Run in The Country

Lewis and I are in Sadler celebrating Christmas. We ran about 4 miles today. The weather was nice - lower 50s but it was really windy. It was a challenging run with several hills and lots of curves. Lewis enjoyed watching the geese coming off a pond as we ran by. Great scenery.
We both had a good run.

Time to really get back into shape this last month of training. Good luck everyone!

Jen & Lewis

12 Miles (Steven)

Felt good today. Weather was good. I was ready to try my new shoes, Asics Gel Nimbus 12s on a long run. And, I had a Gu Gel 15 minutes before the run. It was kind of nasty and I had a couple of nasty burps through the first 5 miles, but I think it helped. I didn't have to take another one because I was feeling good. So, I completed 12 miles in 1:43:06 (8:35 per mile).

I was really happy with my time, and happy that my shoes worked out. I think this pair is the winner. I was also glad to get the run in before the Christmas festivities. I will be attempting 20 miles next weekend if the weather is OK. The marathon is creeping up. Craziness.

Back to the Pavement

I've taken a few weeks off due to my foot 'injury'. I saw a sports medicine doctor last Friday to take a look at my right foot. He basically said I have tendonitis due to lack of support under my arch. I think my right foot arch must be higher than my left.

I ran 3.2 miles in my new shoes (that I got before the 5K a couple of weeks ago). I like the new shoes. More support all the way around and more toe room at the ends. My foot felt okay, but not great. I think I will try the orthodics that the doctor recommended. Dr. Scholls, here I come! :) I also have a topical anti-inflamatory gel to put on my foot, and I think that's helping.

All-in-all, after 2 weeks off, my run went fine. I was concentrating on pacing and improving my running posture. My pace ended up being very close to my 5K pace, only, today, I ran my LAST mile faster than my first 2. That's what pacing's all about! I ran that 5K so fast in my 1st 2 miles that my last mile took almost 15 minutes! And, I felt horrible at the end. Today, I feel fine...definitely like I could've kept going.

I hope to get an 8 or 10 mile in next week. We'll see.....it still being a holiday week. Maybe we can get 6 in while we're in Sadler. I'll keep you posted.

5 weeks to go! Keep it up!

TODAY:
3.2 miles
36:45 (11:29/mile)

Jen

18 miles (Steven)

In order to prevent injury, I decided to stop my 18 mile run around 3 hours, so I stopped at 2:56:29 and when I got home and plotted the intricate GMAPS route, I found out I ran 18.02 miles. How's that for feeling out the course? So, my stats for my longest run so far is:

18.02 miles
2:56:29 (9:47/mile)

I left my IPOD at work, so I ran without out, and it wasn't too bad. I was able to zone out better. I ran with my old shoes today because my right foot arch had been hurting. The shoes worked great to not hurt my arch, but they hogged the ends of my feet too much. When I finished running, I had to walk about 1.5 mile back to my car and my left big toenail was killing me. It felt like I dropped a brick on my toe nail. I think I will purchase new shoes that are not stability (because that's what hurt my arch) and make sure the new shoes don't hog my toes too much. Check out the GMAPs link for my run. You probably need to zoom out to see the whole run. WOOHOO!!!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4191414

5K Thoughts

Jen gave details of the race. I too started too fast. Mainly to get around everyone at the crowded beginning so as to not hurt myself. But I felt the rib tightness and had to let up a bit. Then I just cruised with a comfortable pace and about halfway through this woman passed me, so I decided to keep pace with her. When I got to the final leg I was running behind her and a fireman. I could have punched it and beat both of them, but I thought there was no point, and they did provide my pace. So, I finished behind the 1st place woman by 3 seconds! That was funny, but the number one guy was 18 minutes. I was happy to beat my personal best and get under 8 minutes a mile. I wasn't really tired afterward and the pancake breakfast and coffee was good. It was a fun race with great weather. I wore my old shoes today and didn't have much problems. I will be attempting a 18 mile run this weekend. Hope the foot heals fast for you Jen. Good job McCrays!

5K Race

Steven, Lewis & I ran a 5K race in Friendswood this morning. We were supposed to run a 10K Thanksgiving weekend, but they changed the date at the last minute & we were unable to run it, so we were ready to do a race! We ran this race last year in nasty, nasty weather (cold & sloshy/wet). This year, we ran in 65+ degrees and sunny. Actually, we all got a little bit hot about half-way through the race.

Steven & Lewis did great & beat their fasted times. Steven's pace was 7:48 a mile, which is awesome! (I hope he posts with his own account of the race!) He was 15th overall and, we think, 3rd in his age group. They only gave out top awards to top male & females in each age group & they still haven't posted results. Lewis ran his race in just under 30 minutes and did great. He was due for a long run this weekend, so he actually ran on home after the race (which was about 2 more miles). So, he got a semi-long run in this weekend...with a little breather between the 5K and the rest of his run.

Then, there's me. I was so dissapointed today. It's funny how your mentality about these races changes after you've been doing this for a year - you go from wanting to finish to wanting to improve your time or your pace or your mentality.... My goal today was to beat my own best time, but it didn't happen. Last week, I actually hurt my food during the end of my 10 mile run. It didn't bother me until the end of that run, and I just figured my feet were "tired". But, my shoes were shot and I couldn't even put them back on my feet all week. I bought new shoes on Monday, which seemed to work okay today during the race. But, my foot started hurting pretty badly in the last mile. It hurt more and more as I continued....and I was tired because I started too fast. It just wasn't a good combination.

I ran my first mile in 9 1/2 minutes - my fastest mile EVER. I was at 20:15 at mile 2. Fatigue and my foot kicked in just after mile 2 and I finished with a time of 35:14. 15 minutes on that last mile. So disappointing.

Lessons learned - wear good shoes, don't start too fast, pacing, pacing, pacing. I thought this race would be a breeze since I'm capable of running 10 miles now. But, it wasn't easy. It was a race....I forgot to pace myself. I ran with a hurt foot. And, I finished with a time I wasn't thrilled about. BUT, I finished and the race environment was lots of fun, like always! So, that part was AWESOME!

On another note, Steven won a door prize! I joked just before they drew his name. The drawing was for a gift card to, what we thought was a hair salon. I said, "watch Steven, you'll win this one!" The guy drew the name - "Steven Magsig" - everyone sitting at our table was cracking up since I had just made that comment. It turns out this place is actually a day spa and I think Steven needs to send Lisa down for a spa day after her crazy Christmas work schedule is done! That'll be fun!

Well, we got a race in. Great job, Steven & Lewis & I'm glad I ran and finished. I'll keep you all posted with my foot. I will probably head to the doctor this week because I don't know what's wrong & I can't self-diagnose. I need to find out if I need to take some time off or if I need to work through it. We'll see!

Happy running! -Jen

5K Results:
Steven - 24:12
Lewis - 29:55
Jen - 35:14

10.2 Miles! (Jen)

Whew! Just finished a 10.2 mile run. I made a few wrong turns during the run, which helped me tack on that .2. ;) I did a-okay! The weather was awesome - very cool when I started (about 40 degrees) and warmed into the mid 50s by the time I was done. Lewis & the girls met me at various places along my route so I'd have water. That was nice. I also needed a bathroom break on this one, so it was nice to be able to take at my half-way point in the park.

My hips are very sore, my feet were hurting toward the end (very much time for new shoes) and my shoulder blades are killing me more than anything. I think that's from leaning forward when I get tired. Otherwise, my breathing and endurance felt fine.

Not bad for 10 miles. I'm really excited to hit this milestone. We're getting so close to our 'finish line'!

10.2 miles
2:05:36
12:19 pace (might have hit the 12 min. mark if I didn't need a bathroom break!)

Keep it up, team!!

Jen....10 down, 3 to go!

Long Runs Getting Tricky (Jen)

Lewis ran just about 10 miles today. He did a great job. The weather was a little warm this weekend, though. We've had a hard time getting in our long runs the last few weekends due to soccer, kids' stuff, church, etc. We're going to see if we can stagger our long run weekends. So, next weekend, I'll do MY 10 mile run. He might do 5. The last LONG run I did was a few weeks ago when I did my 8 mile run. I never did do my 9 mile run, so I've got to bump it up an extra mile. I'm getting my middle of the week runs in, so at least I'm consistent with that. Soccer season is over, so maybe we'll have a little more time on Saturdays to get these runs in. We'll keep you posted. Good luck to the rest of you with your training!!

Jen

14 miles (Steven)

For my 14 mile run today, according to GMAPs Pedometer website, I ran 13.9448 miles in 2:00:26 (8:38 per mile) This was my longest run ever since the Half Marathon had been my previous longest. I was very pleased with my time. However, I think I pushed a little too hard. My legs were toast the last couple of miles. The weather was perfect, and I wore a Fuel Belt. It's the brand of hydration belt I bought that holds two 8 ounce bottles on the back of the belt. I was skeptical, but it ended up not bothering me, and the amount of water was just right. It was nice to be able to pump my arms normally, but still have the option to get water when I really needed it. I also found a new path to run that had very long flat straight aways that definately helped my time. This run was another indication that I am not ready for the full Marathon, but I keep slowly building my strength and confidence. I hope everyone is doing well. This was a big step for me.

8.1 Miles!

We're gettin' up there with our long runs! Lewis & I were on 8 miles this week & he ended up running close to 9 and he did great. He left the soccer game Sat. morning & basically ran across Friendswood. The weather was great & he said he enjoyed his run. He had mapped his route ahead of time, but changed it up in the middle and ended up at, I think 8.89 miles. Awesome!
I ran 8.1 miles this morning and felt good. This cool, crisp air definitely helps. My breathing difficulties are nearly non-existent like they were when I started this training. That's a great feeling. Now, it's physical fatigue. My hips and lower back hurt at about 6 1/2 miles. But, all-in-all, I felt fine for the 1 hr. 37 minutes I ran. THAT, by the way, is crazy to me....who would've thought I was capable of running for an hour & a half! So cool!

One other note - I'm still doing my run-walk-run training. I walk for one minute when I hit each mile. It's working well for me. I feel like I have an opportunity to stretch out a bit & just rest overall for a minute. Then, I get a burst that catches me up on the time I lost walking.

Since we've still got over 12 weeks to go, I think Lewis & I will do a 'short' long run every other week (like 5 or 6 miles). Then, we'll continue to increase by a mile every other week. We'll keep you posted!

TODAY: 8.1 miles, 1:37:17 (11:58/mile) (I was excited about my pace today! Under 12 min./mile!)

GOOD LUCK, EVERYONE!

Jen

11 Miles (Steven)

For my longest practice run yet, for my 11 mile run, I ran 10.96 miles in 1:41:57 (9:18 per mile). My turn around point was blocked off for construction so I ran a little past my finish line and after GMapping my run, I fell just under 11 miles. I felt good for the most part except the inside of my right knee. The pain was dull and only felt like fatigue but it limited the bending of that knee various times throughout the run. Just another minor detail to keep an eye on so it doesn't become a major problem. That was my longest practice run yet. I am looking into getting a water belt. Not sure I want to go CamelBak because I don't like the idea of something on my back the whole run. KEEP CRANKING OUT THOSE MILES TEAM!!!

6 miles (Steven)

I took a full week off to recover from heavy traning, but I'm back at it. Ran 6 miles this morning in 52:32 (8:45 per mile). Shins hurt a little at beginning but it worked itself out.

7.1 Miles!

Woo-hoo! I ran 7 miles today! I've had two weekends off due to sinus infection and our Disney trip, so I was nervous about how I'd do today. I was supposed to run 6 miles today.

I started running around our "long block" in the neighborhood which is 1 mile. But, after the 3rd trip around, I was getting bored, so I checked my watch and headed out of the neighborhood. I had, what I thought was a 3 mile route in mind, but when I was almost back to our neighborhood, I was way ahead on time. I thought I must not have run the full 6 miles, so I ran into another nearby neighborhood around one block. Then, I just zig zagged through my neighborhood until my time seemed like it matched my 6 mile mark.

I was feeling good the whole run - the weather was AWESOME this morning. Thank goodness for fall! When I came inside, I google mapped my run (3X b/c I didn't believe it!) and it came out to 7.1 miles. I was so excited!

7.1 miles
1:26:30 (12:11 pace)

I was shocked. My average pace on my long runs is between 13 & 14 min./mile. So, to finish 7 miles at a 12 min. mile was very exciting! I think it was a mind thing - I didn't know where I was going or how much more I needed to run, so I just ran! No telling myself "I have one more lap", etc. The weather helped out big time, too. And, it's true - you kind of 'zone out' when you get to mile 5 and up. It didn't really get harder. Mile 2-3 is the toughest on me with these long runs!

So, I'm officially over the half-way hump. What a big milestone! 15 weeks to go! We can do this!!

Jen

Minor setback but much needed rest (Steven)

The day after my long run of 9 miles last Saturday, my right shin started hurting. Possibly similar to shin splints, so I took a few days off. It felt a little better but I was also sore around my joints. So, I decided to take the week off and start running this Saturday. I was on vacation last week and trained a lot and really pushed myself. I think this week of rest will definately help because I feel like I am giving my joints a much needed rest before I start increasing my miles.

5K - Personal Best (Steven)

Ran a 5K today in 24:03 (7:45 per mile) A new personal best. I am on vacation this week, so I was able to get a good nights rest and the weather was perfect. My legs and lungs felt good so I really pushed it. Woohoo!!!

8 Miles (Steven)

Ran 8.085 miles yesterday in 1:11:55 (8:53 per mile). I felt good after the first 2 miles. My legs have been killing me this week since I ran 3 days in a row, but after the day of rest, and after a couple miles my legs kicked in. I ran at the Buffalo Bayou Bike Trail which has hills, so after some of the hills, there would be flat straight aways where I would punch it. My lungs felt good and since my legs had enough juice, I just pushed it. Everything went great for the first long run of the 18 week program. I am very pleased with my time. The 65-70 degree morning weather helped a ton. Off to swim laps today.

Run, Walk, Run

Lewis & I have been continuing our training, increasing our long run by 1/2 a mile each week. Incereasing by just 1/2 a mile is very attainable, so it seems to be working for us for now.

I, like the rest of you have been reading about several different training programs online. Last week, I decided to put Jeff Galloway's strategy to the test. He promotes walk breaks for helping to prevent injury. (I was thinking it might help prevent fatigue later in the run!)

Following his method, I used the ratio for running 11 minute miles (much faster than my normal long run pace, but this ratio just sounded reasonable to me). The ratio is 2:30-1.

His instructions say to start this run, walk, run ratio from the very beginning. So, just 2 1/2 minutes into my long run, I walked for a minute! And, I kept doing it for the rest of my 5 1/2 mile run last week.

The end result - my time was faster than the week before when I ran the whole time! I'm averaging about 13 min. a mile on my long runs and I easily maintained a little better than that pace during this long run.

Even more interesting, I tried this method on my 3 mile tempo run this week. I ran right at 11 minute miles. My fastest recorded 5K was a 10:55/mile pace. So, 11 minutes a mile was pretty darn good for me - and that was with walk breaks! The only difference in this tempo run was I ran 3, walked 1.
I don't know what my final 'strategy' will be. Ultimately, I'd obviously like to run more than 3 minutes at a time (as I know I'm capable of doing). But, at the same time, I'd love to improve my endurance and my overall time. Not that I'm trying to break a record here, I just don't want to be running all day long on race day!! :)

6 miles this week (hopefully - I have a cold that's been building all week & today I'm feeling very blah). Next Wed., we leave for Disney for 6 days. I plan to take my pedometer so I can see how much walking time/miles/steps I log!

I hope everyone's doing well! Keep up the good work!

Jen

18-Week Training Program Begins (Steven)

Ran 3 miles today, completing day 5 of my 18-week training program. (We are now less than 18 weeks away team!) I will be running 4 times a week, swim laps once a week, cross train once a week (stationary bike, eliptical, weights), and rest once a week. Click on the photo for a bigger view of my schedule. It is a modified version in between Hal Higdon's Novice and Intermediate programs. It has been a tough first week, but I trust it will get better. KEEP TRAINING TEAM!!!

5 Miles!

Yay! I made it to 5 miles! The only negative was that I had to do it on the treadmill today because of the rain this morning. I'm ready for a 'legit' pavement run next weekend. I feel fine after that treadmill run today. But, 5 miles is still 5 miles, so I'll take it!

5 miles (on treadmill) - 1:03:54

Total miles since I started training 6 weeks ago - 35.19

Jen

Long Run and Swim - (Steven)

Way to go Jen! Keep it up! Ran 6 miles Saturday in 57:23 (9:33/mile) the exact pace of my 6.94 run last week. I think Smartwool socks are the winner. They survived the longer run test. Swam 36 laps this morning, relaxed in the steam room, whirlpool, and sauna. Feels great on the legs. Here comes another week of work. Oh boy.

A New Milestone for Jen

Next week will be my 5 mile mark so that will defnitely be a milestone for me. But, this morning was the first time I ran over an hour! And, I survived! :)

I have done a lot of my running the last few weeks on the treadmill at the gym. I knew I needed to get a long run in on the pavement, so that's what I did this morning. I tried to start off as slow as possible, because I tend to run my first mile so much quicker (naturally!), but my last couple of miles are SUPER slow because I've worn myself out. But, my first mile was still faster than the rest.

My goal for today was 4 1/2 miles. I ended up running 4.65 according to gmaps pedometer (I'll take all of the extra decimal places I can get!). It took me 1:04:14. This was a teeny bit slower than I wanted to, but it helped me think more about my pacing...especially on the pavement. I can control my pace on the treadmill - on the pavement, I have to learn how to control it. It'll come. I'll figue it out. That's why we're giving ourselves 5 months to train, right?

I feel okay - SUPER, super sweaty! That is probably the hardest thing for me - the sweat! It makes me crazy! I survived, though. Just under a 14 min. mile, so I will definitely have to pick up my pace, but not too bad for a long run. I keep telling myself, every long run I do is longer than I've ever done, so WAY TO GO!

I found a free running log app for my new iPhone. It's very easy to use & let's you map your runs on a calendar. I like that it spits out your milage & duration for the week (or month) and tells you your average pace. This week, my average pace was 12:52.

Miles this week - 10 1/2
Duration this week - 2:11:53

Looking forward to hearing about everyone else's progress! Post! Let us know how it's going!!

Back to the pavement (Steven)

After running Saturday, I took Sunday off, swam laps Monday, and took Tuesday and Wednesday off. The weather was bad so that was part of the excuse, but I think it was beneficial because my legs and knees needed the rest. Ran a 5K today in 27:10 and tried out my new SmartWool socks. We may have a winner, but I've said that before. I will try them on my long run Saturday morning. I tied my shoes tighter today because it felt like i have been rolling my foot inward and my right foot on the side of the ball of my big toe has felt a little weird. Nothing painful, just noticeable. Tighter shoes seemed to eliminate it a bit. I will try again on the long run. So many little things for something as simple as running.

1 month of training down (Steven)

Ran 6.94 miles today in 1:06:19 (9:33/mile) one day after one month of training was complete. After nearly 4 months of not running following my first Half Marathon April 11th, I started training August 3rd. Starting back up was tough, but it is enjoyable again. I am working on a customized training schedule somewhere in between Hal Higdon's Novice and Intermediate programs. I will be starting the 18 week intensive training September 26th. Here are my totals for the 1st month of training, plus today's long run. My new monthly totals will start the 5th of each month. Keep truckin' team!

Miles Running Total = 53.17
Miles Walking Total = 22.52
Laps Swam = 50 (20 first time to gym & 30 second time)

-Steven-

Mike's First Post

Getting adjusted to my new schedule with class and what not so a routine has yet to start, but I am working myself back into running shape before embarking on "official" training that I will look for online.  My first running week I totaled 8 miles. over 4 runs. Zelda not digging the YMCA shortened a couple of them, but I am feeling good.  Herb is in town and a distraction, but Saturday I ran a quick 2 miles.  Not running as consistently as I would like yet with a few too many days off, but feeling good to be back in the swing of things.  My schedule should normalize after Tuesday of this week so I look to set up a nice routine around my schedule, Henry's, Megan's and Zelda's.
-Newhouse

EZ Run Setback

I knew to expect some setbacks along the way, but ALREADY?

Today was my easy run day. I showed up at the gym later than usual b/c last week we had to wait a while to get into the kids club. That day, the gym had cleared out when I was about 15 min. into my run. So, I went at the "cleared out" time today. The Kids Club was full and there was a 45 min. wait!

Okay, no gym today, so I thought I'd go use my new jogging stroller & run in the neighborhood. Alysse is letting me borrow it because it hasn't gotten much use at her house. I made a few minor repairs, and Paige & I were off. About 3 minutes into the run, I realize I've got two low tires and a pretty-much FLAT one on the back right. So, I jogged a mile with the flat-tire jog stoller. ;)

We decided to walk to the park. I was going to do some sprinting there by the playground while Paige played, but, it started raining on us! Just not my day for training today.

TOTAL MILES - about 1.1 - 12 min. jogging, about 15 min. walking

Maybe we'll have to try again tomorrow!

Jen

Our Long Runs This Week (Jen & Lewis)

Lewis & I did our long runs on the treadmill at the gym Fri. night. We needed to get them over-with since we were getting ready for Paige's party today.

Lewis ran 5 miles and said that's the furthest he's ever run. He ran at a 5.5 most of the time & said he felt good when he was done.

I ran 3.5 miles in 45:36. My plan is to do my long runs SLOWLY (which was kind of hard at some times). I also walked for 5 minutes at the end for a total of 3.75. This is the furthest I've ever gone. I felt great, but my left foot is hurting in my shoe. It's the top of my foot that's killing me. The tongue of the shoe feels weird. My toes feel like they're bunching up. My foot was hurting just after mile one & I just kept thinking I wish it would go numb so I couldn't feel it. The first thing I did when I got in the car was take my darn shoe & sock off....just on the left foot, though!

Lewis & I both got new socks & they seem to be working okay. They're just moisture-wicking socks, kind of thick. They seem to be doing okay for us.

TOTAL MILES THIS WEEK - 9 1/2

6 Mile Run

Ran 6 miles this morning in 55:43 (9:17/mile). I also ran 3 miles Thursday in 27:25 (9:08/mile). I was pushing it hard both runs because my knees were hurting, but more like fluid build-up or something. So, I took the advice of running hard to release the lactid acid in my legs to make them fresher the next day. Well, I ran hard Tuesday, and was sore Wednesday, but after running hard Thursday, my legs felt good the next day. 6 miles today wasn't so bad, except for my sock problem. I found good socks but they bunched a little in my toes and the seam kept hitting my ring toe on my right foot (is that what it's called?) No blister, but I need to watch that. Maybe i can mess with the seams or something or I may have to go after a third pair of socks to try. Anyway, the long run went well. It gets less grueling each time you run. Off to Paige's birthday party at the gymnastics place. I will try not to go nuts and injure myself. But, it's so fun. We'll see.

-Steven-

Socks and shoes

Cool calculator link. I have been using my watch for the long runs on Saturday, but not on my short runs during the week. Yesterday I ran 3 miles in my brand new Asics 2150s. And, ran in Thorlo Experia socks. Well, the shoes were great, but not sure about the socks. They have pads on the balls of the toes and heel, but thin on the arch. Felt weird and when I stopped running, they seemed to slide in my shoe. The big difference I saw in my shoe was the bounce or rebound from my stride. It is a stability shoe and I did notice a difference of more hugging of my arches. But, I was not convinced that these socks would be OK for more runs. So, I returned the other pairs to Sun and Ski Sports (they have a Buy one pair get one pair half off deal until Labor Day) and got Thorlo Thin Cushion Coolmax socks. They cover the arch and I walked the dog around the parking lot with them today and I think I may have a winner. I will be testing them out tomorrow on my 3 mile run. I am staying on my workout schedule. Just need to lock down all my running gear, because it's kind of driving me crazy. Here is my current schedule.

Tues = 3 mile run, 1.6 mile walk
Thur = 3 mile run, 1.6 mile walk
Sat = 6 mile run, 2 mile walk
Sun = Swimming Laps

-Steven-

A Schedule!

I think I've figured out a running schedule. I've been doing lots of searching online for the right program to meet my needs. I think I've got it down. 3 runs a week with at least one day of cross training.
Mon. - Easy Run
Wed. - "Tempo" Run
Thurs. - Walk or cross train
Sat. - Long Run

Since I have no idea what I'm doing, I've had to look up all of this running jargon. I think I finally, sort of get it (emphasis on "sort of"!).

I found this calculator http://www.mcmillanrunning.com/mcmillanrunningcalculator.htm that lets you input your best time from a 5K, 10K, etc. and it will calculate the pace you should be running each type of run during the week. I ran my easy run on Monday MUCH slower than I have in the past & I felt great when I was done, but I still had a sense of accomplishment. We'll see if this works. Today is my "tempo" run, which doesn't sound as fun as that easy run, but hopefully this method will help in the overall scheme of things.

My overall plan is a tweaked version of Jeff Galloway's plan. I'll let you know how it's going!

Jen

3 Down, 10.1 To Go

Did my first "long" run on Saturday - 3 miles in 37:16. Not bad, but the heat is really killing me. It's going to take some time to adjust. I think I read somewhere that it takes 7-14 days for your body to acclimate to the heat. I also read on Jeff Galloway's website that you should run your long runs 30 sec. slower than your race pace for every 5 degrees over 60 degrees. That is some SLOW running in this heat!

Lewis' training has been on the treadmill during his work day. He's getting in the groove, too!

Good luck, teammates!!

Jen

Let's get it started!!

Thanks Steven for setting this up for us.  I think this is going to be a lot of fun for all of us.  I started running again about four years ago when a group of us at work signed up to run in a local Arts festival 5k fun run. At my best I was clocking 18-20 miles (total) for the week, but that has been many moons ago. I've been on a bit of a hiatus this last year (OK maybe a little longer), but I'm excited to get going again.  Having a team to run with is exactly what I need.  Anyways, I've started CrossFit last week and boy that's intense!! But my longest run has been to the mailbox.  So I see some need for improvement there....hahaha!  I've got the ipod loaded up and ready to go and my training schedule posted on the frig. I guess it's time to lace up, huh! BTW great shoes Steven, I'll be sporting ASICS Gel-Nimbus.

Gyn

How I Got Started in this Craziness! by Jen

Thanks, Steven for setting up this blog for us. I think it'll be cool to post our progress over the course of our training. I'm really excited about getting chosen for the half. A little over a year ago, when Steven asked Lewis & I to run a 5K with him I told him I wasn't a runner! He found us a 5K in Friendswood & I thought, "why not"? Lewis was a cross country runner in high school so I figured he'd be 'in', too. We started training September '09 & our first 5K was October '09.

I LOVED it! I loved the adrenaline I got on race day. I loved the crowd cheering us on along the way. I loved that I had no idea where I was headed next on the course, so I had to just keep running! My goal that day was to run better than a 45 min. 5K! I came in at 33:51. I was THRILLED! I had caught the bug & I was ready for my next race!

I ran 2 other 5Ks last year. Our 2nd was a BRUTAL Holiday Hustle in December. It had gotten postponed the week before due to temps. below 20 degrees! We Texans are just NOT used to those low temps! It wasn't much better the weekend we ran - nasty sloshy course, very damp day in just above freezing weather. Although, Steven did earn his first award - 1st place in his age group!! Yay, Steven. He worked HARD for that award!

A week after that December 5K, I ended up with what ended up being 6 weeks of walking pneumonia. Talk about a setback! It took a lot of mental blockage for me to get back into the swing of things again.

In April, I ran my 3rd 5K along with Taite who ran her first Kids-K. It was really an awesome day. I was proud of her to getting into this running 'buzz'. She did great. I wasn't thrilled with the amount of training I'd done for the race, but I ended up winning 3rd place in my age division! Yay. Ego booster that made me think I CAN do this! That's when I thought, "I'm doing the half marathon next year!"

And here we are, a year after we started this craziness. I'm excited & nervous all at the same time. Lewis has been doing great at the gym during the work week. We're just starting back up after a HOT summer off. We can do this! Go McMagsicles, go!

Greetings from the sweltering heat of Houston's summer.

Hello visitors. After officially being selected in the lottery, Jen had the idea to blog our progress as a group for our 01/30/2011 Houston Marathon training. Our group is called McMagsicles and it consists of
Full Marathon - Steven, Mike, and Billy
Half Marathon - Jen, Lewis, and Gyn

We are all excited and terrified about what we've gotten ourselves into. But, as for being excited, we want to make sure that we stay in touch with each other and make sure we are on track with our training. Accountability will be added motivation to our goals. I ran my first Half Marathon in April of this year and it was extremely fun and exhausting. It was so great seeing my wife, parents, Jen, Lewis, Taite, and Paige waiting for me and cheering for me at the finish line. Crossing that finish line makes all the hard work worth it. So, we have set our sights on January, and we are starting our training already. CUE ROCKY MUSIC. I bought new running shoes today (Asics 2150s for you running nerds), and joined a gym to swim laps and cycle for cross training. Hopefully, we can look back at this first post and see it as the start of our long journey, and not just wishful thinking. We appreciate everyone's support and look forward to sharing finisher photos with you in January. Til next time. -Steven-

Me, Jen, and Lewis after our first 5K run together 10/17/2009