Michelle's Running Blog

That sucks about your hip. The elliptical will help out in the meantime. I hope you recover soon. I know it sucks not being able to run (speaking from my previous week of not running). Despite the injury, I hope you have a great weekend Michelle!

You're smart to take it easy with the hip. The elliptical is a good option. I'm glad it is available to you.

It's great that you have another option while you're getting that hip to cooperate. I bet it won't be long before you're out there again!

I love using the elliptical on alt. days. I used mine all summer when I was recovering from different things.

Hope your hip is good as new soon. It's hard not to run when you're "almost" healed, so kudos to you for being good and not running.

That's a very good goal. I tend to do better on the fruit intake than on the vegetables. So far today (breakfast and lunch), I've had 1/2 grapefruit, some baby carrots, a big celery stick, and some grapes.

I wondered whether you'd get back to P90X today. Good job!

I'm with Carolyn! A VERY good goal. Nice job getting back at things, this time of year we know we should, but its so hard to just do it!

You should mention that those two blocks are uphill (assuming that you ran on Collegiate).

I'm glad your hip is feeling better. You've dealt with the pain in a very smart way.

Hooray for healing! I agree with Carolyn that you've done it the smart way.

2 blocks uphill without any problems is a gerat thing.

Awesome news about your hip! Hope your Thursday goes extremely well.

That's great! It'll be a good run on Thursday!

Good job on P90X today.

Birthday cakes for your daughter? When is her birthday? Shouldn't you be looking at birthday cakes for yourself? That reminds me. I should ask Sam if he wants a birthday cake (he doesn't like chocolate (go figure) and we're not much of a cake family).

Madeline's birthday is the 10, this Sunday. I usually make a fun cake for the kids but for me, I am buying an ice cream cake. I don't really care for cake but ice cream, I love! Maybe Sam would want doughnuts, that sounds tasty.

Ice cream cake sounds much better than regular cake! I'll have to remember that when my birthday comes around.

I'll have to ask Sam about doughnuts. I normally make a breakfast cake on birthdays. I'll have to see which he prefers. We normally do a birthday breakfast.

I've heard that p90x is a great workout. Funny story about getting locations mixed up. How nice you've got someone to "kick it up" with.

I'm sure your hip is getting stronger with the workouts. It's a good sign that it didn't hurt.

Will you still be running on Thursday if the Freezing Fog sticks around?

I love cake and ice cream. Birthday Breakfasts sound fun, but I'm thinking they'd require too much work at such an early hour. Cold Stone has very yummy ice cream cakes.

My daughter wants a jell-o cake for her birthday at the end of the month. Strange girl!

I have never heard of jelly cake, it does sound a little strange. Yes I will run in the freezing fog, I will just have to bundle up.

I got my b-day cake last year from Cold Stone and I liked it but I think I am going to try Baskin Robins this year.

mmm...ice cream cakes. QP - a jello cake? What is that girl thinking? I'd think she'd want a chocolate PB one!

So, Michelle...when IS your b-day? I'm assuming it's soon. Nice work getting that p90X workout in, those things are brutal! However, no hip pain is great. Any balancing maneuvers will help with strength.

RAD- my birthday is tomorrow. It will be a good present to myself to go on a run after a little break, hopefully without pain.

I don't know what she's thinking with jell-o. I had a thought to take a big punch bowl and make a rainbow layered jell-o cake in it. Maybe we could put something fun in the middle of the mold. She likes to act like Dwight sometimes, but I think a stapler would be a waste.

Good workout Michelle! I've never tried P90X. A lot of my coworkers have tried it and seem to only last a couple weeks. Hope you run today goes well! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday! That's great that Ben made you a birthday surprise. Yum!

Good job on the running today. I hope the hip holds up.

I've got to try to hit the treadmill myself at some point today.

Happy Birthday Michelle!!

Happy Birthday Michelle!!! Hope you are having a great day!

Happy birthday!

HaPpY BIrThDaY!!!!! That sounds like a delicious breakfast, what a nice husband!

Happy Birthday! Yellow Cake and especially Yak Traks sounds perfect. Enjoy the day.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

Nice run this morning, AND getting spoiled rotten on your birthday! That is how is should always be :)

Have a great day and enjoy every minute of it!!

Good run Michelle! Hopefully no more pain. Hope you had a great bday!

Michelle,

I hope your whole day was as great as your run and your birthday breakfast cake.

I'm so glad you didn't have problems with your hip, and that you had a treadmill to run on instead of having to go outside.

Great job motivating yourself! You've got the commitment within yourself. I know you usual exercise with others, but you've got the strength to do it on your own when you need to.

kudos on the self motivation to get a p90x workout done...especially when it's one you don't enjoy.

It's great your kids will participate with you on some level. I asked one of mine to do a video workout with me and I was laughed at and told, "No one cares about that stuff but you, mom."

Its always fun to inspire the kiddos! Mine are grown now, but when I look back, I see lots of their healthy life habits come directly from all the time spent "exercising" with me.

I like Saturday morning runs with you too. I felt pretty good about today's run, despite the hills and the snow.

Don't eat too many donuts. I just drove Jacob to the school and stopped at Lamar's on the way. I waited in the car and sent him in. He got two donuts but only ate one. I'm going to save the other for him to have later, even though he said I could have it. Fortunately it's not my favorite kind.

Nice long run Michelle! Seems your hip is doing well. You deserve a few donuts =P

My hip is feeling better but it has been bothering me a little today. I think I will ice it tonight and I have tomorrow off. It is doing much better than last week.

Great Saturday! A good run with good friends, and donuts to boot?

I saw that our Krispy Kreme store is advertising triple chocolate donuts. I usually don't indulge, but with a name like triple chocolate, maybe it's worth checking out.

Glad that your hip is improving. All your hard work on resting and strengthening paid off.

Krispy Kreme's are SO amazing, I have to go when it's 'hot' so I get a free one, then I don't feel bad about eating an extra because hey! It was free.

Nice run with Carolyn! She'll keep you consistent and burn off more than you could possibly eat :)

oh, on your hip...where is your pain? I must've missed that post.

I briefly watched an infomercial on P90X and thought it looked interesting. Do you feel like it gives you a good workout? How long have you been doing it?

I have been doing P90X for about 4 months, I think. It is pretty intense but if you can't keep up then you just modify with less weight or less reps. Carolyn and I had an arm wrestle last week because I have been doing P90X and she does the Shred video. It was a tie. Neither of us could get the other to move and we weren't budging. After a while we called it a tie. So I guess P90X is at least as good as the shred. The hard part is each workout is 60-90 minutes. Sometimes that feels pretty long to me especially if you are also running on the same day.

New shoes are fun!

Thanks for the info, Michelle! The time factor would definitely be an impediment, unless I were to cut down on mileage, which I might do if I can't get outside soon!

I just wish I could look like some of the people in the infomercial I saw!

Oh, and glad you got new shoes. I find that sometimes my various aches and pains are solved with new shoes! Hope it helps your hip!

I hope the new shoes work well for you. Good luck with your busy day.

Nice run and I'm with the majority on LOVING new shoes!! I'd buy them every two weeks if I could afford it :)

Take care of that hip...mine started with just a nagging little bit, so be careful and take care of it.

New shoes are so much fun. In my head, I just know they're going to be faster than my old ones.

I have a co-worker who has been doing that p90x almost everyday for 2 weeks, and she said she's lost 4 inches off her waist. She didn't have a big waist to begin with, so I'm impressed with it.

The time commitment is a hug factor. But it gets results!

It's great you're having a productive Monday morning. Sometimes Mondays are hard to get started.

4 inches in 2 weeks? Holy crap! I'm quitting running and doing P90X (Just kidding).

I believe it. P90X really does get results. You are supposed to do the workouts 6 days a week. I have only been doing them 3 days a week mixed with running on other days. I lost some weight and slimmed down a bit as soon as I started the P90X.

Good run Michelle. Keep up the great work. I definitely feel your pain with the hip. My knee still aches occasionally but it's not too bad.

Good plan. I'm glad Michelle sticks with you whatever you decide to do.

If you don't feel like running on Saturday, I'll see if I can drag Carly out and see what she's willing to do. Or I can always go by myself.

Nice work Michelle! Way to stay smart ;)

Oh, and what an amazing friend you are for helping Carolyn out yesterday with dinner!! I've never had anyone do that for me, but it may be because I'm just lazy and don't want to do it - not so much busy :)

It is awesome to have a friend who you can count on to keep you motivated! Did you wear the new shoes? How do they feel?

Smart workout today Michelle. Always great to have a very supportive friend like that. Keep it up!

Good job with your productive morning today. It will be interesting to see if your legs are sore tomorrow. How's the hip?

My hip is feeling better since I haven't been running. I think it just needs a little more time to heal.

Good job getting to bed early. It sounds like you're really feel great today.

The fact that it's harder for you to take a break than to not take a break indicates that you're really dedicated.

I'm SO glad your hip is feeling better!! Nice work on the elliptical. You'll come back ready to hit those miles and be injury free!!

Great news about your hip! A good night's rest will definitely speed up your recovery.

Hey, you need to post Friday's yoga.

It was kind of hard.

It was fun running with you and Ali this morning. It's too bad the trail was in kind of bad shape. And I hope that Ali's ankle is okay and that she's willing to run with us again.

That really is stinky that it was her first outdoor run! I hope she gets better and is still up to training for Moab (I'm assuming). You kept a nice pace in the snow and slick! Keep up the good work!! Oh, and I'm glad to hear nothing about the hip - I hope it's gone for good!! --well, the pain that is, you may need a hip :)

I hope the pain is gone too. I felt a little achy after the run. But now 7 hours later it feels great. Even better then before the run. I am glad about that. I think taking some extra time off this past week helped it heal more.

Nice run Michelle! It sucks about your friend Ali. A sprained ankle really sucks. I hope she recovers quickly. Keep up the great work and I'm glad you're feeling better.

I'm so glad I was able to run with you today. It was totally worth getting up to the alarm clock. Still, I slept 2 hours later than I would have on a work day.

He's been gone for 2 hours? Maybe he was feeling great and decided to go long. I hope that's what it is.

Nice run Michelle! Your husband is crazy but that is awesome.

Days off are the best! Glad you got in a good run with Carolyn.

And your husband is crazy, but the good kind :)

wow, what a crazy hubby!! I'm glad your six felt good and that you got to sleep in! That is the ONLY thing I look forward to on holidays :)

Well, you've run farther today than I have.

Too bad about the clothing issues. If you find you have a spot that continues to chafe, try just rubbing some deodorant on it when you get dressed to run. I do that because it's more convenient than getting some Body Glide.

I just slop some vaseline on the areas that I know are going to chafe. I've never tried the deodorant thing.

crazy chaffing spots! For me they come and go, I hope this one goes for you. Nice job getting up and out this morning despite all the snafus with the clothing and being tired (as any good mother is!).

Nice run Michelle. How did the hip feel today?

Vinh- my hip is feeling much better. It still is a little sore from time to time but there is a ton of improvement.

Congrats! That is great! I look forward to reading about your pregnancy fitness!

Thanks Tracy. I hope I can keep up a good level of pregnancy fitness.

I wondered whether you would announce your pregnancy on the blog today.

Congratulations on the pregnancy. You're doing a great job with running and doing P90X. I'm sure you'll have a very fit pregnancy.

Whoot Whoot!!! Congratulations! Sounds like you have great plans for a fit and healthy pregnancy :)

Congratulations Michelle!

What a fantastic run, Michelle! I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I suppose when you run with other people most of the time like you do, it's nice to run by yourself once in a while.

I often wake up repeatedly during the night when I'm anxious about getting up on time for something.

I do the same thing when I have to wake up early...

Love great runs like this!

Awesome run Michelle! Glad you enjoyed it.

What a great way to start a day. Those special runs are the ones that keep us coming back for more.

You could have used your friend's excuse to throw in the towel, and instead you had an awesome experience. It's great when we're rewarded for being diligent.

I've heard good things about Wicked. Have you seen it?

I'm with the majority - great job getting up and getting it done PLUS some!

Oh, and I do the same as well, unless I know I can weasel out of it somehow, then I sleep better :)

Good luck with the change! I'm sure you'll do great!

Congratulations on getting stronger! I bet you'll be able to do the normal version, but now I'll be scared if I ever join you for P90X again.

Good training Michelle! I'm sure you'll do fine for the normal version.

You've really got the speed when you decide to turn it on.

I am trying to figure out if you are the Michelle who speeded up at the end! Carolyn says Michelle No. 1 sped up. I think you are smart to not run out of steam in the middle of the run. My runs lately have been calling for speed at the end, and I quite like it that way!

Yes, she is Michelle No. 1 and she really speeded up at the end. The other Michelle and I couldn't catch her.

Great job Michelle and Carolyn! Awesome run!

Awesome run! It's amazing how much of running depends on mental state. Glad you got out there and had a good run, despite not being ready mentally.

Looks like you guys are also getting a little colder this week.

Good job on the run. It is so hard to get down a perfect pace from the start of a run--just keep experimenting and you'll get it right!

It was cold this morning, and that is a significant hill at the beginning of your route. I think an effort to slow down at the beginning is a good idea. I always do my first mile (or 2 or 3) really slow, even if it's not up hill.

And don't worry about not being super fast. You are super fast when you want to be, but most of your runs should just be easy, conversational pace.

Way to run smart and warm :) I'd always prefer to be a little to warm than a little too cold while running!

I'm going to put and exclamation on what Carolyn said as well!

It is challenging to get the wardrobe just right for winter! I often end up wearing too much and then leaving it along the trail to pick up on the way back. Honestly, its usually warm enough here for shorts, but I often don't put them on, because I don't trust that I'll actually warm up.

:( There's always tomorrow. The love will return...

What Tracy said. We don't feel the love of running every time we run. But we slog through the tough runs for the reward of the great runs.

I hoped I wouldn't startle you too much when I hollered at you this morning.

Good run despite not feeling like running. It's days like this where it's more of a mental run than physical.

Carolyn- I wasn't startled at all. I didn't even hear you, Michelle had to ask if it was you and then I noticed.

Yup, we struggle through the bad to feel the good - kind of like life in general!

Way to keep up the hard work despite it all!!

We all need mornings like these. They help keep us human. I love that your kids wanted soda, candy and chips. It's what every kid wants for breakfast....me too sometimes!

And Kudos on getting time to read.

Have a great day!

Sleeping in, biking, and reading. Sounds like a great morning.

Yes - rest days are SO important! Nice job getting a little in.

Running in the fog can be fun. I missed it today.

Good job cleaning out your garage. If you get bored, I should have you come clean my house. Just kidding.

Four miles and a clean garage in an hour and a half? Honestly - I'm jealous!! :)

Good run Michelle! I don't think I've ever run in the fog before. I bet it's cool though =)

I'm jealous of your ability to be productive so early in the morning.

Congrats on getting your garage cleaned out!

Awesome run! You guys must have been feeling each other's vibe on getting ready for the outside run.

And congrats on the clean garage. That's something that I need to get done pretty soon, too!

What class are you taking?

It is a class called Parenting and Child Guidance. It is independent study and I am taking to renew my education certification. To re-certify I need 6 credits every five years.

You're going to do great in your class. You've accomplished a lot with it in the last few weeks.

So you're excited about the weekend. Does the great weekend include an awesome run tomorrow?

Carolyn- the weekend includes a run tomorrow. I hope it is awesome. Do you think the trail is ok to run on this week?

I haven't checked out the trail since we were there two weeks ago, but I don't think the recent snow was enough to make it any worse than it was, and with the sun we've had since then, including today's sun, hopefully it will be better. I vote for running on the trail.

Yea for an easy day, and good luck finishing the class! That always feels good.

Good luck with the paper and the final. Hopefully it was a good one. I like the idea of re-certification, since it keeps teachers up on current educational practice!

I'm glad you were able to get rid of the rash. And you did a great job on the speedy portion at the end.

So how far did Ben run today?

Ben ran 10 miles today. He has run quite a bit the last three days in a row so he said he was feeling a bit tired today.

Nice run! Running is all a mental game and the confidence booster will take you to the finish! :)

Glad the mystery rash found a way to disappear. Sometimes I get them after a cold and sweaty run as well, but usually just in 'hot spots' like under the bra strap and around the waist area. Don't know if it's the same thing, but either way I'm glad it decided to just leave!!

Great run Michelle! I'm glad you feel good during the run. I get those rashes too, but only during cold weather for some reason.

Strange about all the rashes...I'm glad to hear they go away, in case I end up getting one some day.

Great job on bumping up your long miles. It's fun to accomplish more than we're used to doing.

Nice long run! It's always great to feel confident after pushing yourself. Sorry about the mystery rash.

Great job on the 12. I have a friend who used to get rashes after her runs, too. She had no idea what caused them, but they also went away after a shower.

Hmmm. I hope your achilles are okay. Maybe you should try some calf stretches. Stand on the edge of a step and then go up on your toes and back down so that your heels are below step level and repeat that several times.

Try soaking in a tub with epsom salt..that has been doing wonders for me lately. Stretching is also a good idea as Carolyn suggested.

Yikes! I'm glad you were paying attention and didn't get hit by that car!

If I had gotten out about 10 minutes earlier this morning, I might have seen you on Cresthill Lane. I was heading north on Cresthill at about 6:45, but I'm sure you had already gone past there by then.

I'm SO glad you were paying attention and saw the car that didn't see you! I always worry about stuff like that when I'm out. Glad you got a good run in at a great pace! Keep up your hard work!!

Nice run Michelle! There's too many drivers who don't pay attention to runners. I'm glad you were okay.

I'm glad you were on top of things and watching out for stray drivers. I had an experience on Sunday where I was focused on a car coming from one direction, and didn't see the car coming the other direction and nearly ran right into them. Totally my fault too.

congrats on your faster pace as well

P90X is making you tough!

Are you still sore and tired today (Thursday)? Did you run today?

I should have just waited a minute for you to post. Yes, you did run today.

It's fine to run slowly, especially if that's what your body needs. Get some rest today and tomorrow so that we can have a good run on Saturday.

Good rest and recovery days are sometimes more important than tempo/hill/interval runs! I'm with Carolyn, rest well and run well on Saturday.

I think you'll feel great on Monday.

I talked to Carly this morning and she's up for 8 miles on the trail tomorrow. I'll check with the others and see if they want to meet up. We'll miss you. I think you're the glue that holds our little running group together. I'll try to be the scotch tape in your absence tomorrow.

Sorry your energy is gone, I hope you can get some decent sleep and rest to be back on your game on Monday! 'Normal' Saturdays are strange after you're used to the early long runs - but you'll enjoy it after you get past feeling bad for not running :) After a couple weeks it gets hard to get back into it! I'm sure you won't miss as many as I did.

It's good you were able to listen to your body and let yourself rest. I hope your body is back in fighting shape Monday morning.

Hope you had a great restful weekend Michelle!

I love your competitive spirit!

I figured you two would hit the track today, but I thought that if you braved it outside you would see my yaktrak tracks in the snow. Today would have been a good day for you to use your yaktaks, but I know that Michelle prefers to go inside on days like this.

Good run! That's awesome that you have an indoor track nearby. I would get bored on that (just the circling around), but it definitely wouldn't be as bad as a treadmill, since you're actually moving!

Good job getting out and putting in a couple solo miles before Michelle got out there...

Nice job hitting the 'road kill' on the track today! That spirit will keep you strong to the finish in Moab! Glad you're feeling better.

Great job Michelle. I'm usually the same way when I run around people. It usually turns out to be a good workout =)

I'm very impressed that you ran outside this morning. It certainly was cold! I wimped out.

awesome job in the cold, snow, and ice.

You're a tough lady going out and braving the weather like that.

Hope it warms up for you tomorrow.

You've inspired me to go lay in bed and go to sleep!

That is cooooold! You're awesome for getting out there.

How were the yaktrax? Are they pretty comfortable, or can you really tell that you have them on?

SO cold!!! Nice job getting through the run. You are one tough chicka!!

Sounds like a good workout--I love lifting, but I don't do it nearly often enough.

How often do you do the P90X? How long does it take to do one of the workouts?

I've been neglecting my arms. I haven't even been doing the shred. You're going to beat me on the next arm wrestle. Maybe I'll go do some push ups now.

Nice workout Michelle! I used to hate push ups with a passion, maybe it's b/c we had to do so many in boot camp!

push ups are my kryptonite

It's great you have a friend to workout with, and congrats on doing the p90x, I've heard it's not easy.

Tracy- I do P90X on Wednesdays and Fridays. It takes about an hour depending on the workout. The workout I did yesterday was an hour and 15 minutes. The shortest one is 42 minutes and the longest is and hour and a half. But most are an hour. It is a good strength training workout.

It was about 25 today compared to 5 on Tuesday, so it was a vast improvement. Did Michelle run with you today?

Annie complained this morning that she wants a day where she can sleep as late as she wants. I told her that after tomorrow, she's got three days in a row like that.

It's taken me 5 years or more to work myself into a 4 am routine. It is hard work for me, I've never considered myself a morning person.

I'm glad you had a 20* increase in temps. 25 is cold in my book, but 5 is crazy cold.

I've gotta give it to you tough Rocky Mountain Women.

wow...the temp increase must've seemed like heaven! Nice run, and way to get out despite the sleep demons. I'm with QP, not really a morning person, but you take what you can get...or what it throws at you to try to fit into your schedule :)

Did all three of you run that last mile faster? I never looked back.

You're doing a good job keeping up your running through this pregnancy so far.

yeah...slow is fun, but getting roadkill on the streets is fun too! Nice run and enjoy the day off!

Great job passing the man, and way to get 6 miles in today. Was it the stiff-arm old man or someone else?

I got passed by some really fast runner when I was going north on Quebec towards the end of my run this morning. It was a guy wearing blue basketball shorts, a white hooded sweatshirt, and green socks. He was a lot faster than me. I had no chance of catching him and wasn't about to try. I was a little over 10 miles into my run at that point.

Great run Michelle! Always love to hear how you pass someone during one of your runs =)

Carolyn- It was not the stiff arm man. It was a younger man. He looked like a serious runner with a lean running body and fancy clothing. I haven't seen him in the early mornings before.

It was colder than I expected too. I'm still shivering.

You know you're a serious runner when you non-chalantly say standard 4 miles, nothing eventful.

Great job getting out in the freezer!

yeah, when 4 miles is 'normal' you know you're on your way!!

staining cabinets is just cross training!

Hope your little guy is better soon.

I'm with QP - she stole my comment :)

I hope the dr appt goes well and that he feels better soon!! You'll have to post pics of the new cabinets for us to see!!

You are the home improvement queen.

I'm a worry wart and this post makes me nervous. You make sure that you take care when you're exercising. Make sure you're always running with a phone or someone else.

But, as always, I'm impressed by your miles! How many weeks pregnant now?

Michelle- congratulations! I didn't know you were expecting. You are really keeping in shape and being active!

I wish I would have done more of that when I was pregnant.

Just take it slow and easy, Michelle. Running is not the most important thing that your body is doing right now.

BTW, thanks for having Annie over last night.

I didn't mean to alarm anyone, thanks for your concern. I am 14 weeks and now I can tell that even though I am trying to keep my fitness level up, my abilities aren't quite the same as pre-pregnancy. I am still doing the same runs right now, they just seem harder. I am sure they will continue to get slower and slower:)

Good run Michelle! You are still in great shape. I don't know anything about pregnancy but I know you are awesome! =)

I'm actually starting to enjoy the bike...a little. It is a good workout, but I still don't get my runner's high :(

Glad you were still able to get a workout in despite the cancellation!

What would we do without our boys? I'm glad you're still able to ride the bike anyway.

I'm so impressed at your pregnancy mileage! I wouldn't worry about the pace of the race. The fact that you're doing it is totally awesome!

Don't worry about the pace on the Moab half. You can worry about setting PRs when you're not pregnant.

I'm glad that you got out and did the planned 10 miles today. Did you do it on the roads or the trail? Did Michelle and Carly join you?

You're awesome getting out and hitting the pavement like you do while you're pregnant.

Have fun with the running and enjoy the Moab 1/2....it's going to be so beautiful there!

I agree with Carolyn that you shouldn't worry at all about your time. Enjoy the journey :-)

Can I ask when your due date is?

Carolyn- I did run with Michelle and Carly. We ran on the roads because we thought the trail would be too snow packed. We did the 10 mile loop you showed us on McArther Ranch.

QP- I am due August 20

I'm glad you got a good sleep. I slept well but just didn't get to bed early enough.

It's great that you and Michelle have found a happy medium together.

I would probably run inside sometimes if I had that option. It's not that I'm so tough, I just don't have many options.

flat and warm you could do a 7:50. One piece of advice given to me that I really appreciated about track running was to make sure you alternate directions. The way your body pushes to go around the curves needs to be switched occasionally. However, on some tracks you have to run only one direction - this may be the case with you, but if you can try to alternate miles/directions.

Nice job simply getting up and out - that Monday alarm is the worst one!! Even with getting up early Sat and Sun, I hate Monday's early ring!

Great run Michelle! I don't think I can run on an indoor track that you have to run 100 times. I rather run on the treadmill. When does the weather get warmer in CO?

Winter options are fabulous! I'm envious of your indoor track. It sounds better than a treadmill, especially when you've got good company.

I'm ready for warmer weather too. Enjoy the morning light while you can. We're going to be temporarily plunged back into darkness when we go on Daylight Savings Time.

I hope you got your hot shower. Mine was as hot as I would have liked it to be.

ahhh...the beauty of twilight! Can't wait to run in the morning with SUN!!

LOVE the post-run hot shower. I've been known to stay in there until all the hot water is gone! Just make sure to shampoo and wash first - I learned that one the hard way!

Yep, better than nothing. Did anyone do the P90X with you?

I hope your little one is feeling better. She is such a cutie.

Lara did the P90X with me. I guess she is my new P90X buddy. I am kind of tired of doing P90X but I know it is good for me to keep going.

Heat wave! LOL

I'm glad you had a good run despite all the crud. Hope your daughter is feeling better today. Is that her with the box on her head in your photo?

Yes, that's her. She is a lot cuter then the don't break the ice box, I guess she was just hiding:)

Trust me, that little girl is the cutest thing ever.

I'm glad you had a nice run this morning and that it felt easy. And it was warmer this morning. Yippee!

I can totally understand that groggy feeling! I hope you get more sleep soon. Great job getting out and getting it done despite feeling blah!

Thanks for doing the extra mile with me today.

You are doing a great job of keeping up your running during this pregnancy.

You're tough running in the snow for 9 miles. It is nice to have friends to run with, and it sounds like you've got a great running support team.

Nice miles--it's always so much easier to run with people who are willing to match your pace! Good job.

Great run Michelle! You are doing awesome!

Some time to yourself is a great reward for a busy mom.

Good job on your run today.

Nice miles out early in the morning. Enjoy your quiet time :-)

I may have missed the official announcement, but CONGRATS!! :) You're doing GREAT with your running and keeping up with the miles, once in a while those fast miles just feel amazing. Glad you got a little time alone, it is VERY precious!!

When is your official due date?

Nice run Michelle! Seems like you had a nice day!

RAD- thanks, the official due date is August 20 which puts me at 15 weeks right now.

You certainly do have a busy day. It will fly by because you'll be so involved in everything. Stop by McDonalds for dinner, and don't sweat the laundry.....it will be there tomorrow :-)

Great job gettin the miles in. The morning sun really is glorious after such a long winter, isn't it?

Good job on another speedy run.

Do you want to reschedule Annie's piano lesson to make your day at little easier?

Great workout, crazy day, lots of blessings and rewards :)

Your activity isn't the Blue and Gold Banquet is it? Ours is tonight and I'm baking cupcakes, but only as a favor - I LOVE delegation, or I'd be doing it all!

I'll answer for Michelle because she's busy. It's the RS birthday activity. She's a counselor in the RS presidency.

Carolyn- piano is fine still. I actually feel a lot better now than this morning. I have everything done besides piano and the actual event. Thanks for asking though.

RAD- It is not the blue and gold. It is the RS birthday dinner. I love delegation as well, except when you have to pick up the slack last minute!

Busy day! At least you got a good run in.

Sounds like a perfect run... way to get some extra mileage!

I used to live in CO and the sound of the sunshine just makes me miss it that much more!!! Glad you had such a great run, those are the best days!

WOW, what a beautiful description. Congrats on a great run today & your hour of stretching yesterday.

How did the RS b-day party go?

I guess sometimes you have to go it alone in order to do things just the way you want to. Great job getting out by yourself. It was sunnier early this morning than it is now.

ahhh, the runs that help us love running! Glad you're enjoying the sun and warmth!

Sounds like it was a great run! I love runs like that, and reading about a run like that gives me a sense of peace...

Ah! Sun! I hope it stays around!

I call that success too. Way to go getting some miles in on a chilly morning.

GREAT run Michelle! Both of you and Carolyn are doing the Moab 1/2, right? With a pace like that on a training run you'll hit a PR for sure!! Good job on getting the run in and I'm glad you didn't twist an ankle!

I'm glad to hear that a lot of the snow has melted off of the trail - but big tire tracks, not good.

Good job on your run today. I'm sorry I couldn't run with you. I had to slog it out by myself instead.

Nice run and pace. Scary about the bad surface on the trail. I hope they get it fixed so you can enjoy running on it without the worries.

Awesome run Michelle!

You looked like you were running pretty strong when I saw you.

Daylight savings is always a tough time! Despite struggling I'm glad you got the miles in. You have been wonderfully consistent with your running!!

It's always easier to do a tough run like that when it's nicer outside. I like the fact that spring is on its way--but I guess daylight savings does stink for you morning runners...Is it long that you'll be in the dark, or only a few weeks?

I'm dreading the daylight saving time switch too. It makes me want to move to Arizona...or Hawaii where they don't play daylight savings time games.

Great job getting in a tough run.

Nice to meet you...too bad we don't live nearby...wouldn't that be nice to run together!!! And...it seems we are on about the same level when not pregnant in PR's too. good luck with everything!!

It was nice having some sun this morning after such a gray day yesterday.

I hope your boy gets feeling better.

Poor baby. Hope he's feeling better!

And glad you had a better run today!

Sounds like a great run with the sun and birds. Glad it went better than yesterday's for you.

Hope your little guy gets better soon.

Way to get some early miles in. That is the perfect start to any day.

Hope your son gets better quickly!

You were sorely out-numbered.

:) Nice miles. I can understand how it's hard to drag yourself out of bed. I had some trouble this morning, and I don't have pregnancy hormones complicating things!

It's a rare person for whom getting out of bed in the morning is not a struggle.

Great strong finish today, Michelle.

I'll see you at lunch time.

This is what I usually find with early mornings: hard to get up, but then 1/2 way through its good and worth it!

Nice job not letting the bed eat you and hitting some great paces!! Are you doing the Moab 1/2 with Carolyn?

RAD- Yes I am doing the Moab 1/2. There are four girls driving together and sharing a room. None of us will be running with Carolyn, she is too fast!

We did start out kind of fast on those first two miles. That was undoubtedly part of your problem. You'll do great in Moab. Just get some Emergen-C like I told you, drink lots of water, and get lots of rest this week. We'll have a fun weekend in any case.

Take care of yourself! I had a sucky run on Thursday and I was a little paranoid about how the rest of the week would go, but it went okay.

Rest up and I'm sure you'll be ready to go on Monday!

Hope you feel better Michelle! Don't worry, you'll do awesome for the 1/2!

Hope you're rested up and feeling better. Take it easy & get some strength back for your beautiful race on Saturday.

That's a really quick trip for him today.

I wondered if you'd skip your run today because of your sickness, but it sounds like you would have run if Ben had been home. I think the rest today will do you good.

Good job of getting in some cross training. And Carolyn's right! It'll probably be good for you since you have been under the weather.

A bike day is good on a taper week. Are you planning any taper for Moab this weekend?

Daylight savings always knocks us all on our butts...and back to darkness in the morning is hard too!

I think a day off will do you good. What is your goal for the half?

RAD- I don't really plan on much taper because my running schedule isn't that strenuous to begin with. I did take Monday off, and Friday I will skip the P90X workout. I guess that is a bit of a taper.

Vinh- My goal is to finish strong. I would like to say I want a PR, which I do. But with being pregnant, running is a whole different story. I would love to be able to beat my 2:09 time but if I am struggling I can't push it too hard, like I could and would without being pregnant.

I also love the weekly cues! Good running. Feeling better?

Tracy- I am feeling better. I still have some congestion and when I wake up my throat hurts a bit, but tons better.

Good to hear. That'll make your race this weekend a lot easier!

Great job getting out this morning. It's better than I did.

I'm glad my little tips are helpful.

LOVE the magnet imagery!

Glad you're feeling better and are getting ready for the race. I think even despite pregnancy you'll have a GREAT race Saturday; but I understand the pushing v patience now - a little different thought pattern!

alone time can be priceless, especially when you're raising little ones...great job getting out early today

have a safe drive and enjoy the beautiful scenery while you're running

I love alone runs, especially in the early morning! A great way to start the day. I love the imagery of the magnetic force; I think I will imagine the finish line pulling me this Saturday - haha.

Michelle, I run alone on all of my runs. It sucks but I'm used to it. Great job on the run!

I'm so glad that you had a good time and that you were able to run. Congratulations on the PR! Let's go celebrate.

Pre-race anxiety mixed with pregnancy sleep is never good! :) I'm glad you had such a great race!! PLUS - you hit a PR without even trying and on NO sleep!!! Can you even imagine how you would've shattered it in 'perfect' conditions?!? WOW!! You Colorado ladies are amazing! Now go and celebrate!!!

Hey, I didn't know you were pregnant, too. Nice job on the PR.

Carolyn, you're a goof.

I would be so happy to be able to accomplish that pregnant as well! Nice job, glad you guys had great weather!

Congrats Michelle! You are awesome! Ran a half marathon PR w/o really trying. Great job!

great job on your PR without trying and great job on being able to let yourself go easy and just enjoy the journey

all your efforts and training really paid off, and you'll have a great story to tell your little one about how you ran the half marathon pregnant with them

Great job on a PR, without even trying. You amaze me! That baby's gonna be a runner :)

Is it that toe that's still hurting you? Maybe you need to get it looked at.

Good job getting back to the routine.

One of the benefits of training at high altitude is that it makes racing a lower altitude feel easier. Hooray for living in Denver!

Denver is so beautiful- the altitude training is just a great bonus! But it does seem harder to breathe and run when you've been away.

Hope your toe/foot gets better.

Stink! I hope the pain goes away and quickly. Gotta love the 'professional' air you get to train in :)

I'm sure the sluggishness is the 'hang over' from the race. Take it easy and heal quickly.

Hope you recover soon! I know what you mean about the altitude. I tried running the STG marathon w/o any altitude training last year. I didn't do very well.

yikes! that hill sounds scary - to run and drive up. Shoveling snow is a GREAT x-trainer, I think it burns more calories than running. Especially 6-8 inches of heavy wet stuff!

Hmmm. That makes me wonder how much I should pay Sam for shoveling our snow today. He worked really hard. I helped him just a little bit.

It got really bad really fast last night. I headed out with Jacob after dinner. We were going to go to Barnes & Noble. We got as far as Holly on County Line and turned around and came back home and barely made it. I turned on my flashers because I was struggling so much.

Thank heavens it's better now.

Sorry about cancelling on you today. I guess it wasn't the snow so much as the chaos at my house. Tomorrow should be better.

I'm from Alabama. Y'all have no idea how things get around here.... 1/4" and the entire town shuts down. I'm serious. You can't even get in the grocery store parking lot for all the people trying to get milk and bread. Ahhhh... I love the south!

Carolyn- Don't worry about today. I took my kids sledding instead. We had a good time. The shoveling was really hard work plus we have a corner lot so there is more to shovel.

KP- I wish we could shut down more often. It would have been fun to have my husband home today.

How is your foot? Maybe the x-training snow shoveling helped give it another day to feel better.

And about that hill....you've got to feel great that you can out-perform a vehicle!

You're a running machine :-) You've even got a baby-on-board.

I hate those pesky problems that you really can't think of what caused them. I'm glad that you have a tentative diagnosis (and treatment it sounds like) for your pain.

Glad you have a lower impact alternative. You'll be back in the running game in no time!

It sounds like you're on the right path to getting this foot thing taken care of. This is a good week for you to back off running anyway.

Good luck getting that toe healed! Sounds like NO fun!! Nice job getting up and out and getting SOMETHING done.

Strange injuries stink. I hope yours heals early.

Great job getting on the elliptical..it's a good recovery activity from your race & nice way to let your toe heal.

It's easier to notice the uphills than the downhills, so when they're mixed together it seems like there's an awful lot of uphills.

Did it feel uphill to you on the way home from my house?

Nice job with the run! It is certainly nice to have that long run done before family time on Saturday. Sometimes our legs just feel blah...I'm sure you will feel better Monday after a nice rest! :)

How many weeks now? I've lost track.

19 weeks now. I get to find out on Wednesday if it is a boy or girl.

Today is a slow run kind of day. Good job getting up to run this morning.

I get mad when I get up before my alarm... even if it's only 3 minutes! But when it goes off I just lay there not wanting to move.

How nice to wake up and not feel like your alarm is stealing sleep from you!

Good miles today!

Can't wait to hear what your Wednesday news will be. :-)

Me too - I can't wait for Wednesday!! Any hopes one way or another?

Nice job on keeping the miles going and not needing the alarm clock. If I can't sleep in until 11 AM I have to use an alarm clock :)

Nice run Michelle! I definitely agree that when you get up before the alarm goes off, it's a good feeling.

You are so dedicated to a healthy pregnancy! I admire your perseverance, even when you were uncomfortable!

It was fun to see you this morning. When I had about 5.5 miles to go, I was at the corner of Colorado and University and decided to run the better part of my normal 6 mile loop in the reverse direction with the realization that I would probably see you.

I'm impressed that you're able to run this far into your pregnancy. Maybe we need to get you another support band thingie.

my vote: don't worry about doing laundry every day......just wear it dirty. NO ONE is going to care how stinky your belly band is when you're out running in the early morning.

If the stink starts to bug you, then it's time for laundry.

My motto is: It's probably still good.

And of course kudos to you for your running dedication.

You're doing great on your running! I'm with QP, just wear it dirty - no one knows! I actually wear my mine over my clothes so it doesn't get as stinky, then I always pull it off when I'm done and just fold it back up and I keep it in my purse for safe keeping :)

Amen on the early mornings girl! I went back to bed today :)

Sounds like a good plan on the miles - keeps fatigue and overdoing it out of the picture. Nice job on the workout this morning - keep up your good work!

That sounds like a good plan - more runs, but no long runs. That's probably the best thing for you right now.

I agree...good plan Michelle! Keep it up!

It's great that your run felt good today, and I think you'll enjoy the variety of having at least one run/week by yourself and the others with Michelle.

Congratulations on the ultrasound! I'm so glad that everything is going well and the baby looks healthy, and you'll have three boys and a girl like me, at least unless you decide to have another one.

I ran up Cresthill Lane around 6:45 this morning and thought that maybe I would see you, but I was probably too late.

Congrats on a baby boy!! It's good to know that everything is going good with the pregnancy.

Ah, a baby boy! Congrats! 3 boys together sounds like wonderful trouble. I pity your girl--you two will be living in a frat house :)

Congrats on another boy! I'm glad to hear that everything with the ultrasound went well. How far along are you?

Great news on your healthy little guy!

I like have quiet time to run too, especially now with all the birds singing in the morning.

CONGRATS!! I too will have 3 boys and one girl. Some days I'm not sure I can handle three boys - girls are SO much easier, well...before they hit about seven and hormones :)

A good alone run maybe good for the mind, nice job on trudging along on the miles. I'm glad I get to share this running pregnancy thing with you! Even if just virtually :)

You are definitely not a slacker.

We do Easter baskets on Saturday morning too, but I slept in and ran after the Easter festivities, instead of before like you. You were done with your run before I even started. Who's the slacker now?

Good run Michelle! Hope you and your family had a great Easter!

I had a hard time getting to bed at a decent time last night because I took a nap between conference sessions yesterday.

I wish I knew what to tell you about your ankles, but I don't.

I would think it's probably the loose ligaments of pregnancy, but I have not a clue what you should do about that!

I hate those days when sleep is all messed up! Sleep better tonight!

Weird, my ankles were hurting a lil bit yesterday too. It naturally went away after a few miles. I hope I'm not pregnant =P

That is more of a good problem than a bad one but I would be annoyed at having to buy a new wardrobe. Maybe one of your friends has some clothes you can borrow to help alleviate some of the cost!

So funny, but I'm having the exact same problem! Where this is our last baby I don't want to spend a ton of money...blah, blah, blah. So, I'm trying to buy pants just a size bigger and deal with the button-elastic trick. It's the shirts that are getting me now!

Nice job on the miles! I'm glad you are still getting some good running days in. I know it sure makes me feel a TON better! I just wish you could sleep too.

Sleep can be tough during pregnancy, as I recall from long, long ago.

It's too bad you need to get new maternity clothes, but great that you started out this pregnancy smaller than you have in the past. See what all this running has done!

That's a good problem to have! New clothes is fun!

(Can you tell that I don't have kids and spend my money as I please? I know I'll be singing a different tune someday...)

There have got to be so many pregnant women out there that are looking for bigger clothes! Maybe there's an app for that & you can trade :-)

Glad you had a wonderful run and the lack of sleep didn't drag you down.

Glad your run was awesome!

Your friend will get it eventually. She should get a blog here. That would help for sure.

I love a clean house! I wish mine were clean right now. I'm sending the kids over to their aunt's after school so I can first get in a quick run and then clean like a madwoman...

I'm afraid I never clean like a madwoman. I just get mad that other people don't clean.

I'm glad you're feeling so good today.

Was that run/walker anyone I know?

Carolyn- It was Lara Olson. She has bought into this new exercise plan of getting your heart rate up for 3 minutes then going back to resting then 3 more minutes harder activity then back to resting. The book she read claims that many marathon runners have unhealthy hearts because they have their heart rates at medium levels for too long as opposed to high then low. I don't really buy it, but she is convinced.

Interesting concept in that book - but I guess whatever motives you to get off the couch and get moving is a good thing, right?

Nice job on the run, it's always nice to have someone to catch/run with! I'm with Carolyn on the mad/cleaning :)

That book sounds like a bunch of bunk to me.

Michelle- how awesome that you got your house all cleaned. I'm not sure how that would feel, but I imagine it would be wonderful!

Your run & catching your friend sound nice. Something different to mix it up a little and make the run more interesting.

My heart is cruddy because I eat too much ice cream and french fries. I think any exercise is good, but the root of most of our problems is our diet...or lack there of. And there's my 2 cents worth. (after 50 of them, you'll have enought for a mcdonalds soft serve ice cream cone :-)

YAY!! If you want, come join us for a run tomorrow in Draper (I don't know where they live, but if you're up for it I would LOVE to meet you! PM me for directions if you're interested.)

I thought about that for a split second but my family is in Mapleton which is south and we have a family baptism that we have to leave for at 8:00.

STINK! Mapleton is a little far, so I can understand. I also have baptisms at 10, which is why I'm starting so early. I have 2 at 10 then a family one at 2. It is my crazy baptism day!! I hope you have a fun weekend here, if you're around still on Monday maybe we could get together? Let me know, I would LOVE to meet you!!!

You two really should get together next week.

I hope you had safe travels, Michelle.

Hope you have a great family vacation Michelle!

Have a great visit. Hope you get time for a little run in while you're away.

That's the worst! Hope you are feeling better tomorrow!

So are you missing Highlands Ranch yet? I'm glad you're having a good time with your parents and that you were able to go for a good run.

Nice run Michelle!

there is something nice about living in a community where people take pride in their house and yards...or at least take care of it well enough to keep the HOA off their back.

I've run by a few homes out here and the theme song to "Sanford & Son" starts playing in my head...often with a little banjo added in for effect.

Glad you got some extra you time and enjoyed a nice run.

Have a great week visiting your family!

glad the rain let up for you to get a nice run in

It sounds like you're having fun in Utah. But please come home to Colorado soon. We need you here.

Hope you're having a fun visit! Running a little more and a little later in the morning = good!

It was colder here this morning too than it was a couple of days ago in the morning.

Wednesday was colder for me too. You're really being consistent with your runs while you're on vacation.

I hope your car ride goes well and there are lots of sleeping children.

I know what you mean about being happy with making the choice to run, but getting out the door really is a challenge some days.

Nice miles this week on your holiday!

I'm sorry your ankles are bothering you again. I don't know what to tell you.

Look at you with 26 miles last week. Great job.

Oh, an welcome home. It's nice to have you back.

Good to see you back. Hopefully the ankle problem is nothing serious.

That is a hard realization, but at least this is something that is only temporary. You are midway through a healthy and happy pregnancy, and you have to enjoy that! You wouldn't enjoy running if every day was a struggle to keep a faster pace than you need to right now.

I didn't run when I was pregnant. Wasn't something I was doing back then. I remember I tried to run from my house to my car once while I was pregnant, and I physically could not do it.

I know you're disappointed that you're slowing down, but it is for such a wonderful reason. I am so impressed at how you and RAD get out there and run with your cute baby bumps keeping fit and being strong. You're doing what I never dreamed of being able to do.

Running alone can be good for your soul, and maybe your friend Michelle can run with you on her recovery days until you're ready to come back and kick her trash.

Running alone is not so bad. I do it all the time.

You're doing a great job with running through this pregnancy. Really. And I think that slowing down is a good idea. It's better to do that and be able to keep going, than to push yourself too hard and get yourself into some kind of trouble or get burned out. You won't be pregnant forever, and you will be in such a good place physically after this baby is born.

I was taking to Liz yesterday and she wants to get back into running, but she's got a long way to go. You'll be in a much better position after you have your baby.

I understand COMPLETELY! I can hardly keep up with the back of my running group anymore, it's mentally challenging. We're so used to pushing ourselves and to have to change that mentality is difficult. To be happy about just getting to run - isn't always easy. BUT try! I think about how many people would love to just be able to run a mile, and I can still do it - even pregnant. Doesn't matter that it's a 10mm, I'm doing it.

Don't worry about the alone factor - I'm with QP, maybe change days so that you can run on her 'recovery' days with her. Find someone who wants to START running and run/walk with them. Find a gym and run on a TM next to someone walking - that helps me :)

Give it just a few short months and you'll be back to kicking trash - and better conditioned for running with extra weight! Strong and faster - just consider it 'training in disguise' :)

Michelle you are doing great! Your runs should just be nice, easy and relaxing for now. I'm sure that after you have your baby, you'll be back at it in no time. Everyone will be trying to catch up to you!

Good idea! It always helps to be a bit in front :) Glad you had a good run and a good time with your neighbor. Way to make the best of it all!!

I like your plan. It puts you in the lead :-)

Glad you had nice weather and enjoyed your music.

You really do like running alone. But it's nice if you can have a balance of running alone but also spending some time with friends as well.

You were smart to get out early when the weather was good this morning. The weather got worse around 8:00.

I like the spring crispness but not the overcast skies. I was a little chilly on my run this morning. I prefer sunshine.

BTW, the distance from that corner to your house, if you turn left on Princeton at the bottom of the hill, is 0.40. From your house back to that corner going the other direction (so it's the distance if you go straight at the Princeton corner) is 0.35.

Kudos for beating the bed's tractor beam & getting out.

I had an evening of eating that helped motivate me this morning as well. And it involved much more than a doughnut.

I agree that cloudy days can be cozy, but I'll take the sunshine first anytime. Spring time is just a great time to be outside enjoying the world.

Thanks Carolyn! This is more than I thought because I run the longer route. Thanks for checking it for me.

QP- I wish it was just a doughnut, more like 3 doughnuts.

I agree with the stormy weather. Last night it was cloudy and drizzling a bit with a cool wind. It was a nice run for me.

Great job getting out and getting going this morning! Maybe I should try eating some doughnuts and see if that motivates me to get out and run in the morning :)

Oh, and I'm loving the rain today, because I got my garden all planted yesterday - only good karma I'm feeling today!!

Sounds like a good plan! You're so strong!

oh... i like that plan - you running from her and her chasing you. that should be super motivating for both of you. keep up the good work!

Michelle is really getting speedy. And you're too shabby yourself. Just don't do the chase thing every day!

Nice work on the 'race'! :) I'm glad you were able to get out and feel good about the run!

Healthy competition is good. Sounds like fun!

Nice run Michelle! Sub 10 pace, great job!

Sorry about standing you up, but I'm glad it caused you to get your run in, and the treadmill was probably the way to go. The weather was yucky.

:) Way to push it in the end!

I can't believe that you guys have snow! That would make me want to stay in bed!

I saw you on Cresthill when I was leaving the school parking lot after the seminary drop-off, but I knew you didn't see me.

I couldn't face the cold weather this morning, so I haven't run yet.

You've got great dedication to get out in this annoyingly cold weather and you are quite the competitor to push it at the end. You've got a lot of natural speed and you'll be able to take more advantage of that in the future when you're not pregnant.

Nice job Michelle!

Congrats on keeping ahead of your friend. It's the little victories that make life so sweet :-)

Nice dedication running in the super cold and snow.

You are so nice, to those kids, and to everyone else.

I'm glad you got your ipod back.

I'm sorry your run didn't go great this morning, but at least you got out and did it. You're doing a better job of getting out in the mornings than I am.

Glad you got your ipod back Michelle. It's hard for me to run w/o music as well. I ran 1 marathon w/o music and it was rough! Great job on getting out and exercising though. Most people would have just stayed in bed.

I'm glad you got your ipod back. You are a good neighbor. I thought of the lesson we had on Sunday, "What have you done for someone today?" You're doing so much.

Nice job getting out and exercising even when you wanted & had a good reason to dump it for the day.

I'm glad things worked out for us to run together for a little bit this morning. You definitely did not slow me down. The part I ran with you was faster than the part I ran by myself before I met up with you.

I hope you ladies had a good time! Nothing better than running a few miles with your friends and catching up on life!

Your morning sounds so much better today than yesterday. I'm glad you had a good one.

Spring weather is unpredictable, isn't it? Enjoy your nice days...you had some crummy ones last week.

Glad you had a good morning - a good run with friends will always help with that!! I hope the storm from today doesn't hit you tomorrow - it's a doozy!

Nice run Michelle! Glad it was better than yesterday.

I've been wanting to try swimming too as a means of cross training. I just don't want to put a bathing suit on in public! I need to do it though. It is a great form of exercise.

How far along are you now?

I love swimming. Since I have been running longer distances, I have gotten away from it in the summers, but I think I am going to try laps some mornings this summer. Maybe. Because I know what you mean about running being easy because it's just about putting on some clothes and walking outside. So convenient.

Swimming will keep you in great shape once running gets too uncomfortable! Do you have somewhere nearby that would be convenient for you?

The great thing about swimming when you're pregnant is you can just let your belly hang out and it doesn't matter. I used to love my maternity swimming suit.

Swimming will be a little more complicated for you than running, but you can just dart down to the rec center, so it shouldn't be too bad.

Incidentally, I didn't think it felt as cold this morning as the thermometer said it was. It was actually kind of a nice morning, surprisingly.

Happy morning not being tired & having a good distance on your run.

Swimming is great exercise- dont' worry that you haven't done laps before. It's the same as hanging in the pool, you just move forward in a straight line. You can choose to use any stroke, or none at all...dog paddle if you want :-)

Have a great week-end!

Good run Michelle! I've been doing a lot of swimming lately. I think it is definitely helping with my running so I'm pretty sure it will help you out as well. It does take a while to get comfortable with swimming laps but I'm sure you will get it down.

KP- I am 24 weeks now.

Tracy- I am lucky to have a rec center with a swimming pool about 2 miles from my house. It is just harder to get there then to step out the door.

Glad you got out there! It really is hard to wake up sometimes!

Monday mornings do seem harder than the rest. Congrats on getting up and putting in your miles. I'm glad you had sun and nice weather.

Yes, Monday mornings are hard. I tend to have a harder time getting to bed on time on Sunday nights because I sleep in on Sunday mornings.

You looked good on your run this morning. I always like it when I see you out running when I'm driving to seminary.

blah...to Monday mornings! Nice work getting out and getting it done either way. You are SO consistent!!

those stay in bed demons get me every single morning.

way to get going early this morning. your dedication is inspiring!

It was a windy morning. Good job getting out. You're very consistent.

Were you wearing red today? I was coming up Cresthill Lane, south of University, and I could see a runner going up Cresthill on the other side of University. It was about 6:35, so I wondered if it was you, but the runner was too far away for me to tell.

Good luck with your busy day. I'm sorry I can't come to Relief Society tonight.

Have a good day. Hopefully you get some rest in the business of the day!

No, I was not wearing red but I did pass the red shirted runner twice this morning. I think he did the same route I did but backwards. I have never seen him out before.

Busy day little mama :) You are a nice friend also to help out Carolyn! I'm glad you are feeling better through your pregnancy.

Nothing like multi-tasking!

Do you feel like you have more energy during this pregnancy versus your others, where you weren't running?

Thanks for taking me to the airport. I hope you get home in a reasonable time with that backup on I-225. I hope you took a different route and that it was better.

Good run Michelle! 4.4 miles would drive me crazy. I would have to either run .1 more to make it 4.5 or run an extra .6 =)

You're doing great getting out of bed and fighting those demons. I'm curious too about your energy level now vs when you weren't running.

Carolyn- Traffic wasn't bad coming home. There was a bit of stop and go but nothing like 225 looked. I hope you're having a good time in CA!

Tracy and QP- I do have a lot of energy but I am usually a high energy person anyway. With other pregnancies I have ran until about 18-20 weeks and then switched to bike riding. As far as energy, I don't notice a ton of difference but I do notice a bit of size/weight difference. I have gained 10 pounds which isn't much for 25 weeks and people still tell me all the time that I don't look 6 months pregnant(even thought that is not true!) I hope the real benefit comes after when I bounce right back.

Vinh- I know .4 is kind of weird but it is my standard route that just makes sense because it is door to door around a big loop. I started out with it being a 4 mile loop and then walked the .4 home to cool down but now I think why walk? So I just run the extra .4 even with the strange total mileage :)

10 pounds--that's pretty darn good! And you will bounce back quicker after this great and healthy pregnancy.

My first pregnancy I was active, but not running, and I gained a lot of weight. My second I was doing great and exercising and thinking I was gaining a lot less than I had the previous pregnancy. I asked the doctor at one visit (at about 7 months) how I was doing in comparison. She told me I had gained EXACTLY the same weight.

After that I was so irritated that I just ate whatever I wanted and ended up gaining the same amount of weight anyway.

I am starting to feel that way a bit as the scale goes up and up I think, why not have a bowl of ice cream? I probably will gain another 10 pounds in the next 15 weeks but 20 total isn't bad.

I have the same .4 at the end of my loop run when I run it twice. I figued it all adds up in the end. It's 40 more calories burned too :-)!

I'm glad that what started out not so good turned into a great day.

Glad you had a great day! Sometimes you need to say "not today"!

Happy Friday!!

I wonder what's up with her ankle. It doesn't sound good.

It's nice that you're feeling energetic, though.

Hooray for Friays!!!

Hope your friend's ankle gets better quickly. Is the the friend you talked about a while ago who was running faster in the morning so you were leaving earlier in order to avoid being "passed" by her?

Yes, hooray for Fridays! That was nice of you not to ditch your friend when she started walking.

Nice mileage today, Michelle!!!

You're really doing a great job of running through this pregnancy, even though it's not easy.

You really are doing a great job! My doc described running pregnant as running pushing a 40 pound jogging stroller with a corset on- and I agree with it 100%!! Keep up with it, you do get more used to it - eventually :)

Nice run Michelle! I can't imagine running while pregnant. You are doing awesome!

A good run is most definitely something to report. I hope you had a great Mother's Day!!!

I love going to bed early.

Glad everything was good today and you got to enjoy a mile or so with a friend :)

What a nice way to start out the week.

Good job going to bed early. I wish I could say that I did the same.

So Michelle's ankle must be feeling a little better if she's willing to run on it.

nice run! your hard work will pay off once you pop this baby out.

Glad you decided to run the whole thing. I bet you feel very accomplished, given your state of mind before the run!

I know the feeling you're talking about. I often start out really slow and then get feeling better after a while. We've talked about this before - those people who never run far enough to get to the part of the run that feels good.

I feel like this all the time now...I just try to remind myself how much better I feel when I'm done. I know I'll regret it if I don't, but it's just those first few steps out the door that are the hardest!! NICE JOB on getting them done today, keep up your GREAT work!

Getting a run done when you mentally aren't in it makes you a much stronger runner. This will pay off once you are back to racing after the baby. Have fun at the party today... a bunch of 4-year old's... I don't envy you one bit!!

And KP, you haven't met her 4-year-old!

I thought you weren't going to run today. Way to be consistent and tough out this stupid weather we're having.

Happy Birthday to the big D.

Hope your spiderman party was a blast. In my mind, that's more exhausting than running 4.4 miles. So you've actually done cross training too :-)

Sorry you're getting snow. I heard about it on the news and thought of the running blog Colorado girls out in the cold.

Great job on getting in the run. I know how you feel. I've been having a lot of those days (don't feel like running) lately.

ugghhh...what a crazy morning for you and the whole family!! I think you deserve some time out for a run (or a run to the ice cream store) after a morning like that! I hope the little one gets better and that you get some sleep!

Sounds like a full and hectic day--hope you find a little energy tonight!

You really had a rough morning. Don't worry about missing the run. Your family is more important. I hope that D is feeling better.

Wow, sorry about the rough day Michelle. I hope your day gets better and that you have a great weekend. I'm sure you'll get in a good run to make up for it.

Good job on the run today. That'll be really cool if your friends move here. Get them to move into the ward.

It WOULD be hard to have a two-parent running household, but it looks like you guys manage just fine! Hope the rest of your day is nice!

Nice run Michelle! Hope you had a great weekend!

Your Saturday was full! Hope all went well and you enjoyed your time with your friends.

Did your husband feel like he'd recovered from donating blood by Saturday?

Glad you had a good run!

way to get it done! you're doing much better than me!

I'm glad you had a good run.

Thanks for being my soprano section yesterday.

So here's a question for you. I struggle somewhat going up Gleneagles and then south on Quebec, and then University from Quebec to Cresthill feels much easier. But University from Quebec to Cresthill is all slightly uphill. How does that University stretch feel to you since you hit that first, before getting to the Gleneagles and Cresthill part? I'm just wondering it the University stretch feels easier to me because it comes right after a harder section, or if it's really just a fairly easy stretch.

YAY for a good run! It's nice to still feel that way every once in a while :)

Monday morning and not feeling tired? That's a good day!

Carolyn- I also think the University stretch is easier but I have just come up to Quebec from my house and that always feels tough to start a run with the uphill. I think it probably feels easier because it is slightly uphill instead of the steep Gleneagles hill. Even though it doesn't feel to hard by the time I get close to Cresthill I start feeling a bit tired and always feel good once I reach Cresthill and have the hill behind me.

I agree! Sometimes extra sleep and cross training is just what the body needs :)

nice job! cross training is good for you! and extra sleep is definitely good for you.

How nice you were able to catch a few extra zzzz's after a sleepless night.

It's nice you've got a bike to sweat on indoors. In-door alternatives are great.

I love having the bike because my husband leaves for work at 6:45 and I don't have free daycare at the gym so if I don't get out the door early I have to workout at home, evenings just get too crazy for me. The bike is a nice alternative and a good pregnancy workout for the near future.

I think you made a good decision. It's nice that you have the bike alternative. This is not the time for you to be hard core and drag yourself out in the morning if you don't feel like it.

yes - sleep is SO important! I LOVE it!! :) I'm glad you got the best of both worlds - sleep and workout!

Whatever you do, just be careful. Sounds like you are pretty good at listening to your body! I'm glad that the bike didn't cause any pain for you so you could still get a good workout!

I think that turning back was the right decision. Running is not important enough for you to push through pain like that right now.

I ditto Carolyn's comment! Pain like that is never a good sign. I honestly wish I had some some days :) My body doesn't know how to labor w/out pitocin! Not a single contraction for me...with or without running. My doc is pretty surprised, but not me! If it wasn't for modern medicine I think I'd still have my first child growing inside me 9 years later!!!

Keep listening to that body and do what it tells you. The hardest thing I've learned about running pregnant is to listen to my body, to slow when needed and push only if given it. As runners you're SO used to putting off pain and pushing through everything, but when prego you've got to change the mentality and put your body first. VERY difficult for me!! You're doing a great job of it so far, and I'm glad you still got a good workout in! KEEP IT UP!

I'm glad you listened to your body and stopped. Hopefully it was just a one day thing and you'll be back enjoying your runs soon.

wow!! sounds like a busy day. way to squeeze it all in..

You got way more done today than I did.

Glad your run was successful! You got a lot accomplished!

Glad you were able to run without pain. I have days I run that slow too, the benefits are there regardless of the pace.

Have a good week end.

Good job getting out this morning. I didn't manage to get out early today.

Don't worry about slow. At least you're still running, and that's quite an accomplishment.

yay for running w/out pain...maybe the pain of lost sleep, but no physical pain :)

I'm with you on the miles, just get them in. You're doing great staying consistent with them! Oh, and when I try to talk to people when I run it is 10X harder! I can breath or talk...not both! :)

I wouldn't think you sound like a complainer. You're being smart and healthy--I admire all of your hard work and I know it will pay off big time!

You're doing way more than the vast majority of pregnant women to even get out there and run at all.

And it was a beautiful morning except for the wind.

I think this blog might be a pretty good place to complain.

Michelle,

I am so impressed that you are running and exercising so much through your pregnancy.

You have people here who will listen to your complaints and understand. Feel free to express yourself!

And of course, great job getting out this morning and not being caught in the bed. You win that battle far more often than I do, and I haven't got any excuses.

I don't think I could do what you do, if I was in your shoes. Great job Michelle!

Maybe you need to briskly walk for a few minutes as a warm up? I don't know, but I do know that I would have given up. You're awesome!

Tracy, I think you are right. I might start out with walking every morning. Especially because the first part is all uphill. I am thinking I should walk to the top and then start running.

Yes, I think you should walk to the top of Collegiate. That's a really tough way to stop a run, even for someone who's not pregnant.

It sounds like warming up would help so you can run without pains. Especially up a hill...that's a tough way to start out.

Glad you had a good run and good company.

I second the warm-up suggestions! I run SO much better after a little warm-up, and unfortunately I'm just figuring this out :) Today I did the elliptical first and I had a WONDERFUL run (it was only 1 mile, but still - I usually HATE the first mile!).

I'm glad the pain subsided and that you were able to have a good run with a good friend. Running is SO much better when it's 'social hour' :)

Good job getting through the pain. I guess it'll just take you a while to warm up enough that you don't feel pain when you run! It's nice that you are still able to enjoy running, even if it is only at the end!

good news!

maybe you could try doing a brisk walk for the first .40 for a warm up and then running the last 4. do you think that would be enough warm up?

Great job today. It does sound like you just really need to take it easy at the beginning and warm up slowly, and then you're good to go.

Another good run! You are still going to strong.

keep it up! you're doing amazing considering you are halfway through your pregnancy. baby fartlek (what do you know - that is what RAD is naming her baby too) will be here before you know it... then you'll be back to running strong.

Glad you had a good workout Michelle!

You're being very smart, Michelle. See you this afternoon!

You're doing great and your attitude is inspiring :-)

Great job this morning! I'm glad you were feeling so good. What are you growing in your garden?

We are just growing tomatoes and beans. We are growing the garden for production mostly and not variety. We planted a ton of tomato plants and not quite as many beans. We will can them all in the fall and then next year we will plant a ton of beans and not as many tomatoes. Beans and tomatoes are the two vegetables we like to can.

Oh I'm SO glad you were able to shake those pains and feel good today!! Plus 'running' errands - amazing! :)

You're really doing well with your running. I hope you're having a fun day.

SO glad you had an amazing run this morning! I agree about the track, doesn't ever seem that far to me. Keep up the good work!!

enjoy the break! i don't think i'd complain about it too much either.

The break will be good for you. Have fun with your kids at the track. That's a good idea. I'd come join you, but I've got to tend Cade tomorrow night.

Great job motivating yourself to get out and run. I used to take my kids and run at the track when they were small. They'd keep busy climbing all over the bleachers.

Enjoy your sleeping in the next few days!

Glad you got out there anyway! You're still doing great!

oh do I EVER know that feeling! Enjoy the 'forced' break :)

my goodness! you are worrying me. way to get in 3.5 miles. take it easy... there is nothing wrong with walking for 45 minutes in the morning rather than runnng.

KP- No need to worry. When I hurt, I stop. It is just annoying is all.

That sucks Michelle...where do you feel the pain?

vinh- the pain is about an inch lower then my belly button but on the left side. It is pregnancy related but I don't know exactly what it is, I just know that it only comes when I run.

That sounds like good advice. You're doing a great job with keeping the running going. Have fun in Utah next week.

I'm glad to hear the pain isn't anything bad and you can run if you want to.

I imagine running pregnant would make any distance seem like more than twice the effort.

Hey, are you going to run in Utah?

Wow! That's just the opposite of me today. It must be opposite day.

I'm glad you made it safely to Utah. Congratulations on an excellent run.

ahhhh... isn't mama wonderful?

hope you're enjoying your visit!

I suppose you can't feel great every day. Maybe you'll feel great again tomorrow.

I think your parents should move to Colorado. That would be fun.

are you still in utah?

It's funny how you don't want to run until you do it, and then you enjoy it and are glad that you did it. I have that experience frequently.

I feel the same way EVERY day! I just always have to think about "you'll feel good when it's done!" Only thing that keeps me going most days. Keep up the good work!