I have been going back and forth over the past month about training plans. I was not having luck deciding which of my running goals I wanted to accomplish first, and was also not as motivated now that we have the summer heat. I had looked at all of the usual plans- they all had wonderful features. I used the Non-Runners Marathon Trainer for my first marathon. My friend Alyce that I ran that race with picked it, and we had a great time following the plan and reading the book. It was a great plan/ schedule for our first marathon, but it does not provide a plan for improving our time. So- after a lot of research and indecision my friend Leigh decided to train for the Richmond Marathon with me, yippee!!!! We both are aiming for a 3:30 finish- and she picked a plan. Now that was an easy decision for me! We are following this plan from Runners World- you may need an account to view it. We are more than 16 weeks out from the race, so Leigh found us a 4 week plan to follow for July (you will need to scroll to the bottom of the page to see it). So far, so good. I LOVE having a goal- since my last half I have been a bit lazy because I have no specific race until the fall. This plan (and a friend training for the same race) is exactly what was needed!
So- now I have a plan and I am on a mission! I think we will be able to accomplish our 3:30 finish. I cannot wait to cross that finish line in Richmond with a great friend at my side and a great time will be an added bonus! As usual, I am running happy!
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Setting Running Goals!!
Where to start?? I have been stuck on this subject for the past few week. I keep trying to figure out that balance between running and family. Right now I think I am doing a great job of having the balance, but I do have more I want to do. My one rule for myself has been that I can't take away too much time from my kids. So- I think I will set smaller goals and see where that gets me. I also have no set time for reaching the goals, and am happy to readjust them and revise them!
Okay- first goal is a 5k in 19:30 or less. I think I can do this pretty easily, so I may revise the goal time. Second- I would like to complete the Army 10 Miler in 1:15. I could settle for 1:20, but am hoping for 1:15. On to the Richmond Marathon- My goal is 3:45. That of course would be my golden ticket to the illustrious Boston Marathon.
We have had a wacky schedule here the past few weeks, which has not made for any amazing runs. My last two runs have been a bit painful after 20 hours in the car heading to Cincinnati and back for a wedding, and my poor feet are still sore from a cute pair of shoes I wore. Running and vanity have different ideas for my feet. Oh well, now I get new shoes!!
Okay- first goal is a 5k in 19:30 or less. I think I can do this pretty easily, so I may revise the goal time. Second- I would like to complete the Army 10 Miler in 1:15. I could settle for 1:20, but am hoping for 1:15. On to the Richmond Marathon- My goal is 3:45. That of course would be my golden ticket to the illustrious Boston Marathon.
We have had a wacky schedule here the past few weeks, which has not made for any amazing runs. My last two runs have been a bit painful after 20 hours in the car heading to Cincinnati and back for a wedding, and my poor feet are still sore from a cute pair of shoes I wore. Running and vanity have different ideas for my feet. Oh well, now I get new shoes!!
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Trip to Pittsburgh
Our annual trip to Pittsburgh was once again a hit. The ride there was a bit scary with some seriously bad weather, but once we settled in everyone had a great time!!!
The kids enjoyed visiting with Great-Grandma and Aunt Rita. Will and Julia were under strict orders to NOT spin Great-Grandma on her chair this time. My brother and mother came with us, which was a huge treat for the kids. We all enjoyed the time relaxing
The Pittsburgh Zoo was so much fun. My mom and brother went with us, having the extra hands made the trip a bit easier. The kids loved the animals- the Pittsburgh Zoo really is great! The aquarium was a huge hit with all three kids.
After the Zoo it was church festival time! Will and Julia look forward to this all year, I think part of the excitement is that we go with Aunt Patty. The donuts are amazing, and the kids just love the rides and the white elephant sale, which they call the elephant store.
The kids and I also went to a carnival in the mall parking lot, played and just had fun! It is a nice break to go away and not have anywhere you need to be.
The kids enjoyed visiting with Great-Grandma and Aunt Rita. Will and Julia were under strict orders to NOT spin Great-Grandma on her chair this time. My brother and mother came with us, which was a huge treat for the kids. We all enjoyed the time relaxing
The Pittsburgh Zoo was so much fun. My mom and brother went with us, having the extra hands made the trip a bit easier. The kids loved the animals- the Pittsburgh Zoo really is great! The aquarium was a huge hit with all three kids.
After the Zoo it was church festival time! Will and Julia look forward to this all year, I think part of the excitement is that we go with Aunt Patty. The donuts are amazing, and the kids just love the rides and the white elephant sale, which they call the elephant store.
The kids and I also went to a carnival in the mall parking lot, played and just had fun! It is a nice break to go away and not have anywhere you need to be.
Friday, May 29, 2009
A little trip to the gym.......
After Will's preschool graduation (more on that another day) my mom, brother along with the kids and I headed to Pittsburgh for our annual trip. So much fun, when I get the pictures off of my camera I will share some very fun moments. While we were there I hoped to run, but where my grandmother lives you run 100% hills, and that is not little rolling hills. So- my brother wanted to go to the gym. I would rather have run, especially since the mornings were in the high 30's to low 40's, but the gym won. And this gym was no Lifetime Fitness either. It was a small gym in a run down strip mall with some old equipment. BUT.....after an amazing workout on the elliptical, some weight work, and doing the Jacobs Ladder, I have been completely rejuvenated. I am back into strength training. Luckily for me, Rich is on a similar kick and built us an amazing home gym. Since Meredith was born I have just not dedicated time on a weekly basis to strength training. Just could not get into it. I love to run, and that is just easier for me. Pick up the sitter, meet a friend- run, chat, have fun. I don't have any big races for a few months, so the timing is perfect to do more weights and other strength training. After three kids, abs are a must. I am not overdoing my legs, mainly concentrating on arms and core, along with other exercises I find in my running magazines. I am trying to work through all of my exercises to try to develop a routine so I do not duplicate and so that I hit everything I need to. Something I have been doing is causing my knee to be sore, so figuring that out is a priority right now.
Now for the Jacob's Ladder. I LOVED this thing! It is an awesome workout. It really got my heart rate up, and kept it up. No impact on your knees- an awesome cross training activity. I was surprised that this small gym had this- and I have not found any gym around here that has it. It is huge, so not something you throw into your basement- and it is around 4k, so another reason I don't have one at home!
It is not something you plug in- the faster you step the faster you go. It really is a workout- I am on a mission to find one of these around here but am not having much luck.
Running has been going well- running an evening 5k tomorrow night, mainly for the family aspect of the race (in a fun small town with free beer after). I am planning to run a 20K in August and then the Army 10 miler in September, the Breast Cancer 60 mile walk in October, Richmond Marathon in November, Goofy Challenge in January, and knowing me there will be more races thrown in there! I am looking forward right now to the Army 10 Miler, hoping to finish that with a 7:30 pace. So much to look forward too! And- if you have been paying attention you'd notice I did not mention Iron Girl. So, I was planning on getting my bike on a Monday. The Monday after Charlottesville. As I ran that race I realized I would much rather work towards an amazing finish at the Army 10 Miler and possibly a trip to Boston, so I am putting that on hold. I would definetly love to do Iron Girl in the next few years, but I feel that if I did it now my heart would not be in it. I don't want to end up disliking triathalons since I have enjoyed them so much!
Now for the Jacob's Ladder. I LOVED this thing! It is an awesome workout. It really got my heart rate up, and kept it up. No impact on your knees- an awesome cross training activity. I was surprised that this small gym had this- and I have not found any gym around here that has it. It is huge, so not something you throw into your basement- and it is around 4k, so another reason I don't have one at home!
It is not something you plug in- the faster you step the faster you go. It really is a workout- I am on a mission to find one of these around here but am not having much luck.
Running has been going well- running an evening 5k tomorrow night, mainly for the family aspect of the race (in a fun small town with free beer after). I am planning to run a 20K in August and then the Army 10 miler in September, the Breast Cancer 60 mile walk in October, Richmond Marathon in November, Goofy Challenge in January, and knowing me there will be more races thrown in there! I am looking forward right now to the Army 10 Miler, hoping to finish that with a 7:30 pace. So much to look forward too! And- if you have been paying attention you'd notice I did not mention Iron Girl. So, I was planning on getting my bike on a Monday. The Monday after Charlottesville. As I ran that race I realized I would much rather work towards an amazing finish at the Army 10 Miler and possibly a trip to Boston, so I am putting that on hold. I would definetly love to do Iron Girl in the next few years, but I feel that if I did it now my heart would not be in it. I don't want to end up disliking triathalons since I have enjoyed them so much!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Race Report!!! Pacers Running Festival
What a great race! Such a wonderful Mother's Day experience. I could not think of a better way to spend Mother's Day- running with my kids!
Since the race was on Mother's Day and the race had the option of running as a team, I had shirts made for the kids and I! I loved them- I had a great experience working with
The shirts were adorable, and kids were so proud of them! They have each kid's initial with white shoe prints going across, and around the outside of the circle they say 'Toussaint Family Running Team * Run Happy*
We had a little pre-race photo shoot!
The trip down to Arlington was easy- the kids woke up early with no complaints and jumped in the car willingly.
The race was on the smaller side- it was really nice to run some of the same roads I ran during the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon without 30,000 others breathing down my neck. We parked right at the start- Rich took all three kids to Silver Diner and then they hung out at a playground and drove to the finish (which was also the location of the kids' dash). The course was beautiful! We started downhill, and then ran a lot of uphills. The course was a welcome challenge. I really could not get a great visual of where exactly the course went from the PDF map that was online- so some of the hills were a surprise. I started out well, my first 3 miles averaged 7:28, the next 3 I ran at a 7:40 pace- by the time I hit the big hill at 9 I was around 7:50. I figured I could make up the time on the flat stretch back into Rosslyn. I could not have been more wrong- those last three miles were straight into a fierce wind! The course passed the Pentagon a few times- I could not stop thinking about the mothers that lost their lives there on 9/11, thinking especially of a good friend whose husband lost his sister there. Put a lot in perspective. I finished at an 8:08 pace. My Garmin hit 13.1 at 1:46. The total race course was 13.49 on my Garmin, so no official PR, but my fastest half-marathon pace to date (yes- to date, I fully intend to crush this time come fall!!)
End of the race:
Kids and I in our matching shirts:
The kids' dash- William was amazing! He took off and ran, he was so determined. I could not have been more proud, and the joy on his face before, during, and after the dash was incredible! He has been bugging me to let him join a running team, but I really don't know of any for 4 year old boys!
Julia was a bit scared of the mob scene at the beginning of the kids dash. Between the woman with the microphone, the police motorcycle revving and it's siren, and the kids running past her, Julia was not happy. She did finish the race though- which impressed me!
I don't have another half coming up until the fall, but I am hoping to find a couple. I am totally in love with the half marathon, perfect distance and I finish having had such a great time! At my next half I am aiming to finish around 1:40 -1:42. Can't wait to try!
Since the race was on Mother's Day and the race had the option of running as a team, I had shirts made for the kids and I! I loved them- I had a great experience working with
We had a little pre-race photo shoot!
The trip down to Arlington was easy- the kids woke up early with no complaints and jumped in the car willingly.
The race was on the smaller side- it was really nice to run some of the same roads I ran during the Army 10 Miler and the Marine Corps Marathon without 30,000 others breathing down my neck. We parked right at the start- Rich took all three kids to Silver Diner and then they hung out at a playground and drove to the finish (which was also the location of the kids' dash). The course was beautiful! We started downhill, and then ran a lot of uphills. The course was a welcome challenge. I really could not get a great visual of where exactly the course went from the PDF map that was online- so some of the hills were a surprise. I started out well, my first 3 miles averaged 7:28, the next 3 I ran at a 7:40 pace- by the time I hit the big hill at 9 I was around 7:50. I figured I could make up the time on the flat stretch back into Rosslyn. I could not have been more wrong- those last three miles were straight into a fierce wind! The course passed the Pentagon a few times- I could not stop thinking about the mothers that lost their lives there on 9/11, thinking especially of a good friend whose husband lost his sister there. Put a lot in perspective. I finished at an 8:08 pace. My Garmin hit 13.1 at 1:46. The total race course was 13.49 on my Garmin, so no official PR, but my fastest half-marathon pace to date (yes- to date, I fully intend to crush this time come fall!!)
End of the race:
Kids and I in our matching shirts:
The kids' dash- William was amazing! He took off and ran, he was so determined. I could not have been more proud, and the joy on his face before, during, and after the dash was incredible! He has been bugging me to let him join a running team, but I really don't know of any for 4 year old boys!
Julia was a bit scared of the mob scene at the beginning of the kids dash. Between the woman with the microphone, the police motorcycle revving and it's siren, and the kids running past her, Julia was not happy. She did finish the race though- which impressed me!
I don't have another half coming up until the fall, but I am hoping to find a couple. I am totally in love with the half marathon, perfect distance and I finish having had such a great time! At my next half I am aiming to finish around 1:40 -1:42. Can't wait to try!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Fitting in the runs
A reader emailed me today asking how exactly I am getting in enough runs to train for these races with 3 kids (4 kids of you count the husband, 6 kids if you count the dogs, but I digress). To be honest- it is a lot of work and a lot of compromise. Some weeks the planets just align and I get to run 5 or 6 days without challenge. Most weeks take a bit more effort. First- I am very blessed to have found a great babysitter, and even luckier to have a running partner that I often split the sitter with. Her kids are 2 wonderful boys that my kids really enjoy, so everyone is happy! Weekend runs are usually alright (harder during sport season) but Rich, or occasionally my mom, watches the kids for those runs or the races. Baby Meredith does not take a bottle, so I usually split the kids on race days to make it easier on everyone. Now that the weather is warming up we are going to start doing more runs in the early am and evening. In fact- I am headed out in an hour for an evening run, and I cannot wait. Meredith is sleeping later in the am, so I can head out for those runs now without worrying about her. Having three kids, training takes up a lot of my 'personal' time, but I can't think of a better way to spend it! I do fins myself a lot busier the more I run- I have less time for the errands and all that, but I find I don't need to do half of the stuff I had been doing! The long and short of it- I am determined so I fit it in. When you have three kids you just kind of roll with the punches on these things- and it works out. Not always exactly how I wanted it, but it all works out!
Today was an amazingly beautiful day here. The girls and I went on a hike with some friends and explored the streams in the neighborhood while Will was at school, and then we watched Will play on the playground at lunch bunch- I love watching him play when he doesn't know I am there. He is always so happy and has so many friends. After that we headed home for yard work, but in this weather it was not a chore. The kids and I made pizza (in the oven, I don't mess with pizza on the grill, I leave that to the expert husband). Meredith is getting all over, she can make it into the other room in a second, got to get all of those little pieces up!
Have a great weekend!
Today was an amazingly beautiful day here. The girls and I went on a hike with some friends and explored the streams in the neighborhood while Will was at school, and then we watched Will play on the playground at lunch bunch- I love watching him play when he doesn't know I am there. He is always so happy and has so many friends. After that we headed home for yard work, but in this weather it was not a chore. The kids and I made pizza (in the oven, I don't mess with pizza on the grill, I leave that to the expert husband). Meredith is getting all over, she can make it into the other room in a second, got to get all of those little pieces up!
Have a great weekend!
Too fast
My kids are growing too fast, I just love each and every moment with them so very much. I wish we could slow down time and cherish all they do, and have more time to bask in the glory of those amazing moments (and occasionally fast forward that crazy getting in the car chaos!)
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