Sunday, October 19, 2008

A Few Pictures from Charm City

I haven't utilized the picture posting abilities of blogger yet, so I figured I would post two pictures from my Relay run. :)

Six of the eight of us who ran on two different Relay Teams representing Health Care for the Homeless. I was a part of team three curls and a mustache, and the other team was three tramps and a lady.





You can tell I was very excited after finishing the race :)

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Baltimore Marathon Relay Race Report

It's DONE! I RAN 6.8 MILES WITHOUT STOPPING!

In the words of one of my favorite TV characters Hiro, "YATA!"

It's taken me a couple of days to really process the race and the accomplishment of running for that long. A mere 3 months ago, I had never ran much longer than a mile straight. Now, I can run over a 10k without stopping. Not at a blistering pace by any means, but running the whole time nonetheless. :) So, here is how my weekend went:

Pre-race

I got into Charm City around lunch time on Friday. I went to my old job and hung out with my friends and tried to remember why I left Baltimore in the first place. I'm still working on that question. ;) Anyway, that evening, 6 of the 8 of us running in the relay went out to dinner at Olive Garden to carbo load with the all you can eat pasta. Delightful! Afterwards, we all headed home to get a good nights sleep. I got up early on Saturday morning and was feeling pretty good. I drank a glass of water and ate an fiber bar. Unfortunately, I my stomach is pretty unsettled in the morning, so the fiber bar was all I was able to manage eating. Probably not the best decision I ever made. A friend from my old softball team came and picked my old roomie and I and drove us down to the race. Our driver was running the whole marathon, crazy thing! Maybe someday. :) Got to the race site and it was insane! Over 17.500 runners were there to either participate in the 5k, relay, half or full marathon. It was around then my stomach started to roll and my intestines decided to hate me. A few trips to the porta-potty later and I was worried about my ability to run the race. My old roomie was running the first leg, so we wished him well and then I walked to the exchange point. I got there in enough time to watch the lead marathoners cross. Those guys were running 5 minute miles! It made me want to get out there and run, but I still had a good while until my roomie got to the exchange point. I was thinking he was going to be running around a 10 minute pace, so I was surprised to see him coming down the hill at the 54 minute mark. He was running 9 minute miles and then I started to get nervous. I ran out in the street to high five him to start my leg and then took off.

Race

The first two miles were a blur. It was almost entirely downhill through the main section of downtown Baltimore and people lined the streets with signs and chants to cheer us on. The whole time in the beginning I was thinking, "This is it! This is what I have been training for! Run, sister, run!" Right about mile three I started to feel my body craving energy. That fiber bar did not last long at all. Thankfully, I hit a banana stand and grabbed two and ate on the run while trying not to slip on the banana peels runners threw in the middle of the street. The next two miles took us over a bridge into Fort McHenry, which I actually never went to while I lived in Baltimore. It was a beautiful place to run, with the only exception being that it was a small path and there were many groups of runners that I had to either pass, or let pass me. It was a bit stressful at times navigating the small path by the water. Once we left the fort, I knew we were 2 miles from finishing. It was also when my body started reminding me the longest I have ever run was 5 miles and I was at that point. My legs started to feel like cement, and my stomach started to make noises. I could see the beautiful skyline of Baltimore getting closer, and I knew I had to do it. I don't really remember much of mile 6, besides that I kept telling myself, "You are a runner! You have ran almost 6 miles and you can totally run the last .8!" I slowed down a bit I know, but I never stopped running. I might have been slow, I probably looked like a penguin, but I didn't stop. Before I knew it, I saw a crowd of people ahead and I knew it was the exchange point. I threw it into high gear and sprinted the last 200 meters looking for my partner. She saw me and jumped into the middle of the street we high fived and hugged and then she took off. I hobbled to the sidewalk where I barely kept myself from tearing up. I DID IT. 6.8 miles and I didn't stop to walk. :D

Post Race

As I walked to the water table, I realized I wasn't even that sore. Sure, I was tired and I needed food, but my knees weren't throbbing and my breathing returned to normal pretty quickly. I ran into a friend from another relay team, and we walked back to the finish line to watch our teams cross and meet up with our other relay members who finished. It was back at the start/finish line where a few of us made the commitment to do this again next year with a slight modification. That modification is that we are all either running the full or half marathon. I opted for the half. So, I barely processed this victory, and now I'm thinking of running 13.1 miles! Am I nuts?!?! :) Additionally, two days after a friend of mine from Baltimore wants to run in a 10k in DC in december and asked if I would run it with him. How can I say no? A guaranteed trip back to Baltimore and a 10k? Sure! Why not?

So, there you have it! I was the slowest person on my team (the last two runners on my team ran at an 8 mile pace), but I'm happy in what I accomplished as was my wonderful relay members :) As a team, we finished the marathon in 4:04, which is pretty awesome! My personal pace was around 11:30 miles, which isn't too shabby at all. Now, we all have nice matching medals and under armour T-shirts to show off. :) I also learned quite a bit during this race too. The first thing being I need to eat a better pre-race meal than just a fiber bar. Not sure what that is yet, but I just know I need to eat more. I also found the value in walking after you finish a race. I probably walked another 3 miles in total after the race, and had very little stiffness the next day. A few of my teammates went immediately home and to nap, and had trouble walking the next morning. All good things to learn indeed.

I haven't been running since the race because I decided to take a few days off. My plan is to try a 5k tomorrow and then start getting back into running three days a week. Gotta keep up for my 10k in December :) My next goal is to try and get my mile average down to a consistent 10 minute pace. I've ran miles that quick, but I haven't strung more than 2 or 3 together. My friends running the 10k in december run at that pace, and I would like to run with them and not slow them down. So, that's the goal. I'm also thinking of investing in some quality running shoes since mine aren't specialized. I think I pronate when I run, so I might look into getting a shoe that can correct that. We shall see. :)

Three months ago I scoffed at people who ran for fun... and now I think i might have become one of them :)

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

I RAN 5 MILES!!!

OK, I know I haven't been the world's greatest at updating lately. I had a couple of bad runs that left me feeling weak, slow, and totally unable to complete my task of 6.8 miles that I've committed myself to this Saturday. Up until today, the most I've ever ran straight was a 5k. I've talked to other members of my relay team who were excited because they've had longer runs, which made me even more nervous of my impending failure. Pretty much, I was in a bad state mentally. Even though I knew I had been training for over two months, I didn't mentally think I could do it.

After work today, I decided it was all or nothing. A last chance run if you will. :) My motto has always been go big or go home, so it was time to apply it to my running. I HAD to prove to myself that mentally, I could go longer than 3 miles straight. I went to the same track that gave me such luck the first time I was able to run a 5k straight. The first miles was really rough - I couldn't get my breathing in any sort of rhythm and my brain was shooting out the signals "Whoa! What do you think you're doing? We are stopping this in the next five minutes, do you hear?" I managed the first mile just over 11 minutes and that gave me enough to hit the second mile, and the hill that came with that mile. I felt like I was moving as quick as a snail, and my breathing still sucked, but I kept going by trying to focus on the sound of my feet hitting the pavement. It seemed to work because eventually my IPod said, "Half-way point - 2.5 miles." That seemed to give my brain the signal that we weren't going to stop until I said we were going to stop. Within a few minutes, I was AMAZED because my breathing actually slowed and my legs stopped feeling like cement. It was almost as if my body said, "Fine, we'll do it your way." I don't think it was a runner's high by any means, but surely a running first for me. I realized at that moment, I was going to make it. I had the capacity to keep going, and I did. I DID. Yata! I'm not going to lie either - when my Ipod told me 5 miles was up (in 55:03, an 11 minute mile average!), I bent over and started to cry. I had thrown such a huge mental wall up that I wasn't good enough, quick enough, or had trained enough to go that long. I FINALLY after 2 months over came all of that. Just in the nick of time too, eh? :)

So, needless to say, I'm stoked about the race on Saturday now. I think I can go a new distance PR and run the 6.8 miles straight! My body can do it, and now I think my mind knows that as well. I will surely post sometime after the race and give you all the low down. This is what I've been training for for a while now, and it's almost here. Wish me luck!!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Finally!

Hello again! I know I sorta dropped off the face of the blogging world for a week and some days. There are a few reasons for this, some which are good and some which aren't as good. The good news: I got a job, yay! I have a new job working at a veterinary office, which will help me make ends meet until I go to grad school in the fall. So, I'm still figuring out what my schedule looks like and readjusting to the working world again. The bad news is that I also haven't run in the last week and a few days. :( Some of this is related to my new job and figuring out when in the world I can run now. The other part of it is that I seemed to go through some sort of post-race running blues where I couldn't bring myself to run. I'm not really quite sure why, or if this is overly common. I just didn't have much motivation after my 5k race.

Eventually, over the past few days I've noticed the runners on sidewalks when I drive home and I've started to feel the push to get back out there. I wasn't sure what kind of momentum I lost by stopping for so long, but I knew that if I wanted any shot of running the 6.8 miles I need to in less than 3 weeks, I needed to get going. So, my co-workers told me of this nice, but hilly, 1 mile loop at a community college down the road from work and I decided to head out that way once my shift was over today. The sun was just starting to set, so it was nice and cool outside. I decided that instead of running to music, which I've learned the playlist so I focus on how many more songs I still need to run through, I played the podcast of the ever fabulous This American Life. I started off with my five minute warmup, and then took off. The first lap wasn't that bad, and I didn't even realize I had gone a mile until I crossed in front of my car again. Not feeling too winded, I decided to keep running and see how far I could go. The second lap was a little harder, but people I had passed earlier smiled at me when I passed them again, and it gave me momentum to keep going. When I passed my car the second time (now running for over 22 minutes, which is the longest I had run continuously prior), I knew that if I could make it around again, I would finally have run a 5k straight. I kept running and listening to Ira Glass and eventually my Ipod told me I had 400 meters left. 400 meters and I would have ran for over 30 minutes straight! I quicken my pace and practically danced when my ipod told me I had ran a 5k!!! I've FINALLY gotten over the mental block of stopping around 15ish minutes and thinking I can't go further. Now, I want to get back out there on Friday and prove to myself that isn't a fluke that I was able to run that long today. Hopefully, I can then up my mileage a bit before my race in October. So, all in all, today was a great running day. :)

Here's to being back on my game!

Sunday, September 14, 2008

First 5k!!!

First 5k is done! Yesterday I ran my first 5k since starting the C25K program a month and a halfish ago. The beginning of the day did not go as planned, however. A brief power outage knocked out my alarm, and thus I woke up with 10 minutes to get ready before I needed to leave for the race. Talk about frustrating and nerve racking! I quickly got dressed and grabbed a bottle of water and a luna bar to try and down while driving there. I got there with a few minutes to spare so I could run to the bathroom and get some stretching in before starting. Needless to say though, I was pretty flustered and had a rock of nervousness in my stomach.

Right at 8 they had us all line up at the start line. It was a pretty small race - just about 200 people it appeared. Most of the people around me looked like seasoned runners and were talking about their various training methods for races much longer than this one. I was a little worried I would bring up the rear, but trying to channel the penguin runner, I just decided to do my best and not kick myself if I didn't run as fast as I wanted.

Well, the gun went and everyone took off. The first 5 minutes were quite exhilarating! I knew I came out running too fast, but I just got caught up in all the energy around me. After about a half of a mile, I started to get winded so I eased up a bit and let the faster runners go by. At the first mile marker, I found that I ran it under 10 minutes! Go me! However, I knew that there would be no way I would be able to continue that pace. They had a water station set up right at the half way point, and that is where I took my first walking break. I really wanted to try and run the whole thing, but I just came out with too much energy. I think, knowing how that feels now, I'll be ready my next race to take it easy in the beginning, and to try and a have that negative split that everyone seems to rave about. So, after the halfway point and a 5 minute break walking break, I took off running again. I decided at that point that my goal was to run the race in under 36 minutes, a feat I had not yet accomplished and would make my mile averages under 12 minutes, which wouldn't be too terrible. I ran until the about the 2.5 mile marker and had to take a walking break again. Next thing I knew, my ipod told me I had a kilometer left and I knew I had to run until I finished the race. So, I took off and vowed not to stop. When I rounded the final corner and could see the finish line, my Ipod told me I finished the 5k, making it probably about 200 meters off of the race distance. So, I hit the button to see how fast I ran the 5k according to my Ipod (since that is what I've been training by) and it said I did the 5k in 34:47!!! I totally blew away the 36 minute mark I couldn't break! My official time crossing the finish line was 35:15, so even that time was under 36 minutes and an official new PR! So, even though I didn't run the whole race, I was a least proud that I was able to get under 36 minutes.

Of course, once the race was over, I wanted to find another 5k to sign up for and try to run the whole thing straight. ;) I think the experience of the first race will give me patience my second attempt to not exhaust myself before the half-way point. Again, it's really amazing how much of running is mental. I just need to pace myself and mentally get over the road block of stopping to walk, and I think I'll be able to run the whole time. Still, overall, not too shabby!

Now, my next race is my dreaded marathon relay - the whole reason I started running in the first place. I need to start scheduling in some longer runs so I can get used to being on my feet for longer than 40 minutes. Monday will start my training for that. Kinda scary, and yet exciting too. :)

Monday, September 8, 2008

The Great Outdoors

So, last Wednesday I went on my run and clocked in a tad over 37 minutes. Not my best, but not my worst. I still seem to hit this mental road block around 15 minutes into running and I just stop and walk. I think if I can just get past the next few minutes, I can run the 5k continuously. I think it will also be helpful when it isn't over 90 degrees outside and humid.

I was also supposed to run on Friday, but Hurricane Hanna messed up those plans. Saturday I was sick and spent most of the morning in bed, which sucked. So, on Sunday, I went to the gym with some family members and discovered, apparently, I'm still an active member. Sweet! This was the first time that I've tried running on a treadmill in a long time. I thought that, perhaps, this would be easier and I would get my first time under 36 minutes and break my average of 12 minute miles. Alas, I think I started off my run too fast (near a 10 minute mile) and got exhausted after 10 minutes. I stopped to walk for a few, and then tried running again. However, I was really bored. There was nothing to catch my attention and nothing interesting on the TVs ahead of me. All I could concentrate on was how slow the clock was ticking down. Alas, I finished the 5k right near my average of 37 minutes. So, I think for me, I'll keep the running outside and the just use the gym for weight training unless there is really bad weather.

Tomorrow and Thursday I'll go running again, and then on Saturday I'll run my first 5k! I'll make sure to post about that afterwords. :) Peace!

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Ah, September!

It's been a few days since I've posted since I was sin computer for a while because apple had to put a new keyboard on my new macbook (it's my luck that I get the one computer in a million that happens to be faulty off the line. Else wise, I love my new mac). Anyway, I ran last Thursday and it wasn't my best run, but it was alright. I was still a bit above 38 minutes for my 5k time. Then, I hiked up grandfather mountain on Friday with my best friend on the most strenuous trail the mountain has to offer. It was a beautiful day and a great way to start the weekend! I love nothing better then the sound of birds chirping and creeks babbling. However, my friend and I didn't start the hike until 2, so we hauled it up that mountain at a blistering pace to get to the top before we had to head back before it got dark. We covered over 7 miles in under 4 hours of strenuous hills and flooded trails. It was an amazing workout. I actually had to buy a new shirt before dinner because my ENTIRE shirt was soaked with sweat and I didn't want to knock people out over dinner with my awesome sweating abilities. :)

So, the start of my weekend was really great, and I was planning on ending my weekend by running the Nike 10k on Sunday. However, when I woke up on Saturday morning, my legs had turned to stone. The crazy hiking and rock scaling that I did on Friday took its toll and walking up and down stairs was tough both Saturday and Sunday. I knew I need some time off for my legs to recoup, so although I really, really wanted to run the Nike 10k, I decided it was best not to since the most important race for me is the Relay in Baltimore in October, and I can't injure myself before then. The good news is that I felt less stiff on Monday and went out for a run, and I ran it under 37 minutes! I ran it in 36:30, which I think is my second fastest time ever. I was pretty happy :) I ran the second mile in 9:30, which is also great that I got a mile under 10 minutes! I should probably start taking out my 5 minute warm-up, since that is a factor in my statistics. I might try warming up, and then running the 5k to see if my times will be better. My other goal for this week is to get back to 3 or 4 runs a week. For the past three weeks, I've only ran 2 or 3 days (granted, I cross-trained some of those days, but I want the consistency of running). So, I'll run tomorrow morning and Friday morning and probably try adding in a long run either Saturday or Sunday depending on which day seems to work better for me. My other hope is that it will start becoming cool again since I'm pretty over this humidity. Although, Hurricane Hanna is brewing in the atlantic and it's path has it coming up through NC, so that might halt a few days of running. Oh, weather.

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

You Think I Would Learn By Now...

Well, I went on a run Monday morning a little later than I normally do, but didn't eat or drink any water before hand. Big mistake. I got through the first mile fine, but about half way through the 5k my legs cramped up on me, followed soon by my intestines, and then my head got fuzzy. It was pretty bad. You would think that after experiencing this once or twice, I would have gotten serious about increasing my water intake and making sure I have proper fuel in my system before running. However, I just hopped out of bed and on the road - I didn't even stretch beforehand. I think 3rd time is a charm though, because I was really miserable and I don't want to experience that again. Hopefully, that is the last time my body has to remind me how stupid I am.

So, I increased my water intake and set a luna bar next to my bed so I could eat it before running this morning. However, before my alarm went off, i was woken up by thunder and pouring rain. In fact, we even had a tornado go through the upper part of my county. So, needless to say, I didn't think it would be the safest weather to go out and run in. The stinky thing is that tomorrow's forecast is much the same. My parents are members of the Y, so I'm pondering perhaps going up there tomorrow and seeing if I can go in as my mom for one day just so I don't miss too many days of running. We'll see.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Intervals Done!

I FINALLY completed w6d2 of the C25K yesterday! It took me three attempts to do it in the 10,3,10 pattern the programs describes. With the first two attempts I ran the first 10 minutes with little problem, walked for three, but then could only run between 3 or 5 minutes before I had to stop again. This time, I was very determined and I would not let myself stop to walk. About 4 minutes into the second run I could feel myself slowing to a stop, but I gritted my teeth and kept going. It really is amazing how much of running is purely mental. My body is conditioned to run 10 minutes straight now, but often I don't mentally believe that.

So, all in all, this run was pretty great. It was my third time getting the 5k just under 37 minutes, and I'm hoping to start decreasing that soon. One benefit of being back home in Raleigh is that there is a beautifully paved greenway path that starts in my neighborhood, and if I run it to the end and back, it is exactly a 5k. Not only that, but there are quite a few people who run on the path, and everyone was extremely friendly. While running at UNC I didn't quite feel that runner's camaraderie, but I sure felt it running in my neighborhood. I don't think I passed anyone without a good afternoon or quick wave with a smile. So, I should have at least 3 or 4 more runs before I try tackling the Human 10k Race next Sunday. I've never ran that long, but I figure this will be a good introduction to being on my feet for over an hour. After all, I need to be running a 10k distance by October 11th, so I'll start adding in a longer run during the weekends here soon. Fun times :)

Also, as a side note, I promised myself a while ago that if I stuck with this running for a good couple of weeks, I would let myself buy a pair of those expensive nike running shorts that look so cool. I've typically been running in shorts from Target that are pretty similar (and much cheaper!), but I do think there is something about dressing like a runner that makes you feel even more like a runner. So, REI (a common enemy to my wallet) started their Labor Day sale yesterday, and on top of buying some new hiking clothes, I bought myself TWO pairs of the Nike running shorts that were on sale. Watch out local trails! I'm starting to look AND think like a runner now! ;)

Monday, August 18, 2008

Getting Back Into the Grove

Today was the first day I've had a good run in a while. I'm in the beautiful carolina blue heaven that is known as chapel hill visiting friends, and it is a fantastic place to run. Although, I was intimated at first by all of the younger runners out in next to nothing that were gracefully jogging through campus like gazelles because I'm not a pretty runner. However, after a while I just forgot about everyone else and went about my way.

I've can't seem to get past W6D2 though. I ran the first 10 minutes and felt great, took the 3 minute walk, and then lasted about 5 minutes before I had to stop and walk again. Considering I took 3 days off and was running a new course, I don't feel too bad about it, but I'm going to try and stick to running the second 10 minute leg consistently on Wednesday. I'm not sure if I'll ever entirely phase out walking, but after talking to many people that have been running for years about the subject, many suggest that I might actually run faster by talking walking breaks. Another friend I know that is running in the relay is doing a run 4 minutes/walk a minute plan to get through the 6 miles of the relay, so I for sure won't be the only one doing a run/walking approach. We'll see.

As for today, it was the second time that I got my 5k under 37 minutes, so I am feeling pretty good about that. I'm hopeful that I'm starting to settle down and find routine in my life again after the crazy last week and half of disorientation. Finding a job would still be a helpful way to make me feel more settled though. :P Alas!

Friday, August 15, 2008

Beach Running?

Well, today is the first day in three days that I've been able to get myself out the door and running. I had great ambitions of running down the beach with a beautiful breeze and a nice sunrise. However, before I left the door I had a few things against me. The beach we are on is a small island that is only accessible by the residents staying there. So, this means there are lots and lots of shells on the beach... and in the water. So, over the course of a few days, I have sliced my both of my feet open. Smart, I know. I can barely put weight on my left foot, let alone run on it. Also, I've been suffering from headaches almost every day since I've returned from Baltimore, which is a pretty typical way for my body to deal with stress. However, I really wanted to get out and go running, so I did.

The first 10 minutes of W6D2 was great. The beach was hard packed and not many shells. However, after my 3 minute walk, the beach suddenly became more like an obstacle course. The sand near the dune line was way too soft, and with the tide coming in, that left me to run on oyster shells. I made it about 3 minutes before I had to stop. A few minute walk later I tried to start running again and this time only lasted 2 minutes. I could not bring myself to run on this open beach with no end, no landmarks, and no clear path. I started walking in pure defeat and was very confused as to where my motivation went. True, my feet were absolutely killing me. And true, I've never ran on the beach and it probably wasn't ideal running conditions. However, I also just purely lacked motivation.

I realized when looking at the endless beach that, while it was beautiful, I had no attachment to it and no routine. Up until now, running has been synonymous with Baltimore. I solely know how to exist as a runner in Baltimore. I had a routine and I had a path and I knew what I had to do to be better. I knew the hills of where I lived and I knew the places were I could pick up the pace and I knew where the end of my 5k run was so I could sprint to the end. Now, I have none of that. Not that I can't gain that all back, but I think my confusion and sudden lack of motivation is just a demonstration of how leaving Baltimore has really affected me. I know changes are hard and all of that stuff, but this feels a bit different than most changes I've made in my life. I kinda feel like a dog that someone threw into the middle of a frozen lake - my legs are going everywhere and I can't stand and I really just want to get back to land and my routine. So, I know my last few posts have been saturated with musings about Baltimore, but I'm sure as I find routine in NC and learn what it means to be a runner in NC, I'll get back to more hard data and less philosophical analogies about dogs. :)

So, all in all, my run wasn't really that great, but I'm glad I at least got outside and tried today. Hopefully, when I get back from the beach, I can find a place to run in NC where I can learn the hills and path and get my running back on track. Until then, I'll try not to chide myself too much.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Wow

So, these past 5 days have been way too crazy as I mentioned in my last post. I moved back down to NC for the time being, which leaves me with much mixed emotion right now. At the moment, I feel kinda like I'm in a fog with no real footing in my life. I had routine in Baltimore and everything was stable. Now... not so much. We'll see. I'm quite sure this is the right thing to do, I just didn't anticipate it being so hard.

Besides my life being turned upside down and rearranged, running is going ok. I tried to go running at the beach today, but that really didn't work out too well. However, I did a lot of cross training today by riding bikes on the beach and taking a nice 45 minute walk, so I think I'll be ok. I'm hopeful to get up early on thursday and go running down the main drag in Edisto along all of the beach stores and seafood restaurants. I just need to make sure I don't slack off too much because the marathon relay is a reality now. Our team name is 3 curls and a mustache, and I'm getting uber pumped about running. It should be a blast. :)

As you can probably all see, I had to change the layout of my blog. This is because I just recently got a Mac and the old layout did not work well with Safari. So, I just spend the last hour tweaking this layout instead. We'll see how it goes. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but I'm tried of editing html, so it will probably stand for a while.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Pure Crazyness

Life has been entirely too crazy the last few days, and this explains my couple day absence from blogging. I can tell you that I am still running (I've now gotten my 5k down to 37 minutes) and that I'm am back in North Carolina for the time being. I'm going to the beach this weekend with my best friend, so I probably won't have time to write a lot, but we'll see what I can do. Until then, know life is crazy, but going ok.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Slight Frustrations

Well, I got up at 5am to go running again and actually got out the door a little sooner than I normally do. Thankfully, it was a really nice morning to run and seemed, if it is possible, even more quiet than normal. The beginning of the 20 minute run went smoothly, but eventually I hit a big hill that slowed me down a little. However, with a few favorite running songs, I powered through and actually ran for 22 minutes straight. 22 MINUTES!!! Which, you would think, would make me uber excited. And it did, for a few minutes, until my ipod told me that I was running at the same pace to finish the 5k as I've done when adding in more walking. It turns out, even with running 22 straight minutes, I still finished the 5k at 39 minutes. What gives? I was pretty annoyed for a few minutes, feeling as though my accomplishment of running 22 minutes is pretty much a wash if I'm still doing a 39 minute 5k. Alas.

After a few minutes of walking/storming back to the house, I figured that I am probably mistaking the results I'm supposed to get from the beginning of my training. Right now, I'm working on being able to continuously run for the distance of a 5k. I'm not working for speed. I think that the reason I can walk/run a 5k so fast is that the walking gives me energy to run much faster for shorter periods of time. So, I'm hopeful that as I learn to run for longer periods, eventually, the quickness will come too and I'll start not only running for longer, but faster too. Hopefully this is true, or else wise I might throw my Ipod at something if in a month it is still giving me 5k times of 39 minutes. We'll see.

Thursday is a new running day and it looks as if W6D1 gives us a break from continuous running and goes back to run/walking, as does W6D2. I'm hopeful that perhaps by W6D3 when I have to run for 25 straight minutes, I'll get the 5k time back below 39 minutes. Until then!

Monday, August 4, 2008

Last weekend in Baltimore, what?!?!

So, this was my last official weekend in Baltimore - can we say crazy? Two full years I have given to this city and it has given me so much more in return. I've grown in ways I've never imagined and I will not leave this city as the same girl that entered it. Perhaps another day I will blog about Baltimoreness, but for now I'll get back to the workout stuff.

Since this was my last weekend in Baltimore, it was filled with friends, movies, dancing, laughing, eating, drinking, and general merriment. Thus, I was not able to get my running in until 7:30 Sunday night. (Although, the club dancing until 1am on Saturday night was quite the workout!) I still did it though!!! Today was my second run in week 5 of the C25K - 8 minutes of running followed by 5 minute walking breaks. I must admit, I was a tad nervous to run 8 minutes straight. In the end, it wasn't easy, but I got through it and established a new PR for my 5k time - 38.14! Holla! I believe that averages out to about a 12:26 mile (but I haven't uploaded my Nike+ data yet so we'll see.) Tuesday, I'll run the absolute dreaded 20 minute run of W5D3. I haven't continuously run that long in... well, I honestly can't remember. I think running the mile is the longest I've ran in a while, and that surely was about half of the 20 minutes I have to run Tuesday morning. I'll be sure to blog about that adventure Tuesday at work.

As for the 100 push up plan, that kinda fell off of the radar this weekend too. Also, even though today is an "off" day for me, I have my last (*sniff*) softball game tonight and I obviously must go all out for that. Thus, I think I may just not worry about the pushups this week, and will incorporate that back into my workout plan when I've moved back to NC and get a bit more settled. It will be hard enough to ensure I get my running in, let alone doing pushups every other day.

So, 7 days left in Charm City and much to do before then! Time flies when you are having fun... not so much when you are running though. ;)

Thursday, July 31, 2008

Another Early Morning

I was actually able to get up again at 5am to go running. I know it sounds crazy - because a lot of people told me they can't believe I'm getting up that early to run - but I really do enjoy it. If you are used to getting up at 5:45, 5am isn't really that much earlier. Plus, running in the afternoon heat sucks in pretty much every way imaginable. Not to mention, when I do my runs in the afternoon, I have most of the day to think about it and try and talk myself out of running. When I get up in the morning, I just go. The only negative I've found so far (other than losing a bit of sleep) is that I'm not always properly hydrated. I'm trying to drink lots of water before I sleep on nights before I run, but that mostly just leaves me getting up in the middle of the night to pee. I don't want to drink right before I run, because I don't do well with the sloshing feeling in my stomach. I'm hopeful over time that the hydration will level out simply because I’m consuming more water everyday. I did, however, do much better with after-run nutrition as I had a yogurt smoothie and Luna bar for breakfast and felt much better than I did on Tuesday after my early morning run. Both of those might become fixtures in my diet.

Anyway, onto the details of the run! Today started off week 5 of the C25K plan. Not too different than week 4, but I ran 5 minutes with three minute breaks. Although I still think I'm getting faster when running, I'm worried about phasing out my walking breaks. I rely on them pretty heavily, and I'm not sure how I'll fare straight running. I suppose we will see on Saturday though because that will be my next morning run in which I am running for 8 minutes straight. Fun times. So, today's time was actually a tad slow because I felt dehydrated and when I walked, I walked really slowly because my intestines hated me. I finished in 39:25, with an average mile still around 12:35. However, I am running a few miles at an under 10 minute pace, I just can't seem to string that together for three. But, since I've only been running for 2 weeks, I figure there is time. :)

I also did day one of the push up plan last night. I'm not sure if I am really doing the pushups right. I mean, it's one of those exercises that we all "know" how to do, but I feel most of us probably don't have proper form. I'm going to try and look for advice on how to really position my body because the small of my back was killing me yesterday, and that isn't supposed to happen. Anyway, I was able to complete day one with little problem and no real soreness today.

I think that is pretty much everything to report. Tomorrow is my day off so I’ll just do some pushups. This weekend will be busy between work and hanging out with friends as it is my last true weekend in Charm City. Where did the time go?

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

First Running Injury

As trivial as it may be, I do have my first real "running injury" with the huge abrasion/absence-of-skin on my right ankle/heel. It runs along my achilles tendon near my heel and is ridiculously painful. So, I've heard of this miracle moleskin that you can apply around the area (or over it if there is a Band-Aid covering the wound) that will prevent future rubbing injuries to the backs of my heels. Sound like an investment I’ll happily make today since I believe I am going to try the 5am running again tomorrow. Craziness, I know.

Also, today starts day 1 of my 100 push up plan. I’ll be sure to blog about that tomorrow – if my arms didn’t fall off before then anyway. For my day off of running today, I am also going to go down to the AVAM because it’s on my list of “Must do Baltimore-ness” before I leave. I’m really excited about the exhibit “All Faiths Beautiful” because I’ve heard nothing but gushes about it since it debuted. So, besides cranking out some pushups, today should be a pretty easy day. :)

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Hello 5am...

I did it. I actually got up at 5am to go running. It was a tough battle - my head said stay in bed but without my permission my body got up and turned on the lights and tv. And, after that, you might as well go running, right?

My last jog on Sunday left me with a small blister on my right heel because my sock slipped below where my shoe hits the back of my leg. So, at 5am, I just threw a Band-Aid on my heel and went out the door (wearing the same socks that slipped the last time). About 1 minute into my run the Band-Aid fell off. Do I stop though? No! Go big or go home! After my next 5 minute run, I started to limp a bit. So, on the corner of Charles Street and University Street in front of Hopkins at 530 in the morning, I literally sat on the side walk and took off my shoe so I could pull my sock up as high as it would go. That seemed to suffice for the rest of the run. The reason I did that? Running felt great this morning! It was cool, quiet, and very peaceful. I might find myself turning on the lights at 5am more often. AND, I got my run under 39 minutes! My Nike+ doesn't reflect this because I forgot to stop the workout while I sat on the ground fixing my shoe, so the timer kept going for about the full minute I was down. So, I'm guessing my time was about 38:12ish or so. That should also drop my mile time below 12 minutes a mile. I was pretty proud of myself upon my return to the house :)

So, that concludes week 4 of the C25K program. Thursday, I'll start on W5D1. Also, I went ahead and found my baseline for pushups for the 100 pushups program. I could do 10, which means I could either go in the second or third tier for the workout program. However, since I'm sure a couple of those were weak, I think I'll stick with the second tier of the program. Thus, tomorrow is pushups day and Thursday is another run! I have my ankle taped up over my now very big, raw, and nasty blister on the back of my heel, so I might have to tape it to run too. We'll see...

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Water, Water, Water

Anatomy and physiology has always been something that has interested me. I think our bodies are remarkable and I love learning about how everything works. Today, my body taught me a lesson - don't go running if you haven't drank water. This is something that was already pretty obvious to me, but I didn't think it would be too bad to run without drinking first. The story goes like this: Friday I exerted myself by playing softball and then going dancing until 3am. Saturday, I was exhausted and dehydrated because of the dancing and the bit of alcohol I had from the night before. So, Saturday I did nothing and ate next to nothing and drank next to nothing since I didn't feel well. However, this morning when I got up, I felt great! So, with nothing in my stomach and no water to speak of, I went out to run. Bad idea. I got through the first run/walk set ok, but during my second 5 minute run, my body literally stopped. In my head I thought I could keep going, but it was as if someone pulled the emergency break up and I literally jerked to a stop because my body just had enough. I felt sick, I had cramps, and I thought I was going to throw up. I had to walk a full 7ish minutes before I felt better. Even then, when I tried to start back running I could only last 3ish minutes or so. Surprisingly, I still ended up with a 5k time of 39:14 - only 14 seconds slower than my run a few days prior. I averaged about a 12:35 mile. I think this means that even though I walked a ton, when I ran I was starting to run faster. So, even though today's run was awful and I did not feel excited like I do after most runs (I literally fell on my porch and laid there for a good few minutes), I learned a valuable lesson and I didn't fall too far off of the horse.

So, the plan is tomorrow to take my day off and I think in the evening I'm going to see where I place on the 100 push ups plan so I can start that training on Wednesday evening. I figure I will probably go every other day with running and push ups, so my "weeks" of the C25K plan won't always start on Monday. Tuesday will be W4D3 and then Thursday I'll start week 5. All of the tasks still seem really daunting, but I know I can do it. It also helps to have really amazing friends like William who is doing a good job of holding me accountable :) It will be harder to quit knowing I have so many things planned and people excited about my progress. Next goal - to get the 5k under 39 minutes. Bring it on Tuesday!

Friday, July 25, 2008

Pondering Push-Ups

Yesterday was my day off from running, so instead I went to Target and bought some things for my own non-existent bathroom. The stuff was on clearance, what can I say? :) I should be able to put it to good use before too long.

I was hopeful to go running this morning; however, when I woke up at 5am it was pitch black outside. I also realized that I never told anyone I was planning to run in the morning. Thus, I figured the combination of the two probably wasn't safe. Next time, I'll try and let my housemate know in advance so someone knows where I am. I have a softball game this afternoon, so I'm going to assume that I'll probably run tomorrow. Actually, I'm not assuming, I AM running tomorrow. I have an itch to try and beat my last 5k time.

I am also pondering doing another program simply called one hundred pushups. In 6 weeks I should be able to do 100 pushups in a row, which seems crazy to me, but hey, so does running 6 miles straight, right? I need to do the initial test, and then perhaps next week I'll start incorporating it into my workout schedule on my off running days. Fun times indeed.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

First Day of Training Completed!

Surprisingly, the weather held out a few hours for me to actually go running yesterday. I decided that my game plan for training is to follow the last 5 weeks of the C25K program which will bring me right to the end of August. Then, I have exactly 6 weeks to tact on another 3 miles to my running regime. This won't make me the fastest runner out there, but I figure the gradual progression will actually make me stick with the running. I will be running a 10k by this time this is all done :)

Want to know a secret? I actually enjoyed my run yesterday. I am contributing most of this joy to my newfound love: the Nike+. I love how it counts down the last meters you have to run to finish your goal (a 5k for yesterday). Having not worked out in a long time, I was able to complete a 5k in 39 minutes. Not too shabby says I. :) My average mile took me 12:33 and I supposedly burned 367 calories. That time also included my five minute warm-up, and an additional 10 minutes of walking in there. My ultimate goal is to run the 5k around 27 minutes. I know most fit females run the 5k in under 25, but I think since I'm not built to be a runner, 27 minutes would be just fine. However, I figure if I can at least get to 30 minute 5ks before I start training for the 10k that would work pretty well too. Yesterday's run was W4D1 of the C25K, so on Friday I'll do day two. Unfortunately, I think I am going to have to get up early in the morning to run because I have a softball game that afternoon, and I'm going dancing in the evening with friends. 5am here I come!

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Curse the Migraines!

Well, my plans for running yesterday came to a screeching halt after a migraine claimed most of my afternoon. I hate migraines. I honestly considered becoming a neurologist just so I could try and find a cure for them. They always hit at the most inappropriate times and are entirely debilitating. Alas, I am hopeful to go running today, but it is supposed to pour. Not just rain, but downpour. I don’t think it is safe to run in a lightening storm, so the running might be out today too. *sighs* I really want to run, I really do. I just wish my body and weather would cooperate with me. I think building a routine will be easy if I could just get started! We’ll try today and if not then Thursday. I promise one of these days I’ll blog about my running time and not about the weather…

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

New Beginnings?

I have this bad habit of starting blogs and losing interest after about a month. The funny thing is, most of my exercise plans end up the same way. However, life is starting to intervene in new ways such as being a bridesmaid for my brother and friend, as well as prompting a move back to NC, which inevitably means that I’m leaving behind friends (not to mention my friends that have already moved on themselves to places like CA, MN, WA, and PA). Throw in a commitment to run 6-7.3 miles as part of a Baltimore marathon relay team, and you get my current drive to start something new.

In the wise words of an old monkey, "Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or... learn from it." (Yes, I can relate everything back to the Lion King. It’s a rare gift). So, even though in the past I've typically failed to continue exercising or keeping up with friends afar, I’m going to run from that past... by literally running (and blogging!). Thus, this blog is two-fold: a way to keep up with friends and a way to document my running in hopes of keeping myself accountable (in case committing to run 7ish miles in October isn’t keeping me accountable enough). We'll see how this goes. Hakuna Matata, right? :)