12 more months

15 miles 2 weekends ago went well. This past weekend I was sick with a cold that is still wiping me out. But I still have my kids to take pics of so here you are....

Beautiful, Julie. The kids look like both of you.

Thanks Michele. I am so thankful for them. 2 years ago it was all very hard and I didn't think we'd have any more living children but here we are with 3 of them!

Finally beat my cold, ran 10 miles with some friends on Saturday and then another 5 Sunday. Today just walked the kids a mile (pushed J and N in the jogging stroller and wore J) because Jocelyn has swimming lessons so I can't get away in the evening.

I'm excited for my 50K training to start in a month. I think I"ll be able to pull it off. It's a lot of 20-26 mile training runs every other week the last 8 weeks but I think it's a good build up. It's the plan I followed for my first 50K and that race went well, at least I felt prepared for it.

Good 17 miler today although it got hot (upper 70s/low 80s) and windy. I ran 6 solo, 6 with Jocelyn in the stroller then 5 solo. I'm so tired now and forgot how hungry long runs make me. Brian had off for Arbor Day and it was great timing bc Sunday we are supposed to have severe t-storms and Sat. I work.

Next weekend is Lincoln Marathon. I hope to combine my long run with finding some of my friends along the course and cheering for them (don't worry, I won't bandit or run on the course).

Here's a pic. Noah (left) began sitting independently this week, just in time for his 9 mos check up next Mon. I am such a worrier with their development.

Great photo...and great run.  I'm amazed at your progress (and determination) with all the responsibilities you have!

Damn, they are so darn cute.  In a way, I'm glad that I can't have more as they are just too precious making me want one.  And my daughter is TOO YOUNG for me to have Grandchildren.  

Great job on the run, and you can always enter Lincoln and drop which is an option for a supported long run if the price isn't ridiculous.

double post sorry

Thanks Nancy!

Michele - one of my friends says the same thing about them making her want another one. They make me want another one some days!! Unfortunately Lincoln filled up within hours. Crazy for it just being a pretty average marathon. It's nice and all but I don't think it needs to sell out in hrs. 6 yrs ago there was expo registration. I don't really understand what happened.

It was a beautiful morning for the marathon. Clear, not too windy, 51 at the start and low 70s was the high. I guess a little warm but not terrible. I saw a few of my friends around mile 11 and then headed back towards home, got to cheer on many runners, saw the leaders and everything. Pretty exciting! Then I got home, filled my water, nursed my babies and ran another 4.5 miles to get my 18 miler done. Feeling a lot stronger than I was a few mos ago, not sure why, I think partly just healing from the pregnancy. I remember after I had my daughter, after about 9 mos I finally felt that my running was about the same effort as it was before. This time has been harder, partly due to it being a twin pregnancy, I think, and the bed rest and lack of activity definitely hurt my strength. 

The rest of the week was fine, nothing exciting just a bunch of short runs and 2 rest days. I was going to run yesterday evening after work but instead we went for a family walk for 3 miles.

Good work on the run, Julie.  I remember finally feeling right after 9 months as well.  Must be something about that time frame.

Those babies are getting so big! And cute? Wowza.

Nice job on the 18 miler. It seems pretty clear your body is bouncing back nicely from pregnancy. Good job!

Glad things are rounding back into shape for you, Julie!  Love the pics of the kids.  Kids are a lot of work, but they're great!

I had signed up for Market to Market the last two years, but did not run either one due to injury.  So this year I did not sign up.  haha!

Thanks Michele, Mark and Jon!

Last weekend I ended up sick, don't know why these colds have to wipe me out so hard, but yesterday I made up for it and ran a bit over 20 miles, I think 20.5. I feel pretty good, too. I am using K-tape on my knees just for a little extra support but don't feel really injured. The daily runs are still my 5-6 miles, nothing too exciting but getting out there and enjoying the spring weather

Jon- registration is still open for the 50K if you want to run it.

I know it is and it is tempting.  Still working on some of those personal issues.  Am making some slow progress though. 

Glad you could get your run in despite not feeling well.  That is always challenging.

I've not been on the computer much lately but running has been fine. Tomorrow I will finish week 3 of the 50K training and things are going well. I ran 18 mi this morning and have 8 tomorrow. I"ll try to catch up with everyone else's blogs over the next week. I transitioned back to early morning running because the heat got too intense and it's hard to get up that early after not sleeping much but we're going to bed earlier too so it probably evens out fairly well. Oh, and I used s-caps for the first time this morning. Just took 2 pills so maybe I should have done more but I still wasn't peeing much during my run and then came home weighing 1 lb more than I had in the morning so maybe I didn't drink enough? Trying to get it all figured out.

Hope & pray you get it all figured out. 

Great pics of your kids!

Thought of you this morning when I heard about the tornadoes in Nebraska.  Not sure where they were in relation to where you are, but I still worry.  Tornadoes are no fun and I've only been close to what would be considered fairly small ones in Atlanta (one did some minor damage about 1 mile from me in 1999 and then another in 2011).

Julie wrote:I've not been on the computer much lately but running has been fine. Tomorrow I will finish week 3 of the 50K training and things are going well. I ran 18 mi this morning and have 8 tomorrow. I"ll try to catch up with everyone else's blogs over the next week. I transitioned back to early morning running because the heat got too intense and it's hard to get up that early after not sleeping much but we're going to bed earlier too so it probably evens out fairly well. Oh, and I used s-caps for the first time this morning. Just took 2 pills so maybe I should have done more but I still wasn't peeing much during my run and then came home weighing 1 lb more than I had in the morning so maybe I didn't drink enough? Trying to get it all figured out.

Julie, I would think that 2 pills over 18 miles would be fine or average, unless you're sweating buckets.  But since you ended up weighing more than when you left, that's not indicative of sweating buckets...in general.

Do you think for the amount of fluids you drank on Friday that you would've peed that much on Saturday during the run?  Keep at it, young lady, and get consistent rest, too.

Dave P wrote:Hope & pray you get it all figured out. 

Great pics of your kids!

Thanks Dave!

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Thought of you this morning when I heard about the tornadoes in Nebraska.  Not sure where they were in relation to where you are, but I still worry.  Tornadoes are no fun and I've only been close to what would be considered fairly small ones in Atlanta (one did some minor damage about 1 mile from me in 1999 and then another in 2011).

Thanks Michele! They were in northeast Nebraska, pretty close to my parents, leveled the town of Pilger. I don't know anyone from there but it's just not too far from my parents, like I said so it was pretty scary.  It's been a bad tornado season already.

ounce wrote:

Julie wrote:I've not been on the computer much lately but running has been fine. Tomorrow I will finish week 3 of the 50K training and things are going well. I ran 18 mi this morning and have 8 tomorrow. I"ll try to catch up with everyone else's blogs over the next week. I transitioned back to early morning running because the heat got too intense and it's hard to get up that early after not sleeping much but we're going to bed earlier too so it probably evens out fairly well. Oh, and I used s-caps for the first time this morning. Just took 2 pills so maybe I should have done more but I still wasn't peeing much during my run and then came home weighing 1 lb more than I had in the morning so maybe I didn't drink enough? Trying to get it all figured out.

Julie, I would think that 2 pills over 18 miles would be fine or average, unless you're sweating buckets.  But since you ended up weighing more than when you left, that's not indicative of sweating buckets...in general.

Do you think for the amount of fluids you drank on Friday that you would've peed that much on Saturday during the run?  Keep at it, young lady, and get consistent rest, too.

I always drink a lot. Like, a lot. I usually use the bathroom 3x at least during the night and drink during the night as well, partly just because I'm always a good drinker (of water, haha) and also breastfeeding does play something of a role in that. It was a fairly cool morning so I was not sweating like crazy, although I always sweat. I'll get consistent rest when my babies start letting me! Actually Noah went 6.5 hrs last night which was crazy long, it would have felt good if Josiah had decided to sleep the same hrs but he wanted to party all night. Thanks for the advice!  

Because I'm addicted to these kids...Noah left, Josiah rt, Jocelyn of course is my big girl. So thankful for these precious gifts even when they stress me out!

This is an easy week, I'm doing the Ultraladies 50K training plan and it alternates hard and easy weeks which I think is a good fit for me and will help ward off any knee injuries, or anything else but since it's almost always my knee that's what I think of. I'm mostly doing 4 mile runs and then 8/4 for the weekend. It's really hot out (103 heat index today) so it does make me glad to run in the mornings even though it's hard to get up extra early when I'm already running on little sleep. It's getting somewhat better, though and I hope in the next few months they really do start sleeping more. I got a bit of a nap with them today and that helped. 

I am excited about the s-caps, especially since I don't usually take sports drink. I usually come home and weigh about what I did when I left after a run, which I take to mean I hydrated well so maybe 1 lb up isn't terribly off. I still have a few lbs to lose but not too many, I don't think. Of course in my brain I'd love to way quite a bit less but then I think the set-point theory is probably valid, in which case I'm probably about 3 or 4 lbs from what my body gravitates toward without trying. I am not sure. I don't want to be too obsessed about it forever and either way I'm in a healthy range now regardless. Trying to be happy with it all and I am thankful my body grew these amazing sweet babies and that means more to me than any silly number on a scale, for sure.

Very nice pictures, Julie.  And Josiah looks like the partier of the two.

You could be spot on regarding the set point, but it can be changed.  Writing out loud, I am curious about how the one pound gain happened.  But, hmmm, interesting.  Oh, well.  Keep up the good work.

Hi Julie - I am glad to read that your running is going well. It sounds like you are getting your weight back down and are starting to put on some miles. I just started using salt capsules, as well, and have found that I retain a lot of water if I take too many of them. I have started to cut back on the number that I am taking. I am sure that you will figure it all out with a little trial and error. Good luck with your training!!

Just wanted to say that I love the picture of the kids. That is so great!

Hope you get the fluid thing figured out too!

Thanks for stopping by even though I'm not great at updating or checking in on all of you right now. I've just not been on the computer too much.

Last Fri. I ran 20 miles in the cool rain (t-storms actually but stayed safe) and only took one s-cap and ended up just .2 heavier than when I left so I think that worked out well.

This week has been an easy week (my plan alternates hard and easy weeks) so I just ran 11.5 mi this morning for my long run, ate a banana and I think all is well. I have been eating real food on my runs since GU and things like that don't tend to settle well with me. I've been eating homemade muffins, raisins, sunflower seeds. I don't tolerate gluten and am allergic to all nuts so that makes things a little fun when it comes to traditional long run fuel. 

Next Sun the 13th I have 22 mi on the schedule. I hope I can pull it off. Both knees are mildly sore. I need to get back into my PT exercises from 2 yrs ago.

I signed up for Omaha Marathon Sept 21st or whatever that Sunday is since I had 26 miles on the training schedule anyway. Going to run it easy with my friend Jen who is running the 50K with me. Should be fun if it's not too hot. That was my first marathon back in 2006.

Nice to see you making progress, Julie! I totally get the inability to get to the computer. It's good to see whatever posts you have.

Is this your first time using the Ultraladies plan? I used their 50-mile plan last year before the Mount Hood 50, and I think it did a good job giving me the endurance to hang in there when things got difficult. I corresponded with the woman who put together the plan, and she said it's designed to maximize the chances of getting through training uninjured, and of completing the distance. Her plans aren't oriented toward those wanting to maximize their speed - she told me she's noticed folks who pursue those sorts of plans may be faster, but are also more likely to end up injured or unable to complete the race itself.

Keep up the PT stuff! Ultra training is great for the aerobic system, but alas, it doesn't fix everything.