One squat, two squat, three squat, four...

I knew I should have blogged on Saturday, but I put it off. It was SO NICE to have a whole day off, and we are having issues accessing the Internet in our apartment... and, yeah, a whole lotta excuses. So, as I stated in my last post, no blog before Sunday at 10pm means I'll be doing 100 squats this evening. (No way it was happening this morning.) Wish me luck!

I did, however, succeed where it counts this weekend: with my runs. I set a goal to run 6-8 miles, and I did it.

I think it had been about two weeks (eeks!) since I'd run, but I still managed my three-mile route in 30 minutes on Saturday morning. (This is big for me, because when I first started training for my previous half-marathon, I was managing a 12-minute mile. To be starting at a 10-minute mile is exciting for me.)

Also of note for Saturday's run was (a) I thought I was going to die (exaggerating, yes) about three minutes in because it hurt so much when I inhaled and (b) I got a side stitch halfway through, but I pushed through and kept running through both. I may have seriously thought I was going to "be ill" after the run, but that went away soon enough. Gotta get and stay mentally tough for the half. No whining about side stitches. :)

Yesterday, I attempted a four-mile run on the UNC campus. Whereas my three-mile route is nearly all flat, running on campus (and particularly the route I run) is quite hilly, and somehow it seems like it's all uphill... at any rate, I'm still impressed that I finished in about 42 minutes, particularly because I stopped 2-3 times waiting to cross at intersections, and I walked for a minute while I shed my long-sleeve tee for the tank top I was wearing underneath: It was warm out there! I look forward to conquering my four-mile route in the coming weeks. It did feel good to push myself, and my aching hamstrings today are testament that I got in a good workout.

I do think I'm going to need to be fitted for some new running shoes, and soon. Mine are giving me blisters in a few spots (one is on the bottom of my foot), and they just don't feel comfortable anymore. I have been working on improving my form by lengthening my stride, so perhaps that's a contributing factor. At any rate, new shoes are on the horizon.

So, looking ahead this week: I have two weeknights "off" from my part-time job this week, which I think will help me manage some weekday runs. I'm also running the Eve Carson Memorial 5K for Education on Saturday. Let's take a moment to pray for her and her family; my heart still aches for their loss.

Before I sign off, just want to give a quick shout-out to "Stella," "Anna" & "Max Powers" (names changed to protect the innocent... okay, mostly just because it GREATLY amuses me to make up or assign pseudonyms) for a great Pre-Halloween Fondue Extravaganza on Saturday.

I'll be back later in the week to fill you in my squat penance. I may not be able to walk in a day or two, but I'll still be able to type.

Cheers!