Loony Challenge - 11 Weeks To Go

Weekly Miles Planned: 33 miles
Actual: 32+, not quite 33 but it's fine.

Long Run Miles Planned: 10 Miles
Actual: 9.01 on Sunday morning.  Alarm went off at 4:30am.

Sunday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual: 9.01 Miles at the crack of dawn.  I skipped kettlebells and abs again.  Because life.
Nutrition: Just, no, not this week.

Monday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual: 5.61 miles of a very slow trudge.  Perhaps this would've been better if I hadn't waited for 11am and 80* to try it?  I forgot about ploys.  Sigh.
Nutrition: Still not recovered.

Tuesday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual: I was grumpy this morning so I did not run then.
1.16 miles in the afternoon.
Tuesday weights
Abs from Sunday
Ploys from Monday
Nutrition: Not talking about that yet.

Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 5.27 miles, Avg HR 137.  This is for yesterday's mileage.
Nutrition: Sigh.

Thursday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 5.87 Miles at Captain Grumpy Pants.  My heart rate was all screwed up from weights, so finally I was all "ok, fine, let's do the thing"  So I ran 1 mile at Z3, and then 1 mile of .1 hard, .15easy x4.  This was definitely not at MAF.
Weights: Thursday weights
Nutrition: I had wild rice soup for supper.  With a beer.
Also, I have now tried Key Lime LaCroix.  I do not like it.

Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.21 Miles.  This picture is not from my run, but it is a thing that happened today.
Nutrition: I had wine with My Pooky Bear.  And Garlic bread.

Saturday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual:
Run: 4.5 Miles at Lake Nokomis
Plyos: 4 sets of 10, done
Nutrition: I think I'm just taking a break for a minute.  Though I am going to try and be good today so I can get up super early, run, and then watch the end of Tour De France.

Hanging with the family

Friday

Mom and Dad arrive late.  My head hurts so bad I think it will explode.  I took Nyquill and went to bed immediately.

Saturday

Run: An easy 3 in the morning, one of the few moments my head did not hurt
Morning: Zumba with B
Afternoon: MIA and special exhibits  The headache is back.
Supper: Tiny Diner

Sunday

Run: 1 mile and my head may explode.
Morning: Took sudafed.  Walked at Lake Nokomis and did the home shopping tour of Minneapolis and St Paul (that's east and west River roads)
Afternoon: Hang out at the pool.
Evening: Minneapolis Pops Concert with Olive.
Supper: Sober Fish

Monday

Run: Long run for the week.  My head is feeling much better.
Morning: Ate breakfast and herded the family into the car for a drive up to St Cloud.
Activities: We spent the middle part of the day hanging out at the Munsinger Clemens Gardens including a picnic on their deck and exploring the dam on the river. We were all pleasantly surprised by the gardens. Most of the literature says people spend about an hour there.  We spent like four hours there.  Mom was in her bliss.
Evening: Mom was curious about the sub for Zumba.  We did about 20 minutes of class.  We had supper at Tiny with Dungeon Master.

Tuesday

Run and Weights at the crack of dawn.  Though I have to say showering at the gym was certainly the better logistical option so that may continue for the rest of their trip.
Day Activity: Sherburne Wildlife Refuge has been on my mind and I really wanted Mom and Dad to see it. It started off kind of rough.  To hear Dad tell it, he was attacked by wild vampire flies.  We talked to the rangers who sorted us out and pointed us to a couple other paths where the flies wouldn't be so bad.  We walked and did a wildlife driving tour as well. We saw Pelicans, a Kingfisher, Sand Hill Cranes, and an Eagle nest.  I aw an eagle flying around on the drive up, but it was on the wrong side of the car for everyone else to see it.
Evening activity: We had an early supper at Zen Box Izakaya, walked around on the Stone Arch Bridge, and then saw a preview performance of The Legend of Georgia McBride.  That's one of the funnier shows I've ever seen at Guthrie.  Mom and Dad really enjoyed it too.

Wednesday

Running at the crack of dawn, again.
Activity 1: Lynx Game with the family.  "Camp day" was hilarious, and surprisingly full for a Lynx game.
Activity 2: Hell's Kitchen for lunch.
Activity 3: Sculpture Garden walking around.
Break: Nap time! 
Evening Zumba with Mom in the park.
Supper at Tiny Diner

Thursday

Running and Weights in the morning.
Shopping: I was captain grumpy pants and wanted to shop alone but didn't.
Spin: Mom tried Spin class with Dungeon Master.
Supper: At Birchwood which was a request of Mom.

Friday

Running 1 mile in the morning
Errands, coffee, and checking out a river nature center in the morning with Mom.  Also, I'm trying to finish Hunger Games and get them out of this arena alive.
Afternoon: Bike Ride around Lake Nokomis with Mom.  Olive took Dad on a walk because neither of them were down with the green bikes.  Then we hung out at Sandcastle.  I am shocked to tell you, I have no pictures of this.
Evening: Loving Vincent and Bite Squad.  I now find myself sad for Mom and Dad to leave, and missing their company already.  Sigh.

Saturday

Running: I woke up at 4:30am when they emptied our dumpster.  I didn't fall back asleep immediately, so I did my run around 4:45am.
Bike ride: Mom wanted one more bike ride.  We did Bde Maka Ska and Dad walked around the lake.
Lunch: Leftovers
Afternoon: Mom wanted to see the Aquatennial.  They had the Upper St Anthony Falls Lock and Dam open to visitors, including some of the observation decks and cat walks that aren't normally open.  Dad did not do the catwalks but I did.
Evening: Wedding party (not the wedding, just an open house/reception) for a couple of friends.  Mom and Dad got to visit with Dungeon Master, Olive, and experience a 'Minnesota Goodbye' .

Sunday

4:30am - I woke up to do my long run.  Trust me, this is the only way things will work.
7am or so, family wakes up, eats and starts to pack.
8:26am - Mom and Dad leave.  I am sad to see them go.
Current situation: 2 loads of laundry done and air drying
2 loads of laundry done and folded
2 loads of laundry drying as we speak.  This may be a laundry record for me.
Floor has been swept and washed 

Sunday Long Run

Plan: Get back in plenty of time to see Mom and Dad off.  No joke; this was the most important part of the day.  Secondary goal was to keep at or below MAF pace, but not super far below my MAF heart rate.

Route: I need to enjoy the 40th street pedestrian bridge before it gets taken down for 3 years or what will feel like 3 years, I'm sure.  So I headed west to Lake Harriet, around the lake, then followed the creek back home.  This route has some hills, which will be good for 10 miler.

Weather: Cloudy and cool.  I was okay with the clouds this morning, though they didn't make sunrise as dramatic as I'd hoped.
Wardrobe: 2xu shorts; an illuminite shirt since I left at 4:45am when it was still dark, and Merrell Trail crusher shoes, and a hat.
 

Execution: Win for both my A goal of getting back early, and my B goal of keeping things at/under MAF but not super easy.  I was back my 7am, and done stretching and inside by 7:10am.  (8:26am departure).  Avg HR 135, Avg pace 14:00/mile, including some hills and stopping to take pictures.
Nutrition: I am still full from last night.  I didn't carry water or food.  I am sad for marathon training when things will change.

Bonus: This Blue Heron was super close to me, and completely not bothered by my company or picture taking.

Loony Challenge - 12 Weeks To Go

Weekly Miles Planned: 33 Miles
Actual: 32+ miles run, several miles walked, 6 miles biked

Long Run Miles Planned: 9 Miles?
Actual: 8.9 miles on Monday.  I thought this was going to be 8.5 so I'm cool with it.

Sunday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual: 1 Mile run in the morning with a wild head ache. No weights, no abs.  Walking later with the family.
Nutrition: Actually have not screwed up royally yet.  Though, those two ciders I had last night woke me up around 2am. 

Monday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual:
Run: 8.9 Miles around Lake Harriet on a gorgeous morning.
Plyos: 4 sets of 10
Nutrition: Not totally off the rails, but getting there.

Tuesday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 5.4 miles  Avg HR 138
Weights: I am still intimidated by my squat weight.  For barbell rows, 2 sets of 5 at 65lbs, and 1 set at 70lbs.  Slowly but surely.
Nutrition: For eating at a Japanese restaurant with all of the rice, I did well.

Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 5.89 Miles run with a couple Z3 miles thrown in for fun.
Bonus Zumba in the evening. 
Nutrition: Wheels are starting to come off the wagon.  Wheels are off the wagon and rolling down the street.  I had peanut butter cups with my coffee this morning.  They weren't even that good really.  Sigh.

Thursday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 5.91 Miles
Weights: Thursday weights including one set of overhead press at 55lbs (the rest were at 50lbs). I need to look and see if I did this last week too.
Nutrition: It would be hard to be worse than yesterday.

Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.21 miles run in the morning.
Bonus bike ride around Lake Nokomis with Mom in the afternoon.  This is my first bike ride of the year.
Nutrition: There was fry bread, rice, and cider.  Welcome to vacation.

Saturday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual:
Run 4.16 miles in the morning.  1x10 sets of plyos.  Let's just say I had, um, issues.
Bonus bike ride around Bde Maka Ska with Mom while Dad walked.

Nutrition: I mean, is there even a point to this bullet while Mom and Dad are in town.

Loony Challenge - 13 Weeks To Go: Step Back Week

Step Back Week
Weekly Miles Planned: 20-25
Actual: 23+ miles run

Long Run Miles Planned: 5
Actual: 5.97 miles on Sunday morning

Sunday Planned:t 1-6 Miles Run at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual:
Run: 5.97 miles in the morning.  Avg HR 138.  It was really getting hot by the end of this thing.
Sunday Kettlebells: Done
Sunday Abs: Done
Nutrition: Well, it hasn't happened yet, but today may be a slight fudge.  There is a concert/food truck fund raiser this evening. The food truck will have Puerto Rico food but I can't find an actual menu online.  So we'll see what decisions I make for myself.

Monday Planned: 1-6 Miles Run at MAF, Plyos
Actual: 3.3 Miles run easy, around Lake Nokomis.  I was not in the mood for plyos and I'm okay with that.
Nutrition: I am so over the dishes.  That's what no one talks about in all these different diets.

Tuesday Planned: 1-6 Miles Run at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 3.25 miles, no one is more surprised by this than me.
Weights: Tuesday weights.
Plyos from yesterday
Nutrition: I made hard boiled eggs.  I hadn't done that in a while.

Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 5.44 miles, Avg HR 138. Because weather.  The low for tomorrow is 76* and it's supposed to storm all day. 
Nutrition: Grrr.

Thursday Planned: 1-6 Miles Run at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 1.25 Miles on the treadmill
Thursday Weights including 1 set of 5 reps at 55lbs overhead press (2 x10lb plates + small bar).  This is not meant to be impressive.  It's just so I can find it again if I'm trying to see my progression.
Bonus Abs, increased the interval to 40 seconds of work and 20 seconds rest.  It goes fast.
Nutrition: Captain Smiley is coming over for supper.

Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.21 miles run
Nutrition: Mmmmm.  Potato chips

Saturday Planned: 1-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos, Walk with Dungeon Master?
Actual: 3.17 miles run, very slowly.  Bonus Zumba.  No plyos.
Nutrition: Mom and Dad are here.  Let's see how bad I screw this up.

Loony Challenge - 14 Weeks To Go

Weekly Miles Planned: 32
Actual: 32+ miles run, 6 miles walked


Long Run Miles Planned: 9 Miles
Actual: 8 Miles on the indoor track.

Sunday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual:
Run: 8 Miles on the indoor track.  Without my watch.  I did get to test my new earbuds.  They have much less 'cord slap' thank my old ones.  This was both a good run in terms of gauging effort, and basically hell running around inside with a basketball tournament downstairs.
Weights: Sunday Kettlebells.  I did add a few swings again at the end.
Sunday Abs: still 39/21 interval.
Nutrition: After the gym, I went to the co op and bought all of the food.  And then I came home and cleaned my kitchen, which badly needed to happen.

Monday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual:
Run: 6.23 miles at the crack of dawn. Avg HR 134.
Plyos: 3 sets of 12
Nutrition: Focusing on fiber.  Bonus goal of doing my dishes for a second day in a row.  We'll see how it goes.

Tuesday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 5.23 miles, Avg HR 137
Weights: Tuesday weights (except I did overhead press instead of bench press.  Because logistics.)
Nutrition: I am eating fewer and fewer carbs.  I have decided to allow cheese back in my life.

Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.21 miles in the 80* heat at 9am. Happy 4th!
Nutrition: I'm not big on the 4th of July, so not screwing this up was actually fairly straight forward.

Thursday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 1.21 miles in the morning.  It was still a bit warm.
Weights: Thursday weights, just telling myself here I did pull ups with 55lbs of assist (which is lower than previous)
Nutrition: I'm learning more about the "Keto" thing.  Testing my pee does not sound optimal.


Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 6.25 miles in the morning, including a couple Z3 tempo miles.  (Mileage traded with  yesterday).
Nutrition: Went back to fruit.  Definitely not Keto yet.

Saturday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual:
Run: 4.18 miles, easy, in the morning.  Avg HR 135
Plyos: 3  sets of 12
Abs: Bonus abs because I got to Palmer Lake early
Walk: Bonus 6 miles walk with the Dungeon Master.  I may have stepped on a baby frog.   I thought Dungeon Master would laugh at me if I started to cry, so that's the only thing that kept me together, but I felt awful.

Nutrition: Had an honest moment with the Dungeon Master about food choices, mine and others, and asked the honest question of "why do we reward ourselves with food"?  I may be a jerk.

We Walk 12 Weeks to Go

Plan: Walk 6 miles.  Dungeon Master has a 5K later tonight where she will complete the rest of her 'long walk' mileage
Route: 2 laps of Palmer Lake

Weather: It was in the 80s and sunny, but breezy and not too humid.  I did not dump water on myself every five minutes like last time we were here, so that's an improvement.
Wardrobe: I started with my grey shorts and blue biking shirt, took off the shirt and was only in a sports bra for the second lap.
Execution: It was a nice day for a walk.  I told Dungeon Master I had no trouble getting ready for this, because "it's only six miles".  After some of the really long walks, this feels like an easy 3 to me.
Nutrition: I woke up and ran this morning, then had a breakfast of chicken, avocado, and bacon, and then walked.  I had water on the walk but nothing else.  I had coffee with cream after and it was heavenly.  Related to nutrition we had a discussion about rewards, and "food rewards".  My reward for after this walk was sitting in my pool all afternoon. 

Bonus: I'm very upset because I think I killed a baby frog.  Dungeon Master told me I'd out evolved the frog and not to feel bad.  I didn't cry for fear of judgement, but I was in a bad place.
I sort of missed T-13 weeks.  It was boiling and Dungeon Master did her workouts inside.  I walked a couple track miles with her and then I was done.  Turned out to be an okay decision because the next day I did my long run on that same indoor track and it was brutal.

Loony Challenge - 15 Weeks to Go

Weekly Miles Planned: 32
Actual: 26+ miles run; 5+ 'miles' on the elliptical, 2 miles walked

Long Run Miles Planned: 8
Actual: 8.72 miles on Tuesday.

Sunday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Sunday Kettlebell Workout, Sunday Abs
Actual:
Run: 6.36 miles in weather that was hotter than I wanted it to be. Avg HR 138.  This was a slow run because of the heat, but I'm proud of myself for keeping my HR in check.
Kettlebells: I am trying to add in actual swings in addition to the regular routine.  Because Kettlebells are good for abs.
Sunday Abs: 39 seconds on, 21 seconds off.  Because I forgot to change the program on my phone and then decided it was all good.
Nutrition: Yesterday was Pooky Bear and my joint birthday party and it was a planned failure as far as W30 nutrition goes.  I was thinking today how much energy I have to 'get back on the wagon' so to speak.  Maybe, long term, a cheat day every month or two would be a good thing. My next 'planned failure' isn't 'till August when I go home.

Monday Planned: 6-10 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual: 1.2 miles in the afternoon.
Nutrition: I'm not even gonna lie.  This was the day I thought I was going to give up on W30 'till after I come back in August.  I woke up, went back to sleep, ate, went back to sleep, and wasn't sick.  I have no idea what was going on.  I slept all day.  Small miracle that I did not blow my diet, but I'm still holding on.

Tuesday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run: 8.72 miles.  Avg HR 135bpm.  Got the long run done.  Due to weather it wasn't going to happen any other day this week.
Weights: Tuesday weights. Squats are getting better.
Nutrition: I had tacos for dinner.  I didn't eat the tortillas, except a little part of one.  It was yummy, but probably not so many carbs that I'll hate myself tomorrow.

Wednesday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual: 1.25 miles on the treadmill.  1hr on the elliptical (4.75 "miles") making up for Monday. Realizing now I forgot to do my plyos.  Sigh.
Nutrition: Still on track.  I haven't counted how many days it's been since I started this.  I'm wondering if there's a second 'carb flu' or something.  Because it's 7:45pm and I'm ready for bed.

Thursday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Lift Weights
Actual:
Run 4.16 miles inside on the track listening to music.  And enjoying the A/C.  Because there is a heat advisory going down.
Thursday weights done
Nutrition: Went to Tiny Diner tonight and it was not as magical as I thought it would be.  Sigh. Punch has the best salads still.

Friday Planned: 1 Mile Run
Actual:
Run: 4 miles on the treadmill.  12:00 warm up, then intervals of 1:00 running at 6mph and 3:00 running at 4.2mph for 9 sets, cool down.
Plyos: to make up for Monday laziness
Abs: because I felt like it
Nutrition: Ask me about the bacon and eggs I just ate.

Saturday Planned: 4-6 Miles at MAF, Plyos
Actual: 1.16 miles run, 2 miles walked.  I forgot to do plyos.
Nutrition: Today is Clam Bake day.  We'll see if I can avoid the alcohol and the carbs.