Week 26: Day 7 - 2014

• easy trail RUN with one dog = 3 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.7 miles

Total Running Weekly Mileage: 11.11

Total Running Monthly Mileage: 45.47

Total Running Yearly Mileage: 256.00

Total Running Shoe Mileage: 127.11

I have finally finished my 100 Days of Miles Challenge! I can now take my much needed break from running. I think I will take a break until after next weekend. After next weekend, I'm not sure if I will need more rest/break from running. When I return to running, I want to continue with the rules from the 100 Days of Miles Challenge.

1. Never miss a Monday (or Tuesday)

2. Run at least three (or more) times a week

3. Never go three days without running

For the last four months, I have been "teaching" my dog how to run. today was our longest run (three miles) without stopping. I think she has been ready/able to run three miles for a week or so (longest run was 2.8 miles), but I've just been too lazy to run farther. I think she can run more than three miles, but I don't know what her limit is since we haven't just kept on running to that point (a really good sign of overdoing a run is when a dog really needs to stop and sit/lay down). I want to train my dog to run six miles with me. I have seven months to train her to run this far with me for the next 10K run. I know that the Chinatown-L.A. Firecracker 10K Race (every February) is dog friendly and allows leashed dogs on the course.

Being able to run three miles without stopping with my dog is a big deal. It took a lot of patience out of me because I am someone who don't like to stop or take walk breaks during a run. I had to train my dog the same way a person is trying/learning how to run. One minute run with one minute walk for one mile. Then increase to two minute run with one minute walk. Then three minute run with one minute walk...once we got up to five minutes of running without walk breaks, I knew that we could run one mile without stopping. Then i added two or three minutes of running after one mile.

Week 26: Day 4 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.52 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.62 miles

I'm almost done with the June's 100 Miles challenge. I will reach 100 miles by Saturday, although I think I will finish the challenge by continuing until Monday since Monday is the last day of the month. I also have one more run (Sunday) to finish off the 100 Days of Miles challenge. After that run, I'm taking a much needed break from running. I am not overtrained (I barely put in ten miles a week)....I'm just very bored and unmotivated to run. So...come on, weekend. Come sooner, so I can see Monday!

Week 26: Day 3 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.79 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.13 miles

Is the week over yet? I can't wait for the weekend.

Week 26: Day 2 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.8 miles
• warm up = .55 mile
• cool down = .55 mile
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.82 miles

So far, I'm enjoying the morning weather. I have to because July and August months are around the corner and are usually very warm and humid in the mornings, even at 5:30AM!

Week 26: Day 1 - 2014

• easy bike ride = 13.4 miles, 1:07 (hour-minute)
• easy walk with dogs = 2.14 miles

I hadn't done a bike ride in three weeks due to being at jury duty for almost two weeks. Now that jury duty is over, I can go back to cycling again. I went with a group this morning.

Week 25: Day 7 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.2 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.6 miles

Total Running Weekly Mileage: 9.86

Total Running Monthly Mileage: 34.36

Total Running Yearly Mileage: 244.89

Total Running Shoe Mileage: 116.00

So I haven't updated since Wednesday and I haven't been trying to avoid it. Work and Jury Duty got in the way and it was hard to get online when you have both on the same day (one was daytime while the other was evening). I did get in a 2.3 mile run in on Thursday morning, and a few walks since then.

This morning, I had planned to run on a cross country course at a local junior college (the course is all trails and is generally open to the public everyday anytime). I forgot that there was a Relay 4 Life event on campus this weekend, even though it was only on the track (near the cross country course). I don't think the event had anything to do with the trails/cross country course, but the course was closed to the public this weekend. I took my dog and we ran on some trails through a neighborhood instead. I wanted to do a 2.75 mile run, but I didn't have another route in mind with the same distance. 2.2 miles was better than anything anyway.

Week 25: Day 3 - 2014

• easy trail/road RUN with one dog = 2.69 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.84 miles

I don't know what happened between yesterday's run and this morning. I thought my motivation was ok, but this morning, it wasn't as good as it was yesterday. I didn't exactly run the three miles I hoped, but it was close enough.

Week 25: Day 2 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.67 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.08

I think I'm going to try running three miles with my dog tomorrow. I think she will do just fine, but it's the only way I'll ever know. At least, my motivation isn't so horribly low right now.

Week 24: Day 7 - 2014

• easy trail/road RUN with one dog = 2.59 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.88 miles

Total Running Weekly Mileage: 11.28

Total Running Monthly Mileage: 24.50

Total Running Yearly Mileage: 235.03

Total Running Shoe Mileage: 106.14

I have eight more days with this "100 Days Of Miles Challenge". Also...if you are wondering, I'm up to 55.69 miles (for running AND walking) for the "June 100 Miles Challenge". If I'm doing this correctly, I should be doing 3.33 miles a day or 23.31 miles per week. I'm a little bit ahead right now, but I did this on purpose in case I have a week where I'm less than average. I'm still struggling a little bit with being motivated to run.

Week 24: Day 4 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.56
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.8 miles

My next run will be on Sunday because I need some rest (non-running) days. I had planned to do a bike ride tomorrow, but that got thrown out the window because I have jury duty (day 2). They're still figuring out the final 12 jurors. I hope I don't get picked because I hate debate and I suck at it. I don't like to argue my point and I don't want to make the wrong decision.

In any rate, I'm going to try to get a few short walks with my dogs. At least, I don't have to be there until 9:15am and I get a 90 minute lunch break (I live close enough that I can go home briefly).

Week 24: Day 3 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.55 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.5 miles

I got called in for Jury Duty today. I managed to get a short, easy run done this morning before heading out. I'm glad that the courthouse is really close by, so I could do a run.

Week 24: Day 2 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.5 miles
• easy WALK with dogs = 2.3 miles

I usually like to time my runs. I think I shouldn't for the rest of the month. I'm running slower than I'd like and I know this is because I'm bored and unmotivated. My right quad muscle is not sore, but it's achy. Resting (no running) for a week or so will fix those problems, but I'm still working on my 100 Days Of Miles Challenge. I'm almost done with that challenge.

Week 24: Day 1 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 1.28 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.7 miles

On extremely rare occasions , I will run on a Monday. I'm not in the habit of running on a Monday since training for my first half marathon in 2007 because Sundays were my long run days and Mondays were my rest days. Today was the second time that I ran on a Monday. The first time was sometime last year. I also have jury duty and I'm "on call" this week. I figured I would get a run in today in case I couldn't one in tomorrow. I'm happy to report that I don't have to go in tomorrow so I can get a run in the morning (in case, I have to go in on Wednesday).

I also know that my dog can run more than 1.3 miles. I was being lazy and I didn't feel like running farther, but it's better than nothing.

Week 23: Day 7 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.5 miles, time = 29:42, pace @ 11:53
• easy WALK with two dogs = 1.8 miles

Total Running Weekly Mileage: 10.61

Total Running Monthly Mileage: 13.22

Total Running Yearly Mileage: 223.75

Total Running Shoe Mileage: 94.86

We're sorta getting June gloom which is nice, but it's only in the early mornings and then it wears off by mid-morning. It gets warm during the daytime, but I guess I shouldn't complain since it's nice and cooler in the morning at 6am. I hope every morning at 6am is nice, cool and overcast all of this month so I can finish off my 100 Days of Running/Miles.

Week 23: Day 6 - 2014

• easy walk with dogs = 2.5 miles

So I didn't make it to the dog charity walk this morning. Yesterday, I thought I would be fine and I felt fine too. This morning, I woke up very tired and a little grumpy, and needed more sleep. I think I would have gone to the walk if I got to take a nap afterwards, but it wasn't an option. I will try doing this event next year.

Week 23: Day 5 - 2014

• easy RUN with one dog = 2.5 miles, time = 30:37, pace @ 12:15
• easy walk to grocery store = 1.36 mile roundtrip
• easy WALK with dogs = 1.6 miles

After my run this morning, I went for a walk to the store, basically to get a small container of chicken broth. I read online that adding chicken/beef broth to a dog's water will get a dog to drink more water (if it doesn't drink much). My dogs really don't drink enough water, especially on hot/warm days. Tomorrow morning, I'm taking my dogs to a charity dog walk and I'd like for them to drink some water during the walk because they won't drink plain water when they really should especially a "long" walk (ok, when I walk them at home, I walk them in three 1/2 mile segments on warm/hot days or 1 mile + 1/2 mile segments on cooler days). So I think adding chicken flavor to my dogs' water (I wouldn't drink this myself or let other people drink it) would do the trick...it's like adding flavor (fruits, etc) to water for a person. Not everyone likes plain water (I drink water like it's going out of style).

Week 23: Day 4 - 2014

• easy trail RUN with one dog = 2.31 miles
• easy WALK with dogs = 1.6 miles

I forgot where I put my watch, so I ran without timing my run. It's ok. Sometimes I have to run without my watch or timing my run.

Week 23: Day 3 - 2014

• easy bike ride = 3.1 miles
• easy WALK with dogs = 1.5 miles

When I got my bike last year, I told myself that I wouldn't do rides less than seven miles. My seven mile bike route is on a street that has road work and the street has only one lane open. I refuse to refuse to use this street because the lane is very narrow and I don't like the idea of being so close to a vehicles forcing them to slow down and wait for me...even though I would only have to be stuck on that lane for a very short distance. It still scares me. I also just don't feel like taking my bike and riding somewhere else. So I did a very easy three mile ride...because I wanted to go to the post office.

week 23: Day 2 - 2014

• very hilly trail RUN with one dog = 1.1 miles, time = 15:10, pace @ 13:47
• "warm up" = 1.1 miles
• "cool down" = 1.1 miles
• easy WALK with two dogs = 2.38 miles

I'm doing better on the very hilly trail run. On the last time, I had to take two 30 to 45 second walk breaks. I took one very short (less than ten seconds) walk break. I ran slower today than the last time, but I guess that's to be expected with my motivation being all blah, but I still made some progress by walking less on the hilly run.

Week 23: Day 1 - 2014

• easy bike ride = 15.5 miles, time = 1:15:27, pace @ 12.3mph
• easy WALK with dogs = 2 miles
• easy walk to Panera Bread = 3 miles roundtrip

Went on a bike ride this morning with the meetup group again. Two cyclists in the group said that I've been getting stronger on these group rides. I think it does help that I join these group rides. These rides usually include "easy" hills which is probably helping me. I'm also trying to get myself to ride alone at home, but sometimes it's hard to find motivation to ride alone.

I'm also unofficially going to do another "physical" challenge...so I'm basically trying to do two challenges simultaneously this month. One of them have already been going on since January, so it's not new...to me, that one is more of a running challenge. The new one is "June 100 Miles Challenge". I can run or walk this challenge. I'm not exactly sure if I can make it to 100 miles by the end of month because I don't have a lot of motivation to run in general. But it's worth trying and if I actually put in 100 miles this one, that would be great! So far, I put in 8.36 miles.

Week 22: Day 7 - 2014

• easy trail/road RUN (solo) = 2.61 miles, time = 31:41, pace @ 12:08
• easy WALK with dogs = 1.1 miles

Total Running Weekly Mileage: 10.19
Total Running Monthly (May) Mileage: 46.26
Total Running Monthly (June) Mileage: 2.61
Total Running Yearly Mileage: 213.14
Total Running Shoe Mileage: 84.25

I think I'm bored of running and stuck in a rut. My running time is getting slower and my right quad went from being sore to being achy. I haven't finished my 100 Days Of Running Challenge though and I have one more month to finish it!