I’ve been looking to up my number of runs per week and the distance I cover. That was the plan for this week, but I didn’t make enough space to do more than three runs. But I did increase my mileage. Here’s the recap:

Monday. I went out for a 7.5 mile run in the country. It was pretty hard, but a good run.

Wednesday. I went out for a 7 mile run through town. It was brutal. I was cramping the whole time, and I was tired. I’ve been working a lot and sleeping very little this week – so that probably played a role in an ugly run that required a few walk breaks. And just when the cramping was easing up… a bird pooped right on the top of my head. Seriously. I mean the white and black splat!  A shaved head and 6 miles of sweating made clean up on the run easy enough. But good grief. I kept thinking, now my friends will start calling me “Dookie” or something. This is the kind of thing that can birth a nickname. The poop literally, and metaphorically, topped off a pretty bad run (on the up side – I was still running).

Saturday. I went back out on the same run as last time and BOOM! I owned it today! I felt strong the whole time.

Total mileage this week: 22 Miles. Next week – I plan on adding a fourth day of running.

I’ve been running, just not blogging. Here’s a recap…

Tuesday: 5 miles. Was hot out, but a good run.

Thursday: 5 Miles. Ran through St. Charles and Geneva. First 2 miles I had painful side stitches, but I ran through them and by mile 3 all was good.

Saturday: 5 Miles. Was feeling a bit blah today. Went out like that, but came back feeling great.

I need to run 4 times a week, varying and increasing my distances. We’ll see how next week goes.

I got a 7 mile run in this afternoon. Miles 1-5 felt great. It started getting tough in the 6th, and by the 7th I was running out of steam. Should have had a better breakfast. Still a good run. Looking forward to owning this route next time.

Just got two books in the mail this week, and started in on both of them. I’ve said before that reading can be highly motivational for me, and Born to Run looks great. I’m just one chapter/story in and can’t wait to hit it again tonight.

I love running, and I love the results that running and eating healthier have produced. I am healthier, stronger, feeling better, breathing easier, sleeping better, and thought it’s not as important – I look better (which in my case is sort of like saying a frog looks better when you wash the mud off of it. It’s still a frog.) What I didn’t know is that I’m also likely to have a sharper mind as a result!

Turns out there is a link between obesity and brain shrinkage. A recent study showed that as we age “clinically obese people had 8 percent less brain tissue, while the overweight had 4 percent less brain tissue compared to normal-weight individuals.” Yikes.

Had a good run today. 5 miles. It was a bit hot/humid, and it started a little rough, but after the first mile I loosened up, and felt great after. I shared some of this on DailyMile.com, which is where I started recording my runs. I have used a few different websites and methods for tracking my runs, but so far I really like the ease, community, and look of DailyMile. A few friends from church are using it, and we’re able to see what each other are doing, how we’re progressing, and offer encouragement. Mapping and sharing routes is easy, and it integrates well with Twitter and Facebook. You should check it out.

I love these lists. I’m pretty aware of the calorie count of whatever I’m eating, and so I love these lists. I suppose not so much because it helps me (I’m not exactly tempted to eat any of these things), but because it rings a bell I love to hear. “Think about what you’re putting in your mouth, stop eating ridiculously high calorie foods, and make better choices.”

The 15 Worst Desserts by Men’s Health is a fund/frightening read, and they offer “better” alternatives, but some of those are pretty bad too. Enjoy a dessert here and there. Just go for the small, and look up the calorie count. And run.

I’ve mentioned it before, but I love running through Saint Charles and Geneva. I grew up here and these streets all carry memories for me. Today was a 10k run that took me from the church through the downtown areas of both cities.
It was a beautiful day, and a great run. I’m feeling strong and having no pain.

5 mile run. 65°, sunny, breezy, and all around awesome.

I took a country highway out and back. This is a route I haven’t taken in months. It’s a quiet run, especially as the neighborhood houses disappear behind me. On this route I always call to the horses standing around in a field I pass, and sometimes they look up. They never seem impressed. Along one part of my route a hawk flew overhead, its shadow dancing along the highway, and I felt encouraged by it. Weird.

I’m feeling good. Strong even. And now with some friends at church who are also running more encouraged than ever.

I’m only running 5k’s right now, as I am getting back into regular running. The run felt great, but it’s a little more work than it should be. I think by the end of next week I’ll be back to where I was at the end of 08. I’m eager to start incorporating longer runs and mixing things up a bit. Right now I’m taking it easy, getting comfortable with 4 runs a week.

And – here’s a bit of motivation from Kara Goucher.

Cross training that is free, quick and simple. The “burpie.” I’ll let Mike Rowe, from “Dirty Jobs,” explain and demonstrate it.