Weekly Workout Recap: Going the distance

I've been training for my first half marathon (Isn't that cute how it sounds like it won't be my only half marathon? Right.) since January.  I succumbed to potent germs shortly thereafter.  I spent a week with a head full of crud.  Then, just as I figure I'm about to get better, I started losing my voice and the crud descended into my chest.  It stayed there for a week.  During the week of head crud, I tried to behave like a grown adult and not overdo it.   So I didn't run for 5 days. My thinking being that I'd get better quicker.  Right.  After the head crud became chest crud, I said to hell with it and ran with chest crud.  Have you ever run with chest crud?  I'm here to tell you it blows.  I run slow to begin with.  Add some chest crud in and I'm barely making forward progress.

Don't believe me?  Last weekend I took 1 hour and 40 minutes to crawl 8 miles.  This past weekend I did 9 miles in 1 hour and 46 minutes.  That's an 11:40 minutes per mile.

On the bright side, I successfully ran 9 miles and have lived to tell the tale.  One the downside, holy crap 9 miles is a long way.  No, really.  It's really, really long.  So long and my pace is such a pathetically slow crawl it boggles my mind to think how long a whole half marathon will take me.  Kill me now.      

That's my glamorous Garmin as I stick my legs in the ice cold water in our swimming pool.  Real runners go ice bath.  Lazy runners just sit by their freezing pool for a few minutes.

My Italian stallion husband parked his legs in the pool, too.  I'd call him lazy for it except he ran those 9 miles with me carrying a water bottle for me and periodically saying encouraging stuff.  He'd like it noted that he was running despite a heinous blister that was developing.  I'd like it noted that it was really nice of him to run with me.  Dude runs way faster than me so just the fact that he had to do my slow crawl for 9 miles is a testament to his love. 

The 9 miles were clearly done by this point.  You can tell by the smiles.  You can also tell what a photo taking pro I am by the stupid cord to my headphones that was still attached to the phone while I was taking the picture.  Genius!

 I'd also like it noted that we are idiots that located a 9 mile route on MapMyRun but failed to take note of which direction they headed on the route.  We mistakenly ran the route in the direction that miraculously managed to have us running uphill most of the way.   Super.  Running uphill against the wind has to be one of the outer rings of hell.  My husband says if I can withstand that madness I can definitely run a half marathon.  I say I'm going to be one crabby wench if that half marathon is uphill against the wind.  

Keeping it classy walking down the street barefoot post run.  He'd like it noted the blister really hurt.  I'd like it noted we are officially The Clampetts.

Since my running was barely happening because of the traveling crud, I haven't been doing much else.  But I have been dipping my toe in the kettle bell water thanks to some inspiration from fatchick2fitchick.  I'm pretty wet behind the ears but I haven't clocked myself in the head with it yet so it could be worse.  My husband is Mr. Kettle bell and tried to show me a few moves. 

Note to self: This camera angle ain't great.  I expect better from that kid.  She's 9 now.  She needs to act like it.  Amateur.

My arms are wet noodles.  Mr. Kettle Bell seemed confused when he wanted me to hold myself up in a plank with one outstretched arm while lifting the kettle bell with the free arm. Come again?  Not quite there yet, bro.

Linking up with Little Girl in the Big World for the Weekly Workouts Roundup!