4 Miles

Today was definitely an indoor treadmill day.  It's icy cold, horrible, and windy not to mention totally foggy.  I did a really nice 4 mile run on the treadmill and added some incline.  I'm going to try to follow the Nike Women's Marathon workout plan for the rest of the time between now and October 20th when I do the Nike Marathon.  It looks like a reasonable method.  It's been hard to follow a strict plan because of my recent traveling and the extra marathons that I ran.  But between now and the next marathon, I should be able to follow it fairly strictly, as long as I have access to the treadmill.  Running out there in the Arctic blast is not going to be reasonable or even possible a lot of the time.

I'm having exactly zero luck with fundraising so far.  I've been promoting my fundraising page on Facebook but that's about all.  I'm hoping to find some way to do some more efficient fundraising.  But for now, I will be concentrating on getting myself into better shape.  I am still ridiculously slow, and I really hate that!!



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Back Indoors

The good weather promptly left and the cold, wind, foggy weather is back.
I had hoped to do that 18 mile long run advised by the Nike Women's Marathon app but I found that on the treadmill I just got too hot and too tired.  I did go for 8 miles while watching Life of Pi on the television. 

Nice weather, Ran Outdoors!

It was a beautiful day!  I ran only 3 miles because that is what the Nike Women's Marathon training site suggests for today.  I don't know about being able to do the 18 mile run that it suggests for tomorrow.  But I will give it a try if I have enough time.  It was 52 today and the wind wasn't too obnoxious, although it was challenging running into the wind.  I went for a drive and saw a few musk ox and some tundra swans along the way.

Tundra Swans

5 Today

For some reason, today was hard for me.  I got up a little earlier than usual, probably too early.  My 5 mile run on the treadmill seemed to drag, but I did manage to get through it.  Could be it's just mental based on the dreary sight I see when I look out the window today.  I really want to run outdoors but today can be described only by words such as dank, dark, dreary, dismal, and the most descriptive - slimy.  It is so muddy out there yet not even really raining.  With the permafrost, the water is just standing everywhere and the road is incredibly slippery. I think a person could disappear and drown in mud out there today.  So of course, I had to relegate my run once more to the treadmill.  The way this month is going, I may have to do all of my training on the treadmill.  But it does enable me to artificially push my limits simply by speeding up the treadmill belt.  So maybe that is a really good thing.  My goal is to increase my pace, and it seems that I may be making slight progress. 

Of course the most important goal is the cause.  I'm so happy I am finally signed up for another Team In Training event.  The finish line of ending cancer is more important than any other finish line I try to cross.

Keeping this in mind for this month too.

End Cancer!

 

 

A Short Run

I didn't have much time today but did find time for a 3 mile treadmill run.  Yesterday my bad ankle swelled up and was quite painful so I took a rest day.  But today it felt fine and still felt good after the run.  The weather is terrible and muddy, foggy, and cold. So until it improves I will stick with the treadmill and the other workout equipment.  I get really hot running indoors though.  But I do find it is easier to push myself because I can increase the treadmill speed and force myself to go faster.  It seems like a good training routine.

Inside and Outside

I started running outdoors but first it started to snow, then it started to rain, then in started to rain and snow.  But that didn't bother me so much.  It was the 2 inches of mud that had collected on each of my shoes so that it felt like I was running with 10 pound weights on each foot.  After a mile or so, I decided to turn around and head for the treadmill.  I ran another 4 miles on the treadmill and was able to do some sprints and really push myself.  I think that was a better workout.  Then I did some lifting with the various machines there in the new fitness center at the Prudhoe Bay Hotel.  That felt pretty good.  Trying to take off a few pounds and get some strength as well as pick up some running speed.  This should be a good month for that.  I might be doing a lot of it indoors though if this nasty weather continues.  I think summer is over here on the north slope of Alaska.

Run For Cancer

Finally I found a Team In Training event that doesn't conflict with my work schedule.  I just signed up for the Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon on February 2, 2014.  Here is the link to my new Fundraising page. I'm glad to finally have a Team In Training event in my future.  I feel kind of lost without one.  This one should be interesting.  Hopefully I can pick up my pace to something more reasonable than my last few.  At least this one has a 7 hour time limit so I should have no trouble making that one.  But I certainly don't plan on taking that long.  But the most important thing isn't my running performance, but the cause.  I really want to see an end to cancer in my lifetime.