Day FiftyNine

A spring time jog around RyRys neighborhood. My hip is killing me.

Day FiftyEight

Paced my Soldier on the last mile of his PT test, we did an 8:32 min mile.

Day FiftySeven

Jog around my block, my hip is still hurting. Tomorrow I am pacing my Soldier on his PT test, I can't let him down...

Day FiftySix

Just a nice slow marathon recovery run. As I was chugging along I was reflecting on how much I have learned over the last year. The El Paso Marathon last year was my first completed marathon. I was so sore afterward and decided I earned time off from doing anything. I remained so sore that I could hardly walk, it only got worse until I ran the Spartan race the following weekend, which cured the pain. I never believed in the power of the recovery run.
I was reflecting on all the things I have learned, mostly by trial and error. I have learned the value of a recovery run. I have learned that you have to respect the marathon because it does not respect you. I have learned the difference between sore and pain and which ones to push thru and which ones to listen to. I have learned to listen to my body, it will tell me what to do. I have learned the difference between not WANTING to go the distance and not being able to. I've learned that fearing the distance is all in my head. I've learned that 26.2 is not the whole distance, it's just the race distance. Most importantly I've learned that I can do more than I ever thought if I just try.
I have fought with myself, I have fought with running, I have loved it and hated it and continued to do it. I have had a million reasons to run and a million reasons not to and I keep chugging along. I've learned that those miles are patient and they will lay there and wait for me to run them.
I have learned to believe in the strength of my own legs, the power of my own lungs and the courage of my own heart.
There's no way I'm not running Phoenix Saturday!

Day FiftyFive

Today was the El Paso Marathon. Brandon and I went into it knowing we were not prepared. Injuries have left is undertrained and we were already on pain at the starting line. We had decided to run together at a nice 10 min/mile and stay together until the end. We did the Galloway method and all was well until about mile 17 when Brandon's knee locked up. We ended up walking off and on and then when our jog started to become slower than our brisk walk, we dropped to walking and chatting. With 6 miles left, El Paso decided to deliver us a sandstorm that did not let up and we were walking right into it! We finished the marathon in a time we will never be able to brag about, becoming my new personal worst time ever! Somewhere around 5:45, I didn't even pay attention.
McLaughlin did so well for his first marathon! He ran it in 3:30 and won second place for his age group!
Joy and Cyn rucked the half marathon and Cobb came out and paced MILFY in the half! Hag Banger and Fluffer ran the 5k and then helped host a beer check for us!
Butters hosted 4 beer checks for us! CDG came out for mile 16's.
then they ALL stayed and waited for us to finish, the support was pretty amazing! I am so excited to have so many people come out and support us.

After the marathon, we went to Whataburger for some sustenance and then we were off to lay trail for our one year anniversary hash. Even Cobb and Cyn came out to run our shitty trail. We prepaid about 2 miles of it, walking, but ran about 1.5 live. The wind was blowing so hard and it was so cold that we made circle super short. All in all, it was a good day running!

Day FiftyFour

Slow jog around the block for a pre-marathon jog.

Although I didn't do much running there, I am excited to be the newest track coach for the Texas Special Olympics!

Day FiiftyThree

Post Commander's Cup with my Soldiers. There were so many people there that at the end I had to wait 4 minutes to cross the finish line!! It was a nice, cold morning run.

Day FiftyTwo

A wicked sandstorm had me stuck inside, but I knocked it out early.

Day FiftyOne

The sandstorm slowed me down, but it sure didn't stop me!

Day Fifty

Day Fifty! Slept thru the planned morning run and it decided to rain all day. So I went on a raining run in the PM with my love. I was feeling so stressed out about all the stuff I have to get done and the run helped chill me out. Sigh.

Day FortyNine

Just a hungover loop around the block. Way under hydrated for this!!

Day FortyEight

Almost 50!!

Drunken late night run with Brandon. Still breaking in our shoes, tonight was his virgin kilt run, so much freedom!
What a gorgeous, perfect running night. Post sandstorm and a halfway point booze binge, all things considered, it felt great!

Day FortySeven

New running shoes, breaking in my brand new New Balance Minimus shoes on an evening run around the loop with my love. The 8:41 pace felt like a comfortable cruising pace.
Day FortySeven done with ease.

Day FortySix

Morning PT run. Took them on a jog to the stairs, ran the stairs that are 70 steps long, 6 times!! That's a quarter mile on stairs, and not the stair master at the gym, real concrete steps! Hopefully it will help settle some of the jiggle in my buns! Then a jog back to the start point, my Soldiers hated it, but they will thank me for it later!

The GPS signal didn't pick up until we reached the stairs, we have to double the picture for a daily total of 1.2 miles.

Day FortySix! So excited about this streak!

Day FortyFive

Diagnostic APFT, no phone on trail. I paced one of my Soldiers, we came in at 1636. No photographic evidence :(

Day FortyFour

Wednesday is a --//--> day and Juggz was FRB & FBI!!

Day FortyThree

Pretty sure that's my fastest mike this year. I was pretty bummed I only did one, I was looking forward to a 5k after work, but I had a project due 2 days ago that I forgot about :/
So, only a mile again.
43 days and going strong! I actually look forward to my daily run and checking it off, this blog was a great idea and just the motivation I need to keep on track!
There is a Facebook page called the Mile A Day Challenge! There are others like me out there!
I did my totals yesterday, I'm up to 113 for the year !

Day FortyTwo

Just a little jog around the hotel in Albuquerque. It's cold here! Flurries expected tonight!
I didn't feel it at all yesterday, but my right shin muscle is really sore today, nothing a lite jog and a little massage won't fix!

Day FortyOne

Sunday is an EPH3 hashing day!

Day Forty

Wasn't able to donate today, I was sitting in the waiting room reading my Runners World, waiting for Brandon. Then I remembered I was only a quarter mile from the canyon and I had a spare pair of my sweatpants, so I resolved that I would go run while Brandon donated. When I got to my car I found an entire running outfit complete with an armband and a knee brace!! I changed in my car and headed up the mountain. Even in the sandstorm, there were a ton of other people out! I turned on my Zombies, Run app and took off. I turned around at the amphitheater, I flew down the mountain! Aside from the few times I stopped to throw up, it felt great! My lungs were on fire afterward. I am not how sure how far I really ran, my phone lost service when I hit the Mexican cell towers, but a 5k seems worth taking credit for :)

Day ThirtyNine

Early morning run to the gym and then laps around the basketball court that weren't logged

Day ThirtyEight

Ran to the gym at 0430, it felt good.
Then ran with my Soldiers for PT, we did 400m sprints with a 400m jog for 3 miles. I kept my max pace and it felt good. Had to ice my knee, but today is a success and the best run day since the Puzzler!!

Day ThirtySeven

I was a cement truck with a blown tire :/ Cool evening jog with my love. First day running with my awesome new Nike+Sportwatch.

Day ThirtySix

GPS not working, did the normal 1 mile route

Day ThirtyFive

Attempted PT improvement work out.

Day ThirtyTwo

Pre volunteer jog in jeans.

Day ThirtyFour

Post SuperBowl jog with Brandon.

Day ThirtyThree

Done. Boom. No knee pain....

Day ThirtyOne

Jogged to the gym in the cold!! Did laps in the gym, while not wearing my phone, not much pain!