I have been feeling so good lately, that is kind of scares me!  What happened?  I always run the same, wear the same shoes..etc etc...what makes us have these wonderful runs and then out of the blue, a streak of terrible runs?  Wish someone could give me a little insight into this phenomena, because I know it happens to a lot of runners.  Part of it , for me anyway, I know is the winter, but heck it still is winter around here!  Maybe it is all mental, wish I had an answer.  All I know is, for the time being, I am going to go with this feeling of euphoria I have been having with my runs.  Even the weight training hasn't been bothering me, and usually I do not look forward to that at all.  Also, I feel addicted again, like I did when I first started running, it's like I can't take a day off, I have to do something, whether it be a run, or weight training, or the walk/ jog DVD.  I have done something now for 10 days in a row and I NEVER do that!  I like the feeling, but I am a little obsessed!  Right now, I am at work wondering if I should work out over my lunch hour....never do that either.

Oh well....I will just go with it and hope that I am still motivated a month from now.

Happy running!

Oh...here is a pic of my new running shoes!  Just arrived UPS yesterday, love the colors, can't wait to take them out for a test drive.

Today would have been my Dad's 96th birthday.  He passed away almost 2 years ago now.  We didn't always see to eye to eye, but I know how much he loved me and I miss him.

What a beautiful weekend!  I was planning on doing a longish run on Sunday.  Longish to me these days is over 5 miles..  Rain was predicted for Sunday, so I decided to get out on Saturday instead.  Did 7 miles and felt great!  I haven't felt this good running in months and it is such a relief.  The weather was perfect, sunny, in the 40's and no wind.  I actually got to run without layers of clothing...just an running shirt and pants...so liberating.  Sunday ended up even better...it did not rain and temps were in the 60's, I couldn't resist and went out for another 3!  Ordinarily do not run 2 days in a row anymore, especially after I have done a longer one, but could not pass up those temps!  I didn't feel as good as I did on Saturday, but it was still good.  Today is rainy and windy and snow showers predicted for tomorrow...Spring in Ohio!

On the days that I have not been going outside to run, I am continuing to do some free weight training and the walk/jog 4 mile DVD with Leslie Sansone, this is really a good DVd and gets the old heart rate up...I really think it has helped me with my speed, believe it or not, she really has you moving continuously for about 45 minutes...highly recommend if anyone is in the market for a good workout inside.

I am a little concerned about a weird pain that I have been experiencing in my left calf.  It is a dull ache and it feels like it is going to cramp up, but it never does.  What has me concerned is I was reading an article about blood clots in runners by Jenny Hatfield and the sensation I have been experiencing is one of the symptoms.  If it continues, I will have to have it checked out.  If I had not read the article I would not even be worried about it.

Made this great potato salad this weekend:

2 poundsclean, scrubbed new red potatoes

6eggs

1 poundbacon

1onion, finely chopped

• 1 stalkcelery, finely chopped
• 2 cupsmayonnaise
• salt and pepper to taste

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Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain and set in the refrigerator to cool.
2. Place eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Cover and let eggs stand in hot water for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from hot water, cool, peel and chop.
3. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.
4. Chop the cooled potatoes, leaving skin on. Add to a large bowl, along with the eggs, bacon, onion and celery. Add mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste. Chill for an hour before serving.

Because I had such a good run on Friday, I was all set to go out and try to do a longish run this morning.  I was going to try for at least 6 miles.  Anyway, got up at 5:30 this morning, walked downstairs and saw that it had snowed overnight again!  Darn it!  It isn't much, but enough that I don't want to go out in it!  Darn, darn darn!  I am so sick of this winter, I could cry.  I know I can get out there, but it is probably slippery and it just dashed my intentions.  Guess I will wait now until it is light and see how it is.  I do not want to use the treadmill.  I really think I do suffer from the seasonal disorder where the lack of sunshine really despresses you.  The weather should not affect my mood as much as it does.  There is nothing we can do about it and I live in an area where the winters are long, long, long!  Should be used to it.  Just looked outside again, it is starting to get light, made me even more depressed, looks worse in the light.  Plan #2...I will do Leslie Sansone's walk/jog 4 miles in my living room, not the same, but better than nothing I guess, I just can't take the treadmill this morning.   At this rate I  will never be ready for a half marathon in May.  I have to say, in my younger days,  I would get out and run in any weather...I have run during sleet storms in Kansas City where I would sink ankle deep in slush!  I have run in Colorado where it was so cold one day that a person yelled out to me "are you crazy, it is 20 below zero"  , no lie, we had just moved there and I had no idea it was so cold.  But I much prefer when I am running in the warmth with sweat running down my legs, now that is my kind of run!  I totally should be living somewhere in the South.

So, do you think I have gone on and on about the weather enough?  This too shall pass, right???  right????  I live in fear of another year without a summer that occurred sometime last century.  I couldn't take it, I tell you, I couldn't take it!  

On a more cheerful note...I have to brag on my granddaughter, Mikayla.  She is 10 years old and is becoming quite a basketball player.  She played at her school earlier this year and now she is playing at the YMCA.  She is the only girl and can play with the best of those boys!  It is so much fun to watch.  My 2 other granddaughters are grreat at sports also.  Cassidy shines at softball and so does Meadow.  Meadow is only turning 10 and has been asked to play with girls much older than she.  Cassidy has always been good at softball and she is a junior in high school now  With softball season right around the corner, I am looking forward to many games.  They certainly did not get this talent from this grandmother!  I am terrible at sports, I will stick to running!  I was always the last person standing when choosing teams (Gees, I hated that feeling)  Just thinking of that makes me feel humiliated all these years later.

Okay, think I might go out and run anyway, or maybe not......

Hurrah!!!   I ran 4 miles this morning and I felt great!  First time in a long time that I had a good run.  I am so relieved.  I was beginning to think that I had lost it.  It was cold and a little breezy, but streets were dry.  Almost didn't go out, was feeling really lazy and the thought of going out in the cold for another lousy run, just did not appeal to me at all, but out I went, and I am so glad that I did.  Now I have to make up my mind whether or not to run the Cleveland Half in May.  I had a terrible experience there last year.  It was a beautiful day in May, but unusually warm for Cleveland.  In fact we had an unusally warm March last year, but then it turned cold in April and May...anyway, the day of the Half was sunny and hot even.  I felt pretty good for the first 5 or 6 miles, but by mile 9 I almost gave it up and boarded "the bus"..having never, ever not finished a race, I just couldn't make myself do it, so I kept plugging alone.  I remember thinking to myself that it was so hot and I wasn't sweating and thought that was odd.  There was a lot of walking, but I did run over the finish line with a terrible time of over 3 hours.  Saw my husband waiting for me, got some water and walked around some, feeling fine....all of sudden I started to feel very sick to my stomach and sat down on the curb, feeling worse and worse, I finally asked my husband to walk to the medical tent and get someone...while he was gone I threw up (luckily it was mostly water) and feeling very shaky.  My husband finally arrived with someone and they walked me over to the medical tent, took my BP, which was very low, and I have HBP normally....then the leg cramps started, from the tip of my toes to my waist, both legs simultaneously, I didn't know where to grab, it was awful...by the way the tent was full, I was not the only one who experienced problems that day...finally, the doctor asked my husband to hold my legs so they could get an IV in me....almost immediately I got relief.  In a few minutes, I was able to drink some chocolate milk and felt so much better.  They wouldn't let me go until I could get up and walk around the tent twice, did that, and I was done.  I have never had this happen to me before, I don't know if it was because it was so hot that day and I hadn't really run in the heat that year because Northern Ohio does not normally get heat like that in the Spring.  All I know is that I hope it never happens again!  Watch, this year it will probably be snowing!  That is entirely possible also!

Oh what the heck???  I will probably sign up for it again.  It would be nice to see the course, I felt so bad last year I didn't take in the scenery much, I was too miserable.

Sheesh, I haven't run in a couple of days again.  Unlike , a couple of weeks ago however, I really feel like running, so that is good!  Bad is that we are supposed to get ice/snow starting tomorrow again, so will have to do the treadmill  I suspect.  I still am not as motivated as I would like and it worries me..I still have so much I would like to do with my running, but I am feeling inadequate.  I know I sound like a broken record, but the slowness really bothers me.  Just the thought of going out for a 10 mile run and having it take over 2 hours,just pushes down the spirit.  So.....am I just being pessimistic and I can really amp up my time or is age just taking it's toll on me?  I do not want to hurt myself so then I would not be able to run at all, and , I know myself, I don't want to burn out and resent the running.  Just not in the best place right now I guess...hoping, against hope, that it is just the winter that is getting me down.  I have to say, getting up at 4:30 a.m. and facing the dark and the cold is not appealing one bit.  Last week I was doing really well, this week not so much.  Wish I had a running partner who would make me feel accountable.  If I know someone is counting on me I won't let them down.  Same thing with signing up for a race, if I know I have a race to run, I won't let myself down.  I did do that once though, I signed up for the Flying Pig  half marathon in Cincinnati two years ago and I did not train enough to participate.  Again, the race was in May and I had a bad winter!  Make myself mad!  The only solution I see is moving south... LOL.  I think "LOL" is passe now, but I still use it.  I also like to use the excuse of time.  Working full time really does make it difficult.  Seems that I am wanting more and more down time to myself the past few months.  I get home from work and I just want to sit and read or knit, not exercise.  I have found that I do much better with the weight training if I do it in the evening, but again the motivation factor.  I have to go home and immediately change and exercise or I won't do it! Plus, I find myself thinking about how I have to go home after work and exercise and it depresses me, i just want to go home. Period.  Man, I really have to get out of this funk!

I have had a bad toothache since Friday.  It is subsiding a little, but right now it is killing me again.  Went to the dentist yesterday and am on antibiotics, so hopefully this will go soon.  Need lots of dental work, but I knew that I did.  Being an ex-hygienist I am not fearful of the dentist, so I am looking forward to finally getting the work done!

I really have to start getting in some longer miles.  I am doing the Hatfield/Mcoy 1/2 marathon on June 9th for sure and I am still comtemplating the Cleveland Half in May, but I have to get some long runs going.  Just don't have it in me right now.  I so wish the weather would turn for the better, although that is not an excuse. I should not complain because I am slow, but I am going to anyway.  It just takes me so darn long to run 10 miles anymore.  I don't want to run my 1/2 marathon pace for my practice runs, so I slow down even more for them....takes me almost 2 hours to run 10 miles, so it has to be on a weekend.  The weekends go so darn fast.  Plus today I have a killer toothache!  It started bad last night, the whole right side of my face hurts, ibuprofen helps for a little while, but not for long, I am miserable.  Dentist on Monday.  It is my own fault, I have neglected visiting the dentist for a long time and now I am paying the price.  Going to the dentist is expensive, very expensive.  I need so much work I will have to take out a loan, I am sure...darn teeth anyway.  Since we are living so much longer these days, I really think we should get a third set of teeth...you know like when you are a child, you lose all those baby teeth and get new grown up teeth?  That's what should happen in our 50's, get a third set for the rest of our life, cause this set just isn't going to last!

Making homemade bread this afternoon, it is rising right now.  Nothing like fresh bread out of the oven with peanut butter!  Yum!  Soft enough so I think I can have some even with this darn tooth!

Ginny

Not too much to report today.  Still snowing....I should be used to this weather, having grown up in Western NY....major snow country, and now northern Ohio.  I get down in the dumps this time of year and usually fall into a real running slump.  So far, I have not done too badly this winter.  I did slack off for about 2 weeks, but this past week I have done really well.  Also been doing some free weights at home with a DVD.  The DVD is Ripped and Chiseled (both of which, I will never be) by Jari Love.  I really enjoy this DVD, easy to follow, good music, and you can make it as hard or easy as you like.  However, I have found my problem is not poor muscle tone, but loose skin!  Too much information???  LOL!  Age...it is a killer!  Oh well I will keep working out anyway, mentally, the exercise makes me feel much better.

So looking forward to getting outside more to run and complaining about the heat and humidity!  Oh well, we have to be thankful for the little bits of sunshine that we do get this time of year and keep on keeping on.