March Review

I can’t believe another month of 2009 is down! Wow ~ time really does fly when you are having fun! And I really, truly am having fun training for this Half Marathon! Good runs and bad – it’s all fun. It’s time for my monthly review, and this review will also include some quarterly stats as well.

So far in 2009, I have run 125 miles! That means I can probably easily surpass 500 miles this year – which is really a cool thing for me. After reviewing my LogYourRun data, it is cool to see my progress this year break down like so:

January: 34 miles Avg. Pace = 16.09 (I’m sure this is not accurate, but I didn’t have time to look at the numbers behind the math ha ha)

February: 41 miles Avg Pace - 13:38

March: 50 miles Avg Pace - 13:00

My goal for April is obviously more miles, and to get that pace down even more! I have noticed in recent runs that I am walking less, so that in itself is going to make a difference in my pace. I am actually running right around 11:00 to 12:00 minute miles, but when I take a 1 or 2 minute walk break here and there, that obviously will throw my bottom line stats off. Yes, this was a light bulb moment for me at 2am in the night - when my eyes popped open and it occurred to me - WHOA! That’s RIGHT – I am not THAT slow….my average pace includes my WALK BREAKS. Duh.

Overall, I am happy about my running progress in just 3 months time! I have some days where I just feel like come ON already….but when I really look at the stats, I really am very proud.

In March, I did 50 minutes of Cross Training and 1:25 hours of strength training. I’m a little slacker on the XT cardio. I do about 15 minutes of stair stepping at a time, and although it is getting easier…I just can’t bring myself to love it like I do running! I tried a bike once and it was hard too. I may have to try Zumba or something else at the gym because the stationary machines are just not cutting it for me!

The strength training, I LOVE. And I’m steppin’ up my game for April! I am digging deeper into the routines in my ‘New Rules of Lifting For Women’ book, and I HAVE to focus more on my core. I do a couple of balance ball / plank type core work, but just twice a week, and I don’t think that is enough. I really felt the fatigue in my upper body during my last long run (7 miler) and made a mental note to ‘fix it’ ha ha. And so, I will!

On the nutrition front…I eat well. Ha ha…I REALLY eat well. I am hungry. All.The.Time. It’s like being pregnant. (dear Lord, no) So….I eat well. I’ve had my moments of indulgence, but nothing concerning. My brief 142 pounds at the end of February was just that….BRIEF. I don’t think I ever saw that number again after that weigh in! I am up 3-5 pounds from that, depending on the day. My scale is broken remember? I really have no idea what I truly weigh anymore. Nor do I care (much). However, I am aware that I need to be a bit more conscious of my calorie intake – at least I’m not eating junk, but I probably have room to cut some calories but still be well fueled for my runs. And so, it’s time to pull out the trusty food journal and start tracking again, because I really would like to drop another 5 pounds before race day in May.

So that's it! March is done. March was good! April will be even better. I am getting revved up for my 8 miler this weekend, and this month will also be my first 10 mile run. What a milestone!

Can it get any better than this?

Well yes ~ I must share this pic of my wonderful family, taken on Alison's Confirmation day (it's a Catholic thing....) this past Sunday. They've been such a great support for me and 'my running' and I absolutely could not have come as far as I have without their encouragement and support!

Aren't they awesome? The Husband (Mike), Grace, Chris, Alison and, yours truly....

Run On~