I am now a Marathon runner

I ran my first marathon Saturday! It was called the Dances with Dirt Green Swamp in Witlacoochee River Park, Dade City, FL.  The whole trail was beautiful and went through many different habitats.  The race started in the dark, then everything was foggy/misty for a couple hours, then nie and sunny.  I loved the whole thing and can't wait for another one.  My dad came down with my sister, which was a surprise, to drive me and cheer me on...so sweet.  We had the best weekend together!  I can't wait to go home Easter weekend to see them again.

18 miler this weekend

I had the best 3 days this weekend (fri-sun).  Had the best weather, exercised a lot, enjoyed the sun, got a lot accomplished!  Friday I went to swim practice with the TriGators for the first time all semester and swam 2700 meters, which felt so good.  Saturday I woke up at 6:30 and ran 10 miles to the Trail of Payne 10K in Payne's Prarie State Park, then ran the 10K, then ran 2 miles to Lake Wauberg (18 in total).  I tried out gu (energy packs) for the first time and really like them and ate a bagel and banana after the race, felt really good afterwards!  I'm ready for my marathon next weekend!  Lake Wauberg was awesome and there were people playing steel drums and irish music for St. Patrick's Day.  Sunday I made it to church which had great music then went to the Festival of Colors, which is an Indian Festival, where you throw colored powder on everyone.

Barefoot Running Study

This is me all sciencified.  The little markers stuck all over me were reflective and read by a laser that made a 3-D skeleton of me on the computer to really see what the angles of my joints and things were while running.  The face mask measured oxygen use and the box on my chest measured heart rate and many other things.  I was given pages of numbers that I don't really understand, but she told me that they are find that barefoot running burns more fat while shod running burns more carbs, which is more efficient because carbs are easier for the body to turn into energy.

The Today Show Said It

Just saw on the Today show that exercising 30 minutes a day 5 days a week reduces the risk of depression by 47% (Journal of Preventative Medicine).  Yep, I buy it!

40 days of running for LENT

My sis and I made an agreement to run everyday for lent, at least one mile.  I have been running 1 mile on the treadmill, but we say it is better than nothing.  We love it and think it is hilarious.  Buuut...I missed one day so far.  It was one of those horrible disgusting rainy days.

Barefoot Running

Ouuuchhie....my calves hurt!  I only ran 2 miles barefoot on a treadmill for a barefoot running study at the UF Orthopedics Institute and it hurts.  I had all kinds of gadgets taped and stuck all over my body.  I have to go back Friday and run the 2 miles with shoes and they are going to compare force and calories etc.  I will try to get photos and interesting results to post friday.
And I realized I stare at the ground almost the whole time while running because it was really hard to look at the ground on the treadmill with the big mask over my mouth and box stuck on my chest and I felt out of place.  Also, I had to run across a mat on the ground and the researcher had to tell me to look up several times instead of at the ground.  Sounds boring to look down instead of at surroundings but I think I'm so intent on the running I do not notice.  Just thinking about the time and miles passing...

5 Points of Life

I ran the 5 Points of Life Half-Marathon yesterday and am in pain today! OWW my legs hurt.  I was going for 16 miles and ended up doing 15...couldn't take another step after 15.  I walked home, crawled up the stairs, and sat on the couch for a lot of the day.  And today I feel good for the most part except walking and going up and down the stairs.  But it was worth it...what a great way to start the day.  I feel like I conquered the world yesterday....(half-marathon, then church, then krishna lunch, then layed at the pool and read the paper, and spanish homework)!

Cold pretty jog

dork

Went for a nice short 2 mile jog at the inn yesterday.  So cold (28 degrees) but pretty and nice to be outside for a bit.

Sauna Was Better Than The Workout

I got to work out today even with the crappy weather and busy schedule!  I am in the middle of nowhere, but there is a Gold's Gym a mile up the road so I stopped in to see about a guest pass and they let me use the gym for free today.  Next it will be $15 for a one day use unless I can find a member to be a guest of for $5.  I ran on the treadmill for 3 miles (so boring!) then did weights for about 30 minutes then....sat in the sauna for 30 minutes! Soo NICE! saunas, hot tubs, steam rooms..some of my favorite things for sure.  The workout was super nice, but not enough with all this food...we get 3 reimbursed meals a day so I have been taking advantage.  I had a locally-raised bison burger, steak fries, and salad for dinner.  Here are a couple pics.  One at the greenhouse where the tulips are grown and another of the sunset on the drive home.

D.C. is cold and gross. and the traffic sucks.

Well, I'm in Washington, D.C. and it is in the 30s and gray and disgusting out.  How am I supposed to run in this?  If I don't get sweaty it doesn't count.  I have been majorly slacking on my running these past couple weeks, which is not good for this marathon I'm supposed to do.  The Newnan's Lake 15K was the last run I could stand with my old tennis shoes so quickly ordered some new ones online and have run twice since they came in.  My sister, Amy, and friend, Carole, were visiting last weekend, which did not leave time for running, just eating.  Eating is our favorite thing to do together and seems like all we did.  I left for D.C. the same day they left, but managed to squeeze in a 4.5 mile run.  I am still dying to run longer and was hoping to run in D.C., but the weather is not motivating and the gym at the hotel is not nice.  I'm here for a week-long internship with Proflowers since Valentine's Day is coming up.  This time I'm at a tulip growing facility; last May for Mother's Day I was in N.C. at a facility that did roses and various other flowers.  I was lucky to be at the hotel at the convention center, which had a really nice gym and hot tub.  Now I'm at the Holiday Inn Express, which is nothing fantastic.  I guess I better get to work making sure these Valentine's Flowers are up to par and will keep you posted on any workouts...which will hopefully be squeezed in during this busy week.

Weekend Workouts

Since I did not exercise today I will tell you what I did yesterday and Friday.  Friday I ran for 30 minutes around campus then met my friend, Becca, at the Southwest Rec Center to lift weights for about an hour.  I got out of the habit of weights and am very sore today, which I do not mind.  Yesterday I ran the Newnan's Lake 15K (9.3 miles), which is a very nice route around the lake and through the UF row team's boat shed.  I ran 8 minute miles, which is pretty good for me.  I was planning on 8.5-9 minute miles, so good job!  Stay tuned for tomorrow's swim.