with us, has been keeping her miles up, too, and we'll all be ready come April.
Gonna feel good to actually pin on a real race bib again.
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