Is stress considered cross training?

uuuweeee! It's been a week! Between the dog and the benz... my workout regime has been nothing short of FUBAR! I really think I should get some kind of credit for handling all the stress without ripping any heads. Otherwise, no decent runs since last Monday (super sad face). We don't even need to discuss my diet. Not the worst, but not good. I got out today and did a quick 2 mile. Didn't want to risk overdoing after not having run most of the week, and tomorrow is supposed to be 70ish, so that makes for a lovely day to run outside. I'm going to shoot for a nice long jog tomorrow.

dreadmill? maybe not after all

Well most certainly Armageddon must be right around the corner. When I can do 45 minutes on the treadmill, without having to force myself past the 20 minute mark, then obsessing about every 5 minutes that goes by as if it were a life and death matter, surely the world must be coming to an end. But alas, that's exactly what happened. I did 45+ minutes today, and was in a good mindset, and actually did 3/4 of a mile more than I had planned. I'm feeling pretty good about that frankly. :) I also spent the last bit of it jogging at 7.5, then down to 5, and back up to 7.5, twice. I'm pleased that I'm finally able to change my mindset to a more positive view. yay me!

morning run

Had a short little 2 mile run today. Very nice! Perfect weather albeit a little windy. I finally got a sport arm band for my phone so I can use one of the apps I have to track my progress. Today - SportsTrackerPro Very cool app!, though it took me a bit to figure it out. Guess I should've done that BEFORE I started my trek ;) Anyway, it tracks exactly your pace, altitude, speed, distance, time... among a ton of other things and you can upload your results. Very very nice! Recommend.

training for your 1st half marathon (Hal Higdon)

Training for your first Half

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
2	Stretch & Strengthen	3 m run	2 m run or cross	3 m run + strength	Rest	30 min cross	4 m run
3	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
4	Stretch & Strengthen	3.5 m run	2 m run or cross	3.5 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	5 m run
5	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest	40 min cross	6 m run
6	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	2 m run or cross	4 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	5-K Race
7	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	7 m run
8	Stretch & Strengthen	4.5 m run	3 m run or cross	4.5 m run + strength	Rest	50 min cross	8 m run
9	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest or easy run	Rest	10-K Race
10	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	9 m run
11	Stretch & Strengthen	5 m run	3 m run or cross	5 m run + strength	Rest	60 min cross	10 m run
12	Stretch & Strengthen	4 m run	3 m run or cross	2 m run	Rest	Rest	Half Marathon

http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

5k Intermediate training (Hal Higdon)

How to Improve Your 5-K Times

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest	3 m run	5 x 400	3 m run	Rest	3 m run	5 m run
2	Rest	3 m run	30 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	3 m fast	5 m run
3	Rest	3 m run	6 x 400	3 m run	Rest	4 m run	6 m run
4	Rest	3 m run	35 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Test
5	Rest	3 m run	7 x 400	3 m run	Rest	4 m fast	6 m run
6	Rest	3 m run	40 min tempo	3 m run	Rest	5 m run	7 m run
7	Rest	3 m run	8 x 400	3 m run	Rest	5 m fast	7 m run
8	Rest	2 m run	30 min tempo	2 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Race

http://www.halhigdon.com/5K%20Training/5-Kinter.htm

5k training regimen for the novice (Hal Higdon)

Training for your first 5-K

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	1.5 m run	30- 60 min walk
2	Rest or run/walk	1.75 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	1.75 m run	35-60 min walk
3	Rest or run/walk	2 mi run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	2 MI run	40-60 min walk
4	Rest or run/walk	2.25 m run	Rest or run/walk	1.5 m run	Rest	2.25 m run	45-60 min walk
5	Rest or run/walk	2.5 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	2.5 m run	50-60 min walk
6	Rest or run/walk	2.75 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	2.75 m run	55-60 min walk
7	Rest or run/walk	3 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	3 m run	60 min walk
8	Rest or run/walk	3 m run	Rest or run/walk	2 m run	Rest	Rest	5-K Race

oatmeal ... bleh!

I hate oatmeal. It's not logical.. we all know it actually tastes good.. it's a throwback from my childhood. I was traumatized by oatmeal.. I have PTOD (post traumatic oatmeal disorder). But alas, I must overcome my mental roadblock and learn to eat the s**t. I've known this for years, but I've been fighting it, fairly successfully actually. In keeping with my goals, (weightloss, health, running a half marathon) seems oatmeal is one of those golden tickets. So I will boldly wade into the world of oatmeal. Big D eats it almost everyday for the bennies.. helps regulate glucose levels.. so I'll just make some for both of us. I'm hoping it's like water and once you start you get used to it and don't know how you ever went a day without drinking a gallon of it.

Some benefits of eating oatmeal:

The benefits of oatmeal are due to the fact that it's made from oats and oats are a good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber.

1. Insoluble fiber's cancer-fighting properties are due to the fact that it attacks certain bile acids, reducing their toxicity.

2. Soluble fiber may reduce LDL cholesterol without lowering HDL cholesterol. LDL is bad; HDL is good.

3. Soluble fiber slows down the digestion of starch. This may be beneficial to diabetics because, when you slow down the digestion of starch, you avoid the sharp rises in your blood sugar level that usually occur following a meal.

4. It has been found that those who eat more oats are less likely to develop heart disease, a disease that is currently widespread in the United States.

5. The phytochemicals in oat may also have cancer-fighting properties.

6. Oats are a good source of many nutrients including vitamin E, zinc, selenium, copper, iron, manganese and magnesium. Oats are also a good source of protein.