Here's Coach Dave Dunham:
Hmmm....I think I can do that. I guess I better get myself signed up too, eh? 
Track workouts started back up this week. It was nice to do them in the sunshine. It was great to be outside with other runners.....all jiggling around the track together.
The workout:
1000 (600 rest) - 5:06
1000 (600 rest) - 5:12
1000 - 5:28
jogged to reach a total of 4 miles
(One woman who looked twice my age ran faster than me. I tried not to think about it. 
)
This week's challenge: We are spending most of our daylight hours putting in a garden 'for the kids' as a child-enrichment, family-project sort of thing. The window for spring planting is very short in New Hampshire and we still have more garden boxes to build. The vegetables have to get planted soon if we want to have a 'harvest' this fall. So, off I go....... to gather the kids and head outside.
I'll do my running at the gym, late tonight.
My friend and I spent a long weekend in California, just north of San Francisco. While there, we ran in the Petaluma 5 Mile Foot Race.
We did some wine tasting and enjoyed the sunshine after a very long New Hampshire winter. (This is me standing outside a tasting room.)
We even saw some redwoods which we had planned to run through. But the trail wasn't as jogger friendly as we had hoped. We walked most of the way.
My friend, Kim. (below) Me. (above)
But most importantly, I visited my father who is in the late stages of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). The speed at which he is deteriorating is abnormal and frightening. This was our final good-bye.
The Running:
I've been running since December. I am a slow runner. My goal is to get some speed. It's been working. But the last few weeks have slowed my progress. Juggling family obligations, mainaining a healthy marriage, and raising children seem to consume my life. I'm trying not to get too down on myself, but I missed two runs this week and my miles dropped drastically. I need to get my miles back up if I'm going to succeed.....to run a 25:00 5k.
The Petaluma 5 Mile Race: I started too fast.
I started out forcing myself to go slow. The running was hard (too much wine the day before? emotionally exhausted from visiting with my dying father?....who knows.) I was feeling slow. The race was hard. I didn't dare let myself look at my watch and get even more discouraged. Finally at mile 2 I checked my watch. I was running at a 9min pace! That's fast for me.
Hmmmm..... why did I feel so slow? .....perhaps it was all the other runners wizzing past? I probably could have kept up that pace for another mile or so. But, I still had 3 more to finish. I slowed down to about a 9:45 pace and finished in 47:11.
My goal for the coming week:
Mon: Travel (Home from SF)
Tues: 4 miles
Wed: 4 miles
Thurs: 4 miles
Fri: weights
Sat: 4 miles
Sun: 4-6 miles (depending on how I feel)
Well, my stomach is still a bit queasy yet....and my runs are difficult. But I'm getting back to normal.
Week 16: 13.5 miles
Mon: very sick
Tues: 4 very hard miles ...58 degrees outside and raining
Wed: off
Thurs: 5.5 miles treadmill (feeling a little better)
Fri: off
Sat: got dressed for a run twice, but was derailed both times...no run
Sun: 4 miles on treadmill (hard)
Goal for Week 17: 21 miles
Mon: off
Tues: 4 miles
Wed: 4 miles
Thur: 4 miles
Fri: travel
Sat: 4 miles
Sun: 5 mile race (just for fun)
My knees are giving me a lot of trouble again. I'll be icing a lot this week.
This might be why my knees hurt. We built this for the kids this week. 
In addition to motherhood and a busy life, I will become a runner. I will juggle family obligations while training and work hard to reach weight loss goals. Feel free to follow me on my journey.
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