I hate my computer, but I like to run

Almost 2 years old

It wasn't until after I uploaded this picture that I realized that I'm signed in as Tyler.  I don't want to have to sign out and sign back in as me and then re-upload the picture because my computer is SO slow.  No joke, it took me a solid hour to turn on the computer, download the pictures from the camera, delete a bizarro program that must have downloaded itself the last time I updated some software, and then upload this picture.  We have an iPad, which I use for reading blogs and futzing on facebook, but it's not so great for blogging.  Our desktop is the one Tyler bought for school when he got home from his mission... like 8 years ago.  I'm fairly sure that it is no older than the computers we use at the hospital, yet somehow those are so much faster.  Maybe I need to run one of those "make my computer faster" programs that I see advertised on TV.  Or ask someone who knows more about computers than me to do it.

I need to be better at blogging because, oddly enough, my life isn't documenting itself.

Here is a list of blog posts I want to write:

1. The spider in the tub
2. Ethan playing with markers
3. The awesome summertime workbooks I made for the kids and how they make me feel like a supermom
4. Nora using the camera
5. Mountain biking
6. Trip to Utah
7. The 20 hats my friend sent us
8. Nora dresses herself, and it shows.

This post will be about running, from now on.

I swam a lot in my formative years.  I wasn't fast.  I kind of hated it.  But, I kind of loved it at the same time. Once I had Lillian, I switched to running, because you can't tow a baby behind you in the pool.  I ran with varying degrees of consistency between pregnancies until January of this year.  In December, I was watching TV and saw one thousand commercials for weight loss programs.  A common comment from the users of these products was that they are in better shape now than they were when they were in their 20's.  I'm getting ready to be done with my 20's, and I don't feel like I've been in very good shape during this decade between birthing 3 babies and eating a lot of cookies and brownies to cope with birthing 3 babies.  If everything is downhill from here, I wanted to start up a little higher on the fitness grading scale.  On a whim, I chose to train for a half-marathon.

I got a book called Marathon and Half-Marathon: A Beginners Guide from the library and started following the training schedule.

Around the end of March, I read:

and number 1- word vomited all over any one who would listen about it because I thought it was SO interesting, and number 2- changed my running gait which was slow and painful and hard on my muscles, but in a hurt-so-good kind of way.

I also started being frustrated that I wasn't getting any smaller.  It's fine that the scale wasn't budging because maybe I was building muscle, but I had been running 3 times a week for 3 solid months, and my clothes fit exactly the same.  And I gained a pound which was maddening because, as my sister said, "Look, I know lots more fun ways to gain weight that require a lot less work."  So, I started cutting calories.

About 4 weeks ago, I was scheduled to run 9 miles.  I had run 8 miles before and thought it would be the same deal, just one more mile.  No go.  Literally.  I ran about 7.5 and then my feet quit.  It was the weirdest thing to me: I wasn't exhausted, I was mentally fine, my lungs were working, my heart wasn't tired, my body didn't hurt.  My feet just had no more go in them.  I forced myself home because Tyler was going to be late for work.

I decided to repeat the last 2 weeks of my training schedule- maybe I had gone up in miles too fast, and what with changing running style half-way through...

Same deal- my legs quit at about 7.5 miles or about 1.5 hours of running.  I couldn't consult my training book because I had to take it back to the library a long time ago, so I asked people I know who run.  (Keep in mind that I used to swim for 2 hours ALL THE TIME with no problems.)

Here's a sample conversation:

Runner: OK, what do you eat before you run?  Me: Oatmeal, or a Cliff bar.  Runner: What do you eat during your run? Me: ummmm... air?

Things I didn't know about running long distances that I've learned in the past week or so:

1. You cannot eat only 1200 calories the day before a long run and expect to finish.
2. You should eat something every hour during running.
3. You should bring water with you when you run and not just drink from the water fountains dotting your route.

I haven't attempted another long run since I've gained all this new knowledge, but I'll let you know if it works.