So, apparently both Jenni and I suck at blogging on a regular basis. This could also be due to the fact that we both suck at training alone. If we lived in the city, we would be logging miles like there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, with no training partners, I think we are both lagging in our half marathon training.
I have been running a reasonable amount of times per week, but have been sucking in the mileage department. I just can't convince myself to go out and run 10 miles in the freezing cold. Once school let out, I was determined to get my ass into gear. On Christmas eve day, I ran 10K, which was not as much as I needed to do, but at least a start in the right direction. A few days later because it was too snowy and icy outside, I decided to run the stairs in my building at work. I figured a 5 minute warm up jog around the building, then 20 minutes of running stairs, followed by a five minute cool down jog. No problem, right?
Bahahahahahaha.
Boy was I wrong. Not only did my legs shake for 6-8 hours afterward, I woke up the next day with CRIPPLING calf pain. So bad, in fact, that the act of going downstairs for breakfast took about 5 minutes because I had to pause after each stair to keel over in agony. The only thing that has ever caused me this much pain before was snowboarding. It hurt to make the slightest movements with my legs. Even just walking was torturous, so I spent most of the day in my office chair.
I woke up on Day 2 after running the stairs and the pain was even worse. I didn't know that it was possible to feel more pain in ones calf muscles than I had felt on Day 1. I decided that my problem was my lack of activity the previous day, which had not allowed my muscles to unclench themselves, or whatever was going on. My brilliant plan of action was to go for a run. Easier said than done. I attempted to start running a few times, each resulting in so much pain that I had to stop immediately. I figured the least I could do was walk the route I planned on running. After about 10 minutes of walking, I tried running again, and while painful, it was not unbearable this time. I ended up walking and running 3 miles. Unfortunately, the running did not help to alleviate the pain because it was basically the same on Day 3
Today is Day 4 since the fateful stair-running day, and I am still in pain. Today I managed to run 4 miles, and it was not terrible. I hope that within the next couple of days I will be able to move up and down stairs without wanting to die. One can dream....
Showing posts with label LDH. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LDH. Show all posts
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, November 27, 2010
I suck at training alone
So, one of the reasons Jenni and I started this blog was to encourage each other to keep running from a distance because we were so good at encouraging each other when we were together. We have both been way too busy to blog lately, so this method seems to be failing. Also, I am failing at sticking to my training schedule. I had a friend in town, then it snowed, etc., etc. I can always seem to find an excuse. I haven't done a "long" training run in a while. All of my recent runs over the past month or so have been between 2-3 miles. According to my training program for the Austin Half Marathon, I should have run 10 miles today. Ha! So, it appears that I am very behind. I did run today (and two other times this week) and all three of these runs have been quite good. I feel invigorated and happy to be back running regularly. Today I planned to do 7 miles and wasn't sure if I would succeed since it has been so long since I have cracked 3 miles. But, I did it! And it felt good!
The snow is mostly gone right now, and it isn't supposed to snow again all week, so I am going to try to get in as many runs as possible before I have to retire to the treadmill for the better part of the winter. I have never really used a treadmill to train with because I find them BORING, but my dad reassures me that if there is a TV to watch or something, I will be find cranking out 10 miles on a treadmill. We will see.
Today was cold (-1 Celsius) and there were some ice patches when I was in the trails. This resulted in me doing weird tippy-toe hoping movements every so often, and if anyone was watching me, they would have thought I was crazy. I ran around the Waterfowl park for part of it and it looked really cool all frozen with the sun shining off of it. I will try to get a picture some time soon.
For now, I am going to do my best to get back on track, training-wise. I am going to do another 6 or 7 miles on tuesday, and then try for 8 next weekend. I still have almost 3 months until the race, so I am not too worried...yet.
P.S. Jenni - you need to write about the Warrior Dash!
Distance: 7 miles on pavement and trails
Number of stars: 4
Lessons learned: I suck at training alone
Song that rocked my run: The entire "All Day" album from GirlTalk
The snow is mostly gone right now, and it isn't supposed to snow again all week, so I am going to try to get in as many runs as possible before I have to retire to the treadmill for the better part of the winter. I have never really used a treadmill to train with because I find them BORING, but my dad reassures me that if there is a TV to watch or something, I will be find cranking out 10 miles on a treadmill. We will see.
Today was cold (-1 Celsius) and there were some ice patches when I was in the trails. This resulted in me doing weird tippy-toe hoping movements every so often, and if anyone was watching me, they would have thought I was crazy. I ran around the Waterfowl park for part of it and it looked really cool all frozen with the sun shining off of it. I will try to get a picture some time soon.
For now, I am going to do my best to get back on track, training-wise. I am going to do another 6 or 7 miles on tuesday, and then try for 8 next weekend. I still have almost 3 months until the race, so I am not too worried...yet.
P.S. Jenni - you need to write about the Warrior Dash!
Distance: 7 miles on pavement and trails
Number of stars: 4
Lessons learned: I suck at training alone
Song that rocked my run: The entire "All Day" album from GirlTalk
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Damn nature, you scary!
I intended to write a post with this title after a recent experience in which a moth or something like it flew directly into my face, startling the crap out of me, a pheasant ran out of the bushes when I ran by, startling the crap out of me, and then flock (gaggle?) of Canadian geese started hover over me like they were plotting to dive bomb me, scaring the crap out of me. That was a lot of scariness for a 3 mile run.
Today I set out on a 4.5 mile run. My training plan called for 5.5, but I planned out a perfect 4.5 mile route, and I didn't run all week, so I figured I could cheat a bit. (THIS IS WHY I NEED A RUNNING PARTNER!) Most of the time I run through trails near my house, but because I wanted to be able to track my mileage, I decided to try a new route. I told D about my new route and said, "Just in case I don't come back because I got eaten by a dog, you will be able to find my body." To which he said, "Oh yeah, there are dogs up there. They stayed on their property when I went by, but they are not on a leash, and they were growling and barking." Oh great! So I set off on my run and within 5 minutes I was confronted by my first off-leash growly, scary dog. My immediate reaction was to cross my arms so that it couldn't bite my hands. Surprisingly, it did not leave its property. I wonder if they have the magic invisible fence or if it is just really well trained? Then the next house also had an off-leash dog. It barked at me, but did not move either. My route started to take me in to more remote parts of town, and some people had what looked like bear-proof trash boxes. I mean, maybe they are just to keep out the racoons, but it looked like it was to prevent bears, which made me nervous. Also, there were lots of bushes, a few abandoned houses and barns, and a large cemetery. I really started to feel like I was in a horror movie. Good thing I never watch them because my imagination might have gotten the better of me. After a couple more scary dogs, I was back on Main Street, where I could relax again.
The route was also VERY hilly, something I normally try to avoid, but which is largely unavoidable here in Sackville. I think the adrenaline from my fear really helped me because I ran up almost all the hills with no problems. There was one huge one that got me though, and I had to walk to the top. Other than that, I was pretty pleased with my hill running abilities. Jenni wouldn't even recognize me any more!
Distance: 4.5 miles on pavement
Number of stars: 4
Lessons learned: Stick to the main streets when running around here.
Song that rocked my run: Hey Ya by Outkast
Today I set out on a 4.5 mile run. My training plan called for 5.5, but I planned out a perfect 4.5 mile route, and I didn't run all week, so I figured I could cheat a bit. (THIS IS WHY I NEED A RUNNING PARTNER!) Most of the time I run through trails near my house, but because I wanted to be able to track my mileage, I decided to try a new route. I told D about my new route and said, "Just in case I don't come back because I got eaten by a dog, you will be able to find my body." To which he said, "Oh yeah, there are dogs up there. They stayed on their property when I went by, but they are not on a leash, and they were growling and barking." Oh great! So I set off on my run and within 5 minutes I was confronted by my first off-leash growly, scary dog. My immediate reaction was to cross my arms so that it couldn't bite my hands. Surprisingly, it did not leave its property. I wonder if they have the magic invisible fence or if it is just really well trained? Then the next house also had an off-leash dog. It barked at me, but did not move either. My route started to take me in to more remote parts of town, and some people had what looked like bear-proof trash boxes. I mean, maybe they are just to keep out the racoons, but it looked like it was to prevent bears, which made me nervous. Also, there were lots of bushes, a few abandoned houses and barns, and a large cemetery. I really started to feel like I was in a horror movie. Good thing I never watch them because my imagination might have gotten the better of me. After a couple more scary dogs, I was back on Main Street, where I could relax again.
The route was also VERY hilly, something I normally try to avoid, but which is largely unavoidable here in Sackville. I think the adrenaline from my fear really helped me because I ran up almost all the hills with no problems. There was one huge one that got me though, and I had to walk to the top. Other than that, I was pretty pleased with my hill running abilities. Jenni wouldn't even recognize me any more!
Distance: 4.5 miles on pavement
Number of stars: 4
Lessons learned: Stick to the main streets when running around here.
Song that rocked my run: Hey Ya by Outkast
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Back in training
I did my first run in two weeks today. I wanted to make sure that my knees were fully functional before I started abusing them again. I have been able to walk down stairs without pain for the past few days, so I took that as a sign that I was ready to run.
Today also signals my first day on the official training schedule for the Austin Half Marathon in February. I have entered the entire training schedule into my Google calendar. Now the only hard part is sticking to it. I am contemplating posting an ad for a running partner in Sackville, but then what if someone terrible responds, and I am stuck for hours on end with this person. This would be much easier if Jenni were here.
The run today was rather painless. I am always surprised that running seems easiest when I start again after taking a couple weeks off. Today's training schedule called for 4 miles plus drills. I did the 4 miles half on the road and half in trails, and only had problems toward the end where the trail narrowed and the trees were close enough for spider webs to connect them. Fortunately it was early in the morning, so no one was around to see me flailing about after each spiderweb encounter like I was having a seizure. After the first two spider webs and the subsequent freak outs, I took to swimming through the air to knock the spiderwebs down with my arms before my face got to them. I am not sure which looked more silly.
My run ended at the high school across from my house, which conveniently has a very steep hill, and a parking lot on which to do drills without people driving on Main street seeing me. I skipped, and ran back wards and did jumping jacks and did the grapevine both on flat ground and up the hill. It sucked, but I did it!
Distance: 4 miles on pavement and trails
Number of stars:4.5
Lessons learned: I really like running :)
Song that rocked my run: Nothing in particular. I was mostly just enjoying the view.
Today also signals my first day on the official training schedule for the Austin Half Marathon in February. I have entered the entire training schedule into my Google calendar. Now the only hard part is sticking to it. I am contemplating posting an ad for a running partner in Sackville, but then what if someone terrible responds, and I am stuck for hours on end with this person. This would be much easier if Jenni were here.
The run today was rather painless. I am always surprised that running seems easiest when I start again after taking a couple weeks off. Today's training schedule called for 4 miles plus drills. I did the 4 miles half on the road and half in trails, and only had problems toward the end where the trail narrowed and the trees were close enough for spider webs to connect them. Fortunately it was early in the morning, so no one was around to see me flailing about after each spiderweb encounter like I was having a seizure. After the first two spider webs and the subsequent freak outs, I took to swimming through the air to knock the spiderwebs down with my arms before my face got to them. I am not sure which looked more silly.
My run ended at the high school across from my house, which conveniently has a very steep hill, and a parking lot on which to do drills without people driving on Main street seeing me. I skipped, and ran back wards and did jumping jacks and did the grapevine both on flat ground and up the hill. It sucked, but I did it!
Distance: 4 miles on pavement and trails
Number of stars:4.5
Lessons learned: I really like running :)
Song that rocked my run: Nothing in particular. I was mostly just enjoying the view.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Inspiration
I received an email from my old running group in Austin this morning with a link to this video called "My 120 pound journey". It was such a touching video. I emailed it to Jenni immediately.It was inspiring to me as a runner. Although I have never lost a pound from running, I still believe that running improves my life in so many ways. Now if only my damn knee didn't hurt, and I could go for a run.
Terry Fox Run pt 2
The Terry Fox run itself was less than awesome. I had to drive out to Confederation bridge, which is about 40 minutes from my house. Once I got close, the traffic was backed up all down the highway, and it took me about 45 minutes to go the last kilometer and get parked. I had planned on being parked by 6 am, but it was about 6:40 by the time I was actually parked (in a farmer's field) and out of my car. The last bus to Prince Edward Island (PEI), which is where I wanted to start the race, was supposed to leave at 6:45. I ran in the direction of the buses, only to find there were none going to PEI, only to the start line on the New Brunswick side of the bridge. No one seemed to know what was going on, so I took the opportunity to use the potty. While in the outhouse, I heard someone yell, "Any runners going to PEI, get on the red bus. This is the last bus to PEI!" I quickly gathered my things and ran towards the bus. Once on the bus I realized that I had forgotten my water bottle. Because I have not replaced my broken water belt, I had planned on just carrying a water bottle. So now I had no water. I figured it wasn't the end of the world though, since it wasn't going to be crazy hot and humid like in Texas. As we drove over the bridge, I didn't see any water stations as promised, which made me a bit nervous. (I found out later that I was just looking at the wrong side of the bridge.) I definitely couldn't complain about the view, though! It was beautiful.
Once on the other side of the bridge, I hopped out of the bus and onto Prince Edward Island for the very first time. It was very exciting, and really pretty. I got there right at 7 am, and the race was supposed to start at 7 am. By 7:30 there had still been no announcements, and buses were still coming over the bridge. Lots of them. At least 20 more had come after me even though my bus was "the last bus to PEI." So I wandered around and people were all chatting to each other. and laughing and hanging out. It was all very informal for a race. Finally at about 7:40 we were told that the race would be begin soon. A few minutes later, they asked us to line up at the start line and that we would be starting in 5 minutes. Three minute later, we were told that there were actually a few more buses that had just started across the bridge, so we would have to get out of the way and wait about 10 minutes for them to get across the bridge so that we could start the race. The announcer kept saying things like, "We know you don't mind waiting because this is for such a good cause." and "We have a really good reason for running late because so many people showed up to support this really good cause." That did not fly because there was no on-site registration, so they had to have known how many people were coming.
Finally, around 8 am we went back to our places across the bridge to the starting line and then it was time for some short speeches. The whole crowd groaned, and I felt so bad for the speakers. One was an MP from the area and one was Terry Fox's brother, which I think made people feel REALLY bad for groaning. Each of them only spoke for about 30 seconds and then we were off. And damn was it windy! I guess I knew that running a race over the ocean would have to be windy, but I wasn't expecting the wind to be so strong. And, those of us starting from the PEI side were running into the wind. Fortunately, though, we were running west, and so the sun was behind us and not shining in our faces. The wind got a bit better as we got further from land, and I think it was also blocked a bit because we were running uphill and the high point of the bridge might have blocked it a bit.
The first 5.5 kilometers of the 12.8 kilometer run were uphill. At first it was a fairly obvious incline, then a less obvious incline, and then a very obvious incline as we got closer to the peak. I have to say that I did the best hill running that I have ever done in my life. Ever. I just kept going. And it wasn't so bad! I think that the constant wind helped keep my body cool and made it seem like less work, even though it was more work to battle the wind. I kept thinking that once I had crested the peak that the wind would die down. I am not sure what alternate universe that I thought I was in, but the wind got WAY WORSE once I was on the other side of the peak because there was no peak to at least block it somewhat. As I got closer to land on the New Brunswick side, I really felt that at points I was running backward or just running in place. The wind was that strong. And then my knees started to hurt. BADLY. And I had to stop running because I felt like someone was smashing both of my knees with a hammer at the same time. I walked for about 3 minutes, during which time my knees did not hurt at all, so I started to run again. Instantly they hurt REALLY badly, so I walked again for 2 minutes. This time I started running and it didn't hurt as bad, so I just kept at it. Usually when I feel pain, I will stop running completely for fear of getting permanently injured and not being able to run in some future event. I figured that since my next planned event is the Austin Half Marathon in February, I had some time to recover if I did do some damage. So I just kept on running. And I am still suffering the consequences - going down stairs is very painful endeavor these days.
There was no actual finish line. I just stopped running when I saw a bunch of people standing around stretching. On the bridge there were little kilometer markers posted and I ran past the one that said 13 km, so I am not sure if I went too far, or if maybe we started after the 0 km parker or something. Either way, the finish was very anti-climactic.
Overall though, the run was amazing. How often do you get to run an entire run over the ocean. The view was was so spectacular that I often forgot that I was running and it was supposed to be hard work. I also found out that they don't do this run over the bridge every year. The last time they did it was in 2005, so I am very glad that I was able to participate in this year's run over the bridge because I might not get the chance again.
Distance: 8 miles
Number of stars: 3.5
Lessons learned: A strong cool wind keeps the body temperature down and makes for more enjoyable running
Song that rocked my run: Kiss by Prince
Once on the other side of the bridge, I hopped out of the bus and onto Prince Edward Island for the very first time. It was very exciting, and really pretty. I got there right at 7 am, and the race was supposed to start at 7 am. By 7:30 there had still been no announcements, and buses were still coming over the bridge. Lots of them. At least 20 more had come after me even though my bus was "the last bus to PEI." So I wandered around and people were all chatting to each other. and laughing and hanging out. It was all very informal for a race. Finally at about 7:40 we were told that the race would be begin soon. A few minutes later, they asked us to line up at the start line and that we would be starting in 5 minutes. Three minute later, we were told that there were actually a few more buses that had just started across the bridge, so we would have to get out of the way and wait about 10 minutes for them to get across the bridge so that we could start the race. The announcer kept saying things like, "We know you don't mind waiting because this is for such a good cause." and "We have a really good reason for running late because so many people showed up to support this really good cause." That did not fly because there was no on-site registration, so they had to have known how many people were coming.
Finally, around 8 am we went back to our places across the bridge to the starting line and then it was time for some short speeches. The whole crowd groaned, and I felt so bad for the speakers. One was an MP from the area and one was Terry Fox's brother, which I think made people feel REALLY bad for groaning. Each of them only spoke for about 30 seconds and then we were off. And damn was it windy! I guess I knew that running a race over the ocean would have to be windy, but I wasn't expecting the wind to be so strong. And, those of us starting from the PEI side were running into the wind. Fortunately, though, we were running west, and so the sun was behind us and not shining in our faces. The wind got a bit better as we got further from land, and I think it was also blocked a bit because we were running uphill and the high point of the bridge might have blocked it a bit.
The first 5.5 kilometers of the 12.8 kilometer run were uphill. At first it was a fairly obvious incline, then a less obvious incline, and then a very obvious incline as we got closer to the peak. I have to say that I did the best hill running that I have ever done in my life. Ever. I just kept going. And it wasn't so bad! I think that the constant wind helped keep my body cool and made it seem like less work, even though it was more work to battle the wind. I kept thinking that once I had crested the peak that the wind would die down. I am not sure what alternate universe that I thought I was in, but the wind got WAY WORSE once I was on the other side of the peak because there was no peak to at least block it somewhat. As I got closer to land on the New Brunswick side, I really felt that at points I was running backward or just running in place. The wind was that strong. And then my knees started to hurt. BADLY. And I had to stop running because I felt like someone was smashing both of my knees with a hammer at the same time. I walked for about 3 minutes, during which time my knees did not hurt at all, so I started to run again. Instantly they hurt REALLY badly, so I walked again for 2 minutes. This time I started running and it didn't hurt as bad, so I just kept at it. Usually when I feel pain, I will stop running completely for fear of getting permanently injured and not being able to run in some future event. I figured that since my next planned event is the Austin Half Marathon in February, I had some time to recover if I did do some damage. So I just kept on running. And I am still suffering the consequences - going down stairs is very painful endeavor these days.
There was no actual finish line. I just stopped running when I saw a bunch of people standing around stretching. On the bridge there were little kilometer markers posted and I ran past the one that said 13 km, so I am not sure if I went too far, or if maybe we started after the 0 km parker or something. Either way, the finish was very anti-climactic.
Overall though, the run was amazing. How often do you get to run an entire run over the ocean. The view was was so spectacular that I often forgot that I was running and it was supposed to be hard work. I also found out that they don't do this run over the bridge every year. The last time they did it was in 2005, so I am very glad that I was able to participate in this year's run over the bridge because I might not get the chance again.
Distance: 8 miles
Number of stars: 3.5
Lessons learned: A strong cool wind keeps the body temperature down and makes for more enjoyable running
Song that rocked my run: Kiss by Prince
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Terry Fox Run
Today was the Terry Fox run across the Confederation Bridge that I have been sorta training for since I got to Sackville. I was running in memory of my paternal grandparents, both of whom were had cancer. I took an old picture of them that my aunt had digitized and attached it to my shirts.
I wanted to have shirts made with the picture on it, but I couldn't find anywhere around here that did such things. I printed out one picture just on paper and put it on the back of my long sleeved shirt.
And then I took a smaller version of the picture, laminated it with tape and attached it to the front of my short sleeved shirt:
The goal of the Terry Fox run is to raise money for cancer research, and thanks to my awesome donors, I raised $560 for the run. Thanks everyone!
I am too sleepy now to write about the actual run, so I will finish this tomorrow.
I wanted to have shirts made with the picture on it, but I couldn't find anywhere around here that did such things. I printed out one picture just on paper and put it on the back of my long sleeved shirt.
And then I took a smaller version of the picture, laminated it with tape and attached it to the front of my short sleeved shirt:
The goal of the Terry Fox run is to raise money for cancer research, and thanks to my awesome donors, I raised $560 for the run. Thanks everyone!
I am too sleepy now to write about the actual run, so I will finish this tomorrow.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Slacker
I have been slacking on both the running and the blogging fronts. Starting school is kicking my butt! Tomorrow I the Terry Fox run across the Confederation Bridge (more about this in my next post), and I feel very unprepared. Most of the runs I have been doing over the past month have been around 3-4 miles. I only managed to squeeze in one 6.5 mile run a couple of weeks ago. This makes me nervous. I am also really excited because I miss running long distances.
Most of my runs lately have been rather enjoyable. My most enjoyable recent run was my first run in Sackville after returning from Vancouver. It was a near-perfect running day in my opinion. Of course, for me a perfect running day involves rain, so it may not be everyone's idea of perfect. This particular day was delightfully cool, but not too cold to have to wear gloves or anything, and there were dark ominous clouds hanging over my town, but with bursts of sunshine visible in the distance. The sky just looked amazing. And the route I run, down main street is on a hill above the surrounding farmland and swamp (err...marshland). The view was amazing and the mixture of dark clouds with pockets of blue sky just looked so damn cool. I was also listening to new running music because I was DAMN SICK of my old mix of 200 songs that I have been listening to since last November. I was listening to songs from a mix CD that my BFF made me, songs I would normally not think to run to, and it was delightful. This inspired me to make a while new running playlist for my iPod, which will be tested officially in tomorrow's run.
Distance: 3.5 miles
Number of stars: 5!
Lessons learned: Musical selections should be rotated more than once per year!
Song that rocked my run: Jolene by Dolly Parton
Song that made me dance while running: Say Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead
How can you not dance to this song?!?
Most of my runs lately have been rather enjoyable. My most enjoyable recent run was my first run in Sackville after returning from Vancouver. It was a near-perfect running day in my opinion. Of course, for me a perfect running day involves rain, so it may not be everyone's idea of perfect. This particular day was delightfully cool, but not too cold to have to wear gloves or anything, and there were dark ominous clouds hanging over my town, but with bursts of sunshine visible in the distance. The sky just looked amazing. And the route I run, down main street is on a hill above the surrounding farmland and swamp (err...marshland). The view was amazing and the mixture of dark clouds with pockets of blue sky just looked so damn cool. I was also listening to new running music because I was DAMN SICK of my old mix of 200 songs that I have been listening to since last November. I was listening to songs from a mix CD that my BFF made me, songs I would normally not think to run to, and it was delightful. This inspired me to make a while new running playlist for my iPod, which will be tested officially in tomorrow's run.
Distance: 3.5 miles
Number of stars: 5!
Lessons learned: Musical selections should be rotated more than once per year!
Song that rocked my run: Jolene by Dolly Parton
Song that made me dance while running: Say Hey by Michael Franti & Spearhead
How can you not dance to this song?!?
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sunny San Diego
Well, I haven't been posting much because I haven't been running much. I am planning 6 miles for tomorrow, 7 miles for this weekend, and 8 miles the following weekend. My training schedule was slightly adjusted from the Austin Fit one that has 8 miles scheduled for this weekend. According to my schedule that will get me running a half marathon in October, I need to run 10 miles this weekend. That will most likely not happen. Although, I am feeling slightly manic, so perhaps it will :)
I just got back from sunny San Diego, where I had envisioned glorious runs on the beach. Instead, I ran on a treadmill at a hotel, while looking at the beach. I have no idea why I made such a choice. It just seemed easier to run in the hotel instead of literally walking across the street to the beach. That would have involved sunscreen and sunglasses, and other sun-related accessories. The gym at my fancy hotel was not air conditioned, which made it rather uncomfortable, and I had to pay to use it, which was just absurd.
Anyway, the run was fine, and I am glad I did it. I have been starting to really crave running again, which I think is a good sign. I am going to rock my 6 miles tomorrow. I gotta feeling... (Hey, I should get that BEP song. I bet it would be good to run with.)
Distance: 3 miles on a treadmill
Lessons learned: I don't hate running on a treadmill as much as I thought I did
Song that rocked my run: What was I thinking? by Dierks Bentley (am I seriously admitting I listen to country music?)
I won't rank this run on the new 5-star system because I really had no plan going into it. I will rank my sure-to-be awesome run tomorrow.
I just got back from sunny San Diego, where I had envisioned glorious runs on the beach. Instead, I ran on a treadmill at a hotel, while looking at the beach. I have no idea why I made such a choice. It just seemed easier to run in the hotel instead of literally walking across the street to the beach. That would have involved sunscreen and sunglasses, and other sun-related accessories. The gym at my fancy hotel was not air conditioned, which made it rather uncomfortable, and I had to pay to use it, which was just absurd.
Anyway, the run was fine, and I am glad I did it. I have been starting to really crave running again, which I think is a good sign. I am going to rock my 6 miles tomorrow. I gotta feeling... (Hey, I should get that BEP song. I bet it would be good to run with.)
Distance: 3 miles on a treadmill
Lessons learned: I don't hate running on a treadmill as much as I thought I did
Song that rocked my run: What was I thinking? by Dierks Bentley (am I seriously admitting I listen to country music?)
I won't rank this run on the new 5-star system because I really had no plan going into it. I will rank my sure-to-be awesome run tomorrow.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Sooooo....
I did not do my run again today. I think I have a mental block that prevents me from wanting to engage in runs over 4 miles. Today I was determined not to let my excuses get the best of me. I laid out my running clothes before I went to bed nice and early last night. I woke up at 7 to tend to the fuzzy one (the dog), but I was so sleepy, so I convinced her to nap with me in the guest room before we went out for her morning stroll. That lasted all of 10 minutes until she saw someone who had the audacity to WALK PAST OUR HOUSE. There was no convincing her to rest after that atrocity. So, I went downstairs, ate my half a powerbar and drank my 8 oz of water and took her outside. We spent about 5 minutes in the back field so she could do her business, and then we went on a 20 minute walk. Great warm up for running, I thought to myself. I like to wait at least 45 minutes to let my powerbar digest, so I decided to rest on the couch for about 15 mins before I went to my run. Two hours later, I woke up. Whoops!
When I woke up, it had started raining, which I took as a sign from the universe that I really should go running. I suited up and headed out. I was hungry, and felt off, and 7 minutes into my run, my iPod died. I took that as a sign from the universe that I really shouldn't go running. So, I turned around and headed home because I suck. I did do my pilates tape when I got home. That counts, right?
When I woke up, it had started raining, which I took as a sign from the universe that I really should go running. I suited up and headed out. I was hungry, and felt off, and 7 minutes into my run, my iPod died. I took that as a sign from the universe that I really shouldn't go running. So, I turned around and headed home because I suck. I did do my pilates tape when I got home. That counts, right?
Friday, July 23, 2010
Need encouragement
It is almost 10 pm in my world, and I have planned to to a seven mile run tomorrow morning. I am already making excuses. This does not bode well. Help!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A rainy, smelly run
Today I awoke with a slight hangover from the homemade wine my neighbour gifted me two nights ago. I had one glass the first night, and then the rest of the bottle last night. Oops. My number 1 rule is no running on a hangover because that would be terrible. It was, however, raining today, and we all know how much I love running in the rain. I vowed to go for a run at some point because I wasn't going to waste a perfectly good rainy day just cuz I was a little hungover. So, I grabbed a big cup o' water and began drinking to ease me out of my hangover state and into a running state. At about 5:30 pm, I decided the time was right. It was still raining, although only lightly, and it had been a safe 3 hours since I last ate. As I headed out, I noticed that the wind was blowing in the opposite direction than it usually does. Usually the wind comes off of the Bay of Fundy, but today it was coming off of the land towards the bay, and boy did it smell like manure! At first I thought I had stepped in something, but after checking my shoes, I figured it must just be the manure smell wafting off the farms. Yum!
About halfway through my run, it started to rain really heavily, which was fun. But because I could smell manure so strongly, it kinda felt like I was eating manure flavored rain drops as they kept dripping in my mouth. I remedied this by closing my mouth and only opening it a smidge to breath out. Overall, a good run, though.
Distance: A bit less than 3 miles on pavement
Lessons learned: I still like running in the rain - even when the rain tastes like manure
Song that rocked my run: Several Girl Talk mashups
About halfway through my run, it started to rain really heavily, which was fun. But because I could smell manure so strongly, it kinda felt like I was eating manure flavored rain drops as they kept dripping in my mouth. I remedied this by closing my mouth and only opening it a smidge to breath out. Overall, a good run, though.
Distance: A bit less than 3 miles on pavement
Lessons learned: I still like running in the rain - even when the rain tastes like manure
Song that rocked my run: Several Girl Talk mashups
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad run
So, I finally cranked out my 6 mile run that was a week overdue, and let me tell you, it was the worst. I hated almost every second of it. But, I did it, and I am happy that I did.
I am also happy that I overcame the excuse monster. The excuse monster was definitely on my back this morning. First of all, I started late because I was trying to figure something out on a new computer program, and I accidentally wasted 45 minutes. Then I couldn't find my inhaler, then I couldn't find my watch. And then when I stepped outside at 9:30 am it was really freaking hot. And humid. Two of my least favorite things. Even with all of these prime excuses - I decided not to go 3 separate times - I went out and ran my stupid 6 miles. I never did find my watch, so I had to make due with the timer on my iPod. I have been running 10/1 intervals, but that makes it hard to do math without an interval timer, so I switched to 9/1 intervals. After just one interval, however, I made the executive decision to change to 5/1 intervals, which soon became 4/1 intervals because the math was easier and because the run was terrible.
I spent the whole run bargaining with myself, "If I can make it one more interval, I will just quit and walk the rest of the way." Fortunately, I had walking because it takes too long, so after each 1 minute walking interval, I convinced myself to run again if only to get the damn 6 miles over with already. I don't think I have had such an unpleasant run in over a year. I can't even explain what was so bad about it. I just wasn't in the mood or something. Now that it is over, however, I can say that I am happy I went. And even happier that I overcame my excuses to go.
Shockingly, I even went on a 2 mile walk a couple of hours after my horrible run. Not sure what inspired that, but it was quite pleasant.
Distance: 6-ish miles on pavement and trails
Lessons learned: I can overcome my excuses.
Song that rocked my run: NONE. Nothing about this run rocked.
I am also happy that I overcame the excuse monster. The excuse monster was definitely on my back this morning. First of all, I started late because I was trying to figure something out on a new computer program, and I accidentally wasted 45 minutes. Then I couldn't find my inhaler, then I couldn't find my watch. And then when I stepped outside at 9:30 am it was really freaking hot. And humid. Two of my least favorite things. Even with all of these prime excuses - I decided not to go 3 separate times - I went out and ran my stupid 6 miles. I never did find my watch, so I had to make due with the timer on my iPod. I have been running 10/1 intervals, but that makes it hard to do math without an interval timer, so I switched to 9/1 intervals. After just one interval, however, I made the executive decision to change to 5/1 intervals, which soon became 4/1 intervals because the math was easier and because the run was terrible.
I spent the whole run bargaining with myself, "If I can make it one more interval, I will just quit and walk the rest of the way." Fortunately, I had walking because it takes too long, so after each 1 minute walking interval, I convinced myself to run again if only to get the damn 6 miles over with already. I don't think I have had such an unpleasant run in over a year. I can't even explain what was so bad about it. I just wasn't in the mood or something. Now that it is over, however, I can say that I am happy I went. And even happier that I overcame my excuses to go.
Shockingly, I even went on a 2 mile walk a couple of hours after my horrible run. Not sure what inspired that, but it was quite pleasant.
Distance: 6-ish miles on pavement and trails
Lessons learned: I can overcome my excuses.
Song that rocked my run: NONE. Nothing about this run rocked.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Oh, excuses, silly little things
I would like to say that I am getting better with the excuses. And I think I can say that. I am still making them, but they are less frequent and less convincing. On Monday I did not go to the beach as planned. It was raining, and I would have had to stand in the rain post-run to wait for D to get out of a meeting and then drive home all wet for 40 minutes. This sounded like a bad idea. So I didn't run on Monday. On Tuesday, I felt the whole, "I don't have time to run because I need to go to work" feeling, so I compromised. Instead of doing my 6 miles, I just did 3 and decided to postpone my long run until the weekend. So now I am a week behind. Hopefully being behind on my training plan will light a fire under my ass and keep me more motivated.
I was talking to a friend last night who is an avid runner, and we were discussing his fairly severe addiction to running. The thought of potentially not being able to run for a few weeks because of an injury made him rather distressed. I was almost jealous. I mean, I call myself a runaholic (at least on this blog), but I don't feel his intense desire to run. I feel like that makes my runaholism even more hardcore though. I mean, I am not that good at it, half the time I don't even like doing it or don't want to do it, but yet I keep doing it. (Maybe that should be our new tag line. "Running: We aren't good at it, we don't really like it, but we keep doing it.") That sounds like an addiction to me. That being said, I do long for running. I crave it when I am not doing it regularly. So why, then, do I make so many damn excuses not to do it. Hmmm, maybe I should become a psychologist so I can study this sort of ridiculous human behavior.
Back to my run on Tuesday, though. It was actually really good. I ran at the Waterfowl Park and although it was humid as hell, I still felt good while running. No wanting to die at all! I finally saw some fowl at the Waterfowl Park, but it was more scary than enjoyable. I was running along the trail when I came across a gaggle of about 12 Canadian geese that were blocking the path. As I approached them, I made lots of noise, clapping, yelling, and stomping my feet, but they just stared at me. When I got within about 10 feet of them, I realized that they weren't going anywhere, and I certainly was not going to run through the middle of a gaggle of geese. I have heard that Canadian geese can be vicious (or is that swans?) So, I just turned around and started running the other way. When I circled back around to that part of the trail about 30 minutes later, they were still there! In the exact same formation! Fortunately there is a bridge that crosses over through the middle of the park, so I was able to avoid them without having to run all the way back the way I came. Although if I had run back the way I came, I probably would have ended up running that 6 miles I was supposed to run. I guess the geese were trying to tell me something. Oh well.
Distance: 3.5 miles - mostly trails
Lessons learned: I really need a GPS watch to accurately track my run distances
Song that rocked my run: Rag and Bone by The White Stripes
I was talking to a friend last night who is an avid runner, and we were discussing his fairly severe addiction to running. The thought of potentially not being able to run for a few weeks because of an injury made him rather distressed. I was almost jealous. I mean, I call myself a runaholic (at least on this blog), but I don't feel his intense desire to run. I feel like that makes my runaholism even more hardcore though. I mean, I am not that good at it, half the time I don't even like doing it or don't want to do it, but yet I keep doing it. (Maybe that should be our new tag line. "Running: We aren't good at it, we don't really like it, but we keep doing it.") That sounds like an addiction to me. That being said, I do long for running. I crave it when I am not doing it regularly. So why, then, do I make so many damn excuses not to do it. Hmmm, maybe I should become a psychologist so I can study this sort of ridiculous human behavior.
Back to my run on Tuesday, though. It was actually really good. I ran at the Waterfowl Park and although it was humid as hell, I still felt good while running. No wanting to die at all! I finally saw some fowl at the Waterfowl Park, but it was more scary than enjoyable. I was running along the trail when I came across a gaggle of about 12 Canadian geese that were blocking the path. As I approached them, I made lots of noise, clapping, yelling, and stomping my feet, but they just stared at me. When I got within about 10 feet of them, I realized that they weren't going anywhere, and I certainly was not going to run through the middle of a gaggle of geese. I have heard that Canadian geese can be vicious (or is that swans?) So, I just turned around and started running the other way. When I circled back around to that part of the trail about 30 minutes later, they were still there! In the exact same formation! Fortunately there is a bridge that crosses over through the middle of the park, so I was able to avoid them without having to run all the way back the way I came. Although if I had run back the way I came, I probably would have ended up running that 6 miles I was supposed to run. I guess the geese were trying to tell me something. Oh well.
Distance: 3.5 miles - mostly trails
Lessons learned: I really need a GPS watch to accurately track my run distances
Song that rocked my run: Rag and Bone by The White Stripes
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Some Sackville Scenery
After my 5 mile run last week, chronicled here, I made D drive me around so I could get some pictures of my route. He is somewhat impatient and did not stop completely at a few of the places where I wanted to take pictures, so some are a little crooked and maybe a bit blurry.
You might notice how rural it is. Most of these pictures were taken along my own street.
I am not gonna lie; this abandoned building freaks me out just a bit. (That reminds me, I need to get a picture of the cemetary that is a couple lots down.)
These are the cows that freaked the hell out of me on my run. By the time I went back to take the picture, they were much further from the fence.
Here are some horses, too. There are also sheep at another farm on my street, but I forgot to take their picture.
Some more farms:
And the lake:
God, I miss high rises.
You might notice how rural it is. Most of these pictures were taken along my own street.
I am not gonna lie; this abandoned building freaks me out just a bit. (That reminds me, I need to get a picture of the cemetary that is a couple lots down.)
These are the cows that freaked the hell out of me on my run. By the time I went back to take the picture, they were much further from the fence.
Here are some horses, too. There are also sheep at another farm on my street, but I forgot to take their picture.
Some more farms:
And the lake:
God, I miss high rises.
Excuses, excuses
I am the queen of excuses, let me tell you. I have gotten worse about the excuses as the years go by. When I first began to run, I would pretty much run whenever and wherever. I did establish a routine for my longer runs, but for shorter runs, I just kinda did whatever.
Here is my routine for long runs:
Day before: Drink lots of water, don't eat anything greasy, no alcohol, lots of sleep
Day of: Half a power bar before the run with water, nothing else in my stomach, start early (8 am at the latest).
For my shorter runs, I would usually run after school or before work if I was working nights. Keeping in mind that I lived in Vancouver back then, so most of the time it was raining or cloudy and heat was not usually a problem. Moving to Texas made things a bit more difficult since I HATE THE HEAT. I especially hate running in the heat. In Texas, for 9 months out of the year, I was only physically capable of running before 8 am. So I became a little more rigid in the timing of my runs. If I wasn't up and out before 8, it was highly unlikely that I could convince myself to run. In addition to my heat restrictions, when I started training for the half marathon, I became afraid of longer distances. Like I would try to think of any reason I could to avoid those long runs (over 7 miles). Thankfully, I had both my running group and Jenni to be accountable to, so I usually was able to get out there and do it. I remember specifically, my first 10 mile run - also known as the BEST. RUN. EVER.- when it was thundering and raining. Before the run began, the run leader said we would not go if there was any lightning during our warm up. And boy did I ever wish for some lightning. In the end though, I went and it was awesome. I have many examples like this where I was trying to make excuses not to run, but once I started (or at least once I was finished) was so happy that I had gone through with it. You would think I would be able to use these past experiences to encourage myself to run when I don't want to. That is not the case.
Now that I am on my own over here in NB, I am finding that I make more and more excuses not to run, regardless of the length of the run. They include the following.
I drank a beer last night.
I had two glasses of wine last night.
I slept in and don't have time because I really should be doing some unspecified work.
I didn't drink enough water yesterday.
I ate too many chips yesterday, and feel gross.
I am hungry.
It is too hot.
I do not feel well for some unspecified reason.
I can't run two days in a row.
I have also convinced myself that I MUST run first thing in the morning. If something is off in the morning and I don't run first thing, I assume that I cannot go until the next day.
It is getting ridiculous.
Today I slept in until 11! That never happens. Of course when I woke up, I immediately knew that my 6 mile run was not going to happen, especially with this heat wave we are having. Then I talked to Jenni and she was going to run in Texas at 9 am, which is crazy, so I figured that I could at least go for a short run. I was really hungry, but Jenni convinced me that I could just eat AFTER my short run. I got all ready to go, walked out the door and then D suggested we go grocery shopping because he was starving. I decided that since we were both hungry, it made sense not to run, so I went back in, changed, and left for grocery shopping.
In the meantime, Jenni was out having a tough run, and reassuring herself that at least I was suffering too. When I got home and confessed to Jenni that I had not run, I felt like a total loser. I mean, there is no reason why D couldn't have waited 45 minutes for me to have a 30 minute run and a 15 minute shower. If I had suggested it, he would have totally agreed. I was just making excuses.
Jenni suggested that I just go for a run then. Well, of course, I couldn't go for a run then! It hadn't been 3 hours since I had last ate! There are rules!
But then I thought about it. I hadn't really eaten much, and it wasn't like I needed to run 6 miles, so why didn't I just go. I could always just quit if I got a cramp or got dizzy and nauseous (which is what usually happens if I don't wait 3 hours after eating to run). What a brilliant idea! I could just start, and if it sucked, I could stop. Thank you Jenni! Why had I never thought of that before?
So, I went out and did my run only 2 hours after eating lunch. And guess what? I survived! Even better, I liked it! I am going to try to remember this the next time I start making excuses.
I still didn't do my planned 6 mile run, but now I am thinking I will go do it on the trails at the beach on Monday since D has to go to Shediac for a meeting in the morning. What a brilliant idea!!
Distance: approx 2 miles on trails.
Lessons learned: I can just stop running if I feel shitty.
Song that rocked my run: Don't Stop by Brazillian Girls
Here is my routine for long runs:
Day before: Drink lots of water, don't eat anything greasy, no alcohol, lots of sleep
Day of: Half a power bar before the run with water, nothing else in my stomach, start early (8 am at the latest).
For my shorter runs, I would usually run after school or before work if I was working nights. Keeping in mind that I lived in Vancouver back then, so most of the time it was raining or cloudy and heat was not usually a problem. Moving to Texas made things a bit more difficult since I HATE THE HEAT. I especially hate running in the heat. In Texas, for 9 months out of the year, I was only physically capable of running before 8 am. So I became a little more rigid in the timing of my runs. If I wasn't up and out before 8, it was highly unlikely that I could convince myself to run. In addition to my heat restrictions, when I started training for the half marathon, I became afraid of longer distances. Like I would try to think of any reason I could to avoid those long runs (over 7 miles). Thankfully, I had both my running group and Jenni to be accountable to, so I usually was able to get out there and do it. I remember specifically, my first 10 mile run - also known as the BEST. RUN. EVER.- when it was thundering and raining. Before the run began, the run leader said we would not go if there was any lightning during our warm up. And boy did I ever wish for some lightning. In the end though, I went and it was awesome. I have many examples like this where I was trying to make excuses not to run, but once I started (or at least once I was finished) was so happy that I had gone through with it. You would think I would be able to use these past experiences to encourage myself to run when I don't want to. That is not the case.
Now that I am on my own over here in NB, I am finding that I make more and more excuses not to run, regardless of the length of the run. They include the following.
I drank a beer last night.
I had two glasses of wine last night.
I slept in and don't have time because I really should be doing some unspecified work.
I didn't drink enough water yesterday.
I ate too many chips yesterday, and feel gross.
I am hungry.
It is too hot.
I do not feel well for some unspecified reason.
I can't run two days in a row.
I have also convinced myself that I MUST run first thing in the morning. If something is off in the morning and I don't run first thing, I assume that I cannot go until the next day.
It is getting ridiculous.
Today I slept in until 11! That never happens. Of course when I woke up, I immediately knew that my 6 mile run was not going to happen, especially with this heat wave we are having. Then I talked to Jenni and she was going to run in Texas at 9 am, which is crazy, so I figured that I could at least go for a short run. I was really hungry, but Jenni convinced me that I could just eat AFTER my short run. I got all ready to go, walked out the door and then D suggested we go grocery shopping because he was starving. I decided that since we were both hungry, it made sense not to run, so I went back in, changed, and left for grocery shopping.
In the meantime, Jenni was out having a tough run, and reassuring herself that at least I was suffering too. When I got home and confessed to Jenni that I had not run, I felt like a total loser. I mean, there is no reason why D couldn't have waited 45 minutes for me to have a 30 minute run and a 15 minute shower. If I had suggested it, he would have totally agreed. I was just making excuses.
Jenni suggested that I just go for a run then. Well, of course, I couldn't go for a run then! It hadn't been 3 hours since I had last ate! There are rules!
But then I thought about it. I hadn't really eaten much, and it wasn't like I needed to run 6 miles, so why didn't I just go. I could always just quit if I got a cramp or got dizzy and nauseous (which is what usually happens if I don't wait 3 hours after eating to run). What a brilliant idea! I could just start, and if it sucked, I could stop. Thank you Jenni! Why had I never thought of that before?
So, I went out and did my run only 2 hours after eating lunch. And guess what? I survived! Even better, I liked it! I am going to try to remember this the next time I start making excuses.
I still didn't do my planned 6 mile run, but now I am thinking I will go do it on the trails at the beach on Monday since D has to go to Shediac for a meeting in the morning. What a brilliant idea!!
Distance: approx 2 miles on trails.
Lessons learned: I can just stop running if I feel shitty.
Song that rocked my run: Don't Stop by Brazillian Girls
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Keeping on schedule
I have been surprising myself by actually sticking to the schedule as set out by Austin Fit. I did a few short 25 minute runs on the weekdays and then did the scheduled 5 miles on Saturday. I took a new route on Saturday, down one of the trails in my neighbourhood (can I spell like a Canadian here?). At first I was a little nervous because the beginning of the trail was really narrow and surrounded on both sides by trees. I almost turned back, but I kept on trucking and within a couple of minutes, it opened up to a wider trail with farms on both sides. I definitely felt safer, that was until I came within 2 feet of a cow. She was standing right at the edge of the trail. Behind a fence, but RIGHT THERE! I say that I love cows, and I collect pictures and figurines of them, but whenever I have been anywhere near a real cow I am terrified! This cow was HUGE. As were all of its nearby friends. Added to the cow terror was the fact that I was running head on into the strongest wind I have ever experienced on a run. I felt like I was in a wind tunnel. I think that added at least a half a mile to my journey since the wind kept pushing me back. It was hard, too!
While running, I was contemplating about the fact that most of my runs lately have felt un-good. I just can't seem to get into the groove where I forget about time and just wanna keep running. Or at least to a point where I am not looking at my watch every 45 seconds. I miss that. I want that. What I really need is Jenni to tell me stories while I run. That always makes my runs go nicely. Maybe in addition to the blog, Jenni needs to do a podcast that I can listen to while I run. Or maybe I should just find a really interesting podcast to listen to while I run. Hmmm. Will have to look into that.
While running, I was contemplating about the fact that most of my runs lately have felt un-good. I just can't seem to get into the groove where I forget about time and just wanna keep running. Or at least to a point where I am not looking at my watch every 45 seconds. I miss that. I want that. What I really need is Jenni to tell me stories while I run. That always makes my runs go nicely. Maybe in addition to the blog, Jenni needs to do a podcast that I can listen to while I run. Or maybe I should just find a really interesting podcast to listen to while I run. Hmmm. Will have to look into that.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Saved by the blog, again!
The fates were conspiring against me, my friends. I declared that I would run, and at about 1 pm, I decided to put that declaration into action. Unfortunately, the universe had other ideas.
First, I couldn't find my Janestrap, which is a vital component of my running attire. I was pretty sure I had put it in the wash after my last run, but it was not hanging with my sports bras, nor did I see it when I put away my clothes that went in the dryer. It is a strange article of clothing, so I thought maybe it got jammed in the washing machine or something. There was no sign of it in or around the laundry area, though. Hmmm. Closet? Nope. Exercise clothes drawer? Nope. Laundry basket? Nope. After about 20 minutes of looking, I gave up. I hate to run without it, but I did just that for the first 8 years of my running career, so I figured I could survive.
Then I went downstairs only to find that my inhaler was clogged. I have exercise-induced asthma, so I have to use an inhaler before I exercise. I started a search for some sort of needle that could fit into the tiny little inhaler hole. I couldn't find one, so I just rinsed it out repeatedly and jammed a paper towel down around the little hole. Somehow that did the trick.
Next stop was finding my iPod. I remembered taking it out before my last attempted run, so now the question was, where did I leave it? I looked all over the house and couldn't find it. As a last resort, I looked in the drawer where it was supposed to be stored, and wouldn't you know it, there it was! Apparently I have been taking my commitment to keeping things organized seriously. I will have to remember that for next time.
Then I went out to the snugly (is this word really spelled with only one 'g'?), warm garage to tell the boy that I was leaving. This swayed my resolve somewhat because here were my two choices:
Rainy, crappy day:
Or cozy, rocking-chair-by-the-fire garage:
But I was strong, my friends. I knew once I started running in the rain, my favorite type of running, I would be happy. I headed out of the garage and was pelted quite hard in the face by some fat rain. This caused me to turn around, head back into the garage, and declare, "Forget it. I will go tomorrow." Then I sat down on a stool by the fire, quite pleased with my decision.
But then I remembered that I had declared to the internet that I would run today, and I couldn't bear another failure in front of the internet. So finally at about 3 pm, a full two hours after I began this running attempt, I picked myself up, walked out the door and just started running.
It was glorious. I loved it completely and didn't hate it at all. Even when I had to run through a shin-deep lake-puddle on the trail, I was happy to do it. It was reminiscent of my BEST RUN EVER which was also my first 10-mile run that Jenni and I and our Austin Fit running group did in the rain around the Town Lake Trail in Austin. When I got back to my house, I even did drills. In the rain! I am so proud of me.
Distance: approx 4 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: I really love running in the rain
Song that rocked my run: The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
First, I couldn't find my Janestrap, which is a vital component of my running attire. I was pretty sure I had put it in the wash after my last run, but it was not hanging with my sports bras, nor did I see it when I put away my clothes that went in the dryer. It is a strange article of clothing, so I thought maybe it got jammed in the washing machine or something. There was no sign of it in or around the laundry area, though. Hmmm. Closet? Nope. Exercise clothes drawer? Nope. Laundry basket? Nope. After about 20 minutes of looking, I gave up. I hate to run without it, but I did just that for the first 8 years of my running career, so I figured I could survive.
Then I went downstairs only to find that my inhaler was clogged. I have exercise-induced asthma, so I have to use an inhaler before I exercise. I started a search for some sort of needle that could fit into the tiny little inhaler hole. I couldn't find one, so I just rinsed it out repeatedly and jammed a paper towel down around the little hole. Somehow that did the trick.
Next stop was finding my iPod. I remembered taking it out before my last attempted run, so now the question was, where did I leave it? I looked all over the house and couldn't find it. As a last resort, I looked in the drawer where it was supposed to be stored, and wouldn't you know it, there it was! Apparently I have been taking my commitment to keeping things organized seriously. I will have to remember that for next time.
Then I went out to the snugly (is this word really spelled with only one 'g'?), warm garage to tell the boy that I was leaving. This swayed my resolve somewhat because here were my two choices:
Rainy, crappy day:
Or cozy, rocking-chair-by-the-fire garage:
But I was strong, my friends. I knew once I started running in the rain, my favorite type of running, I would be happy. I headed out of the garage and was pelted quite hard in the face by some fat rain. This caused me to turn around, head back into the garage, and declare, "Forget it. I will go tomorrow." Then I sat down on a stool by the fire, quite pleased with my decision.
But then I remembered that I had declared to the internet that I would run today, and I couldn't bear another failure in front of the internet. So finally at about 3 pm, a full two hours after I began this running attempt, I picked myself up, walked out the door and just started running.
It was glorious. I loved it completely and didn't hate it at all. Even when I had to run through a shin-deep lake-puddle on the trail, I was happy to do it. It was reminiscent of my BEST RUN EVER which was also my first 10-mile run that Jenni and I and our Austin Fit running group did in the rain around the Town Lake Trail in Austin. When I got back to my house, I even did drills. In the rain! I am so proud of me.
Distance: approx 4 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: I really love running in the rain
Song that rocked my run: The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Another promise :)
I have been the queen of coming up with reasons why I just cannot run these days. Either it's too hot, or too cold, or my allergies are too bad, or I drank too much beer last night, and the list goes on.
My plan when I first moved here was to follow the half marathon training program that I did last year, through Austin Fit, even though I didn't have a half marathon to run at the end of it. I was actually hoping to get down to San Antonio to run the Rock n Roll half marathon in November, but instead, my best friend in the whole wide world is coming to visit me in New Brunswick, which is WAY better. Also, Jenni will not be able to run it this year either. (That reminds me, Jenni, we should plan to meet somewhere else to do a R n R half marathon. Dallas? Nashville? Vegas? Or maybe I can just come to Austin for another half.) Anyway, my point is, that I was planning on following a training program, and I am not really doing that very well. I keep getting emails from the Austin Fit coordinator telling my what my long runs should be each week, and I consistently ignore them. Well, not anymore. I have made public my commitment to run the 13K Terry Fox Run in September by emailing all of my family members and posting it on Facebook. Now is the time to get back into training mode.
According to Austin Fit, this weekend was supposed to be 4 miles plus drills. I did not do that. In fact I did very little all weekend, except walk a lot. Today is a moderately cold, rainy day, and my best runs usually happen in these conditions. So, today, I shall do my 4 miles plus drills. As Jenni may remember, I hate drills with a passion, probably even more than she hates the treadmill, but dammit, I will do them! I have a long driveway that is perfect for hopping, skipping, and jumping all over. I am also putting the Austin Fit schedule into my google calendar so that it is there every day looking me in the face. I can't say that I will do everything on the schedule, but I will commit to doing the long runs every week, and most of the short runs.
Here goes nothing.....
My plan when I first moved here was to follow the half marathon training program that I did last year, through Austin Fit, even though I didn't have a half marathon to run at the end of it. I was actually hoping to get down to San Antonio to run the Rock n Roll half marathon in November, but instead, my best friend in the whole wide world is coming to visit me in New Brunswick, which is WAY better. Also, Jenni will not be able to run it this year either. (That reminds me, Jenni, we should plan to meet somewhere else to do a R n R half marathon. Dallas? Nashville? Vegas? Or maybe I can just come to Austin for another half.) Anyway, my point is, that I was planning on following a training program, and I am not really doing that very well. I keep getting emails from the Austin Fit coordinator telling my what my long runs should be each week, and I consistently ignore them. Well, not anymore. I have made public my commitment to run the 13K Terry Fox Run in September by emailing all of my family members and posting it on Facebook. Now is the time to get back into training mode.
According to Austin Fit, this weekend was supposed to be 4 miles plus drills. I did not do that. In fact I did very little all weekend, except walk a lot. Today is a moderately cold, rainy day, and my best runs usually happen in these conditions. So, today, I shall do my 4 miles plus drills. As Jenni may remember, I hate drills with a passion, probably even more than she hates the treadmill, but dammit, I will do them! I have a long driveway that is perfect for hopping, skipping, and jumping all over. I am also putting the Austin Fit schedule into my google calendar so that it is there every day looking me in the face. I can't say that I will do everything on the schedule, but I will commit to doing the long runs every week, and most of the short runs.
Here goes nothing.....
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
I did it! (Sorta)
Well it appears this blogging thing is actually working for motivation and accountability. (At least for me.)
Today I set out on my planned 4 mile run. My stomach was KILLING me, but I decided that a run might help. Ha. After approximately 30 seconds of running, the pain felt as though my lower intestine had grown spikes and was stabbing my stomach and other intestines as I ran. Not fun! So I quit. But then I remembered that I had a blog to report to, and I didn't want to have to say that I failed again. So, I sucked it up and started running again. Today, I went to the Waterfowl Park for the first time. There are a few trails both around it and through it. I had planned a route that went from my house to the park, around the trails and back. Unfortunately, it looks a lot easier on the map that it did in the park. I got a bit confused and ended up exiting to early, so I think I only ran about 3.5 miles.
I did not see any waterfowl in Waterfowl Park, but I did see a lot of poop that appeared to have come from some sort of large birds. Parts of the park were pretty bushy, and I was a bit nervous about running by myself in the bush. Then I remembered that Sackville is such a safe place. It's not like I was in Surrey or something! My worries were alleviated for a brief moment until a heard a loud noise that sounded like a bear. On hindsight, it was probably a car since I was running near the road and was listening to my music quite loudly, but in the moment I went on high alert looking for anything that might come out to eat me. I need to do some googling to see what kinds of wildlife I need to be afraid of around here.
After the run, I thought my stomach felt a bit better, but that only lasted about 5 minutes until I drank some water and the pain came back with a vengance.
Distance: approx 3.5 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: Running alone in the bush is scary
Song that rocked my run: Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Today I set out on my planned 4 mile run. My stomach was KILLING me, but I decided that a run might help. Ha. After approximately 30 seconds of running, the pain felt as though my lower intestine had grown spikes and was stabbing my stomach and other intestines as I ran. Not fun! So I quit. But then I remembered that I had a blog to report to, and I didn't want to have to say that I failed again. So, I sucked it up and started running again. Today, I went to the Waterfowl Park for the first time. There are a few trails both around it and through it. I had planned a route that went from my house to the park, around the trails and back. Unfortunately, it looks a lot easier on the map that it did in the park. I got a bit confused and ended up exiting to early, so I think I only ran about 3.5 miles.
I did not see any waterfowl in Waterfowl Park, but I did see a lot of poop that appeared to have come from some sort of large birds. Parts of the park were pretty bushy, and I was a bit nervous about running by myself in the bush. Then I remembered that Sackville is such a safe place. It's not like I was in Surrey or something! My worries were alleviated for a brief moment until a heard a loud noise that sounded like a bear. On hindsight, it was probably a car since I was running near the road and was listening to my music quite loudly, but in the moment I went on high alert looking for anything that might come out to eat me. I need to do some googling to see what kinds of wildlife I need to be afraid of around here.
After the run, I thought my stomach felt a bit better, but that only lasted about 5 minutes until I drank some water and the pain came back with a vengance.
Distance: approx 3.5 miles on pavement, dirt trails and wooden bridges.
Lessons learned: Running alone in the bush is scary
Song that rocked my run: Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)