Live for Today ~ Sarah in Training

Sweet run

2009-02-22T20:59:00.001-06:00

Took a quick run around Walnut Creek today. I love that place. It was chilly, but not windy which made for a perfect run. I actually wanted to go farther, but decided not to push it and just enjoy the day. I'm getting psyched to start serious training for the Chicago half in June.

Chicago 13.1

2009-02-02T22:02:00.002-06:00

After steady running this winter thanks to my gal pals and alot of determination on my part, we have all registered for the inaugural 13.1 half marathon in Chicago this June. We're all getting serious running in and will be so prepared for this run. Some husbands are skeptical, but they all want us to do well. A quick run yesterday turned out to be straight into wind for the first couple of miles. Temps in the 30's it was hard to breath. My thighs and ribs are sore today and I can feel the extra 4 lbs. put on this winter coming off and firming up the abs. Sweet! Running is undoubtly the only thing I can do to eat what I want and stay in shape. Whatever it takes!!! I love chocolate and cheesecake damn it! (I do eat well most of the time but I will not give up the good stuff) Bless you and your adventures!

Still Running

2008-12-29T22:08:00.003-06:00

I hadn't posted for a while, but wanted to make sure you all knew I am still running and having a blast. I've been keeping in it with a few 5k's and an 8k turkey trot at Thanksgiving. It's really cold now and I've been running with a great girl friend of mine on an indoor track. I don't like going around in circles, but it's not too bad compared to -20 wind chills we had last week. Hope your running or what ever you do is going well this winter!

Success at the 10k

2008-10-05T09:44:00.003-05:00

Success! My first 10k race was last Sunday. Was a beautiful brisk morning. All of us in tow got up EARLY to head down town. The sense of togetherness was immense as we all gathered at the starting line. The start of the race began with a patriotic salute to our great country - the National Anthem. Then the pop of the starting gun. It was on! My two recruits stood with me until the start. Carrie sprinted off like a deer and Sara and I were taking it easy trying not to run over or get run over! Dad recorded our start and finish see the link here. Was a GREAT time and cannot wait to do it again. Next year I'm planning on the half marathon and hope to run the Turkey Trot in Chicago this Thanksgiving. Onward and upward!

1 WEEK TO GO!

2008-09-21T13:51:00.003-05:00

Found a great 5 mile route yesterday. Half cross country and half paved. Has some good hills, but not unbearable. I am totally ready for the 10k next Sunday. Relaxed and ready to ROCK OUT! Bring it on!

2 weeks to go

2008-09-14T16:09:00.002-05:00

Still feeling good with two weeks to go for the 10k. I am totally psyched since my dad decided to fly in for the big race. Yep, my first race and I'll have my own cheering section. Cool! Put in 5 miles today and will shoot for 7 tomorrow. Life is good!

Less than 3 weeks to go!

2008-09-08T20:27:00.002-05:00

Had a great weekend of running! 5 miles on Saturday, a quick run yesterday and about 3 today. It was a rainy and cold weekend, but was nice for running. Hope to get another 7-9 mile run in next week just for kicks! Omaha Marathon, half marathon and 10k is Sept. 28. Can't wait to get my first race under my belt. Rock on!

Cracking 7 Miles

2008-09-01T09:37:00.003-05:00

Yep! I did it! 7 miles on Friday. It was a beautiful morning and decided to pass my 5 mile long run and do 6. Before I knew it I ran out 3.5 miles and had to turn around and run home. It was getting pretty tiring in the end, but made it just over 7 miles. It was awesome and I cannot wait to do it again. I am so ready for the 10k!!!

Countdown to the Omaha 10K

2008-08-19T21:16:00.002-05:00

So I have lost track of my weeks I've been training and decided to count down to the Omaha 10k on September 28. Can you believe it's only a month away??!!

I've been keeping up on my running and have started my new program this week to gear up for the 10k. It's so much easier for me to run in the morning, but that was not possible this summer with all the kiddos home, so I was running in the evenings and afternoons. Ya! The hottest parts of the day I know. Of course it took my Daddyo to figure out I was getting dehydrated. I have been drinking ALOT of water and gatorade to stay hydrated and keep my electrolytes and sodium up. Sweating takes it all out of ya and I was getting so tired very quickly in my workouts. Since then, I have increased my water I drink daily and have seen a huge improvement. Not to mention it is so much more pleasant to run in the morning when it is not so flippin hot.

This morning had a great 4.5 mile run. Probably run 3 tomorrow and going to go for 5 or 6 on Friday. Having a great time and feeling great too. I think my ankles and knees are finally used to the running strain and have built up my muscles and joint strength to handle the longer jogs. I didn't realize it but I guess I have lost some weight too. People had asked me but the last time I was on the scale not much had changed. Today when I stepped on I had dropped 7 or 8 lbs. Must be all the fluids I've been sweating out. :) or maybe the fat is actually burning off!!! Wouldn't that be nice? All I know is I feel really good and I don't want to stop. Awesome!

Week 14 & 15

2008-08-06T13:47:00.002-05:00

Week 14 had another good run in KS and still running the hills. Went to mom's and ran the country roads. It is a good run! This week struggled last night with a 4 miler on the trail. Not sure, but the last couple of weeks have been tough! My energy level is down and I'm going to blame it on the extra hot weather and humidity. Anyhoo! Keeping at it with some words of encouragement from friends around me. Like dad says, it's 99% mental when it comes to distance running. All encouraging words are greatly appreciated!

Week 12 & 13

2008-07-25T14:31:00.002-05:00

Hey world! Not much to post. Still at the running, but have a sore knee. I've been running my hill workout (a little over two miles), but that's about it. I may do a ride tonight with the bike rather than a long run like I had planned. All is going well other than the bum knee. :) I'm off to Kansas next week so hope to get a couple of good gravel road workouts in. It's so flat and smooth there. Makes for good jogging. Hope you are fantastico and making the most of the summer!

Week 11

2008-07-12T21:52:00.002-05:00

Another great week for running! I am happy to say I ran 4.5 miles and averaged just under 11 minutes per mile. Wow! That was the longest run I have attempted and I could have gone another couple of miles, but was getting dark. It was a beautiful sunset and an even more beautiful temp in the lower 80's upper 70's with no humidity. Not sure how that happened, but made for a great run and I just knew when I got off work tonight I needed to get out on the trail. In previous days this week I ran the hills in the neighborhood and Yes Daddyo! It's making me tough as nails! I feel more tired running 2 and a quarter miles of hills than the whole 4 and a half I ran this evening. Think I'm going to start increasing my hill workouts a quarter mile at a time and see how that goes.

Something my sister told me tonight is "Live for today" I liked these simple words so much I am renaming my blog.

End O' Week 10

2008-07-07T19:37:00.004-05:00

I know this is a bit late and I will post week 11 soon, but last week was a great week for running here in Omaha. Aside from a warm and humid run on Wednesday with my friend BJ I was able to run at the peak cool hours of the day or just after a rain. Ran everyday except Friday and got in a good 2 miles or better. It's getting easier and easier after my ankle problem. It's amazing what good shoes will do for you. Talked to Meg tonight and her doctor said to get orthotics. Dad also suggested this. I may turn to the chiro or podiatrist if I have any further problems.

Run like the wind! Or as fast as you can, that'll work too. ;)

Beginning Week 10

2008-06-29T19:14:00.003-05:00

Sunday morning run was a blast! We were in Kansas, woke up thinking this is going to be a humid sluggish run, but much to my surprise it was beautiful! Slight breeze, no humidity, and a super flat gravel road. We did about 4.2 miles and it was awesome! Thanks Jessica!

Week 9

2008-06-28T00:11:00.002-05:00

It's been a busy week! So much to do, so little time. I did get a couple of little runs in both about 2 miles. Feeling good and want to get a run in this weekend in KS with my pal Jessica. Nothing like the smell of dirt on country roads to get your lungs going!

Oh ya! Why am I up so late you might ask? Just waiting for my big brother's plane to take off from the Windy City so I can pick them up from the airport. I cannot wait to see them even though it will probably be about 2 am before we get home (if we're lucky). :)

Life is good!

End of Week 8

2008-06-21T20:35:00.004-05:00

Finally! Got a 1.6 mile run in tonight. Breathing was tough, but not horrible. 12.05 per mile pace. I ran in the street so hopefully won't screw up the ankle again on those nasty sidewalks. Wasn't my best run, but it'll do for now. I hope to get a couple more short runs in next week. Jessica wants to get a jog in next Saturday morning before mom's retirement. Can't wait to show her how awesome the hills are around here!!! :) I'm just happy to get a mile and a half in after 4 weeks of nothing. It felt goooooood. :D

Week 8

2008-06-16T20:03:00.003-05:00

Again, not much new here with the running. The ankle is 100%. Going to kick it into gear next week. Off on a whirlwind ride to Eureka Springs, Arkansas this week. Will be back Friday!!! More to come next week!

Week 7

2008-06-12T09:05:00.003-05:00

I can walk again! Woohoo! I woke up yesterday with no limp at all. After two weeks of limping around and whining to my family I am finally feeling like I may be hitting the road again. What a relief.

I am still taking this week off and next week Shayne and I are riding down to Eureka Springs, Arkansas for a little vacation while all the kids are out with their other parents on vacations. I am so ready to go! I really need a vacation. We haven't been on much of a motorcycle trip since Sturgis 2 years ago. Had a little weekend trip last year, but nothing much so we are seriously in need of a vacation.

I'll keep you posted on the progress after next week. Probably start off slow with a mile and work my way up again. I have a 10k to run in September!!!

:)

Week 6

2008-06-04T12:42:00.002-05:00

Well, not much to report this week. Still staying off the ankle, but it is getting a bit better.

Check out the Omaha Marathon this September. I have registered for the 10K. Thought I would be ready for it by then. Hopefully, my foot will be ready to run next week. Fingers crossed!

:D

Week 5

2008-05-27T21:20:00.003-05:00

OK. Week 5 is not starting off on the right foot, literally! My right foot is in pain and am going to have to rest it for a while. Did my 3 miles at Walnut Creek on Monday after work and thought I was not going to make it. Only because the pain in my foot was getting really bad and my left leg was compensating for it and started wearing down.

I may go to a fitness store and see if they have any ideas on insoles or ankle supports or something. I am not happy about this at all, but from the advice of my running family all say rest it and get well before pushing it again.

One of my running buddies suggested biking for a couple of weeks so that may be the route I take until the foot heals. I just don't want to loose all the ground I've been building up for the past couple of weeks. Not going to cover any ground if I can't even walk. Duh!

I am ticked off about it, but that's life I suppose. Gotta take the injuries as they come and get over them.

:)

Week 4

2008-05-21T22:05:00.003-05:00

Wow! What a great week so far. Monday night after work, I decided to try out this Walnut Creek park that has a 3.2 mile trail running around it. Beautiful place.

The girls and I had gone there last Friday so I could get a little run in. They rode their bikes and I jogged. We lasted about a mile then they played on the playground. It was fun!

Back to Monday night... my friend Amanda met me there after work to DO THIS three miles. Well we did it! I was tired the last half mile, but we pulled it off (much to Amanda's encouragement) and were quite proud I must say. I am now blaming my last half mile weakness to the 12 hour shift I worked that day. Work sure does get in the way of my play time. Ya know?

Wednesday night, my dad wanted to check this place out, soooo we headed to walnut creek and did it again. Felt so good this time it was bad. Like bad ass. Are ya feelin me? It was my best run yet. We timed it to pace an average 11.48 minutes/mile.

Heading for the hill run on Friday. Caleb said it will make me strong and dad says it will make me tough as nails. YA BABY!!!! BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

Week 3

2008-05-13T10:50:00.004-05:00

Mom's kick ass! So there are a couple of mom's (Amanda & BJ) here in the neighborhood who have kicked around the idea of this marathon thing and low and behold we ran into each other on our runs this morning! I was rounding the dreaded hill 2 (see week 2), getting geared up to push my butt up and there was a huge golden dog leading a pack of two awesome women pushing it down the hill getting geared up for the the last hill I just ran down! Are you still with me??? OK. They have started their marathon training too! After getting home, cooling down, and cleaning up I had a message on my phone saying "You are AWESOME!" Wow, I really needed to hear that. I called her back and think we're going to meet up Thursday for another run. They'd been running the trails, but with summer and kids out of school are going to have to brave the neighborhoods, hills and all. It's only going to make us stronger!!!! So I think we're pretty much bad asses. :)

Did I mention I made it up hill 2 and pushed it up hill 3 making it a full 2 miles. My legs were still good, breathing gets rough up the hills, but not too bad. Think I might try Walnut Creek park. Amanda said the loop around there is 3 miles.

Feeling pretty good!

Week 2

2008-05-07T09:46:00.003-05:00

FYI! I am in to week two of training for the 2009 Chicago Marathon and some marathon in San Diego my sister-in-law has somehow talked me in to. (they are giving out tiffany's jewelry and chocolate if you finish, need I say more?)

Wait a minute! You all probably don't even know how out of shape I am!! Last week was week 1 and I am determined to keep this going. Soooo, I started using my blog to possibly get some encouragement from my loving family and friends. Help me please!! Usually, I start exercising, then get off track for a week and don't get back on track until spring and I look at my butt and wonder how I'll fit into the shorts I bought at the end of last summer. It's just gotten worse every year. It's got to end NOW!

Today was a great run. Ok Caleb (my 50 mile running cousin), don't chuckle, but it was only 2 miles. My 2 mile route consists of 3 major hills, my neighborhood is so hilly! Last week, I think I walked 1 out of the 2 miles, but today I only had to walk up one of the hills! Yeah me! I didn't even have to suck air so badly and didn't want to die at the end. Felt goooooooooood!!!! Man that felt real good. Confidence is building.

Any pointers would be well appreciated from any one. Even if you just think I'm crazy and should stop, it may make me work even harder!

I will try to post weekly to keep myself motivated.

Can anything good come from a heart attack?

2007-08-20T20:51:00.001-05:00

The answer is yes!

My father Sam underwent double bypass surgery after a massive heart attack on August 4 this year. It's a miracle he is alive today. With a 1 percent survival chance it is a definite miracle. I am so lucky to be able to call him, email him, see him, talk to him, give him a hug. So many things I think about everyday that I am so thankful for. To be able to talk to him today is a miracle!

Several things positive came from this major blip in his life. So many it is hard to list them all or even explain them all. I can attribute so many things, small things. Like being able to see my brothers and my aunt and talk to them about things we hadn't ever discussed. Knowing my dad will live a long and full life. Knowing he will be able to run again "with out any limits." That is what the surgeon told me to my face, in my own ears. "His life will be limitless." That was music to my ears. After hearing that, I knew everything would be falling into place. After hours of uncertainty, to hear those simple words. It's hard to explain the feeling I had after that. I just knew everything was going to be "OK".

I know one of the main reasons he is limitless is because he takes care of himself. He is a runner. Need I say more? He's always been limitless, so why stop now???