The Ohio Runner

This morning I ran a 5 mile race in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was a rough first 2.5 miles but the second...flat and wonderful. I PRed by 2 minutes...40:54. I was also second in my age group. I need to start staying after the race because this is the second time this has happened and I didn't stay. I just didn't think that my time was that good to be 2nd in my age group. I was shocked to see a family friend from my hometown. He does live up in Akron now, but really not a runner. It was cool...his wife took a picture of us and is giong to send it my mom and his mom....funny things...

Posted by Lyndsey at 04:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have been trying to start training for my first marathon, however I can't get past 8.5 miles. I am running them rather fast, probably faster than what I would be running during a longer run but I feel good....until mile 7.5. The last mile my stomache cramps and I feel like I am going to...sorry guys....explode. I stop my watch after 8.5 miles and bend over trying to stop the cramps and everything since I am nowhere near a bathroom. I drive home and make a mad dash towards the bathroom and make it just in time. It's been over two hours and my stomach is still cramping and I only ate half of my dinner. What's wrong?

Today I had a bowl of honey nut cheerioes and some orange juice. For lunch I had a diet coke, PB&J sandwich, wheatables with a piece of cheese, a granny smith apple and granola bar. For dinner I had a sloppy joe and some baked tator tats. I have drank about 50 oz of water all day. I think it's mostly dehyration but I have a job where it's hard to drink water all day. Any ideas about foods I should avoid and what I should be eating? How can I make water taste better?

Posted by Lyndsey at 07:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I ran the 8.5 mile run again on Friday after work. I ran it one minute faster than the last time on Tuesday...wow! I wanted to run yesterday but my body told me NO! So today I ran 3.7 miles in a good time again. All that running over the winter on the stinky treadmill seems to be paying off. I don't know if I mentioned this last time, but I am thinking about running a 10 mile race ths coming weekend (April 28th). I am in shape for it, and that would be what I want my long run to be. I haven't run 10 miles for awhile, but I have come close and haven't been too tired that I think I might get a good time. I am seriously loving this nice spring weather...it was a loooooooooooooooooong winter here in Ohio.

Posted by Lyndsey at 08:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yesterday for the first time, it felt like Spring and I took full advantage of it. My neighbor and I usually go to the metro park by our house and run hills but yesterday she was unable. I thought about still going there, but I also had to urge to go for a real run. Today was the first day with my new shoes as well. I decided to go to the towpath...again not too far from my house and set to run. The path is 4.25 miles and my heart was set on running there and back without stopping. The wind was strong but really it didn't bother me too much. I was running with good tunes and before too long (36:00) I got to the end...4.25 miles...you gotta be kidding me. I honestly didn't think that I was running all that fast. The best part, I wasn't even that tired yet. I felt that I picked up the pace a little on the way back...no idea how...but I must have because I got back to the car at 1:11 and 34 seconds. Okay I didn't run too much faster but I still did a little. I never really thought about stopping to walk. My legs are sore today but I plan on run 5 or 6 miles later today.

I was looking at active.com and trying to find another race soon. There's a 5K that I could do this week...or next week run a 10 miler. I'm totally thinking about the 10 miler because I need to know where I am at. This is already the milddle of April and Sept. 29 doesn't seem that far away.

Posted by Lyndsey at 10:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I am going to make a real honest attempt to write in this thing more, even if it's only a few sentences. I am beginning to think that I need more help in my quest for my first marathon. Encouragement, tips, suggestions...whatever. I have been having back pains for the last month or so and just now figured it out. I have over 500 miles on my Brooks...duh!!!!!!!! Tomorrow I am buying my second pair of Brooks...they are awesome. I used to be an asics girl.

I think it's weird that I am soo good (apparently) at encouraging other people but that I can't encourage myself. I know that it takes a lot of self-talk and postive thinking. I am that postive thinker for my neighbor and my husband. My neighbor and I got to the metro park by our houses and run this major hills 2-3 times and run around the park once usually. I am much quicker up the hill and that motivates me...especially on the 3rd hill...not to stop and walk because I am like her hero or something. She tells me all the time that she wants to quit but she sees me up a head and has to finish the hill too. That makes me feel good. My husband has run 2 5Ks because of me. One of the girls that works at the Y that I got to..has asked me to help her to begin to run. How can I be such an influence on people, when I have trouble encouraging myself?

Weight-wise? I still would love to lose about 5 more pounds. I have lost a grand total of 35 pounds.For Lent...not for the Catholic way but for the challenge...my husband and I gave up all sweets and fried foods. I think that helped a lot. Tonight was the first night I had fries and they didn't taste all that good to me....the person that loves fries. WEIRD.

Posted by Lyndsey at 05:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Since I started this 45 days of fitness (mostly to get my husband going to the gym) I have done some pretty good things...

1. I have lost 5 pounds (so i really am working on losing 3-8 more)
2. I have run 200+ miles
3. I have run in 2 5Ks (with the husband)...One was really really really REALLY cold and windy (did I mention snow)I finished with a time of 24:05 without much trouble. IN this race I finished 3rd overall in the female division...not a big race at all..only 50 or so butI guess it did something for me. This past Sunday we ran in another race which was in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park...so it was really hlly...but I love hills...finished in a time of 24:30...25 seconds slower but hey there were hills the other course was flat. I was 1st in my age group.
4. I see some changes in my body...I now wear a size 10 in pants...I don't remember the last time that this happened.
5. I have seen changes in my husband that excite me...he wants to run in a 5K every month now..and work his way up to 10Ks.

There's probably more but I am tired so okay...

Posted by Lyndsey at 08:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I was thinking about posting things but I haven't. I will say that I have been super busy with running. I ran 115 miles in the month of January. It's been rather cold here in northeast Ohio so most of my running is on a treadmill. I even ran 10.5 miles on the stupid thing. I do have the gear to run outside but I just can't do...the burning lungs aren't my thing. I got my husband excited about running...he has decided to run in a 5K on March 4 and maybe the 11th too! I am hoping to be able to run at least one of those. Depends on my work schedule. We joined the 45 days of fitness at our YMCA...not that I needed the motivation...my husband needed some, but not anymore...but it's good to have a goal. There is this one chick that hasn't missed a day and is more than half way. I am only 4 days behind her but still...geez! I bet she can't run as far as me! I have lost another 4 pounds...almost at 160...that's weird for me to type, I don't remember the last time I weighed that little. I am getting really excited about spring and the fact that I will be running outside. I was looking at training programs and running for 20 miels is a little scary but I know that in 3 or 4 months it will seem like nothing. I was talking with a friend and I might be running in the 1/2 marathon in Cincinnati in May wiith her and a few other friends....

Posted by Lyndsey at 12:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)