Running with an Android...

Running with an Android...
That sounds funny. When I think of an Android I'm still thinking this


not this

Ah well...

Running with my Android phone is for the most part enjoyable. I have been using runkeeper happily for about 6 months now. Long enough for it to be a big part of my runs, and happily so, until about a week ago. Then it started randomly shutting down on me. As you may recall it shut down on me during my 12 miler, it also shut down on me during my 14 miler. Now I thought it could just be my phone. So,I reset the whole phone to factory settings, yes I am that nuts about my running. I re-downloaded the runkeeper app and used it today for a 6 mile run, and guess what.... it shut down on me again. Grrrrr. Looks like I'm not the only one experiencing this either but so close to my race I can't afford to risk it crashing on me. So, I'm looking for a new app. One that doesn't randomly shut down for no reason.

Although, to be fair. I ran with it and loved it for 6 months, even now when it shuts down it does keep the information that was saved up to the point when it shut down, you don't lose all that data which is nice. But still. Once it shuts down you have to stop wait for the phone to reboot(cause it turns your whole phone off and restarts it). Then you have to get a new activity session going and then you can finish your run. That sucks. The positive side of runkeeper is that it does give you time, pace, distance, elevation, maps, verbal cues as to pace, distance, and speed, and you can link it up with facebook and twitter. I used all those features without issue for about 6 months. I figured I'd give ya the good and the bad in case you wanna try it out for yourself.

As for me, I think I'll be switching. I guess I'll be trying out new apps for awhile now...sigh. Looks like the first try is going to be Runstar that one looks pretty nice. Maybe better than runkeeper. But, looks like a lot of the cool features are locked in the free version. Although, if it's pretty accurate and runs without crashing I might splurge and pay the $4.52 for the pro version.

Today was my rest day. But, I ran anyway. Today was a run day for hubby so I decided to run with him. He, after all, is going to take on the half marathon and run/walk it with my sis-in-law. He is going to try a run 2 mile, walk 2 mile, attack method to get done. Today we did 6 miles. That was a lot for my tired legs. But the slower pace helped me get through it.

Todays Half Marathon training:
Time: 1:41:22
Distance: 5.98 miles
Pace:16:57

I feel ready now...

Today was my longest run thus far.
14 miles.



I wanted to be sure to run more than a half marathon distance before the race. That way, I know what to expect. Since I had such a long run ahead of me I decided to run along the river, at Riverside Park. It's a really pretty place to run. Lots of trees, flowers and interesting bridges.


and as you can see the path is really wide as well.


see what i mean, aren't these bridges cool. The nice part about running here is not having to constantly be on the look out for cars. You can just relax and enjoy the scenery.


like this lovely weeping willow set against a calm inlet from the river. You can't see it in this photo but there are a whole bunch of geese just to the left of the trail. When I ran by them, they just stood there and watched me go by, they didn't move at all.


In parts of the park there were several branches down. I knew it had stormed the night before but I didn't realize it stormed that hard. It almost looked like maybe a tornado went through and just caught the tops of the trees.


Ahh...another lovely shot of the river...so peaceful...so serene



and a very cool old train bridge. That's all for the photos. At this point all my picture taking was starting to cut into my time...lol. So I focused on running and enjoying the morning. Around mile 8 I thought, "I could probably do twice this distance." I still felt really good! when mile 12 came around I started getting really tired and I still had 2 miles to go. Mile 13 came and I wanted to quit, my legs and feet were so tired. But, I thought, "this is what I might feel like at the end of the half marathon I need to know that I can power through that feeling." So I pushed it out all 14 miles. That last mile was filled with a lot of run, walk, run, walk, segments. But I got it done. Then went straight home and hopped into an ice bath.
That's it now for distance, now starts the process of tapering back in preparation for the race.

14 Days Left

Today's Half Marathon Training Run Stats
Time: 3:22:15
Distance: 14.06 miles
Pace: 14:23

We now return to our regularly scheduled program.

We interrupt your local programing to bring you an official announcement.


No, Not my blog. It's gonna stay right here.
As of September 1st, 2011 I will no longer be a Michigander. I'm moving in with my sis-in-law in Virginia Beach, VA. The plan is to live with her and basically house sit for her while she studies for her bar exam. I'm going out first in September to find a job. Then hubby will come out with the rest of the family in October. It's going to be hard to be separated from my family for so long. But it will be worth it to get away from the long cold Michigan winters.

and my internal awesomeness meter goes wild!!!

I did it.
I totally did it!!
I came, I saw, I ran my a$$ off!

The daunting 12 miler has been looming at me from my running plan since April. Today was that day.
The day.
12 freakin' miles yo!


....T W E L V E miles...of running....me.....RUNNING.

It is so amazing to me that just this year. I have gone from barely being able to eek out a mile to now...running T W E L V Emiles. Wow, just wow.

Today I went down to the local park to run. I decided to run there and save myself from being eaten alive by mosquitoes and deerfly. As you might guess it takes awhile to run 12 miles so in that time it rained, twice. I didn't mind though, I love running in the rain. It was a good kind of rain too, that nice misty light rain. Temps were about 69 degrees so the rain was cool and refreshing. And since it was raining, I was the only person at the park.
As I was running I noticed the church looked very scenic, so I stopped for a sec to take a picture.


I also found a portion of trail that I hadn't seen before. It was just a short section about a quarter of a mile long. But, as you can see it's a very enchanting quarter mile.


It has that sort of Alice in Wonderland feel about it. And on the left there is a river which gives the area a nice calming sound. Very relaxing.


and surprisingly enough, there weren't any mosquitoes in there. The park association must spray for them or something.

At mile 10 my droid crapped out on me and shut off completely. Luckily runkeeper saved the data of that 10 miles so I just restarted run keeper and did 2 more miles. Stupid Techno FAIL .... grr. At least I didn't lose my data! I'd have lost my mind if I lost all the data on that run. Not THAT run, not my 12 miler. I wonder what caused my phone to freak like that?

So, I finished up my run and walked home. I had to combine the data from the 2 runs to figure out all I did. Thanks to techno failure. Still, I got my 12 miles in, plus some and did it all at a nice steady 13:47 pace. I'll take it! I feel fully ready for the half marathon now. I'm guessing it will end up being about a 3 hour race for me. Not great, but not bad at all for my first half marathon!

Today's Half Marathon Training Stats:
Time: 2:49:59
Distance: 12.32 miles
Pace: 13:47

Poetry of Motion

Just wanted to share a little poem I wrote a few years ago. It seems funny to me now. I was really wrapped up in...well fear of calling myself a runner. Now, I do it with pride!

A Runner?

I'm a runner, self-proclaimed.
Is there any other kind?
There are no grades, no exams...
No papers to be signed.

Does distance, time or speed make you a runner?
What if your speed makes it a jog?
Does more gear make you a runner?
GPS, Forerunner, or Ipod?

Must you run every day, week, month, and season?
If I don’t measure up, am I a fraud?
Is there a level that I must achieve?
To appease some running god?

I RUN for me.
I RUN my pace.
I RUN to make MY goals.
I RUN for MY race.

30 days left....

Ekk! It's getting closer. It's almost here! I may puke in excito-terror.

Sept. 4th, 2011

I ran with hubby today, He's still doing the couch to 5k. He just completed Week 4 Day 3 today! We ran for 25 minutes and then walked until we got 5 miles in...and that was my rest day! Tomorrow I got 3 miles to do. Then Sunday it's the long run... featuring 10 miles!!

Fast Post Friday...

Just a quicky to let you all know I'm still alive. I was down for 3 days with shin splints...thank you so much Michigan Road Construction!! Grrr. I was back on my feet yesterday though with a nice 5 miler. Just one month left to train before the half Marathon!!! eeeKkk!!

Now...You gotta go check out this giveway at The Bitchy Runners Blog They are giving away a pretty sweet Neoprene Single Pouch Running Belt from iFitness Inc.

Go Hurry!! You don't wanna miss it!