Austin's home!

Miles today: 5.0

Miles this week: 21.1

Miles in 2010: 268

Here --->
are two of my favorite running store buddies: PW and Austin

Austin's home for the rest of the week, so I was happy to wake up at 7:30 this morning and meet her at the Greek Church for an easy 5-miler. We both hate running on the paved trail at Blackwater, but my legs were tired and I didn't feel like running up either direction of Langhorne or straight across to Cranehill, so the only option was to stay flat on the trail.

It had rained all day yesterday, so we stayed away from the trails and just ran the paved path...out 2.5 and back. I am a big wuss and sometimes get nervous when I run with Austin because I know she's so much faster than me. But actually, today, I felt pretty good, all the way out and almost all the way back...and then of course, the cursed bathroom cramp hit me and I had to jog back to the Ed Page entrance with one thing on my mind...how quickly the bathroom would be near. We were also suprisingly lucky to start and finish our run after the rain finished and before it started again.

We saw Helen and her friend on the trail as we finished running, chatted really quick, and then headed out. It's always good to catch up with Austin by running because she can tell me all about school and how life is and I don't have to talk too much (especially since I'm always way more out of breath than her) and I can nod and say: uh-huh...and I don't seem like I'm too much of a wimp. It's great. It's our best catching up time when we're running. Plus she's got a lot more excitement going on in her life since she's a student at Wake Forest and living the college life. I love living vicariously through her.

Anyway, had a good run to start the day, stopped by AREVA to pick something up from Gregg, and then headed home and on to work.

Busy day all week at the store, so I've been on the floor every minute...and I can tell because my legs are a ton sorer than usual.

After work, Gregg and I ordered pizza and kicked up our feet for the evening. I love minutes spent with him. And pizza.

Gotta get up early to run and then help out at the Gifts for Gulu race in the AM.

A Day Filled with Lots

Miles today: 4.2

Miles this week: 14.1

Miles in 2010: 261

This morning I woke up and had the day off from work, so I met a new running buddy, Johnna, at the Greek Church and ran 4 miles with her. That's her on the right.

Johnna's a pretty big inspiration because she lost a ton of weight in the last two years and then ran her first marathon in November and QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON! How awesome is that? I hope that with proper training, I can do the same thing someday.

We ran from the Greek Church, up Langhorne, down Rivermont, and then down Woodland to the 1-mile mark and back up Blackwater. I hadn't run Langhorne in a long time, so I definitely was feeling the hill as we headed up to Rivermont.

It was fun to run with another new buddy. I usually find out pretty quickly if I'm going to have to work hard to keep up, slow myself down to stay with the person, or feel perfect and in sync and not have to worry about timing and pace. For the most part, with Johnna, I didn't have to worry about pace or struggling to stay together, which was nice.

After the run, Johnna had to go home to her boys (she has 3 gorgeous sons) and I headed straight for the bathroom...hahaha. A good run will do that to me.

After the run, I went to Wyndhurst to visit the J. Crew store...where I found a few cute dresses for weddings this summer. (Note: It's nice to try clothes on in smaller sizes lately...I think the running has affected my body composition, because things are fitting better.) My sister and niece met up with me, we took a look at some flower girl dresses at J. Crew and a store in Boonsboro, and then ate lunch at Phila Deli. (Note: I love, LOVE, LOVE their Buffalo Chicken Wrap...it's so good!)

I had a few meetings at hotels this afternoon, so I headed out to the Holiday Inn Select downtown and then picked up Gregg and went out to the Springhill Suites by the airport. We ended up deciding on both hotels, one being very close to the airport, and one very close to Lynchburg College. Hopefully our guests will be satisfied.

I headed home to finish the much-belated Save-the-Dates that said "Merry Christmas" and were supposed to get done before December 25th...but alas, at least they got done. I made inserts with hotel information and got a cute edge puncher from Martha Stewart crafts...then Stacey came over and helped me stuff envelopes and finish the project. THANK GOODNESS IT'S DONE.

Austin came home from spring break in Ft. Lauderdale today, so me, Gregg, and Stacey headed over to the Corner Cafe to meet up with her and hang for a little. We hadn't been over there for yummy fresh-cut fries in a long time! Long day, but got a lot done!

Interval Run

Miles today: 6.75

Miles this week: 15.95

Miles in 2010: 232.5

Today my parents came into town, partly to celebrate my belated birthday, so after work, Gregg and I both went on a run at 5:00.

Gregg met up with Brian, Danny, and Matt and I ran by myself from the Greek Church. Gregg had me do mile intervals with a mile warm-up, a fast mile, a rest mile, a fast mile, and a mile cool-down. The goal was to try to run 10 minute slow miles and 8 minute fast miles.

I started at the Greek Church, ran down the paved path through the tunnel (note: the Garmin does lose signal in the tunnel) toward downtown, and then across the bridge near Point of Honor, up to Hollins Mill and back up the hill and around to the Greek Church. My splits were 9:45/7:45/10:20/8:20/10ish. I ended up running almost 7 miles, so my last couple I just kept between a 9 and 10-minute pace. It was a really good run and I felt good even during my fast miles. It's definitely interesting feeling how my body has changed in the past two months. I feel lighter and stronger and therefore it's easier to run faster. I'm pretty psyched about what that means for this spring/summer!

After I finished up, Gregg came Usain Bolting in. He ran a fast last mile and I thought I was seeing an Olympian in person.

Afterwards, we headed to my sister's house to hang out with my parents and fam.

I love birthdays and was bummed the weekend of my actual birthday when it snowed and my parents couldn't make it to Lynchburg, so I was kind of super looking forward to their visit.

Much to my surprise, when we arrived, I had a present waiting for me...a new Chi straigtening iron! I was pretty pumped because my straightener has been on the fritz for awhile...what a super gift! Thanks mom and dad!

We ate ice cream cake leftover from my brother-in-laws birthday (yeah, I know...the sweets things didn't work so well, but I am eating less!) and hung out with my niece.

Note: My mom brought homemade spaghetti for dinner tomorrow. I can't wait!

Meet me at the Greek Church

Miles today: 4
Miles in 2010: 78.2

today I had to go to work early to meet with ASICS and see the fall 2010 apparel/accessories line...being that I don't usually work until 10am, the 9:00am start for the day was a little early for me.

so, of course, I didn't wake up early and run beforehand like I should've, and plus, the weather was crappy this morning...

so I worked all day until almost 6:30 and then had to run after work. Gregg offered to meet me at the Greek Church at Blackwater, so that made the fact that there was freezing rain/sleet coming down a little easier to take since I had to run through it.

it's funny how the Greek Church gets so much publicity being right next to the main entrance of the Blackwater Creek Trail...I wonder if the church people mind all the traffic in their backyard...it's just become a saying of mine..."wanna meet at the Greek Church?" and it's funny, because it never means that you're going to church...it always means your going for a run, bike ride, or walk...

but if you said, "Hey, meet me at Holy Cross or Thomas Road" you'd know that it wasn't for a run...it'd be to go to church...I just think that's funny.

we just ran an easy out 2, back 2 on the paved path...felt good and it didn't even feel that cold out...the freezing rain wasn't coming down hard, so I didn't get too wet.

it wasn't completely dark out, which made it nice to run in the dark because the sky was a strange orange hue...kinda glowy...and you almost didn't even need a headlamp.

but anyway...another run in the books. spaghetti for dinner. mmm.