I’ve been running a bit lately for cardio, mostly indoors on the treadmill, but also–don’t faint now!–outside.

I know, I know, I’ve been a hardcore treadmill gal for nearly two years now. Running outside in Florida is really one of the most unpleasant experiences known to mankind between the humidity, heat, and mosquitoes, but what I’ve discovered this week is that 7 AM in early March is ideal for leisurely running in Orlando, particularly when you live in a safe, suburban neighborhood like mine.

I ran Eagle Circle yesterday at an easy 6 mph pace. The first 5-10 minutes were as unpleasant as I remembered from my last attempt at the circle, but after that, I think I actually got into a nice running groove. Mind you, I never reached the mythical runner’s high, but at least I wasn’t physically laboring with each step. I finished up in a bit over 34 minutes, which got me curious about the actual distance traveled.

A quick Google search brought up my new favorite fitness-related site: Map My Run (http://mapmyrun.com)

(Eagle Circle run = 3.51 miles)

For the uninitiated, Map My Run uses Google Maps technology to let you place route markers along the route you run right on the map and automatically calculates the distance for you, which is quite handy when trying to train for particular distances and calculate your average pace. Incidentally, if you enter your basic information, MMR will indeed do those calculations for you. If you create an account, you can even save your favorite routes and share them with others.

I’m sure my fascination with the site will be short-lived. As soon as the weather gets hot again, I’ll be back to my treadmill hamster ways, but for now, I’m tickled fuschia about the fact that the run from my house to Mommy and Daddy Wang’s place in the next subdivision is exactly 5k round trip.

My folks are going to start seeing a lot of me in the mornings. :jester:

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3/7 Report
(*Diet and workout details omitted by agreement with trainer)
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Nutrition:

Meals - On plan
Water - 18 cups
Supplements - On plan

Regular (Non-Plan) Daily Supplements - multivitamin with iron, calcium 600 + D

27 days down, 57 more to go!

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Workout:
Weights - Done; Cardio - Done

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The Awful Truth:
1. Nothing!

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Brownie Points:
1. Ran Eagle Circle.
2. Didn’t walk or stop during the run.
3. Mapped a few other routes in my neighborhood.

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Short-term Goals:
1. Work on paper doll sketches.
2. Set up archived version of The Training Journal forum at PDB from Hershey Girl’s backup.
3. Upgrade Wordpress to 2.0.
4. Transplant two tomato vines and plant Swiss Chard.
5. Finish taxes.
6. File receipts and statements.
7. Organize office.
8. Deposit checks at bank.