Here's my coach, Dave Dunham:

So, Dave, do you map out these runs ahead of time?  If so, does it take very long?  How do you plan?  How do you avoid dangerous roads, dead ends, and unpassable trails?   How long do you drive to get to these places? 

I'd like to freshen up my runs, but I'm wondering about the time commitment involved in planning and driving.

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)

This past week we drove 18hrs to make it to my brother's wedding. Unfortunately, I missed one of the runs I had squeezed into my travel plans. I've also been sick again. Here's the result of week 15.

Week 15: only 13 miles

Mon: off

Tues: 3 miles treadmill (head/chest cold)

Wed: 5 miles track

Thurs: Travel (13hrs in car)

Fri: 5.5 miles (very cold, tight muscles) + travel (4.5 hrs in car)

Sat: Missed Run - Wedding

Sun: Travel (18hrs in car)

Plan for Week 16: 20 miles

Mon: Off (very sick...very little food today)

Tues (today): 4 slow (but hard) miles (Beautiful day...58 degrees...ran in rain..and was hot! Still feeling nauseated...didn't eat much)

Wed: 4 miles treadmill

Thurs: 4 miles treadmill

Fri: off

Sat: 4 miles

Sun: 5 miles

Hey Dave, when do spring track workouts begin?

Track workout tonight.  My husband asked me to skip it so he could get a hair cut.  We're leaving tomorrow (11hrs in car w/ 3 kids) for my brother's wedding....which he (my husband) is standing in. 

I only have 4 days this week in which I can run (because of travel).  Skipping one day doesn't really feel like an option.  Yet my poor husband has put up with so much (putting kids to bed 3 nights/wks, dinners alone, scheduling his weekends around my runs, etc).  So, I relent.  Yes, I'll skip my track workout. 

Feeling bad....I start thinking.  What if I could get him a hair appointment for much later in the day......AFTER my track workout.  Hmmm.... I called his usual place and got him a 8:15pm cut.  I had no idea they were open that late.  Glad I checked.

I call my husband at work.  "Honey, I got you a 8:15 appointment.  Can I go to the track workout now?"  His reply, "Of course.  I had no idea they made appointments. I thought they were just a walk in place."

My oh my.  Life does get in the way sometimes.

Coach Dave Dunham has been faithfully providing videos for this blog.  Here he is....

Megan here:

So Dave,  how many miles do you run in each town and what was your total (miles, not towns) today?

Today I felt like Rocky Balboa at the top of those steps. All be it, today's success was nothing compared to "real" athletes...who are born with talent and then train their a**es off.   But, I finally feel like some day I might be one....an athlete, that is.    Today, I finished a five mile training run in 49:56.   I'm beginning to believe I may actually be able to do a 5k in under 25:00........someday.

Week 13 of my life changing training: 19.5 miles

Tues: 4 miles..in evening commute traffic as the sun was setting..lucky to be alive..won't be doing that again.

Wed: 6 miles on treadmill - Husband worked late. Missed the track workout.

Sat: 4.5 miles on treadmill - shooting for 5 miles, but the gym closed and they practically had to unplug the treadmill to get me off it.

Sun: 5 miles (49:56)

Next Week: Hmmm....let's see...how about 20 miles again?

Mon: Weights (I don't know why I keep writing weight workouts on my plan, I don't seem to squeeze them in.)

Tues: 5 miles

Wed: Track (5 miles)

Thurs: Rest

Fri: Weights

Sat: 5 miles

Sun: 5 miles

I wonder if I should add a fifth day of running or focus more on trying to get weight workouts in.

Here are a few photos of what I do all day.....besides training that is. I face multiple messes on a daily basis. But this one is a little more spectacular than usual. It only took him 5 minutes while I was on the phone. (Yes, my fault. I know.) Evidently he's got quite a pitching arm.

I probably won't forget to put the jam away ....for a long time.

Tonight I mustered the courage to hit the track once more....after a few weeks of avoiding it.  The funny thing was that I came straight (to the track) from the optometrist....with dilated pupils.  My eyes felt the size of small plates, my vision was blurry, and I could barely read my watch.  Coupled with exhaustiion, it felt a little like trying to run while drunk.  Cheers!

Our workout this week:  4x1000 (500rest).  My times were 5:06, 5:11, 5:33, 5:20.  I want to believe I will run faster than this some day.  But sometimes it is just so hard to imagine.  

After the workout, I ran a little more (in the "unwind" direction) so I could write 5 miles in my training log.