Friday, February 17, 2012

Random Kids and Training

So, I'm hauled up in a hotel room with a loud banging heater which I've now turned off because it's making me crazy. Hotel is BOOKED, so no changing of rooms. Small children were instructed to unpack their suitcases and layer up because it is safer to be without heat than to deal with mommy pissed off about the heater and her subsequent lack of 4 necessary hours of sleep. Thankfully, free wi-fi so worth my $109 per night. Shithole!!

It's been awhile since I posted anything other than tagged randoms or reviews. It is February. Busy season for me as I state in every post like a broken record. I do read, I just don't post often. Eye for an eye, comment for a comment, lost a follower...

RANDOM LIFE:

My kids are having AWESOME seasons. Ryan's team just won the "Prelude to the Playoffs" tournament which was loaded up with the top 8 teams in the state of MN. This team has a real chance of winning the state championship! We will undoubtably (not likely a word as spell check is telling me) be the smallest association in the state to represent at the state tournament if we make it! Playoffs start SOON. I'm SO nervous and SO excited and SO thankful I have kids that LOVE sports to cheer on!!

Reese's team is also at the top of the district. I've been able to see a lot of her games this year and I'm having an awesome time with many of the parents on her team. Such GREAT support to me on the weekends as good friends often haul my kids to the rink an hour before game time, feed them, drive them back at times etc. so I can RUN but not miss any of the games. So blessed here.

I love watching Max. Little boys are awesome. The goal celebrations these boys come up with are seriously top end entertainment. Riding their sticks like a horse, shooting them like guns, blowing them out like candles, then banging their tiny chests up against the boards and pointing their fingers to the sky....I think too many games of Playstation NHL have been played by these boys....HILARIOUS! Mullets are also back in style with the high school hockey boys again (more as a joke I think) so soon I will have a small boy follower with a mullet and "steps" shaved on the side of his head....

TRAINING:

Running has been going fairly well for me. I've not been without challenges, as no one is, but things are going WELL.

Last week I ran 84 miles including this on the dreadmill due to -15 degrees or something outside.

Time rolls over at 100 minutes so 20 miles/2:35:33/7:46 pace. Finished with 8 sub MP miles and a sub 7 mile 20. This is my first long run on the TM due to the BEAUTIFUL winter we're having. In fact, I'm getting a chance to run a ton of outdoor miles unlike last year at this time. I was looking through my archives and found my last TM 20 post An ENTIRE week completely on the TM last year! YUCK!

This week I was even able to hit the track which is usually buried in snow! Took Valentine's day off to spend with my hubby while the kids were in school. He joined me on the track with a stopwatch while I did a 2 set 10X400 workout. He actually ran my warm-up and cooldown with me which was nice! We all know how much I love speedwork but this went remarkably well! I left thinking I might even LIKE the track. I've since changed my mind.

This week:

Monday-OFF, fighting a cold and due for a rest day.
Tuesday-12 miles with 2 set 10X400's at 10K-5K, 1 min AR, full recovery between sets.
Wednesday-4 recovery TM in the morning, 10.7 outside in the evening at 8:30 avg.
Thursday-6.1@7:45 outside with a friend
Friday- 9.2 miles/7:49 outside. 2x10min HM/10K 6:54, 6:33, 5 miles really easy hotel TM.

Overall, I'm really proud of myself and what I've been able to accomplish since my last marathon. I'm stronger for sure, my body is holding up well and I've hit some major milestones including a 5K race PR and unofficial PR's in both the 10K and HM in training runs. I've done it while traveling hundreds of miles nearly every weekend, working, dealing with a color coded laminated schedule for my kids activities and my husband hasn't filed papers yet which I consider a success. I'm not out to toot my own horn but sometimes I argue with myself constantly about what I could be doing MORE of when in reality, I'm doing a DAMN DAMN good job and I need to be proud of that!

Happy weekend all! Always enjoy reading my blog roll even if I don't get around as often as I would like to comment these days!

15 comments:

Jill said...

Always love to get updates from you and what you're doing. Congrats to all your kiddos on their major hockey accomplishments...one very proud momma (and daddy) for sure! I know life's a rat race right now for you, but don't you love it? I know in the fall when Ryan's doing xc and Brendan's doing band, we are all over the freaking state and I never know if I'm coming or going. But I love it and find this time of year BORING! I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to adopt some street kids or snatch an infant somewhere once my own kiddos are gone...and it'll be soon, too. I just function better when I'm really overly busy...and I think you do, too! Fantastic running girl, so very proud of you and happy to hear that the body is holding up fantastically with all your high mileage! YOU ROCK!!

How's that for one long discombobulated comment?!?!? :)

Miss ya!
xo

Ana-Maria RunTriLive said...

And I wonder what you will be doing after May when hockey is over...ah, the possibilities!!!

Your running is going amazing. Your speed continues to improve. 20 miles with 8 @ sub MP is amazing. I don;t think I have ever done that. Maybe the actual MP is the sub MP? Just saying...Nice problem to have. I knew you would love the track. When you believe you are fast and the track proves that to you of course you love the track:)

Really really impressed with how you are handling everything Jenn. We all have a lot on our plate but you take it at a different level. You are going to fly at Boston, and I will be there screaming my lungs off for you! Excited!!!!

P.S. Have you thought about getting a refund on the room give the heater noise? Or a discount. Something. This is not right!!!!

Katie @ Will Race for Carbs said...

Not filing papers does equal success, right?! Haha! You are busy and I am always amazed when I see people accomplish a 20 mile treadmill run, frankly I'm impressed with anything over 6 on a treadmill. The first thing I thought of when I saw that was WOW you ran 20 miles in 55 minutes!!! And you only burned 199 calories!! But I was still super impressed with your real time.

Good luck with those mullets. Please show pictures if that happens!

Britt @ Chicago Runner Girl said...

Glad to hear you're still alive! It boggles my mind that you ran 20 miles on a TM, I think that would kill me...especially at that pace. But it sound like things are all moving in the right direction for you!

I have a brother who is a senior in college who plays football. In the past four years he has sported everything from a mullet to fringe bangs just to be different. One time he even had a buddy of his shave his name on the back of his head, all of this has been coupled with various scary facial hair creations. While its a strange look, I do admire the creativity!

Raina said...

The last sentence of your next to last paragraph pretty much says it all, Jenn.
You really are incredible! How organized you must be to juggle everything going on in your life.
I love reading about your kids and hockey. What a joy it must be! Congrats to Ryan's team & best wishes! Nice arrangement for Reese's practices- so organized. And Max! Yes, those hot shots are SO much fun. I know that although there is chest-thumping, etc...he is a SKILLED player and would skate circles around my pathetic self. :) Who thought mullets should come back?! AH!
As always, impressed with your running Jenn. That was a great track workout- and I DO hope to see you hit the track this summer. Really serious here! Your new strength trained body will be raring and ready for Boston, especially with 20 milers like that! I am REALLY looking forward to seeing you blast the old PR there with AM screaming at you :) 8 more weeks??

Amanda@runninghood said...

Ahhh, yes girl...you should be damn damn damn proud! I am constantly impressed with all you do and all you do WELL. It has been so exciting to see how well this training is going for you. All that strength work has paid off and you are just running so so well. Can't wait to celebrate with you after Boston. I'll be cheering for you from way behind but hopefully you'll feel my energy and it will push you even faster. :)

You only lost 1 follower? Ha! I lose followers on a regular basis these days with how I just haven't had time to comment on blogs. Oh well, there will always be those people that are all about "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" but if you stop scratching.....then I'm outta here! ha! Such is the blog world. Luckily those that know us know that blog reading and commenting just has to go to the wayside sometimes. And you really just don't have room for one more thing on your plate....I get this although I'm have never had as full of a plate as you.
Your kids....gotta be proud about that! HOw wonderful them to be a part of something like this. It will be a part of shaping them into who they are...successful go getters! And the mullet...too funny. No max noooo...don't do it! I'll have to text you a picture of Waylon with a mullet in the third grade...tooooo freaking funny. Sometimes I bring it out and put it on the wall when friends come over just for giggles. Come to think of it, I think I might have had one too... a permed one. It just was an accidental mullet since my mom thought I needed half a head of feathered bangs. bahahaha.

Love ya! Can't wait to officially see you in real life. 8 weeks!

Anonymous said...

Yes! you are one impressive mama! Your kids are awesome. And I love watching the little celebrations of boys (even adult NHL boys come up with some silly stuff) when they score. My husband would be so jelous of your hockey inundated life. It's not a big sport here, but I know he would love having little kiddos to stick n puck with.

Sounds like your training is going exactly how it should be leading up to such a big race!! Excited life is treating you so well and your husband has not gone off the deep end.

ajh said...

You should be proud of those kids!

I cannot imagine 20 miles on the TM but I also wouldn't want to be outside at -15. It's a toss up though.

Lindsay said...

oooh mullets! we will need photos of this. and i think you should put one in The Frame too. next to my christmas card of course. glad all the hockey stars are doing well, and 85 miles + 20 on the TM! sounds like you're cruising along well. i'll continue to live vicariously through you :)

Becky at Prairie Runner said...

Another MN runner loving this weather!!! Can't beat it! Love reading the stories about your kids! You are one busy (and fast) mom!!

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

the "like" for the track will soon be ♥ing it. It will!

84 miles and the long run on the mill. yep, you are amazing!

always love catching up with you. Happy that life is going so well, and yes you are doing a super job. Moms are amazing!

Unknown said...

As a working mother we have to really juggle our schedules in order to get our own running in, plus be able to see our kids activities. It has always been a struggle, but with a little time management, it can be done..Kuddos too you and your family for working together to make everyone happy and healthy.www.dashingdiva.net

Denae said...

Great Training! That is great that you have been able to get so many outside runs in this year too!

Katie said...

Sounds like you're running awesome (and the kids are playing awesome)! Yay!

It's funny, sometimes I wonder how fast I could be if there was a little less stress and more sleep in my life. Then I wonder if somehow the stress actually makes me faster...

TX Runner Mom said...

Wow, I am impressed with how much you have going on and how well you balance it all! And, very impressive treadmill run...it would take me a lot longer to run 20 miles on the dreadmill, so I don't think I could do it! As for the heater, I think I would have turned it off too!