Schedule? What schedule?

I've determined that for the upcoming Fox Cities Half Marathon it wasn't even worth it for me to stress out about putting together a training schedule.

Because I haven't followed what I put together.

First off it was super abbreviated. When I penciled in runs on my calendar I think it ended up being 7 weeks. Not a ton of time, but I was OK with that. I figured as long as I got the long runs in and a few runs during the week, I'd be able to handle the 13.1 miles.

Well those mid-week runs? Not really happening as often as I'd like. But it's not because I'm not running, because I am. It's just that the times I do run during the week I've got a few other priorities.

Mainly the long run.

See on the schedule the long run is penciled in for Sunday, but I figure if I get it done Saturday or Sunday it's good. Well. That's my problem. I haven't done a single long run on a Saturday or Sunday yet.

Don't believe me? Week 1 I just skipped the long run all together - it was 5 miles I figured I'd be OK. Week 2 was the start of the crazy heat wave. And while I could have done it on my parents' treadmill, I didn't. So Week 2's long run actually got done on Monday.

And Week 3? Well Saturday it was still crazy hot and humid and I spent most of the day running around after The Rugrats and taking them swimming (think of it as cross training). And Sunday? While it was finally cooler temperatures with no humidity there were some wicked winds to deal with. But I thought I'd just do it Monday, maybe head out to the trail after work. Well, I ended up working late and by the time I got done, I was HUNGRY! So I skipped it.

The long run for Week 3? It got done tonight. On a Tuesday. And even though it was perfect running weather, I had to do it indoors on the treadmill since I wasn't sure if I'd be done by the time it started getting dark. But the 7 miles are done. And that's what matters, right? So here's hoping I get in two shorter runs this week yet and then actually do Week 4's 8-mile long run on either Saturday or Sunday. Because as the runs get longer? I can't imagine doing them after work.

Three Things Thursday

1. Mother Nature. This is getting ridiculous. Temperatures in the low 90s, dew points in the 70s and a "feels like" temperature of 101? Not funny anymore.

2. Given those conditions, I probably shouldn't complain about the massive headache I've got today considering I spent 4 hours outside this morning standing in the sun. Blame it on work. I had to go watch the SWAT team training involving a gunman who takes a ton of hostages on a college campus. I was drenched by the time I was done. Actually went home to take another shower before going into the office. Of course, I shouldn't complain. Have you guys seen the amount of gear SWAT team members have to wear? Poor guys.

3. The headache means no run for me tonight. So I'm hoping to sneak one in before I go into work Friday afternoon. And considering it's supposed to be just as bad again tomorrow, if the run gets done, it'll probably be done indoors on the treadmill. Again. We'll see if it happens.

I have an announcement

So I found myself filling in the blanks and signing up for another half marathon last night.

No. Not the Fox Cities Half Marathon in September. Heck, I still need to register for that one. Which reminds I should really do that sometime soon.

No. Another one. It'll be half marathon No. 3 for me in 2010. And this one? It's not even in Wisconsin.

I'll be going out to Las Vegas with my sister-in-law and some people she knows from work and we'll all be running the Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas half marathon on Dec 5. Should be a good time. I've never been to Las Vegas, so what better way to see the strip than by running 13.1 miles, right? I just hope it's worth the registration fee - a bit pricey for my tastes, but I'm only going to do it once.

Anyone else ever done Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas? Or any other Rock 'n' Roll events? Thoughts?

Oh and for the record. It's still hot. Still humid. Still miserable. So it was another day on the treadmill. This time a four-mile jaunt.

It's summer. I thought I was supposed to get to run outdoors.

Seriously Mother Nature. What have we done to make you so cranky? Because it's been in the upper 80s with dew points hovering in the mid-60s to low 70s for the last week or so. And it's kind of getting old.

Makes running outdoors hard.

Especially when I look at the National Weather Service page at 5:30 p.m. as I'm about to head out the door from work and see that it's 85 degrees, with a 72 dew point and one of those "feels like" temperatures of 95. You don't have to try much harder to get me to skip a run.

But I resisted. Went over to the YMCA and got on a treadmill. Pounded out 6.4 miles to make up for the long run I skipped this weekend. Longest run since Green Bay in May. And first long run of my very short half marathon training program. Legs were starting to get mad at me during the last mile, but kept putting one foot in front of the other. Finished 6 miles in 1 hour, 2 minutes and 30 seconds and tacked on a very slow 0.4 mile cool down.

And even though I did the run indoors, it was still stifling hot. Stomach felt a little queasy at the end. Probably should have hydrated better during the day. But I came home, took a cool shower and ate a light dinner and now I'm just going to relax for the rest of the night.

But Mother Nature? I know the weatherman is telling us this heat and humidity isn't going anywhere this week. But can you change your mind? Weathermen don't mind. They're wrong 90 percent of the time anyway. Thanks.

Showing off my bling

There is a possibility that I'm the last person in Blogland to do this. But on this steamy Sunday in August, I'm taking a few moments to show you folks the bling I've collected. I believe Marlene started off showing us her medal collection and I'm pretty sure every blogger I read has followed suit.

I'm just a little behind.

But my collection. Here it is. I don't display my medals anywhere special. They hang off the edge of the bookcase that sits in the hallway between my living room and bedroom hallway. If people know to look for them, they spot them. Or sometimes the ribbons and medals will catch their eye. Otherwise the medals just kind of hang there. Although I might have to figure something else out since I'm running out of room.

Since the collection is a bit small, I'll take you on a quick tour.

First up, my favorite. It's the medal I got after crossing the finish line at the Green Bay Half Marathon in May 2010. Yeah, the half marathon where I almost cried as I ran the lap around Lambeau Field. The half marathon that marked the end of my battle with The Monster.

And since we're talking about the end of The Monster, we've got to go back to the beginning too. This is the medal I got after finishing the Fox Cities Half Marathon in September 2007. My first half marathon. And it was about 2 months later that The Monster invaded my head.

The Danskin Sprint Triathlon and two Trek Women's Triathlon medals I've collected over the last three years. The one on the left with the green ribbon, that came from the Danskin Sprint Triathlon in July 2008, my very first triathlon. The two Trek Women's Triathlon medals were from 2009 (center) and 2010 (right).

And these are the few age group medals I've gotten my hands on. Three are from the indoor triathlons my YMCA has put on over the last two years, but the one with the skinny red ribbon? That's actually from a 5K, Run for the Paws, that I did last Labor Day with my friend. Granted, it was a really really small race (like 30 people tops), but I was still proud of my age group award.

So those are my medals. Like I said, it's kind of a small collection, but I'm proud of each one. And I'm hoping to add some more bling to bookshelf in the coming months. In fact, stay tuned this week. I'll have an announcement coming up.

Three Things Thursday

1. The nasty humidity we've been dealing with all week has finally broken. So of course I was excited to get outside for a run tonight after work. Too bad that was an epic failure. Blame it on the fact that between noon on Wednesday and 4 p.m. today (a grand total of 28 hours), I spent 18 hours at work and 7 hours sleeping. The other three hours? Getting ready for work in the morning, getting ready for bed last night and I'm not sure what I did during that last hour. A night shift to an early morning shift back to back? Leaves a tired Badgergirl who just wants to go home and nap. But I didn't nap. I just crashed in my recliner and stared at the TV. The run? It'll get done tomorrow.

2. I started a new book the other day, The Way the Crow Flies by Ann-Marie MacDonald. I don't buy a ton of books, instead relying on my local library to get stuff to read. But this is one that I actually own. And since it's been sitting on my shelf since July 2007 (yes, the receipt was stuck inside the front cover), I figured it's probably time I read it. It's a long one though. And given my recent reading slackage, I'm crossing my fingers I finish all 811 pages by the end of August.

3. My Dad is over the moon with excitement. Less than a month to go before he gets to see Lady Gaga in concert. And since I'm his driver, I'll be seeing her as well. And yes, I admit. I'm actually looking forward to it. And speaking of my Dad, anyone have tips on what I can say to him to convince him that it's OK to wait until later in the evening to go for his walk? He likes to come home from work and immediately change his shoes and go for his 3 mile walk. Not usually a problem. But when it's 90, the dew point's in the 70s and he just got done working a long day at the hot mill he works at, I think it might be best for him to wait. Or even skip the walk. Or make use of the treadmill in their basement.

July reading recap

July's reading totals? Yeah. Those would be somewhat pitiful. And even more pitiful when you consider that I spent a week on vacation smack dab in the middle of the month. But at least I read.

The pitiful results? I finished a grand total of one book. Yes. One. As in a single book. I'd feel better if it was at least a monster of a book to finish, but it wasn't. It was 398 pages. So that brings the yearly total to 18 books and 6,607 pages. Kind of eerie, but if you compare where I am this year to where I was at the end of July 2009? At this time last year I had just finished a month when I read one book (apparently July isn't a very reading friendly month) and my yearly totals were 18 books and 6,309 pages. Same number of books, but I've got 298 more pages done this year.

Enough numbers. What'd I read?

Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally

I picked this one up after seeing it on the bookshelf in my room at my parents' house. I've read it once before - in eighth grade before I took a class trip to Washington D.C. where we went through the Holocaust Museum. It was also the same year the movie came out. I wanted to see it, but had to have my Mom take me since it was an R movie and I wasn't close to being 17 years old (or however old you have to be to get into an R movie). I enjoyed it. Actually got a lot more out of it this time through than I did when I read it in junior high. And it reminds me that I find this period in history fascinating. May have to find some other stuff to read on the topic. Suggestions?

Time to stop the slacking

Two months. Two months of limited running.

I really had no excuse. There was no injury. Sure it was kind of hot and humid. And a bit wet - thanks Mother Nature for that 11 inches of rain you gave us in July. And I guess I did put some focus into tri training for High Cliff and Trek Women's. But none of that is any excuse of my fairly infrequent running.

In a perfect world, I would have taken a week or two off to recover from the Green Bay Half Marathon in May. But remember, that was in mid-May. By June 1? I should have been back to a regular running schedule.

I wasn't.

So now I find myself in a predicament where I'm 7 weeks away - 48 days to be exact - from the Fox Cities Half Marathon on Sept. 19. And my longest run since Green Bay? That would be tonight's 4.6 mile jaunt on the treadmill.

But it's a new month. And I've got some new motivation - seriously when you see a number like 48 days staring at you, it'll kick your butt in gear. Starting today I run.

I've got an abbreviated training plan penciled into my calender. I'm aiming for 4 or 5 runs per week with a long run on the weekend. In a perfect world, I would hit 11 miles before half marathon day shows up. But I guess I'd be happy with 10 as well. As for a mindset approaching this half? I'm not out to necessarily hit a PR (although I admit it would be nice), but I'm going to approach it with an attitude that I'm just running it to have fun - which kind of sounds weird. Seriously, when was the last time I ran 13.1 miles for fun?

So that's the plan for the next 48 days. Regain my running mojo. Train for a half. And run it to have a good time (without dying of course). I'm putting it out there so I've got to hold myself accountable now. Help keep me on track guys!