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.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
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! ;)
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!
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.
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.
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!
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. ;)
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. ;)
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