Running Man

Nick completed his first half-marathon this weekend. I say first though right now he might say last. Can you see the balloons in the background?

It was a beautifully sunny morning.

The Albuquerque Half Marathon is a great size - about 600 people joined in.

Nick started toward the back.

I think this was the happiest he was all day.

We waited while all the runners came through & then had a picnic breakfast.

The finish line was at a school so the kids kept busy while we waited for Nick to finish. 

Here he is at mile 3 still looking good.  His training regimen started strong. Then, life/work got a bit complicated, the time changed & it was cold running in the morning & he came up with his own program that was probably a bit light on mileage. Add in a bad virus (no running) and a late return flight the night before the race. He had plenty of good excuses to back out, but he didn't.

The winner crossed the finish line in just over an hour. The kids couldn't understand why it took Nick a little longer. Thank goodness they weren't waiting for me to finish.

His iPod died at mile 4.

His hip flexors were not happy.

But, he finished strong with the kids. They didn't take it easy on him - they SPRINTED!

We are really proud of his great effort & commitment. Way to go Nick!

Up & Running

I'm on day 2 of my online running club workout. Up & Running is a course designed to teach you how to run a 5K. The running loop by my house is just over a 5K. My goal is to be running the whole loop by the end of summer (August 14th). This fall, they will be hosting a 10K running program too. You can sign-up here for email updates.

I've been walking this loop since February. Now, the goal is to RUN. I ran a half marathon in 2007 so it might seem strange that I signed up to do this course.  But, I had lots of friends to run with & I am missing them in New Mexico.  After the race, I really didn't run again & I'm feeling it now. I also don't think that I trained properly for that first long race & my feet paid for my mistakes.  I signed up for this course for accountability, an online support forum & the experience of seasoned runners.  The class seems to be a mix of people of all ages & training levels. The course is designed as 3 workouts a week - very manageable.

After 3 1/2 months, my music was feeling a little stale. If your mp3 player needs a little inspiration try these ideas:

1. Cardio Coach - podcasts with a virtual personal trainer

2. iTunes or Amazon - there are tons of workout mixes for your choosing

3. Run Hundred - get new song recommendations from a music writer

4. Audio Books - my friend Pearl loves listening to audio books as she works out.

5. Mash-ups - Chris Lawhorn of Run Hundred suggests finding DJ mash-up songs if you get bored       listening to popular songs.  Two great places to start are DJ Earworm (radio safe from what I've heard) and Girl Talk (warning, this guy's songs usually start with rap & may not be kid friendly).
6. Jog FM - I haven't tried this out yet, but it looks promising!

Any other suggestions for inspired workout songs?