Streak Days 25 - 26

Saturday morning was a bright and early 5.6 miles walk as Libby and I marked the 5K, 10K and 15K courses for the “A Dollar a K” race in the morning. Our original plan was to run, but we quickly discovered we could not run holding 15 orange utility flags, the course map AND watch our Garmin for mileage markings. Not to mention we couldn’t talk either!

The rest of the day was spent purchasing supplies, getting the water station supplies ready, putting mile marker signs in order (note: the return signs for three overlapping distances is a challenge), cutting bagels then finally loading the car. I also spent all afternoon following hubby online as he playing in his first Amateur golf tournament. He was in the lead then lost by one stroke :) He supports me and I support him. I always say “golf and running make our marriage very happy”.

Oddly enough, I felt guilty all day because I had not run my daily 5K. As soon as hubby got home I headed out the door to run three miles in the neighborhood. He brought the dogs out for a walk and they immediately tracked me down. I stopped at two miles, but all guilt was gone as I was being loved by my happy little family and we had much to celebrate.

Sunday was a whole different story! I was up at 4:30 am to set up the Heels and Hills course. Two of our volunteers had cancelled at the last minute so I was scrambling to put out all of the markers and set up the water stations. Did I mention the race started 30 minutes earlier than normal? Earlier in the week I had naively thought I might have time check out the course during the event by running from the 15K turn around to the 10K turn around and back for my 5K. That never happened and all I did was drive, drive, drive during the entire event and saw almost none of the participants. I just smiled as this is the life of an "Operations" Race Director. Libby is "Technology" Race Director and we make a great team!!

Although I was completely exhausted when I returned home and it was already 90 degrees I knew I had better run my 5K immediately or it would never happen. It was pure adrenaline that kept the streak alive, including negative splits and sub 11 avg pace.

Sat walked 5.6 miles to mark the H&H 5K, 10K, 15K course
Sat 21:29 – 11:10, 10:28 (Avg 10:49)
Sun 33:35 – 11:12, 10:47, 10:37, 00:58 (Avg 10:50)

Streak Days 20 - 24

THREE weeks on running every WORK day! This is probably the most unbelievable piece of this streak.

Monday’s run included 16mph winds making the mile two negative split hard earned! (10:31 avg pace)

Tuesday’s morning run was postponed to the evening. It was a yes, no, yes, no morning as I ran the first half mile in the rain while the lightning continued to increase. The streak was on my mind ALL day and I could hardly wait to get home from work and run. It was hot so I had to alter my normal route in search of shade. Another successful workout including negative splits and sub 11 average pace. (10:57 avg pace)

Wednesday’s super, duper run was a complete surprise as mile three was a 10:08!! My legs were tired from running late on Tuesday so I almost opted for a treadmill run. This run proved showing up counts and you never know how a run will turn out. (10:30 avg pace)

Thursday morning was off to a very slow start. Thankfully everything came together in mile two and I was able t maintain the negative split and sub 11 avg pace streak. (10:44 avg pace)

Friday was another run in the rain. Interestingly enough it was raining in my neighborhood, but not outside the gate. I ran the three miles outside the gate then once I was back inside it was still raining. Good thing I didn’t cancel the run based on the rain outside my front door. The old Paula might have cancelled... (10:29 avg pace)

Daily 5K
Mon 32:37 – 10:35, 10:32, 10:28, 01:01
Tues 33:57 – 11:20, 10:56, 10:40, 00:59
Wed 32:35 – 10:54, 10:32, 10:08, 00:58
Thu 33:18 – 11:20, 10:34, 10:24, 00:58
Fri 32:32 – 10:45, 10:27, 10:19, 01:00

Streak Days 18 - 19

Saturday was the first time I have run at White Rock Lake since training for Houston Marathon in January. I was soooo burned out on looping the lake every weekend for almost one year and needed a break. That burn out plus work challenges resulted in only 5 short runs in 4 months. What a train wreck after running 2-3 times a week for over a year… Thank you to Libby and Sarah for offering to drive to “my side” of the Metroplex and for jump starting my running. Now we run every weekend and rotate between Campion Trails or Chisholm Trail.

What a fun run it was!! Our plan was to wear our Heels and Hills pink and cheer on the DRC training groups and those running the Too Hot Too Handle 5K/15K. We picked our start location so that we could see the DRC training group at their turn around point and also cheer the THTH runners twice. An added bonus was seeing so many Galloway runners that I met 4-5 years ago when I was the Program Director and they were training for their FIRST marathon. I love, love, love running and helping others reach their new running and walking goals! Again, what a fun run it was! Libby wanted to run a 12:00 minute pace, but I “knew” she could run faster and still have energy to talk and cheer. Again, the NYC half is 30 days away and Libby’s “long term” goal is an 11:30 pace. We averaged 11:20ish for the first five miles, walked and talked mile 6, then averaged 11:15ish for the final three miles. For added excitement, Libby wanted to run the extra .3 in hopes of a new 15K PR. Had it not been for the fun, fun, fun mile six she would have gotten her PR. For me, right now, I simply love running!

I was a little sad when I went to bed Saturday night as lots of runners were getting ready for the midnight start of El Scorcho 25K/50K. I know running in the dark in July sounds crazy, but El Scorcho really is a neat event. I ran it in 2008 and the heat kicked my butt. Common sense prevailed this year…

Sunday’s run was another daily 5K in the July streak. My plan was to run early in hopes the cooler temps would allow me to try a few mile repeats. I was more tired than I realized and opted to be lazy and sleep in. The downside of sleeping eleven hours is that I didn’t start runing until 9:00 and it was getting warm. The good news is my pace was good and I felt strong. The best news of all is that Todd waited for me to finish running then we headed to the golf course together!

Sat 01:51:40 – 11:17, 11:36, 11:38, 11:11, 11:30, 17:41, 11:20, 11:12, 11:07, 03:05 (Avg 12:00)
Sun 33:47 – 11:18, 10:45, 10:43, 01:02 (Avg 10:55)

Streak Days 13 - 17

Again, I can’t believe I have achieved the goal of running every WORK day for two weeks!!

Monday was almost a train wreck as I did not run before going to the office. I had to go in early and handle an issue before an “asap” meeting. I was in a horrible mood ALL day, but was determined to not break the streak. I finally squeezed in a treadmill run at 8:30 p.m. Note to self: DO NOT let work get in the way of the streak….

Tuesday’s goal was simply to run and get the pre-work running streak back on track. Mission accomplished! (10:56 avg pace)

A combination of temps, humidity and wind made Wednesday’s entire run seemed like a struggle. My splits were strong and evenly paced so no whining allowed. (10:47 avg pace)

Thursday morning was another yes, no, yes, no debate. Wednesday was a late night at the office capped off with two Tylenol PM so I wanted to stay in the bed… Reality is the heat index will be 100+ after work and I am not in the mood for another treadmill run, so GET UP and run!! (10:57 avg pace)

Friday morning’s run included an ever so slight drizzle. My heart wanted to do mile repeats, but my head knew the next day included a 9.3 mile loop of the lake. Common sense prevailed and I ran for fun. (10:38 avg pace)

Daily 5K
Mon 33:23 – treadmill run -- 5.5 mph 2.75 miles, 6.5 mph .35 miles
Tues 33:55 – 11:24, 10:59, 10:34, 00:59
Wed 33:26 – 10:52, 10:43, 10:49, 01:01
Thu 34:00 – 11:13, 10:51, 10:50, 01:05
Fri 32:57 – 10:52, 10:36, 10:29, 00:59

Streak Days 11 - 12

Plan A – Group Run on Saturday at Chisholm Trail, shower at the gym then go to the office. (3 yes, 1 no)
Plan B – Group Run on Sunday as I am tired from work and I have to work on Saturday. (3 yes, 1 no)
Plan C – Group Run on Saturday at Campion Trails, shower at home then go to the office. (3 yes)
Plan D – Group Run on Sunday at Chisholm Trail as others are my priority! (5 yes)

Libby, Sarah and I met at Campion Trails for another love/hate run! Our goal was to mark the 10K course for the Heels and Hills “A Dollar a K”. Libby was having an “I don’t wanna run” day and I wasn’t showing much sympathy… We are good enough friends to automatically give plenty of space when one of us is crabby! Libby dropped slightly back then thought she was struggling, but in reality I was running a faster pace to ensure she would keep her 11:30 pace. Sarah was feeling strong and my goal was to not let her walk in the final miles. She asked if we had completed four miles and I replied “yes”, but opted to omit that we were almost finished with five miles. As usual I picked up the pace for the final miles and they both responded to the challenge!!! Sarah was thrilled with a final 10:35 mile and Libby was thrilled with an overall 11:39 pace. Another successful love/hate run in the record books, hurry home for dog duty and a shower then head to the office.

Sunday was a wonderful run with old and new friends. Plan D was for Libby, Steve and me to meet at Chisholm Trail for an easy 4 miles. Steve’s brother in law, Rod, was in town and runs a little faster. Thanks to Wendy for joining Rod for a faster pace. As it turned out, all five of us ran the first two miles as a group. I decided to raise my own bar and run with Wendy and Rod for the final two miles. We ran a 10:10 then a 9:45!! Steve is new to distance running so I smiled as Libby became the coach and offered to pace Steve for the final two miles. She did let him have a 15 second walk break, but then it was back to running. Where did she learn to be so tough??? Thankfully I did not have to work today so we all went for coffee at Starbucks and good conversation.

I love, love, love running with others as they reach their new running goals!

Sat 01:09:35 – 11:26, 11:27, 11:20, 11:18, 11:10, 10:35, 2:15 (Avg 11:22)
Sun 42:32 – 11:24, 11:12, 10:10, 09:45 (Avg 10:36)

Streak Days 6 – 10

OMG! I actually achieved this goal! I ran every morning before going to the office and worked 12 hour days Mon, Tue and Wed. Updating my status on Facebook was the perfect level of accountability.

Monday’s high was a carryover of the previous five days. The streak began with vacation, holiday and weekend days and the big question was would an incredibly stressful work week cause a break in the streak?

Tuesday’s goal was two mile repeats of one mile out then one mile back. While returning home I realized if I kept my focus on mile three I might have a sub 30 min 5K so I went for it. 30:07 :)

Just running on Wednesday was a huge success because I worked until 9pm on Tuesday, then couldn’t turn off my mind until well past midnight.

Thursday’s weather was hot and humid. I decided to take what the morning was bringing and simply enjoy running. Soon after entering the house it began to rain which confirmed the high humidity wasn’t my imagination.

Hubby was out of town, so Friday morning’s challenge was to integrate dog duty into my “new” morning routine and still get to the office on time. After getting up even earlier and taking our walk, the dogs lined up and patiently watched me run on the treadmill.

Daily 5K
Mon 33:10 – 10:51, 10:43, 10:35, 01:02 (avg 10:43)
Tues 30:07 – 09:25, 09:44, 10:07, 00:55 (avg 09:44)
Wed 33:35 – 11:13, 10:39, 10:41, 01:03 (avg 10:51)
Thu 34:20 – 11:17, 11:07, 10:54, 01:02 (avg 11:04)
Fri 33:10 – treadmill run -- 5.5 mph 2.5 miles, 6.5 mph .6 miles

Streak Days 4 - 5

Saturday was the Fourth of July and it was hot as a firecracker!! Today’s run was a 10K with Libby, Sarah and Steve. As much as I enjoy running local Fourth of July races, I didn’t want to start at 8:00 am. We started at 6:30 am and decided to include a one minute walk break at each mile. Did I mention that the 11:30 avg goal pace remained? And so began another love/hate run between me and Libby. Any time she wanted to drop back I encouraged her to stay with me, focus on form and I would adjust our pace. Sarah took an extra walk around mile four, but came back strong with in no time. We took an extra walk break at mile five then it was dead ahead for the final 1.2 miles! Libby reminded me of her 10K PR in January when the temps were 42 degrees. She says that I am no Mark O!!! While we missed her new PR by 32 seconds I am confident the Fall will bring many fast racing miles. Steve completed his first five miler! I love, love, love training runners and walkers as they reach for new goals.

We slept in with the pups on Sunday then I had a nice run in cooler temps and drizzling rain. Trying to run fast wasn’t my goal so it was a pleasant surprise when each mile was faster than the previous mile resulting in an avg pace of 10:12. Tomorrow morning is the first real streak test as it is back to work and the real world.

Sat 01:12:13 – 11:29, 11:40, 11:47, 11:56, 11:43, 11:34, 2:04 (Avg 11:39)
Sun 31:38 – 10:22, 10:16, 10:04, 00:56 (Avg 10:12)

Looking for shade

What a difference an hour makes. I opted to be a little lazy and slept in which resulted in this morning’s run being hot, hot, hot. I ran in and around the neighborhood along the brick wall in hopes of staying in the shade. It pays to be short, ha, ha!

I’ve decided to change my plan to a Daily 5K. I know the temps will be cooler in the Fall and these runs will help me reach my goal of a consistent sub 30:00 5K. Tomorrow is a 5-6 mile run with friends.

Total Miles 3.1
Total Time 33:43
Avg Pace 10:53

M1 10:51
M2 10:56
M3 10:54

Vacation Day #2

The months of May and June were complete train wrecks as computer conversion #2 launched, H&H was cancelled and our entire downstairs was packed up as we repaired the floor. Well, hello to July… Vacation Day #1 was a HUGE success!! The day started with another run where I could simply enjoy connecting with my thoughts. Thanks to the Fly Lady timer my de-cluttering plan stayed on track.

Total Miles 3.0
Total Time 32:02
Avg Pace 10:40

M1 10:23
M2 10:48
M3 10:50

It was an honor when my friend of 26 years recognized the stress in my voice then called back to ask “Is everything okay? The last few times we talked you haven’t sounded like yourself”. Thanks Michelle. See you in New York.

Taking my life back!

July is all about taking my life back! Two software conversions in the past year have zapped ALL of my energy and brain cells. I was supposed to be on vacation all week, but duty called so I worked Monday and Tuesday. My goal was to combine vacation days with a long holiday weekend in hopes I could sleep a little late, run for fun, de-clutter the house and replenish my soul.

Thanks to my Fly Lady timer everything is going as planned…

Total Miles 3.0
Total Time 31:52
Avg Pace 10:37

M1 10:41
M2 10:38
M3 10:32