Tennis Cross Trainer

I was in a pretty foul mood when I got home from work today.  I think it's because I've cut my calorie intake at lunch and, despite trying to eat almonds and dried apple and cranberries to supplement a bit in the afternoon, I was still hungry when I got home.  A hungry Steph is a cranky Steph! 

Rob and I planned on doing some studying before playing tennis today and, let me just tell you, I was SO not feeling it!  I'm not really sure why exactly, the math problems weren't difficult, I just think it was that ugly mood (and maybe some of that hunger) rearing its head again.  Needless to say, after about 20-25 minutes of trying to struggle through the lesson, Rob gave up and we ended up just going to play tennis to work out that...well...whatever it was. 

It was an easy easy day.  I did try to make a concerted effort to catch the shots before they'd double bounce (unlike last time), but if he hit an incredible shot that I probably wasn't going to get to anyway, I didn't stress it.  In terms of fitness, a really good cross training work out for about 40 minutes.  In terms of my tennis skills?  Not so good!  My forehand shots would either hit the net or come off the end of the racket very flatly.  I'm pretty sure I kept trying to hit the ball when I was still too far away from it, which is a little weird.  And my backhand, usually my best shot, was totally off today!  I did have a couple of sweet backhands, but for the most part, it was not a good day to try and display my tennis prowess!  Still, I got out there and had some fun and got a little workout in!  I'll take it!     

A Weighty Issue

I'm so excited this morning that I just had to share!  While my main goal for this running venture I've embarked upon is fitness and a healthy lifestyle, a secondary goal is weight loss.  When I started out, I had a good 20 lbs that I should lose with an added 10 lbs that would bring me to my ideal weight.  I have to stress this, I haven't been super absorbed with the scale since I know my weight will fluctuate due to muscle mass increase (thus adding weight), water weight, etc.  I've been trying to eat better (and lighter) lunches than I used to and just generally make better food choices to help fuel this new activity.

When I have checked the scale lately though, I've noticed that I've lost about 14 lbs in the last 2 months of running.  When I do the math, I'm actually pretty surprised!  I didn't realize that I'd lost that much already! Alright!!

Well, today I finally fit into a babydoll t-shirt I've been dying to wear since I got it for free from work!  It's a really goofy Japanese Popeye t-shirt but it's always been too snug in my mid section so I couldn't ever wear it.  But today!  That's what I've got on!  Woohoo!  And it actually looks really cute!  I need to remember moments like this for the future whenever I get discouraged.  It's little things like this that make it all worthwhile!

Going the Distance

Pertinent Stats:

Distance: 3.08 miles
Time: 42-44ish minutes?
Plan: Run 2.5 miles straight with no walking breaks

Today's run was about proving something to myself.  After what felt like an awful run on Saturday, I had to come out of the gates on fire.  While I wasn't exactly on fire today (note my time above), I just tried to be as consistent as possible while running as long as I could without stopping.  I'm still unsure about my actual time since I completely forgot what time I left the house by the time I got home, which is too bad.  Also disappointing is the fact that I do know that it was over 40 minutes.  I don't really understand how, when I'm running longer than I've ever run without breaks, I still manage to go slower than when I take a good amount of walk breaks.  I know I'm no speed demon out there, but do I really run slower than I walk??

Let's break it down, shall we?  I started off by walking 5 minutes as a warm-up.  I then ran for what I'm guessing was about 18.5 minutes, which equates to 1.5 miles and a little over a 12 minute mile.  (That seems about right, for what I've been running so far.)  I took a walking break for about 4 minutes, though it could've been longer I guess.  I ran this uphill segment for about a minute and slowed to walk again for another 2 minutes before finishing with a 6.5 minute running segment and 6 minute walk back home to cool down.  I guess that really does work out to that time total.  That seems a little discouraging, but I need to keep focusing on the fact that I ran farther today at one time than I have since I was probably 19 or 20.  When you think about it that way, it's pretty uplifting!  If nothing else, it's progress!  (I know I also need to keep in mind the fact that I'm incorporating both the warm up and cool down walking periods into my time, which probably shouldn't be.) 

It certainly wasn't easy though.  I wasn't but probably a minute or two into the run when my right shin started burning.  I figured I just didn't stretch it enough and I hadn't run in a couple days so it probably just needed a little time to settle in.  The shin pain eventually went away only to return toward the end of the first long running segment (which was actually the reason I stopped short of the goal distance).  I also had to keep distracting myself again.  There were segments that I had to keep inwardly reciting, "Just keep putting one foot in front of the other, one foot in front of the other, one foot IN FRONT OF THE OTHER!!"  At times, I would catch myself feeling really tense and really just loathing what I was doing.  It was then that I would gently remind myself, "Steph, this is supposed to be fun!  Remember?  You like this!  This is fun!"  Once I did, I would relax my shoulders and arms as well as my legs and I would feel better for a little while.  I guess this is an initial really major thing that I'm learning: that I really can talk myself through the run and push myself farther.  I know I still have a long way to go with this, but I think that may be the most encouraging part about today's run for me.  I'm starting to learn to handle the mental aspect better!  Hooray!  If I can conquer that, then I can conquer this running thing after all!

Oh yeah, and just in case anyone's keeping track, Moby is not good running music!

COMING UP: Greater Maitland 5K (11 days!)      

TO DO: Buy Nike+ Sportwatch (Just found out my company will reimburse me for it! So excited!!)

Rain Delay

My plan for today was going to be to try and run 2.25 miles straight, as well as I could.  However, mother nature has other plans.  On my way home, I noticed some ominous dark gray clouds to the west of our house and was worried about the run being scrubbed.  Sure enough, while sitting at the traffic light right before our house, there was a pretty huge lightning strike not far away.  I was initially disappointed but figured I would get home and wait a little bit to see if maybe the storms went in another direction or simply didn't materialize at all.  Waiting proved to make things even worse.  So...I guess my training for the week will be pushed back by a day, unfortunately.  I mean, as much as I was dreading the run today, part of me really wanted to get through it so I could put the crappy run of Saturday behind me.  Now, I'll just have to wait another day to make that happen, ugh!!  I'm not good at waiting! 

Dead Legs

Well hello again, blogosphere!  Haven't updated since Wednesday, so here we go!

Since I've been under the weather lately, I decided to give myself Thursday to just relax and rest up.  This proved to be a fortuitous decision as yesterday (Friday), I ended up walking for a little more than 3 hours as my husband and I went to the opening night of Universal's Halloween Horror Nights (HHN)!  Since this year marks the 21st year that HHN has been going on, the theme was Lady Luck:

A gem, ain't she?!

We had a great time as we were led through a tour of all of the haunted houses, scare zones and shows available.  Because we were with the media, we had access to the media lounge that had tons of delicious free food and beverages!  It was definitely a great time!  However, as we dragged our tired butts (and my very dead legs) into the house around 1 a.m., I kind of figured my run would be postponed to Sunday morning instead so I could get some sleep.  But, no!  I ended up waking up ridiculously early for some reason, so I went running this morning to get it out of the way for the weekend!  Yay me!

I don't know if not getting much sleep, being sick or all of the walking last night has anything to do with it, but today's run was an absolute struggle.  During my runs, I often think of what I might say in the blog afterward.  It usually starts out as something hopeful and encouraging, however, by the end of the run, it's all doom and gloom, hellfire and brimstone.  Today was every bit of that, if not more!  I started my run this morning later than I would like for a Saturday morning run, which meant that the sun was well above the horizon when I started and the heat was becoming oppressive.  It didn't help matters that it rained really hard last night, which created a nice thick steam blanket to run through.  Miserable!

I did a tad over 3 miles today, total.  Total time was a very sluggish 44 minutes.  My plan for today was supposed to be to run 2 x 10 minute segments with 3 minute walking breaks in between.  Unfortunately, that ended up changing a little as the run progressed.  To warm up, I walked briskly for about 4-5 minutes.  I did the initial 10 minute segment, feeling really good and as if I could run longer if I had wanted to (though the 10 minutes ended in the middle of a long uphill segment, so I chose to stop and walk).  In retrospect, I feel like maybe I shouldn't have stopped because I was doing a really good job in that initial segment and stopping kind of helped me lose steam.  The progress ended up being pretty much downhill from there.  My next segment was only 6 minutes before I needed to stop and walk and the following running segment was even shorter at 4 minutes.  I did a 2 and a half minute run segment and then shorter 1 minute run segment before doing a walking cool down the rest of the way.  All told, I have to admit that I'm disappointed in myself today.  Yes, I got out and ran.  However, I don't like the fact that I couldn't stick to my training plan.  I'm also discouraged by the fact that I was unable to push through the wall that I hit in that second running segment.  It's a similar wall to what I hit during the 5K.  It felt like the sun and heat were getting to me, my legs were tired and my breathing was uncontrolled and strained.  It was just not a good feeling at the finish and, frankly, it made me feel like a pansy.  I'm tempted to justify it away as stemming from sickness, HHN, etc.  But, if I'm to go down this running path even further, shouldn't I take responsibility and own up to the fact that maybe I just let myself off the hook too easily today?

I'm not really sure what to make of this.  Regardless, I'm still satisfied that I got out there and ran.  Next time, I'll just have to do better!  Training's never going to go exactly as planned, but there's always the next run to improve and prove to myself that I can do better!    

Back In the Habit

After some time spent away at my favorite beach, I have returned!  And what better way than to do a tempo run today?!  Let's start with where I left off before the trip...

Pretty much the exact view from our room! I miss it already!!

Last week got all kinds of messed up toward the end of it because of a few things (including the trip).  I ended up taking both Thursday and Friday off but I ran 3 miles on Saturday morning with my husband and little brother just prior to heading out.  It was a good run -- I was able to make it to 8 minute segments with just 3 minutes in between for walking breaks.  I spent the rest of the day on Saturday and almost all of it on Sunday at the beach swimming around and just generally relaxing.  It was such a nice time with beautiful weather that coming back was a tough reality check for me.

Would you really want to leave this place either?! It's heaven!!

I ran on Monday evening, another 3 miles.  Not having a clear training plan in mind, I kind of just tried to stick with what I had done Saturday.  According to my previous training plan, I was supposed to run a full 2 miles on Saturday and then walk/run the final mile.  However, since I took both Thursday and Friday off, I decided to go with the plan that should've happened on Thursday if I hadn't skipped the run.  I'm pretty sure I just made something up to justify not having to face trying to run 2 entire miles straight.  That prospect really makes me nervous to even think about trying, what if I fail?  I have a bunch of friends of varying fitness levels but they all still tell me that they are running consistently without having to stop to walk, which kind of intimidates me.  It makes me wonder if I'm just weak or, worse, not really a runner after all?  I'm trying to put those thoughts out of my mind and tell myself to be patient, the running will come in time.

Today's run was fantastic!  Despite being sick with some sort of cold/flu/yuckyness and not wanting to do anything but sleep, I got out there and did a tempo run!  Rob (my personal trainer and, ahem, husband!) took me through a series of fartleks over 2 miles.  I had never done fartleks before so I wasn't really sure what to expect, but I pretty much just tried to go as hard as I could.  I really want to elongate my stride and help my pace.  We started by doing a brisk 4 minute warm-up walk, then I ran at about 70% for 3 minutes before walking for 3 minutes.  I then did a set of 3 fartleks for 30 seconds with slow jogging breaks in between before walking again for 3 minutes and doing a second set of fartleks with jogging breaks.  All told, it was a great workout and really helped me feel that I can make progress on my stride and pace!   

I finally got the official chip results from the race and I ended up coming in under 40 minutes which was really exciting for me!  My goal was 40 minutes and to come in under that was really gratifying for me!  It can only get easier from here, right?  I also got a couple of pictures of me crossing the finish line from the front, which was fun to see!

 And last, but not least, I signed up for another race on Monday!  I registered for the Seniors First Turkey Trot here in Orlando on Thanksgiving.  It's a fun run, which will be nice for a change.  I'll just have to make sure to remember to check out the time clock as I pass through it.  I may not really care about my time, but I do like to keep an eye on my pacing as I get closer to the half marathon!   

TO DO: Rest and strengthen a bit

ON THE HORIZON: Saturday easy 3 miler

Full Disclosure

Since this is just a post to say "Yay, I walked 30 minutes today!", I thought I'd throw some personality into it.  Here goes nothing...

I have a confession to make: I like Britney (Spears, in case you needed clarification).  I mean, I've tried very hard throughout the years to dislike her music and dislike everything she stands for.  But, I gotta hand it to her, the girl makes some catchy workout-y tunes!  Today the song, "'Till the World Ends" came on while I was walking and I mouthed almost all of the words.  I even did some moves with my hands, when there weren't any cars driving by.  Yeah, so, that's embarrassing to admit.  But, since I'm being honest here, there ya go.  Britney made my running mix. 

 My second (and maybe even more embarrassing) confession: On walking days, I get really bored.  If a good song comes on (today it was "Crazy In Love"), I will sometimes pretend I'm walking on a catwalk or something just to keep myself entertained.  It's totally ridiculous and silly, but it helps the time go by.  I even make changes to my stride and gait (probably bad for my running form) until I feel like a model.  One of the songs I first started doing this to was "Uprising" by Muse because I saw it last year in the Victoria's Secret fashion show.  I just get sooooo bored, I've even considered busting out a couple of dance moves...but then a car drove by and the impulse was gone.  I'm sure it would've entertained those inside the car though!  I mean, could you imagine someone on the sidewalk dancing around by themselves as you drive by?  So silly! 

There you have it, my friends!  Until next time!

A Strong 3 Miles

Today is, oh, let's see...Week 6, Day 27 of training. (If my count is correct?  I'm starting to lose track)

I ran a touch over 3 miles today with 4 - 5 minute running segments, a 2.5 minute and 3 minute segment.  Total running time was a tad over 25 minutes.  In between running segments, I took 3 minute walking breaks.  Total time was an unfortunate 48 minutes.  That's the run by the numbers, but numbers only say so much. 

I absolutely did not want to run today.  Getting home from work, I sat on the couch and got comfortable.  Eventually, I slowly put on my running clothes, shoes, watch, iPod and forced myself to head out the door.  I did a 4 minute walking warm up before starting the first 5 minute segment.  I opted to run extremely slowly today, just to try and stay as comfortable as possible.  Into the first segment, I felt really good.  There was a nice breeze, the sun had ducked behind clouds and I was on a roll.  I did notice that my left hamstring was a little tight, but I kept going and it loosened up eventually.  All told, the first mile went by easily.  The only problem that popped up began after I started walking at the beginning of the second mile: the stomach ache was back.  It would resolve while I ran, but came back when I would resume walking again.  I had more water today and ate a lighter lunch, so I'm honestly not sure what the issue is there.  Regardless, I kept going and ran what I felt was a really strong training run.  The second mile went by without incident but the third mile was tough for me.  According to my Cool Runnings training plan, I only had to run 3 - 5 minute segments so I told myself that anything beyond that would be a bonus.  (Those segments took me into the beginning of mile 3 and then I opted for "bonus time" by shortening the segments a bit when I felt like it.)  Despite the fact that my time was horrible, I'm still happy with the run itself.  It was challenging but I accomplished it and felt really good about my fitness level afterward.   

I'm still toying with the idea of trying to speed walk a mile to get an idea of my walking pace for the Disney Princess half-marathon.  I'm certainly not planning on walking it, but I'm just really nervous about the pacing.  I plan on training extensively for the distance, of course, but I'm worried about remaining on the 16:00 mile pace for the entire race.  I guess I just need to trust that my training will prepare me and look forward to having fun!  Again, I'm just being impatient.  I'm trying to go too far too soon (in terms of my thinking).  Since the half marathon isn't until February 26, 2012, I have more than enough time to prepare myself.  Training for this 15K in November will definitely take me a long way toward getting in shape for the half marathon which will still be 3 months away.  Most half marathon training programs take about 12 weeks, and that's starting from the very beginning, which I shouldn't have to do.  I'm still not sure about a strategy to transition between those two races yet, but I've got time.

For now, one foot in front of the other and just keep going and following my training plans!  According to the Cool Runnings plan, I should be running a continuous 2 miles on Saturday.  However, per the Higdon plan, I should do a total distance of 3 miles.  I'm still not sure how I will work it yet.  I'm not even sure whether I can run 2 full miles at a time, but I'll give it my best and maybe run/walk the third mile.

I'm really proud of myself for today's run!  It went great and I'm relieved! 

TO DO: New music on my iPod!  DO IT!!

OF NOTE: Don't sneak a peak at your watch when tracking running time!  Just keep running!! 

Recovery Workout/Cross Training Session: Tennis!

I originally hadn't planned on doing anything today so that my body could rest and have a chance to recover from the run yesterday.  However, I had a kind of cruddy day at work and Rob approached me with the idea of playing some 'easy' tennis together and I couldn't say no. When we got to the courts, I just wasn't really feeling it.  I was being lazy, letting shots double bounce before returning them, not chasing tough shots, etc.  Every now and then I would turn it on a bit, but I soon found my stomach really killing me.  I still don't know what that's from.  It could've been the lunch I had (which was larger than normal), maybe I didn't drink enough water or maybe my body was just still tired from the day before.  Whatever the reason, about 20 minutes in, I was feeling pretty ill.  I refused to stop playing though and powered through it for another 20-25 minutes.  It was really fun, but I noticed my left hamstring tightening up so I stopped to stretch it a little bit more.  It continued to bother me the rest of the time we played, so I tried to ease up on shots or moves that utilized it.  (That's the last thing I need is to tweak a hamstring during my training for the 15K and ruin all of this momentum!)

This is pretty much what I felt like doing with all of that stomach cramping

For tomorrow's training, I'm going to play it by ear and just see how my body feels.  The original plan was to run a total of 3 miles with alternating 5 minute run segments and 3 minute walk segments.  Though the 5 minutes was pretty tough for me last training run, I think I really need to follow my plan so I can keep building up my fitness level and endurance.  That's the only way I'm going to make it through the 15K and half marathon!  Keep progressing...using baby steps, of course!

TOMORROW'S TRAINING: 5K with alternating 5m run/3m walk segments

TO DO: Check official chip time from the 5K!  Add new music to running list!!     

9-11 Heroes Run 5K

I did it!  I finished the 5K (though, unfortunately, I didn't run the whole time).  The event was really great: very well organized and heart warming.  Prior to the start, we took a minute of silence in remembrance of all who lost their lives on 9/11/01.  There was a speaker on behalf of the Travis Manion Foundation thanking the participants as well as a gentleman who was FDNY and responded to the call on 9/11.  It was moving to hear the personal story of the events from his perspective.  To round out the atmosphere, the color guard was present from the local high school as well as some others, which added to the mood.  Also, there were a couple firefighters that ran in their full gear (with oxygen tank).  I happened to be at the finish line for one of them and it was really awesome to hear everyone start cheering really loudly as she struggled to the finish line.  There were even a couple of people from the crowd that started running with her and cheering her on while they ran to help motivate her!  I thought that was really incredible!  The community of runners is really wonderful and that's just one fantastic example of that fact! 

Oh yeah, and the firefighter chick ran the race in ALL of her gear!!  So impressive!

I allowed myself 2 days rest prior to the race which, in retrospect, may have been 1 too many.  I ran the first mile easily (crossed the 1 mile marker at 12 minutes) and felt good into the second mile.  Then, towards the end of the second mile and into the third I hit the tough part.  I think the reason the first miles were easier for me was: 1) the downhill segment to start the race and 2) the shade throughout most of the first miles.

Picking up my race packet

Making sure my bib is securely affixed to my shirt!

To begin the race, my adrenalin was pumping and I think I paced myself way too quickly (which would come back to haunt me).  I ran 7 minutes straight -- most of the first mile.  I only allowed myself 1m 30s walking segments at a time before starting to run again.  After the initial 7 minute running segment, I could only make it a maximum of 4 minutes at a time thereafter during the race.

So happy before the start of the race!

Beginning of the race, feelin' great!  Nothing can stop me!

My whole plan for the race was basically scrapped because of my start.  Initially, I thought I would just run on and off for 5 minute segments with a 2m 30s rest in between.  I figured that would keep me consistent and strong, in terms of time for my finish.  I also thought that schedule would give me some padding to reach my goal time.  My goal was a 40 minute finish time, which I actually achieved despite throwing myself completely off schedule outright.  I don't have my official chip time yet, but I'm pretty sure it will be almost exactly 40 minutes.  (Due to the number of people at the run, it probably took me about 30s to even reach the starting gate.)

The hardest part was definitely the last part of the second mile and almost the entire third mile.  Once I reached the third mile, I couldn't seem to force myself to run more than a couple minutes at a time.  I tried everything to distract myself mentally, but it didn't seem to matter.  I was gassed.  I allowed myself to walk more than I ran for the third mile with the promise of a strong finish, which I accomplished.  As I got closer and closer to the finish line, I turned off my iPod and listened to the noises of the crowd at the finish gate, cheering on others who were finishing ahead of me.  It was encouraging!  I knew I wasn't far!  I put a smile on my face and started running!  I ended up running the last 3-4 minutes of the run and, upon seeing the time clock, sprinted to finish the race before the clock struck 41:00!

Happily trotting to the finish line!

Finish line!!

Overall, I'd say it was a great race.  When I finished, I was exhausted, but that's the point, right?  I pushed myself most of the way and I was ultimately very happy with my finish time of 40 minutes, considering my previous 5K times in training had me averaging about 14-15 minute miles.  Now, I'm ready to continue my training for the 15K in November (which I signed up for) as well as, eventually, starting my training for the half-marathon (which I also signed up for)!  What am I, crazy?!  I think so!

NEXT: Celebrate the strong 5K finish!

NEXT WEEK: Week 6, 3 mile runs

ON THE HORIZON: October 8 5K

Oh Disney, You are Luring Me In...

...and Mid-Florida MS Society, you're not helping either!!  I got an e-mail today from the MS Society advertising a half-marathon on Saturday, January 7th saying that some of the proceeds will go to MS research and the mid-Florida MS Society.  So, if I did this half-marathon (and finished it, of course!), I would not only get a medal (bling!!), I would be benefiting the MS Society, a cause very close to my heart.

 My dilemma?  The Princess Half-Marathon is late February.  According to all of the research I've done, 7 weeks will be more than enough time for recuperation between half-marathons.  But, I'm a new runner!  I was worried about doing the 1 half-marathon, let alone 2?!?  2?!?!!  Am I falling down the rabbit hole here?  Putting the cart before the horse?  The problem is that the Disney runs always fill up really quickly (the January half is already 65% full!), so I need to decide ASAP and register to reserve my spot in the races if I'm going to do them!  But I'm still entirely untested with any form of distance greater than 4 miles!  That's less than one third of a half-marathon! 

I just watched the video of the Princess Half-Marathon on Disney's website for some inspiration.  It looked harmless enough.  Lots of ladies in fake tiaras, fairy wings and fluffy skirts.  I even noted a few older ladies who were just trotting along, mightily.  Good for them, I thought!  Surely, if an older lady can do it, I can too!?  The video got me pumped up!  I wanted to register right there and then.  But then, there's this voice in the back of my head.  It's the doubt.  Can I really do it?  Even now, my time would be barely below the maximum (assuming I could maintain that pace for an entire 13.1 miles!).  Still, I'm determined!  I really want to do a half marathon and I REALLY want to do the Princess half.

                                                See??  This isn't so scary!  Why, it looks like fun!!

Do I go for it and sign up for both of them?  If I ran the half in January, that would meet my goal of running a half marathon before my 32nd birthday!  There is much to consider, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to sign up for at least one of them.  If I don't sign up for it, I may not get to at this rate! 

                                                                     Oooooh....BLING!!! 

So...

TO DO: Register for a Disney Half-Marathon (& add music to iPod for 5K)    

ON THE HORIZON: 9/11 5K 36 hrs away!

Wednesday Fun Rain Run & Thursday Recovery Walk/Run

I signed up for another 5K: the October 8th 5K!  I figured it's not far from my house and it's almost exactly a month after my first 5K this Sunday, so it's perfect!

I've also decided to go ahead and train for the 15K in November using Hal Higdon's training schedule for a beginner mixed with the Cool Runnings 5K schedule.  So far, I really think the schedule is well laid out...then again, it's only Week 1 of this training schedule.  I have already built up a 4 week running base, but I'm finding that my definition of "easy run" and most other people's (including Mr. Higdon's) ideas are a lot different!  Regardless, I'm still pushing for this as I think it will give me a really good idea of my hopes for doing the half.  I figure, by the next 5K, I should have a much better idea of how I'm doing with running and how well I like it.  I'm hoping that it grows more and more on me.  So far, to be honest, it's really hard and it's rare when I find days that are enjoyable doing it.  There are definitely those breakthrough moments when I just want to open my arms and raise them towards the sky, I feel so inspired.  But, there are also other moments when I have to keep talking to myself to mentally push myself through.  It's not so easy for me.  Lest I think I'm special though, I'm sure that's just how it is and I'll need to get used to it!

My new schedule officially began on Wednesday with a 2.5 mile run that took 37 minutes total, in the rain!  I am so grateful when I get caught in the rain during a run, it's a nice reprieve from the oppressive heat of Florida!  I walked for about 4 minutes to warm-up (this is included in both the time and the distance, as far as pace is concerned) and then followed this pattern: Run 3 minutes, Walk 1.5 minutes, Run 5 minutes, Walk 2.5 minutes; twice through.  While the first 3 minutes seemed to go fairly well, the 5 minutes seemed to stretch on and on.  I tried not to think about it and to just run, but it would seem, I am not that tough mentally.  I kept having to try little tricks or gimmicks to distract myself from thinking about the time that had elapsed.  It only got worse when the second batch of 3 and 5 minute runs came along.  See?  This is why I doubt myself about the distance thing!  If I can't even run for 5 minutes without peeking at my watch to see how much time is left, how in the world can I expect to run for miles at a time??  [This is precisely when I'm supposed to say to myself: "Baby Steps!  Remember?"]  After the run, I determined that running is simply mind over matter.  It's all mental, which is probably why it's been so hard for me in the past.  I can't seem to get out of my own head...ever.  It's weird because there will be days when I have no problem distracting myself and simply zoning out.  But on the days when I'm firmly rooted in the reality of the situation, I wonder why it can't be more like the 'zone out' days?  Why does it have to be so tough to just put one foot in front of the other??  And, I think I've figured out where the challenge lies.  It's not the physical: my body can do it.  It will do it.  It's the mental: my brain has to TELL my body to do it!  (And, for some reason, it just never wants to relay that message!)  Out of that run, though, I found that I could push farther.  That's what counts: Progress!

 Today, on the other hand, was an easy day.  I just took a quick 30 minute walk and then did some strength training after I got back.  I started using a can of soup as a weight since I don't have any actual weights.  This website I found claims that a can of soup is all you need, as a runner, for effective strength training.  I'm not used to this.  Usually, when I would weight train, I tried to max out to fatigue my muscles.  This seems more like a form of endurance weight training.  It's odd.  But, the nice lady on the website says it works, so I'll try it!  

TO DO: More new music on the iPod for the 5K!

ON THE HORIZON: The weekend....AND the 5K! (And the celebration after I complete it!)      

Proposed Upcoming Race Schedule

I sat down today and gave thought to what upcoming races I would want to do for the rest of the year.  At first I thought I would keep it to one 5K per month.  Then, as I continued looking at the schedule I thought, hmm...maybe I could do two per month -- you know, if they're good 5K's.  Then, as I kept reading through the list of races, I saw a 15K race that was definitely way too soon for me to be registering for, BUT, I saw that everyone who finishes gets...a MEDAL!!  Knowing that this particular race would be too soon for me to ever be ready for, I put it out of my mind and kept checking out other listings.  It was then that I found a race where you could run a broken 15K and you would get a medal, too!  And, the race is in mid-November, the PERFECT amount of time to train for it.    So, now I'm left with a dilemma.  Will I be ready for a 15K in mid-November?  Realistically, I know I'm just being taken in by the idea of getting a medal at the end of the race, but still!  I've been wanting to work towards running a half-marathon anyway and this would really help get to that goal.  It would set a short-er term goal as a stepping stone, almost, toward the half.  I'm still mulling this one.  For now, here is a list of the races that I'm strongly considering for the rest of the year:

September 11, 2011             9/11 Heroes Run (5K) -- Winter Springs, FL -- Signed Up 

October 8, 2011                   Greater Maitland 5K -- Maitland, FL

October 16, 2011                 Komen for the Cure 5K -- Univ. of Central Florida

November 13, 2011              Florida Hospital Founder's Day 10K & 5K* -- Celebration, FL

November 24, 2011              Seniors First Turkey Trot -- Orlando, FL

December 10, 2011              Reindeer Run -- Orlando, FL

February 26, 2012                Disney's Princess Half-Marathon** -- Lake Buena Vista, FL

Pretty ambitious schedule, eh?  Yeah, those are the races that I'd like to complete by year's end, not necessarily the ones that will happen.  (Frankly, though my work compensates me towards fitness stuff, I'm not even sure whether or not I have the money for these.)

It would seem that, at this point, I need to thin out the schedule a little bit and refocus.  Additionally, I was just thinking that, if I am training for the 15K, a few of the races in October may interfere with that training as the long runs for those weekends are supposed to be about double the 5K race length.  Theoretically, I guess I could just run the 5K course twice to get my training in, but what are the chances that I will actually do that??  And, really, I need to look at my long term goal and see what will really mesh with that before I sign up for too many things.  I think there may be a training class starting in October for the half-marathon, so I may need to find out more information about that prior to committing to these things.

This is so typical of me though.  I find something that I really want to do and I immerse myself 1000% in it and end up getting way ahead of myself.  I've really tried not doing that this time, but...here I go again.  I'm too impatient!  I just can't seem to take those baby steps I kept telling myself about previously.

*The race features a "Distance Dare" where you run the 10K first before starting the 5K with the other 5K participants.  Those that finish this 15K distance receive a finishers medal for the race.

** My ULTIMATE goal!   

A Laborious Labor Day

While running today, I decided that I really need to try and be more organized about keeping track of my runs.  Rather than simply tracking the amount of time I can run before having to walk, I thought I should track the distance that I travel more closely and the time it takes me, in total, to traverse it.  This being the case, today's run took me 2.5 miles in 40 minutes.  It seems discouraging when I think about it, but I have to remember that 40 minutes includes my 3 minute warm-up walk and a 3-4 minute cool down walk.  (Which ultimately brings the distance of the actual 'run' part down, but...oh well.) 

Today starts Week 5, Day 21 of training.  Okay, so I forgot to check on my updated training plan before I left the house and I improvised.  I pushed myself to run a full 3 minutes at a time.  I only had to cut that short twice, which should make me feel pretty good.  But, I'm actually not so sure how I feel right now.  Part of me is just relieved to be done with the run, part of me is proud of myself for completing it and part of me is wondering why I don't feel better right now?  It seems like the same old thing almost every time the timer on my watch indicates that it's time to start running, I think: "Oh great....here we go again."  And I feel like, at this point, maybe I should start to be feeling more accepting of the fact that my walking/rest break is over and it's time to start running again.  Am I pushing myself too hard?  Is that why I seem to be mentally railing against the running?  I have no way of answering this.  Whether or not I really want to run, I do it anyway.  But, I guess it just bothers me that I haven't reached the point where I'm doing this because I like it.  Almost the entire time, I have to force myself to do it because it's good for me and because I need to keep progressing.  That just doesn't seem right.  But, I am new at this and I'm hoping this will change, in time?   

It also doesn't help that today's run had me out there at 11:30am in a very hot sun.  Not the smartest time to go running, but I wanted to sleep in for a change and I didn't want to wait to do my run until later in the day as I figured it wouldn't happen. 

I guess I just feel a bit confused by this running quest of mine right now.  I'm still not able to run a mile without stopping.  Only about 1/5 of a mile, at this point.  I'm staring down the barrel of the 5K on Sunday and am just hoping that I can continue to keep my chin up and be proud of myself.  And, most importantly, to BE PATIENT!

TO DO: Sign up for 5K's in October, November and December.

OF NOTE: Pat on the back for 4 weeks of training completed!

Saturday 4-miler

Didn't get a chance to post yesterday after I finished my morning 4 mile run, so here we go! 

I started with just a brief 3 minutes walking warm-up and, it seems, I felt it throughout the first mile.  My legs burned early on and it was tough for me to run farther than 1m 30s at a time (but I forced myself to run until the 2m mark).  I got out earlier than usual, which was nice since I was able to avoid the intensity of the sun (for the most part) during the run. 

Throughout mile 2 and 3, things seemed to get easier actually.  My legs felt much better and I was able to run easily into the 2m mark.  There were a few times, however, that I would take an extended walking break of 3m to recover before I began running again.  However, that only happened about 3 times during the middle 2 miles and I was able to cut that out later in the run. 

A big problem that I began noticing started in my 3rd mile: chafing.  My inner thighs and underarm areas experienced chafing from my running clothes.  And today, I still have little patches that (luckily) aren't as sensitive as yesterday, but still are noticeably painful when touched.  Needless to say, I may have to invest in some Body Glide if I continue to run longer and longer distances.  This was the first time I'd ever noticed chafing being a problem but I've heard runners talk about it as a major issue for them.  For now, we'll  just see how things go in the future to determine whether this will be necessary for me or not. 

I talked with a personal trainer yesterday about my training routine and he suggested I work in some strength training twice a week.  He agreed that it would help me with endurance, stabilize my joints (I've started to notice a little aching in my right knee during my runs) and it would ultimately help with my times.  While I'm not really concerned with my running time, it would be nice to progress beyond where I am now in hopes of reaching my long term goal of running the half marathon.  All I need to finish the half marathon (besides a heck of a lot of endurance, patience and determination), is to be able to maintain a 16 minute/mile pace.  If I can't, then I'll get picked up and shipped back to the starting line...in shame.  I guess this means that I'll need to join a gym again so I have access to the weights and even a treadmill in the event it is lightning out.  Running on treadmills is miserable, I loathe it, but I'll get it done if it comes to it.  In essence, he suggested that doing weights on Mondays and Thursdays would probably work best with my current running training.  That way, I'd have a rest day on Friday before my long run on Saturday morning.  Whenever I finally do join the gym, I'll let him know what types of weights are available and he's going to put together a routine for me to follow, which is great!  I'm really lucky to have someone so knowledgeable who's willing to help me!

I'm glad I've got 4 weeks under my belt now and about 40 miles (give or take).  Honestly, when I started, I wasn't sure I would even get this far.  I was worried that I would sign up for the upcoming 5K, intend to train, train for maybe a week and then just show up at the 5K and do whatever I could to finish.  BUT, I've surpassed what I thought I would be capable of doing and that's a pretty good feeling.  It makes me think that maybe this half-marathon goal IS doable after all! 

STILL TO DO: New Music on my iPod

OF NOTE: 4 miles took me 62 minutes. 

Day of Rest!

Normally, on these 'rest' days, I end-up feeling really guilty and lazy for not doing anything.  Despite knowing better, I still want to go out and exercise and do, at least, something!  But, not today, my friends!  It's pretty clear to me that my body needs this particular day of rest after tennis yesterday.  I'm pretty sure practicing all those serves helped me pull 1 of the 4 stabilizing rotator cuff muscles because today, my right shoulder is aching!  It hurt just to pick up a can of soda this morning!  Whoops!  (Note to self: Next time, not so many serves!  And next time: STRETCH much better!) 

I am pretty happy to report that my legs feel good though and I didn't have any tweaks to my back, as I did after Sunday's tennis-ing!  Hooray!  Progress! 

This is a day of rest I will gladly accept and enjoy! 

STILL TO DO: New Music on iPod

OF NOTE: I can't believe it's Labor Day Weekend already!  9 days to go until the 5K!

Thursday Tennis Training

                                              (I WISH I could look like this playing tennis!)

Rob (the hubby) was kind enough to oblige me in playing a little tennis tonight, which was lots of fun!  We didn't play a serious game or anything (I'm still trying to get my stroke back after having been absent from tennis for a number of years), but it was still a really good time.  There were a few times that I thought I had him for sure with some fairly powerful, well-placed shots, but he's WAY too fast and managed to run down the shots every single time, that jerk!  I was robbed!  (But, to be fair to him, he's definitely extremely athletic!  I'm impressed that he can easily jump, with both feet together, over the net, landing relatively gracefully on the other side!  You have to respect his athleticism!)  He tried helping me work on my forehand more and I worked to build my serve up again throughout.  I'd say, "I'm getting better!" but, there really wasn't anywhere for me to go but up after tennis on Sunday!  Still, it was encouraging to know that I'm not totally a lost cause when it comes to tennis!  There really is hope for me yet! 

We played for about 45 minutes, after he led me through some dynamic stretches and quick court jogging exercises.  After we finished with tennis, we went swimming to cool down.  I'd love to claim this swimming as additional physical activity, but alas, I pretty much just floated around, face down, in the water.  Since it had rained quite a bit recently, the water was more refreshing than normal and my beet red face needed some soothing!

Altogether, I'd say a pretty good cross-training session for me and lots of fun!  A nice break from just walking around my neighborhood!  Also, this weekend, I will need to work on getting more music on my iPod.  This "Running" mix I put together was great, but now it's starting to get a wee bit repetitive!

TO DO: New music for iPod "Running" mix!

ON THE HORIZON: Saturday 4 miler (I'm REALLY nervous!) 

9/11 Heroes Run 5K

I realized that I never mentioned my most immediate goal in my prior posting.  I signed up for a 5K on 9/11 in honor of the 10th anniversary of, well, 9/11!  I still remember exactly where I was on that day (as does almost everyone, I would imagine).  It just seemed to have an extremely profound effect on me.  I was living in the D.C. suburbs (turns out, I shopped at the exact same grocery store as some of terrorists did and lived in the same apartment complex, without ever knowing it) and had a bunch of friends living in the NYC area, so it just seemed particularly chilling.

I'll be running the 9/11 Heroes Run in a suburb of Orlando and my goal is to run as much of it as possible.  I've got a good friend who will be joining me who runs 5K's in 23-26 mins.  But, she's definitely what you'd call a runner!  I'm guessing my pace may be more like 45 mins, though I'm sincerely hoping for a little better than that.  This will be my first true 5K. (In the past, I signed up for one with some friends, but I cut through the course because I was bored.  I know, I know.  Lame!)  Wish me luck!       

Breakthrough Run!

(Written yesterday)

I've been feeling pretty down the last few days, for a multitude of reasons: not pushing myself hard enough, not being able to run for long enough, still not seeing much (if any) change in the way I look and certainly no change on the scale. It's been rough and has led me to start questioning the possibility of my long term goal: the half marathon.

I totally just felt like I was having so much trouble even running for 1/4 mile, that there was NO WAY I'd be able to eventually run or even just run/walk 13.1 miles! BUT, baby steps! (This MUST be my mantra from now on, to prevent me from getting discouraged!) BABY STEPS!! Just put one foot in front of the other and GO! Don't over think! Don't analyze! Just. Freaking. GO!

Today is Wednesday, Week 4, Day 18, of my running training. I've accumulated 3 outfits, a shoddy water belt and a pretty sweet watch as 'rewards'. (Truthfully, the first outfit was the only one meant as my reward, but my mom bought me the other stuff as a supportive 'we're proud of you' type of reward, so I'll take it!) Plus, the watch is SUPER helpful for me to track my times.

The running skinny: My routine has been previously M/W/Sat: Run for 30 mins+, with Saturday being the "long" run. I also walk 30 mins on Tues/Thurs and Fri/Sun are my "rest" days.

This past Sunday, I actually ended up playing a punishing tennis game with Paula and Karl. Wasn't a full game, as we had to start dinner, but a good 1st set. (In terms of exercise, we got our asses handed to us and only won 1 game.) Monday, I still ran though, but I did take it easy on myself. I found I could only run for about 45s - 1 min at a time, which left me feeling quite lame. I'm thinking this may be because my pacing was too fast as I was around lots of other people and wanted to appear better than I actually am? Ego? Yeah, I've got one. Not very good! Tuesday, I walked for about 25 mins around the neighborhood. Not a particularly swift walk, but still, at least something!

Today's run was great! I ran straight through our other neighborhood, (encountering an absolutely adorable dog waiting for me in the middle of the sidewalk) up the road and into the back looped, densely forested (which I love), subdivision and back through to our house. I really pushed myself today so that I could prove to myself that I'm doing better than I give myself credit for. Prior to the run, I decided that I wanted to change my training routine. I don't like the Galloway method I'd been using, it seemed too elementary. It was good to start with, helped me get going, but now I feel like I need something more challenging to push myself. Otherwise, I started to feel like I was stagnating and, actually, starting to move backward. So, I found a new training regimen through Active.com a Cool Runnings Couch to 5K plan. It seems to help get you running farther for longer. (I'm already behind schedule, according to that training schedule, but I'm fine with that since I'm still moving and getting out there!)

So, today I was able to run for about 2 mins at a time (which is actually a tremendous improvement, for me! and then I walked for about 90s, as determined by the new plan. I did this for a duration of about 42 mins, total. Afterward, I felt awesome! For being as down as I have been, this run was able to push me past all of that stuff and help to work through the frustration I felt toward the end of the day at work, as well as those silly 'down' feelings. I feel absolutely amazing! Reassured and happy that I pushed so far! I'm going to need this confidence for my upcoming Saturday 4-mile run! That's going to be a killer for me, but I will do it, no matter what! (It'll be the farthest I've run so far, during this training.)  Then, I'll have Sunday off to just relax.

Ending now, but feeling really great and it helped A LOT that I have a great community of runners built up on Facebook that helps me with motivation when I need it. Just remember: BABY STEPS! Way to go, girl!!