I'd like you to meet an enemy turned friend. She is still one of those friends in which everything she says has to be taken with a grain of salt. If ya know what I mean? But I enjoy our visits anyway.

I just realized that I've worn my I-feel-skinny jeans at least three times in the past week. So I hopped on the scale and wouldn't ya know it? I've lost about 5 pounds. My holiday weight is gone!   Yippy!!   With a lot of running, some nutrition, and a little luck the next 15 will come off as well.

I've been doing this for 10 weeks. I now see clear, believable progress. I'm running a little faster and feeling a little lighter.

And now I smell a diaper change coming around the corner. Gotta go.

Here's Coach Dave Dunham on the importance of a training partner:

Megan here:  Wow.  That's a tall order, coach.  I can see your point, though.  Commitment to a training partner would definitely get me out the door on those harder days.  There is a person I could ask.  She comes to track workouts, runs at my pace, and our kids are in school together.  I will ask her.  

On a side note, I've been thinking about how I can revamp my weekly schedule to make my workouts more automatic....and less likely to be missed.  I have a few ideas I'll include in my next post.

Week 8: about 9 miles

Wed: Track Workout (3 miles)

Tues: missed my run

Sat: 2-3 mile trail run (see video)

Sun: 3.5 miles

Coming Week:

Mon: Spinning

Tues: rest

Wed: Track (3 miles?)

Thurs: treadmill (45 min)

Fri: rest

Sat: 4 miles

Sun: 4 miles

Coach Dave Dunham here:

This weekend, my husband worked on Saturday and had to shop for a new car in the afternoon (his car's on its death bed).....no run for me.  On Sunday morning I wandered around the house in a sleep-deprived stupor.  I couldn't muster the courage to get out the door. I promised myself I'd do it later in the afternoon, when it warmed up.  I lied.  Instead I spent time with my neglected husband, I went sledding with the kids, and I did housework. I didn't run. 

I've got serious cabin fever; I just want to hibernate.  It's getting harder to get myself out the door.  Maybe I need a treadmill at home.

Here are my week's totals for week 7:   9 miles

Mon: 1hr spinning class

Wed: Track Workout (4+ miles)

Thurs: 1 hr Treadmill (5ish miles)

Sat: 35min spinning, 45 min Pilates (at 9pm...in my basement)

Goal for coming week: Get more sleep!! In bed by 9!

Mon: Date w/ Husband

Tues: 50min treadmill

Wed: Track Workout

Thurs: rain day for tues run

Fri: Rest

Sat: 4 miles

Sun: 4 miles

Exhausted and a little depressed, but still going. 

I'm having one of those days....  you know the kind.... when you feel like giving up on your program.

Not enough sleep this week (or for the past 7 years).....My kids are crabby....The house is a mess....The laundry is piled up...The toddler won't nap....I didn't plan ahead and ate a donut for lunch.....I meant to workout before the kids got up, but didn't....I don't feel like I've got the energy to do it later.

So why am I writing this?....to try to force myself into it.  So my Dearest Active Blog, here it is.....I'm going to the gym tonight no matter what!!!   ...even if I have to wear dirty clothes and leave my unfed and unbathed kids with my poor husband.

All best,

Megan...not a candidate for mother of the year (at least not today, anyway)

So here I am at the end of week six in my quest to be a faster runner. I am now running at a 11:30 pace instead of 13:00. But I gotta confess it doesn't seem like much progress. I need to get down to 8:00min/mi to reach my goal (5k in 25:00) by June. I've got a long way to go. Can I drop 3:30 off my pace by then? I'm trying to have faith.

Coach Dunham, here are my miles for week 6.....14 miles(or so). (If I headed out right now for my usual Sunday run, I'd be at 18miles. So, I'm skipping my run today....but I'm kind of missing it. ho-hum)

Week 6:

Monday.......1hr spinnning class

Tuesday......45min on treadmill (3 to 4 miles)

Wednesday..track workout (3+ miles)

Thursday.....rest

Friday.........45 min on treadmill (3 to 4 miles)

Saturday.....4 miles

Sunday.......rest

Goal for next week....15 miles

Monday.........1hr spinning class

Tuesday........50 min on treadmill

Wednesday....track workout

Thursday.......rain day for Tues run

Friday...........rest

Sat..............4 miles

Sun..............4 miles

Last, but not least.....Here is some video of me feeling crabby yesterday morning before my run. My husband said to me,"Go. Go run. Come back happy." (I'm not usually this crabby.)