Just Like Clockwork

So it begins again...my "asthma sickness". It happens every year, usually twice. This year I held it off a bit longer than usual, but no matter what I do, it's coming. I can't breathe, I feel congested, I'm exhausted. Of course it has to happen this week when I am absolutely slammed. But sick or not, Moxie needed a walk this morning, so off we went.

It was absolutely freezing and even though I had on more layers than usual (since I planned on walking only) I still wasn't warm. The quickest way to solve that problem is to run, so I decided to jog slowly for warmth. In the end I returned home to drop off my vest and ran for about 10 to 11 minutes. I'm not sure of the total because about halfway in I looked down at my watch and realized I had never started it. That's probably for the best because I really didn't want to know how slow I was going.

It always boggles my mind that when I'm sick I can manage to run for a bit, yet get out of breath climbing the stairs. What is that all about? I guess it's because I take my inhaler before I run. Regardless, I'm very annoyed by this timing because not only am I busy, but next week is my big chance to run with the MORE ladies. Maybe I'll tag along and run a mile or so and then turn back. That's pretty embarrassing though! Someday, someday I hope I can run a normal run with them. I thought I was on the right track having done 2 miles last week, but of course I should have known it wouldn't last!

2 Miles

Nice to have to done (barely) 2 miles today. The trash truck was following me while I ran, so I was forced to go down a different street than usual which added some time to my run. We also encountered 3 different dogs today, so a good bit of energy was spent keeping Moxie on course. Today is in the 50s, a definite improvement over Monday. Hopefully I can keep up the 2 milers so I can *attempt* to run with the MORE ladies at the end of the month.

21:06, 2.03 miles. 10:23 pace

After Birthday Run

A weekend of tons of great food (and maybe some minimal drinking) left me feeling exhausted and fat. This morning's run was tough; it's 40 degrees and my breathing is sketchy at best. Moxie was thrilled to be out though, and my husband's iPod shuffle is finally working again, and those two things were the only things that got me through my run. 16:36 today, total of 1.59 miles. Could 2 miles be in my future again?

Three Days In A Row

This week is about to get very busy for me, so I ran again today making that 3 days in a row of running. I only did 1.5 miles yesterday and today, but I'm glad I did. I noticed though that today was definitely much harder-I think my body just isn't used to not getting a day off in between. Happily, my pace has been around 10:20/10:30 these last few days which I can deal with.

Today I also "refueled" after my run by eating a leftover taco at 10:30am. I have never felt so starving after a run before! I know I need to start incorporating that into my routine, although probably not with tacos.

Drivers Can Be Hazardous To Your Health

More like your life, when you're a runner! I hate that we have no sidewalks in our neighborhood. It's really not ideal to have to run in the street, but I've found that most people in our neighborhood are pretty good drivers when I'm running, slowing down and giving me a wide berth. Not today though!

I had Laura in the jogging stroller today, and as usual we were running against traffic, with Moxie closest to oncoming traffic. I always figure she is the most expendable (sorry Moxie!) and today that's exactly what almost happened. Coming around a corner we were almost creamed by a lady texting on her cell phone (which is illegal in North Carolina now). The best part is that this wasn't a teenager...I'd say she was at least 45 or 50. Mature enough to know better, right? I pulled Moxie out of her way and just stood there in open-mouthed horror as she looked at me and drove on. This is not some corner with bad visibility, mind you. I saw her was she was still about 6 houses away.

Later, running on a straightaway, this time it was an adult man, yapping away on the phone and driving about 40 mph. He swerved and slammed on his brakes, but kept right on his way once he passed us.

All of the adrenaline, plus this being the first time I've pushed Laura in quite some time, plus me gasping for air, plus unseasonably hot weather made for a 12 minute run. Ugh. My half-marathon is looking pretty impossible right now.

Running in the Rain

Well actually, more like drizzle. In trying to keep with my every-other-day running regime, I suited up today, stepped outside, and saw that it was drizzling. Moxie said she still wanted to run (at least that's how I interpreted her pathetic whining) so off we went. My main goal today was to return home with a dog that was as dry as possible, since Moxie seems to have the wet, smelly dog thing down pat. We fairly flew (for us) over a 1.31 mile course and made it home in just under 13 minutes, giving us a 9:54 pace.

I do have to point out though, that my average pace is always lowered a bit at the end by my final sprint. It's just something ingrained in me-you sprint at the end of a run. I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do, but it's always nice to know that I have a last little kick in me, and that I can in fact run a 7 minute pace, even for just 20 seconds. So I often think that recording my pace right at the end is a bit of a lie. It said I did 9:54 this time, but I'd say most of the time I was at about 10:15, and my sprint at the end was what lowered the pace. But it's what I've always been doing, so I guess I'll just keep with it.

After A Week Of Torrential Rain...

Some nice weather! In fact-perfect running weather! I'd say it's in the upper 60's and sunny. Not a speck of wind either. The only downside was the smoke from a nearby fire, but around here that's not cause for concern like it is in California. It was probably just someone burning leaves. It wasn't too smoky, but there was enough to dry out my throat and make my breathing feel pretty ragged. Since it's been a week since my last run, I set my goal at 1.5 miles. I did it, and shaved almost a minute off of my time. Last week I ran the exact same amount (1.52 miles both times-not sure how I managed that!) Last time I did it in 16:31...this time 15:35.

I will say that I was definitely pushing myself, but still, I'm glad I had a day of a somewhat "normal" pace. 10:16 is much better that the almost 11 minute miles I was doing before. I'm sure if I run in a few days I'll be back to going slower, but it really is more important to build my endurance first. A fellow mom from Laura's class was telling me about the half marathon she did a weekend ago, and if she can do it, then I should be able to too! It seems impossible right now, but I hope I can manage one sometime in the next year.

Not As Good, But....

I really don't mind! I'm continuing to have problems with my asthma so I am pleased I did any running today at all. Moxie was so desperate to go outside that I figured we would walk and maybe run for a few minutes. Of course though, I wasn't satisfied with just a few minutes, so I told myself I'd like to do 1.5 miles. So I did!

The slowness continues though, it took me 16:31 to do my 1.52 miles. I really look forward to getting my pace back down around 10 minutes. But for now, today's run is accomplishment enough.

Complaining, Part Twenty Seven

I feel like I complain a lot on this blog. I would say that I don't mean to, but I've come to realize I'm kind of a complaining kind of gal. I'm getting so frustrated with the fact that any time I take one step forward with my running, I have to take about 3 steps back. As usual, my steps back are the fact that I'm getting sick. Luckily it's not H1N1 (yet...it's going around my daughter's school right now!) but rather my usual asthma-related sickness I seem to get every time this year. My breathing is labored even walking up my stairs.

And yet...I had a pretty good run today. I felt like crap the whole time-breathing heavily, calves hurt, running super slow, but I broke the 2 mile barrier again! I ran for 22:19 and did 2.03 miles. I'm sure you can work out that that means my pace was slow. 10:58 slow. And the only reason I got it under 11 minutes is that I sprinted at the end to force the overall pace down. Kind of cheating I suppose, but it had to be done for my ego.

The bad part is that looking back over my past runs shows a pattern-I always seem to have a really good "final" run before a sickness, and then go about 2 weeks without running, and undo all of my hard work. I really hope that isn't the case this time.

PS. I ran on Wednesday as well, 16 minutes at the park, but I chose not to write about it because Moxie was being obnoxious and trying to kill squirrels the whole time.

Brrr!

I guess I'm not used to running in chilly weather again, because today felt so cold! It's 54 degrees, which I'm aware is not that cold, but with the wind it felt downright nippy. I really bundled up and of course was regretting it pretty quickly.

I did 17.5 minutes today, a minute increase over last time. I keep telling myself I just need to slowly but surely add to my time, and soon I'll be right were I want to be. Unfortunately my pace is still embarrassingly slow-10:46 overall this time. I feel like I should be walking if I'm going to go that slow!! But there's nothing I can do about it now. I'm in no position to work on speed when I can't even hit 2 miles.

Regardless of my slow speed, I'm happy that I'm building my time again. It's been almost 6 months since I was consistently running 2 miles, and I'm desperate to get back to that point. It seems like a never-ending battle, this running business.

Just A Run

The good news is that after a week of retraining my body to run, I was able to do 16 minutes today, without any walking breaks. The bad news is it was a slooow 16 minutes-I managed just 1.5 miles. Also bad? Not sure if I'll be able to keep it up-next week I might have to go back to the Couch to 5k training and add a few walking breaks back in.

A crazy headwind really slowed me down today. It was so weird running into such strong winds. The wind was blowing in my eyes, despite the fact that I was wearing sunglasses. Not sure how such a thing is possible, but it happened. Our temps are back up, it was 83 degrees yesterday after we experienced 40s and 50s on Monday. So back out came the running shorts and tank tops.

I'm glad I got some exercise today. The husband and daughter left this morning on an overnight trip, and I fully intend on eating some really bad for me food today. At least I started the day well by burning some calories.

Starting Over At Week 4

September 24th was the last time I ran, and it was a mile. I've been out of running for too long, due to my sprained ankle and bad breathing. A trip to California last week packed on a few pounds, so today was the first day of getting back to running. I decided to start over on my "Couch to 5K" training, in the hopes that starting slow will allow me to get back to 5K shape in time for the Jingle Bell Jog in December.

I picked week 4 as my starting point-easy enough to manage (I hoped) but still enough to actually be able to say I "ran" today. The repeats were run 3 minutes, walk 90 seconds, run 5 minutes, walk 90 seconds. I did that twice for a total of 20:30 minutes of exercise, covering 1.71 miles. It felt good to be out running in the cool (50 degree) weather, and I was pleased I managed to actually do the training. I purposefully kept my pace slow (hovering between 10:30 and 11 while running) and that was definitely a good idea! Going much faster would have tired me out too quickly.

My breathing seems to be doing it's usual thing for this time of year-a hit on the inhaler before I run allows me to complete my run, but my lungs are tight enough that walking up stairs winds me. It's really embarrassing-and perplexing. Hopefully I'll keep any serious sickness at bay this winter and keep working on building my mileage.

I HATE Walking

So on Friday I fell down stairs not once, but twice. Oh yes! I'm so clumsy that I can manage such a feat. The first time was pretty legitimate, I thought. Wobbly, high shoes combined with rainy weather and porch steps. Down I went, injuring my right pinky toe, twisting both ankles, mangling my very cute shoes, and injuring my ego immensely. It was traumatic, but not traumatic enough to keep me from my goal of going out with my friend. More wobbling around on the shoes all night long left my ankles very sore and tired. I made it home in once piece and while walking downstairs (in bare feet, no less!) I completely ate it and sprained my right ankle, AGAIN.

All that to say that instead of a run today, I walked. Walking is slow and boring, and I hate it. Moxie and I both need the exercise desperately, but the running is going to have to wait a while. My ankle seems to be quite the pro by now, this being it's 3rd sprain and all. It's not nearly as swollen as it was on Friday and walking on it feels totally fine. Any weird flexing or contorting is met with loud protests, so stairs and running are both no fun.

I'm very disappointed. Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of beginning my couch-to-5K plan. When I started last year, I had big visions of celebrating my accomplishments with a quick 5 mile run on my anniversary. Instead tomorrow I'm getting my hair done while nursing an injured ankle, unable to run even 3 miles. It's not what I expected at all. I thought I would be in great shape, and a whole lot skinnier. I'm about 8 pounds less than when I started, but it's creeping back on, and besides, no one can really tell anyway. My runs are still slow and laborious. I haven't run anything longer than a 5K. It's hard to stay positive sometimes, but I am looking forward to the cooler weather and starting over again, essentially, in November. October is full of traveling for us, so I'm going to use that opportunity to rest my ankle and get ready to tackle running again. Maybe my 2nd anniversary will see me running 5 miles.

Seriously?

All that I've done in the last few weeks is a few mediocre runs and a few downright horrible runs. Like last Friday, for example. The husband and I decided to do a quick run before we left on a short vacation. Well short it was: only 3/4 of a mile. Yep, you read that right.

Today was no better. I did a mile. Yes, my pace is improving and I did it in 10 minutes. I've knocked over a minute (maybe more) off of my pace since I started running. But a mile? In exactly 2 weeks it will be the first anniversary of when I started running. I really expected to be at a much better place than plodding along, dying while running a mile.

And furthermore, what's up with my shins absolutely killing me when I run? It's downright painful and has been a huge obstacle on my runs lately. My dream of running 3 or 4 miles as a regular run isn't going to come true anytime soon, methinks.

She's Alive!!

So apparently what's been keeping me from halfway decent runs is the hot weather. Our temps dropped rather suddenly yesterday due to a huge storm, and this morning was almost cool. The humidity was low and it was breezy. What a difference it made! Don't get me wrong, it was still kind of hot, and that breeze turned into an unfortunate headwind, but I finally got in 2 miles! Finally!! It had been so frustrating to me that I just couldn't increase my distance back to what I consider my minimum, so I'm thrilled to finally have done it again.

Even better is that my pace has definitely dropped a bit. Today I was at 9:56 overall, a definite improvement. I hope that as the weather cools down (probably not until next month), I'll see continued improvement and I can get back to more serious training. I have high hopes for the Jingle Bell Jog this year!

First Day Of School Run

Had a quick run today after dropping Laura off at her first day of school. I have to admit it felt pretty good to get out by myself, although by the time I got home and ready it was after 9:30am and it was insanely hot. I felt like I was plodding the whole way, but I managed a 9:50 pace which is really surprising. The faster running lead to less distance though, and I only did 1.5 miles.

Hoping that I'll build back up to 2 miles pretty soon; for some reason I feel like if I can achieve that, then I can start building more distance, no problem. Hopefully that's true!

Slow Sprinting-Oxymoron or Pathetic Truth?

I had planned to take a walk today, due to feeling a little tired, but in the end decided doing intervals would give me the most bang for my buck, exercising wise. Hard work, but shorter time. I had Laura in the jogging stroller and it's insanely hot, so I didn't go nearly as quickly this time. Plus I upped my walking time to 45 seconds, from 30 seconds the last time.

I did my six reps and only did .97 miles (in 10:30). I suppose if I had just run a straight mile I would have been out for the same amount of time, but I definitely feel I worked harder. Hopefully I won't feel as sore tomorrow as I did last time I did intervals-I could barely walk down the stairs last time! This time my "sprinting" pace hovered around 7:45/8 minutes, much slower than last time when I was managing in the 6's and 7's. But nonetheless, I'm glad I did it, I certainly hadn't planned on doing anything remotely like work today.

First Try At Intervals

So I've read many, many times that to improve my speed, I need to be doing intervals. I recently read the blog of the lovely M.O.R.E. ladies, and I was completely in awe of their times from their most recent race, so I decided that would be my inspiration for today.

I used my handy Garmin to beep at me at the appropriate times-run 1 minute, walk for 30 seconds. I picked 6 reps, which seemed easy enough. I decided my one minute of running would be full out running, as fast as I could. Needless to say, it was insanely hard.

Part of the problem is that I run in a neighborhood, so I have to watch out for cars and yet again, loose dogs. The same dog from last time broke out of it's electric fence, right in front of it's owner, which was quite awesome. It proceeded to chase us so I had to turn around and go back, which really messed up one interval. Last I saw, the dog was heading off into the sunset and the owner was chasing it on bike. That really made my day, for some evil reason.

Towards the end I was definitely not running as fast as at the beginning. My legs feel like lead now, my heart rate was probably through the roof, and I have to say, I have a huge grin on my face. I did 1.01 miles in 9 minutes, which means that my running was pretty face if that was my pace including 3 minutes of walking. I hope that doing this every so often will help my speed.

I'm Hot!

I'm hot from my run, and in more ways than one (hey, that rhymes!) I'm hot because it turns out that even running at 7:30am is a hot, sticky disaster when it's July in North Carolina. And I'm hot in my father-in-law's terms, meaning I'm upset because once again, rogue dogs interrupted my run.

Across the street live the most vicious dachshund and chihuahua this world has ever seen. Those two dogs are absolutely insane, and you guessed it, are kept in the backyard day and night to bark at anything that goes by. I often hear them in the wee hours of the morning, barking at cars, and I always wonder how the owners aren't bothered by them. Anyway, this morning they escaped, as they occasionally do, and went two houses down from us to menace the poor beagle who is kept trapped on the outdoor deck day and night. The barking from all three parties started at about 7am and continued, non-stop, until I went outside with Moxie. Then they naturally attempted to chase us, so I turned right around, walked to their house and banged on the door until a very sleepy and half-naked man showed up. He seemed partially apologetic but also annoyed that I had woken him up. Luckily for him I'm not the swearing type or I would have regaled him with many profanity-laced stories about all the times his dogs have woken me up. He took them inside and put them out the back where they were happy to resume their barking. The great part was my sweet Moxie dog who was a little nervous with all the barking going on around her, but who stood there calmly and quietly while I talked to the guy.

So now that I've ranted about that, I'll talk about how running while coming down from an adrenaline high is not really very easy. I felt slower and more sluggish than ever, and did I mention how hot it was? I managed 17 minutes, so I'm slowly bumping up my time. My overall pace continues to hover at 10:28-I'd really like a 10 minute pace to be normal/slow so obviously I have work to do. Right now though is building time and distance, my husband doesn't want to hear it from me how slow I am until I'm backing to running for 30 minutes.

I May Never Be A Runner

I've been running here and there the past few weeks, with nothing all that exciting to report. In fact, my running has been the opposite of exciting. My best run as of late happened yesterday, and it lasted just 16 minutes. I'm trying desperately to get back in the game, yet not making any progress. 16 minutes is absolutely unacceptable to me, but I guess I'll have to be happy with that for now because I don't seem to be imporving at all.

My Garmin has been my faithful running partner, always there to helpfully point out just how slow I run. It drives me bonkers how slow I am. There is probably no hope of me ever having a group of people to run with, because I just wouldn't be able to keep up. The most frustrating part is that when I plug the Garmin in at home, the little chart that comes up shows your different paces, and which range they fall into "slow walk, walk, slog jog, run, etc". My running seems to hover between at a jog, so I guess technically I'm not running at all. You only merit being a runner if your pace is under 9 minutes, and even then you're a "slow" runner. Actual running kicks in at a 7 minute mile.

For now, I guess I'll just keep on jogging. As the blog says, I'm a girl who runs-kind of.

Super Fast....Kind Of

I'm having some painting done in my house today (hooray!) and had basically 12 minutes to run before the painters arrived. Okay, so maybe it was more like 20. But I wanted to do at least a mile and still have time to catch my breath before they arrived.

Moxie and I set off at a fast pace, and we managed one mile in 9:35. That's really fast for a slowpoke like me! I was so proud of myself (and Moxie) and would love it if that became our regular pace. Sadly though, I think we'll have to settle for our normal 11ish average. But right now my goal isn't speed, it's building distance!

Running=Torture

That's all I could think about today when I ran. Or should I say when I "ran". I completed 12.5 minutes of shuffling around my neighborhood, and I think it would be a bit of a stretch to call it running. I still haven't gotten back on track after taking all that time off from being sick in May. I'm pleased to say that I have gotten back into the routine and I've been heading out pretty regularly, at least 3 times a week. So that's a plus. What's not a plus is that I can only hack 10 minute runs. My muscles apparently gave up on me when I took my time off, so not only can I not breathe when I run, but my legs are burning too.

I think I'll also point out our horrible, horrible humidity. Even my dog Moxie was acting pretty tired during the run, so I know I wasn't the only one effected. It's like a blanket of sweaty heat just closing in around you while you run. No breeze, no relief, no nothing. It's been over 30 minutes since I got back and I still haven't cooled down!

Angela wants to do a 5K in about 5 weeks, and although I said I would do it, I don't know if I'll be ready. I hope so, because I decided that I'd like my regular runs to be about 4 miles, several times a week. It seems like a pretty lofty and unattainable goal right now!

Poor Neglected Blog

Our running blog is feeling sad that it has been updated in so long! So I will embarrass myself and write that I haven't run since May and that I went out today for a short walk with daughter and dog, and ran for about a minute during the walk and then proceeded to drop dead.

The bronchitis that I was diagnosed with about a week ago is still lingering, so I'm out of practice AND sick. Not a good combination. But I got a Garmin for Mother's Day and was dying to test it out, hence today's "exercise". It was a lot of fun using it and finding out that yes, I do really run that slow. But it was also so cool to know that I walked exactly .97 miles in 15:02. And that my overall pace was 15:28. I must convince myself that it is fun to know that, and not depressing.

This Is What Happens....

When I don't take care of myself.

I have been eating badly, not hydrating, and staying up late. Last night I was up until 1:30am, Laura woke up at 3:45am and then again at 7:30-so what, maybe 5.5 hours of sleep? Not smart. You know what else isn't smart? Running at 11:30am when you're dehydrated, hungry, and it's really hot outside.

The result of all this is a 7:57 run. That's right. I couldn't even run for 10 minutes. On the plus side, I felt like I could have kept going, but I thought the smart thing to do would be go home while I could still move, eat, drink, and get to bed at a decent hour. We're leaving on Tuesday for Disney World, so I anticipate a lot of walking over the next few weeks. I guess it's better than nothing!

Pittsburgh Run

I was able to get in a run on Saturday while up in Pittsburgh. There is a great trail near my grandparent's house, and I've walked it many, many times. Now that I'm a somewhat official runner, I was ready to actually run on the trail! I ran for 27:29, pretty good seeing as it had been a week since my last run.

The weather was pleasant, the trail was flat, and I was running behind (or should I say chasing) my sister the entire time, which all combined to make a great run! Just as good were the 3 deer I saw while walking down to the trail, the mallard duck floating down the creek (he looked a little confused as to why he was floating away), and the itty bitty chipmunk that ran right in front of me and made me shriek in surprise. Not like a typical run here in North Carolina!!

I'd say I went about 2.4 miles. I need to step up my game though, because Marla ran well over 3 and left me in her dust!

Back on track, at least for now?!

It was a beautiful day yesterday, and I was motivated to get a long run in. I headed out before it got hot, and managed a total of 4.3 miles, of which two minutes at the beginning was walking, as was the final few minutes. Overall though, I ran 4 miles so I'm thrilled! I wore my HR monitor, and tried to keep my HR in check to be sure I could go the distance...I ended up running slower than usual as a result, averaging about 10.5 minute miles or so.

I planned the same today, but then Ed and Shelby surprised me with a Mother's Day breakfast, and gifts! There's just no running with cinnamon rolls in the tummy...maybe later today? I hope so, but we'll see.

Yesterday's run...

I got a phone call from a friend of mine yesterday....I hadn't heard from him in a while, so we had some catching up to do!  He told me he's running a race in June (7+ miles of trails, after running up stairs...) and that I'd inspired him to begin running again. Yikes!!  Just the push I needed to get out the door and run, especially in light of the fact that he can run farther than I can by a good bit! 

So, I went to Shelby's school, and asked her if she wanted to run a few laps with me (a good way for us to have fun, and for me to warm up!). She and I ran six consecutive laps around the track (4.5 laps = 1/4 mile) -- that seems like an awful lot of running for four-year-old legs!  Of course, I told her to stop anytime she wanted and that we could walk....she didn't want to walk though....she wanted to run, and chat about her day. So we did... :-)

I dropped her back off in her classroom, and hit the treadmill. I walked three minutes, and then ran two 9:05 minute miles (odd, but it's 6.6 on the treadmill)...walked for a couple of minutes at the end, for a total of 2.35 miles in 24 minutes. I know I need to be building my distance, but I don't really care right at the moment -- running fast is a new challenge, and I really had less than 30 minutes to work out. Doing the best I can, having fun in the meantime. I'm definitely heading out for a few long runs this week though!  

Weekend Run

I don't know how I let my week slip away without any running! It seems like every time I had good intentions, something came up. This morning I actually got to sleep in a tiny bit, and it was already hot by the time we got our act together at 9am. But I was determined to get out there for at least 20 minutes. 20:04 counts, right?

I felt better than I thought I would for not having run for so many days, and we actually went pretty quickly, although I have Moxie pulling us along to thank for that. She was so eager to get back to guarding the backyard that she wanted nothing to do with the run. We covered a little under 2 miles, by my estimate. Fingers crossed I'm back in the game and can keep up with my running while I'm in Pittsburgh!

MIA...but still running!

So I know I've been missing in action lately, in terms of blog posting at least, but I've still been running! I've not posted because -- and I'm being really honest here -- I've had more than a bit of work-related drama (not all bad, but dramatic nonetheless) and the thought of approaching my computer for non-work reasons has revolted me recently. I think I'm over it though, and am starting to return to my normal self. Anyway....

I'm going to start fresh, and just give a recap of yesterday's run. I decided to play a little with speed and see how it felt. Here's what I did...I ran at a 9:05 minute mile pace at all times during my run, which is pretty speedy for me, with a goal of covering 3.1 miles. I knew (and I was right) that I'd probably have to walk or run slowly for a few minutes here and there to recover, but overall I was pleased with how far I could run at that pace. I actually covered a total of 3.22 miles with walking for a few minutes before, during and after my running, in about 33 minutes. And the best part? The treadmill workout was actually interesting!

A Little Better

Today was a small but noticeable improvement. I went for 21:23 and my stomach and breathing felt pretty good until the last minute or two. My legs felt really tired, but maybe I can blame that on all the walking Angela and I (and the two delightful little girls we had with us) did at the Dogwood Festival yesterday.

The only downside today was the obnoxious beast I had with me (aka Moxie). She was so bad the entire time: pulling, trying to trip me, stopping completely while I was still running. That made for an annoying run. I started to wonder if it's possible for dogs to act up when they miss their owners...maybe her "daddy" being gone is making her misbehave. Or maybe she's just annoying.

Seriously, What's Going On?

I took Moxie out at 8:30 this morning, my last run without Laura before hubby leaves for 3 weeks. The air was cool when I started out, but quickly turned hot and sticky the second I started running. On top of that, I couldn't breathe, my legs were dead, and my stomach hurt. This is too many days in a row of really bad runs! I only managed 17:39. I know it's better than nothing, but still! I'm starting to get very annoyed and upset.

Not So Smart

You know what's a really bad idea? Going running at noon when it is no longer winter. I had a lazy morning today but knew I had to squish in a run before picking Laura up at 1. So off Moxie and I went at noon. So stupid. I ran for 17:11, maybe 1.5 miles, and felt like I would surely die there on the road.

On the plus side, this is my second run in a row that I've had a healthy snack immediately after running in the hopes of refueling properly like we always read about. And as a side note, can I just say how much it cracks me up that I love hummus and my husband doesn't?!? Yum!

Just Another Run

My husband is on leave this week and we ran together this morning without Laura, which was very weird. Normally I do not like to run 2 days in a row, but I'm getting my hair done tomorrow (huzzah!) and wanted to enjoy at least 1 day with nice hair.

We went out at about 10:30 and it was surprisingly hot. Still not very humid though, which is great, but definitely not pleasant running weather. We managed to run for a little over 23 minutes, about 2.1 miles. The course we ran seemed to go on forever, and even my husband was deceived-he thought we had run well over 2 miles, maybe even 2.5. If only! My thighs are still really sore (from Friday, I guess?) and I seem to have pulled a muscle in my neck/chest. It doesn't effect my running that much but when I tried to do my pushups today I did 4 before I collapsed. It's the muscle right behind my collarbone, and reaching for anything is out of the question. I guess this is the place to complain about aches and pains, right?

Multitasking!

So this post began as I was being cut, colored and highlighted (thank goodness for Dorian!), and will be completed in my office away from home - Village Coffee House....

Anyway...busy the last several days outside, so I've not had time to post. I can see that, the warmer it gets, the harder it will be for me to spend time at my computer above what work requires!  I did run on Thursday (just over two miles?), and had a bit of knee pain. I took the "cautious" approach on Friday and over the weekend -- I didn't run, but I worked myself silly in the yard and garden. Definitely good physical activity!

This morning, I got back on the treadmill, and had a terrific run!  I ran a 5K, in about 33:30 -- but I must note that I walked the first four minutes and last two, so I'm exceedingly pleased. I actually ran in the skirt because it was early, and I wasn't awake enough to locate alternative running attire. Could it be that the skirt makes me faster?  I'd better not think this way, because I'm apt to become "skirt dependent" and you all will get tired of seeing me in it before long.  Or worse, I'll start to think I can't run without it, and end up throwing temper tantrums if it's in the laundry when I must run. Good grief.... 

Running "Fast"

This afternoon my husband came home from errands, changed into running clothes, and said, "Let's go!" I was about as far from being ready to run that one can be, but I know I need to get back on track, so I agreed. I raced upstairs, changed, and not 5 minutes later we were heading down the street.

I know I always talk about how hard my run was, but this time was seriously the worst. I don't know why I'm having such a hard time of getting back on track after being sick, but this run was torture from the very first step. On the plus side, my husband did keep the pace up and made me run faster than I have as of late (still, I think our pace was a 10 minute mile-pathetic!!). We did our neighborhood loop in just under 18 minutes, and continued on to make it a little past 20 minutes. So I went about 2 miles in the time I usually go about 1.8. Good, but it doesn't explain the stitch in my side, thighs that felt like they were made of lead, inability to breathe, and the sweat pouring down. Let's hope next time is better!

No Wonder Kids Are In Such Good Shape

Last night my entire family (including Moxie!) goofed off in the front yard-we ran laps around the yard, practiced running backwards, skipped, did sidewinders, bear crawls-you name it, we did it. It worked my muscles in a way running doesn't and I think that's what made today so hard.

Still, I'm in shock over how hard my run today was. Moxie and I went out at about 9:30 while my husband was in charge of our yard sale. I knew I wouldn't go far, since I haven't run since Wednesday and that one week of not running while sick was a big set back. But I didn't expect it to feel so hot, and for my legs to feel so sore.

So needless to say I was huffing and puffing the entire time, and I ran for only 20:08. I did cover about 1.8 miles which I guess is my normal (albeit horribly slow) pace. But man, I ran for almost 29 minutes just 11 days ago, and I thought that meant I was well on my way to half hour runs. I guess that was foolish of me!

And to reference my title, I think in all honesty I will have to play in the yard more often like that, because I think I would get in really good shape really fast. It was hard work!

This morning...

I had planned to run outside this morning, which always means a longer run, but since Ed went to the gym, I worked out inside instead....a good run on the treadmill, but I got bored too quickly. I can't wait for the weekend and an outside run!

Back On Track, Kinda

Thanks to all the sickness in my house, it's been over a week since my last run. Yikes! I knew I couldn't expect too much of myself today, so I set a goal of 15 minutes. I had Laura and Moxie with me, plus some wind, so I felt like I was working pretty hard. I ran for 18:20, just did my little loop in our neighborhood which is something like 1.6 miles. I guess better than nothing, but what a bummer to go from almost 29 minutes last week (longest run since Dec!) to not even 20 today.

But getting back on track is important, and even better-today was my first day with my new shoes! I didn't get them from a specialty running store, but I think I picked pretty wisely. They are comfy, snug but not too tight, and as an added bonus, pretty cute for running shoes. I felt very good while I ran. For about 5 minutes at least, until reality set in and I realized that I was already getting tired.

The quick version....

I've not had time to post, but I have had time to run!  I had a great run on Thursday as a matter of fact -- felt so good that, if I didn't have to put my "once every two months" appearance in at the office, I would have gone twice as far!  

Also, I've collapsed into bed the past two nights because I've spent the last two days gardening!  My whole body is tired, but in that good way that says I've accomplished a lot, and spent more than a little time carrying around 40lb bags of soil.  Not that you all care about this, but I am excited to report I now have blueberries, strawberries, thornless blackberries, potatoes, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, green beens, sugar snap peas, rosemary, basil, cilantro and oregano growing in my back yard! I also have ten or twelve varieties of flowers, but I'll spare you the list...  I plan to add two types of squash and cucumber, and I'm done....for the moment!  Not bad a city girl with one acre of land within the city limits, huh?! :-)  Happy Easter!

I hate my treadmill...

I'm totally convinced that my treadmill is messing with me. I ran this morning for about 26 minutes, and my treadmill said I covered just over two miles. This just can't be right.... I know I was running faster than I usually do, not slower....

After thinking about it, I wonder if this is why I totally surprised myself during the Reindeer Run 5k?  I did most of my training on the treadmill at 0% incline, and then ran the race at a consistent nine-minute-mile pace -- about 1:30 faster than my training pace -- despite huge hills. Hmm...

Anyway, felt good to run, and since I've added yoga and abs back into the routine this week, I'm feeling ahead of the game, and my scale seems to agree. For today at least... 

The Weather Just Needs To Decide

Seriously, what is up with 40 degree weather in April? I don't think I can take these ups and downs anymore! All of my running pants were put away and I had to dig them back out this morning, which I was not happy about.

Moxie and I went to the Hope Mills Park today and did our 2.6 miles. I ran for 28:40 this time, which is the longest I've run in a while. It's also about a minute longer than that course took me when I ran without Moxie, so I guess she does slow me down a little. I know I said I won't worry about my distance so much, but it's hard when you do know exactly how long you are running. I'm very disappointed to discover that I seem to be doing 11 minute miles as of late. I thought I had left that behind long ago! Logically I know it shouldn't matter, but my pride says it does.

Still, it was good to be out running on a morning when all I initially wanted to do was go back to bed!

Let's talk about the "H" word....and then the "P" word...

I ran yesterday afternoon, at about 2PM. I thought I'd see what it was like to run in the "heat," although it was just about 80 degrees and windy, but not humid -- not nearly as uncomfortable as it will be in a month or two.  Well, the "H" word (as in HOT) is absolutely no fun. In fact, it sucked.  The wind didn't help (you'd think it would) because it was blowing the yellow pine pollen in my face. I had sunglasses on to protect my eyes, but I'm sure that my lungs are covered with the stuff because I could taste it....gross. I was so hot and so covered in pollen that I even had to stop and walk a couple of times. All in all, I ran with a few brief walking breaks for about 35 minutes. Not even close to what I'd call a good run, but I can see two good outcomes of the run: 1) I now know that I must get up early in the summer to run or stick to the treadmill - the heat is only going to get worse, and 2) Running in the heat allowed me to wear my new running skirt!  

About the skirt -- totally comfortable, and very adorable by the way, so a trip to the grocery store pre- or post-run would be doable without me feeling sloppy (of course, you all know I don't really care and frequently shop in yoga pants, etc. but still...).  I told Ed I'd like to get several and just run in skirts all summer. From the way his eyes about fell out of his head when he first saw me in it (his comments have been censored for fear that those of you that have not lived with a soldier for over a decade might blush), I can see that he'll have no problem in my spending the money. Well, of course I'd be spending MY money, but that's another matter... :-)

Second New Rule

I ran today and created another rule for myself. I'm not sure how long I'll keep it up, but for now it sounds good. I've decided not to be so concerned with how far I run, distance wise. I'll still keep track of my time and try never to go below 25 minutes (per rule #1) but I think for me it is important to be able to run for 30 minutes (for example) before I worry about how far I actually go. I'm sure that eventually I will start running faster, and won't in be a pleasant surprise to someday find out that in 30 minutes I actually covered 3 miles!

I do plan on someday soon going to an actual track and timing my official 1 mile time, so I have an idea of what I can do. Then someday I can compare and see if I've gotten any faster.

Today I ran for 26:01, and would have probably gone for another minute or so if a loose dog hadn't started following us. Poor Moxie was being so good but kept straining to turn around and look at it, and then it started trying to play with her. Not too easy to deal with while pushing Laura in the stroller, so I stopped. It was hot today, and I was about ready to take off my shirt if I wasn't so pale and flabby!

Claire's New Rule

So my new rule for running is never less than 25 minutes. That's the level I've finally built back up to, so I feel like if I'm going to improve, I have to make sure that my current maximum is actually my minimum (if that makes any sense). Sure enough, the day I instituted my new rule, I almost broke it!

I ran out of my neighborhood today and across our busy main road into another neighborhood. They've been tearing houses down at the end of one of the streets, and I was curious so I decided to check it out on my run. Sadly I found out absolutely nothing and had run myself almost a mile from home with only one way home-uphill. It wasn't technically a hill, but an upward slope nonetheless. I got back close to my house, checked my watch, and...only 17 minutes!

So I had to keep running. I ran and ran to fill those last 8 minutes, and I thought, surely this is how I will die. I wanted to barf but I don't hate anyone in my neighborhood enough to barf in their grass, so I just kept going. I was proud that I still had enough energy to do my token sprint at the end (only one house this time, how sad!) All told-25:11. Distance with be noted later, once I drive the course. *Approx 2.2 miles*

Cheeseburgers and bikinis...

While this is technically yesterday's post, I feel as though the events I'm about to share with you are worthy, if not timely....

My day started out on an off note, as I slept in to a ridiculously late hour -- something I'm not at all accustomed to doing -- so running in the morning just wasn't possible. I dropped Shelby off at school, raced home, and immediately began the usual writing, email-checking, and conference calling...I looked up at the clock at one point, and realized it was 12:30 PM, and that I'd not eaten breakfast, let alone lunch. Now those of you that know me understand that this isn't all that unusual, since I rarely am moved to eat breakfast before 11 am, but yesterday was different -- I was suddenly famished. No sooner than I had acknowledged my hunger, my husband burst through the door (as is his way at lunchtime, since he works less than two miles from our house) and yelled "What's for lunch?!"  Normally this behavior annoys me, because he seems only to do this when I have my boss on the phone, or a potential client for my business, but yesterday I was pleased -- someone had arrived to make me lunch!  But, unfortunately, the healthy lunch I envisioned him making me was not to be. Instead, he said "If we leave RIGHT NOW, we can have lunch out, so get your shoes on!"  What fun!!  An impromptu lunch in the middle of the day with a person I love deeply, but rarely spend time with alone!  Until.....

We jumped in the car, and headed to the gas station/convenience store that is about a half of a mile from our house, which...you guessed it....has a tiny restaurant in the back called "Miller's Too." I can't explain the name, and I can't explain why anyone would want to eat lunch at a gas station, but there we were. Now Husband had eaten there before, and the place was rather busy, so I took a deep breath and entered with high (ok, not very high) hopes. Turns out though, the visit to this restaurant was the highlight of my week!  And for those of you wondering, this story does have a "running end" to it, if you're still with me at that point....

The place was small -- maybe eight booths and two tables -- and a girl who looked about 20 and a two-year-old that I assumed to be her child was set up at one of the tables, obviously keeping the toddler occupied while playing the role of waitress. We walked through the door, and the little girl looked at my husband and yelled "Hi Greg!  Hi Greg!  Hi Greg!" The child's mother looked at my husband and said...."Sorry....she thinks you're my dad....her grandfather...."  Of course, being the kind-hearted wife that I am, I immediately began laughing hysterically!  My husband, on the other hand, was less than pleased....he muttered "thanks..." (as in, "thanks for nothing...." or "thanks for reminding me I'm not 20 anymore, " or even "thanks for pointing out my slightly gray hair...")....I continued to laugh....and then I laughed some more.... 

We moved on to the actual lunch (yes, I was still laughing), and as I assessed my options, I realized that it was either "cheeseburger" or "fried chicken" so I went with the cheeseburger and fries. I ate every bite....and it was delicious!  As I was scarfing down, my neighbor showed up and added significantly to the experience (I'd finally taken a break from laughing, so as not to choke) by a conversation about his ability to live through a dog attack, how we'd stop a stalker, and what people in our neighborhood he felt were "weird."  Given this guy's past (he served our government for many years in a rather "underground" sort of way if you know what I mean?), I enjoyed his stories immensely and secretly was thankful that this guy was on our side....as in, with the wrong set of circumstances, the guy may have turned out.....quite differently... But since the clock was ticking, we left....I was stuffed. My hair and shirt smelled like a smoke-laden cheeseburger....and I had a run to attend to... 

Ed dropped me off and, surprisingly, my new bikini had arrived and was waiting on the doorstep during our absence. I cringed. I almost cried. But I was brave and put that tiny little thing on anyway. I liked it, and wasn't nearly as horrified as I thought I would be, but cheeseburger or no cheeseburger, the bikini reminded me that running wasn't optional. So off to the gym.... Given the fact that I smelled greasy and felt like I'd eaten a brick, I didn't run far, and in fact had to stop and walk at one point because my stomach hurt, but I was there. I even did a few sets on the cybex stuff in order to further counteract the "cheeseburger effect..." and after, I felt pretty good for having eaten a thousand calories of crap.  I even tried the bikini on again for Ed when he got home. He thought it covered up too much.... 

More Mediocre Running!

What a busy day that I actually forgot to post until just now. Moxie and I ran today (well, she mostly walked quickly) and I was determined to make it a long run. Long for me, at least. I ran for 26:14, about 2.4 miles which is just such a slow pace. And I really thought I was running for a lot longer than that! I combined two of my courses and thought for sure it would equal at least 3 miles. But oh well!

We also took a short family walk after dinner and I am tired tonight. So I guess my exercise today did the trick. And I'm ashamed to admit that I forgot to wear sunscreen on my face and I'm a little burned. It figures-I was wearing it all winter, and then forget today. Awesome!

This morning...

I ran on the treadmill before taking Shelby to school, and I have to admit that I love how I've felt all morning, and don't miss the pressure of "When am I going to run today?" one bit. I do think my treadmill lies to me though -- or maybe it's just me? I was on a total of 32 minutes today (four minutes before, and two minutes after, were spent walking), and the treadmill said I only covered 2.76 miles. Maybe this is right, but I felt like I was working harder today than that. Oh well...I'm not going to worry about it just yet. Instead, I'm going to focus on being happy that I ran!

Wind, Again

Thanks to the horrible wind, I ran for a whopping 12:31 today. Awesome! I had Laura in the stroller and Moxie pulling us along, so I actually ran a lot fast than I usually do. That wind though-it was crazy! Laura and I kept losing our hats and Moxie kept running sideways and then getting run over by the jogging stroller.

I was talking with my neighbor who suffers from asthma like me (although her's is a lot worse right now!) and we were saying we hate how unpredictable our asthma is. On Thursday I felt good enough to run for almost 28 minutes, today, 12 almost killed me. I hate that. But at least I got out there.

A 5K!

After a tough Friday and a not-so-great Saturday in terms of my cold, I'm finally better. So, instead of thinking about the 150 things I should do around the house, I decided that I deserved 30 minutes to run outside. The weather is beautiful, with the exception of a fairly good wind, so out I went. It was wonderful! I tried to ignore my pace and focus on the run. I headed to "the gardens" (Claire, you remember where I mean...) and ran around the neighborhood there. I was reminded of how much more fun it is to run outside (I wasn't counting down the seconds as I do with the treadmill), and that I need to plant tulips next fall. I encountered a total of three cars, except for the light traffic I saw as I crossed two main roads, and about a billion flowers and blooming dogwood trees. Perfect.

I actually ran exactly 3.1 miles, although I wasn't purposefully trying to hit a 5K really, in 32:28. Not fast, but fast enough for me today! And as I think about it, I really believe that that time is faster than my first "official" 5K?

25 minutes of not so much fun....

...but I'm ok with that! I'm sick today with a cold (sick enough to drink tea instead of coffee, which for me is a very big deal!), but I didn't want to skip my run entirely. So, I stepped on the treadmill with realistic expectations and a box of tissues near by (which actually ended up being a very good idea indeed...). I walked for 5 minutes, ran for 15 minutes, and then walked for another 5 minutes -- 2.05 miles of not so good, wiping my nose throughout (pardon the visual...).

Not fast, and in fact fairly difficult, but as with yesterday it's better than nothing....and I'm subscribing to ER's theory that exercise will help me get over the cold, rather than hinder my recovery! Fingers crossed!

I Must REALLY Hate The Treadmill

It's raining today, and I was faced with two choices: run at the gym on the treadmill, or run in the rain. I chose to run in the rain. It had been drizzling all morning but as I drove towards the park, it really started coming down. Luckily it let up a bit and only rained for the first 8 minutes of my run. After that it was just a mist.

Despite the rain, it was actually pretty warm and I was glad I chose to wear shorts. I went around the outer loop at HPM Park twice, which we know to be about 1.02 miles around. Then I did the smaller loop, which is advertised at .6 miles. So all together I did about 2.6 miles. My overall time was 27:45. First mile 10:33, second mile 21:14. So I was going slow but not too slow. I really was dying at the end, especially since that last little bit of the walking trail is upward sloping. I was going to try to keep going to hit 30 minutes, but I wisely stopped.

It's been about 1.5 hours and I'm still really feeling the burn. I guess that's a good thing.

Another quick mile

So I'm stuck on a conference call until 4:30 PM, which completely ruined my workout plans...or so I thought at first. As I was listening to the call (a focus of which, by the way, is supporting physical activity and healthy eating through policy and environmental change - a point that was not lost on me as I contemplated yet another day of no running...), I glanced over to my treadmill. It looked lonely. I have speaker phone and a computer screen that can be seen from across the room. I ran a quick mile and walked some, and gave a bit of my attention to the call at the same time. I couldn't be MIA for too long, so I was on the treadmill a total of about 12 minutes (I think I covered about 1.25 miles or so?), but hey....better than nothing.

I'm still not out from under the mountain of work that built up during the "big project," and my trip, but I'm getting there....I think. If I don't have this figured out by next week, I'm guessing I'm heading back to early morning running. We'll see. I've got to get moving though -- that 10K is on my mind, to say the least! :-)

Must Keep Running!

Last night I bravely (or foolishly, I can't decide) posted on my personal blog about my running progress thus far. I even was bold enough to include a "before and after" picture segment. So I certainly can't slack off now, now that I have announced to everyone that I am actually getting in shape.

So today, despite the 47 degree weather and high wind (it is spring, right?), Moxie and I set out with the goal of a long run. The course I did was 2.3 miles and I finished in 25:19. I have to admit I felt like I was running forever, surely at least 3 miles or more, so that was disappointing. But at least I did over 25 minutes and my pace wasn't too ridiculously slow.

Now I am off to do some crunches since the picture I posted of myself sure makes it look like my tummy is toned, which it's not! I have to live up to all my hype!

Not Much Better

I think our 3 readers are probably getting tired of only reading about me doing a bad job while I run, and believe me, I'm getting tired of experiencing it! I ran again with my husband this morning, pushing Laura in the jogging stroller, and only managed 21:09. Not sure of the distance but it was definitely not 2 miles.

I decided that I'm going to map a few of my different routes once and for all so that I know how far it is as I run it. That way I'll be able to tell if I finish in a respectable time or not. Plus it will save me from driving around the neighborhood after I run, making all the neighbors think I am weird for circling the block.

Looking on the bright side, I didn't plan to run at all today, so I guess some is better than none!

Ugh

There isn't much to be said about today. Husband is off of work, convinced me to run this morning-I made it 10 minutes before I had to stop and walk. I couldn't breathe and couldn't move my legs. I walked for 2 minutes and ran 10 more to make it back home. I hope this is not a sign of things to come!

Back..again?

Ok, back again from traveling, etc. and have just a few seconds to post....Ran in Pennsylvania once (a great run actually -- 2.5 miles, in 27 degree sunny weather!) and played ball outside once with my brother hard enough to call it a work out. Ran yesterday, but only a quick mile around the track at Shelby's school since I was pushed for time. Planning to run today, and hopefully tomorrow and Sunday if all goes well. Miss running, but I'm finding it hard to managing life well enough to fit it in consistently.  I realized this morning that the class I was taking last semester was a joke and took no time at all, but the one I'm in this semester is taking a ton of time....maybe that's the difference. No matter though...will keep at it! :-)  

Worst In A While

Man, what a horrible run. I did 25:46, but felt awful the entire way. I think towards the end I was practically walking. Moxie was really lagging too. It's nice today but I felt like I was baking the entire time. Legs like lead, couldn't breathe, the whole 9 yards. The good part is that my knee which I hurt yesterday didn't bother me. My shins were bad for the beginning though, which wasn't pleasant. I'll probably drive the route later to get my distance. I'm starting to really wish I had a Garmin or GPS or something so I knew how far I am running while I'm actually doing it, rather than after the fact.

Update: It was only about 2.2 miles. How pathetic. It is almost 9pm and I still feel tired and sore. Must have really been a bad run.

A Pleasant Surprise

Today was the first day in a long time that I've had to force myself to go run. Sure there are days when I'm not totally feeling it, but today I REALLY didn't want to go out. I promised myself if I just did one mile I would be released from my duty and could return home. When I started out, even that one mile seemed like too much. It was cold and windy, I was tired, and I had a ton of things to do once I got home.

But as luck would have it, I warmed up a little bit, started being glad that I was out, and in the end, ran 2.5 miles. I'm so happy I did, because after not running since Thursday, I thought for sure I wouldn't even hit 2 miles. I came to a crossroads of sorts on my run, and I chose to go the route that took my farther from my house and probably tacked the last mile onto my run. I almost went even farther since I was still feeling okay, but there was the whole problem of having to go back the way I came, and I knew if I went much farther I would be walking or crawling home. It took my 26:10 which is a good amount of time to run for, but I am looking forward to the days when it is even longer!

Finally, 2 Miles Again

Today I finally surpassed the 2 mile mark, for the first time in a while. It took me almost 25 minutes to go 2.1 miles, which is SO slow, but I will blame all the wind for part of that. But I'm glad I finally hit 2 miles again, and I hope that I can just keep bumping up my distance.

Part of my course was different than usual and included two semi-hills, which I really felt in my thighs. I did like it though, it seemed like a more challenging course. And the good news is my knees felt fine. Still, I think some new shoes should be in my future. I've had this same pair since probably October, and even though I don't run a lot of miles per week, they've gotten a lot of use since I wore them a lot in the winter. The trick is finding a comfortable pair!

She signed up for a 10K, so she had to run...

I'm not sure how far I ran (I had to jump off mid-run for a few minutes, and the treadmill restarted before I returned....), but I ran for about 20 or 25 minutes (plus five minutes of walking to warm up), mostly at a ten-minute-mile pace. Felt really good, but I can tell I need to build up my endurance again. 

I've also just figured out how I'm going to run during my trip to Pennsylvania starting tomorrow. A trip or two to a local lake to run should be feasible since the weather looks clear, but in case of rain or snow, a local gym has a pretty good guest pass deal.  I'm going to go right now and pack my running gear!

The 10K training has officially begun!  

Did I really?!

Someone who looks, acts and even talks suspiciously like me (ok, it was me...) just registered me for a 10K on June 6!  Oh, no!  Oh, YES!  Oh, no!  Now the panic has set in.  Possible though right? Yikes!  Better put my running shoes on RIGHT NOW and get training!  

Uh Oh

I ran again today, and a small concern came up while I was running....pain in my knees. Uh oh. Both of them felt sore when I started out, which I attributed to me jumping back into running on Saturday and then doing some sort of running or walking every day since then. The pain then shifted to my right knee, but only for about a minute would I have even classified it as pain. Even then, it was more of a twinge, an annoyance. It was in my knee cap. It went away quickly, and I was able to finish my run, although I was really dragging towards the end. I had envisioned a really long run for myself today, and ended up doing only 19:44. The route I did is under 2 miles, but how much under, I don't know.

In other news, my right hand really hurts, but that only effects my leash holding, not my running.

I'm BACK!

I'm finally back!  Without much warning, I ended up working over the past ten days (weekends included!) nearly around the clock. I drank too much coffee and functioned on a mere four hours of sleep for several days in a row, all in the name of building my business. Worth it in the end for sure given the client and the work experience itself (and the $$ of course!), but something had to give....I had no time to feed my family dinner (we ate out several times over the course of ten days, which is virtually unheard of for us since I love to cook!), my house was a constant disaster, and I even went several days without my favorite make-up...I didn't even have time to read the blog, and to be honest, I've missed you all!! As much as I hated it, running simply didn't fit in to the 18-hour workdays. But now, I'm BACK!

I missed running, I thought about running, and I even dreamed about running. So today I headed out. My Shuffle and my Garmin both needed charged, so I went without, and carried my heavy iPhone for music. The weather was perfect. The run was great because I was running -- the pace and the distance?  Well, let's call it somewhere between pathetic and embarrassing. But I don't care. I ran. 

Now, I've decided that I must register for at least one race -- and start shopping for that running skirt....

My Husband Is Trying To Kill Me

After yesterday's exhausting run/walk, I thought for sure today would be a day of rest. No such luck! Almost immediately after waking up, my husband asked if I was ready to run. I was not ready at all, and I told him so, but that did me no good. Not 15 minutes later I found myself in running clothes and outside.

It was a tough, tough run. My legs are tired from yesterday, it's super windy, and my breathing is still protesting every step I take. But we managed to do most of our little loop in 18:41, and the run totaled probably about 1.7 miles.

So I'm glad that we went out, and I'm glad I went with my husband because he always seems to inspire me to go farther than I would have had I been alone. But I know that I am going to be exhausted tomorrow!

And on a side note, I need to do some shopping for summer running clothes. Anyone want to join me? I've been told the skimpier, the better!

Does 1 Mile Count?

Today the whole family hit up the Cape Fear River Trail for some good outdoor fun. For those who aren't local, it's a simple paved trail through the woods, paralleling (for the most part) our local river. It was such a nice day today, and after all the cold and rain, we needed it!

The husband had his ruck sack (with a mere 50 pounds in it!) and we set off with the goal of 4 miles. We managed a bit over that and I did one mile of it running, in exactly 10:04, which was pretty awesome in my book. Too bad any running beyond that was impossible. Including water breaks, we were out for about an hour and 20 minutes. The course is fairly hilly and we managed a few jogs here and there throughout. We even sprinted at the end!

After not exercising for over a week, I was happy to get outside, happy that I could run a mile without dying, and happy that the dog finally got some exercise and is currently fast asleep and not harassing me.

Just Beginning!

Well I am officially beginning my workout routine. I started on Friday with a personal trainer (cross-fit style) and went again today. I haven't started actually running yet, but I did do 12 laps walking on the track at the Highland Presbyterian Rec Center which is something silly short like just over 1/4 mile or something like that. I tried to keep up with the fit white haired lady in white but had a hard time pacing her "race walk" (well it looked that way to me). Friday Laith was fussing so when I did my squats I had an additional 7 lb bundle of joy in my arms which I definitely felt.

I might have some new goals. It looks like I'll be heading to Montgomery AL for training in June. When I look at the website it appears a 10K is in my more immediate future that I had originally thought. The good news is on day two I have a fitness test to take but I only have to run 1.5 miles in 18 minutes. That's better than my normal 14:50 - 15:00 pace that I'll need to keep my annual score up. I'll take it one week at a time and focus that way. I really want to go to this class (it looks much better to complete in in residence) so new goals they are!!

Sick And Mad

I'm sick and I'm mad. And it's going to keep me from running for a while, so I figured it's worth blogging about. Overall I don't feel that bad, just really tired along with a sore throat and some chest congestion, but it's that congestion that sabotages a person like me and sets me back a good month. I had JUST started building my running back up-could barely manage two miles at a time-and now I will be starting all over AGAIN!!!

I'll probably be out of the running game for at least a week and when I do start back I know I will be set back quite a bit. Looking back at my log, I started from scratch again back in January after my Nov/Dec sickness, and that means it took me almost 2 months to build myself back up to a 2 mile level. This is so frustrating. I'm sorry to just post one long complaint, but I had to get it out.

I'll try to look on the positive side and use all this time indoors to work on my crafts. I'll really try.

No time to run makes it the perfect time to run...

So in addition to my shoe drama (by the way, thank you all for actually reading that ridiculously long post - your comments are a testament to your love of running....non-runners wouldn't have had the endurance to read to the bottom!), I'm in the midst of one of my bi-annual "I have so much work to do between consulting, school and my "real" job, not to mention the daily work of taking care of my family which is what I'd rather spend my time doing, that I don't have time to sleep, let alone run" breakdowns.... 

As you all already know, I've not been running much lately as a result. So last night when I went to bed, I was sure that today would be another non-running day. After all, I was dressed to run all day yesterday and never found even 15 minutes to do so.

Well, the sleep must have helped because when I woke up today, I thought about all that I had on my schedule and decided I couldn't NOT run - I need every bit of energy and sanity that running seems to bestow on me. So I did. It didn't last long, but I ran. It felt good.  In fact, it felt great. No pain, good shoes, and more work than I thought it would be....I am happy.

Yuck

Today should have been a great run. It's slightly overcast but not cold, Laura was in a good mood this morning which always makes my morning better, and I was actually dressed and ready to run before I even took Laura to school. On the way home I charted a course that included some running on the main road, in a different section than what I've already done. New courses always add interest to my run.

So I got home from dropping Laura off, collected Moxie, and off we went. I could feel right away this run wasn't going to be a good one. I began the course I planned to run, but only went about half of what I had planned to run on the main road before turning back around. It's really tough running there-lots of pine straw hiding all the dips in the ground, making for very uneven ground. I was shocked and saddened by the amount of trash and debris, plenty of it the broken glass variety. Cars were whizzing by and even though I had several feet between me and them, I just wasn't liking any of it. Not to mention my legs felt like lead and my lungs weren't moving any air.

I got back home, checked my mailbox watch and saw it had only been 15.5 minutes!! So I pushed on for a few more and finished at 20.5. It was a disappointing run to say the least, and really made me wish we had better places to run.

*****
Edited to add: Checked the mileage when I drove to get Laura, and it was 1.8 miles. Yuck again.

New Shoes, New Shoes!

I doubt this is terribly exciting to anyone but me, but I bought a new pair of shoes today - New Balance 1063s. They feel great, but given the past few months, I'm going to wear them around the house for awhile before I declare my undying love for them. 

So why post about new shoes?  Well, it has to do with good advice, bad advice, more good advice, and lots of drama in between. Given the fact that I have forced you all to suffer this drama with me, I feel the need to post on the topic. First, the 18-year-old guy at Inside Out Sports said I need a neutral shoe, I chose my Sauconys, and loved them for three months. Then knee problems, the "insert recommendation," and so on. And then today....  

I have no time in the next couple of weeks to head to Raleigh or Wilmington in search of new shoe advice, so I assessed more local options. I ended up at John Allen Shoes (google it - it'll make you laugh when you see the photos they have on their website...), the destination of choice for the over 80 set - these older adults crave comfort - and ugly if you ask me - but the salespeople there actually know about FEET.  Mind you, I did enter the establishment with a healthy dose of skepticism (seriously, I looked around and nearly passed out when confronted with so many functional, comfortable beige shoes at one time), but the fact that I have trusted these people to fit my darling daughter's feet with expensive Stride Rite shoes since before she could walk, and the fact that they pop popcorn there which makes the place smell....festive?....I held my head high as I passed the Hush Puppies display. My hopes were almost dashed when I found the running shoe section - they had exactly two models of New Balance running shoes that didn't appear "orthotic" in nature - but the salesperson seemed official. He confirmed that I am in need of a "neutral shoe," and after looking at my feet, he said he wouldn't recommend any special arch support at all, other than what's in the shoe. He even used the foot measuring thing I remember from when I was a kid, and of all things, a shoe horn as he slipped the New Balance 1063s on my needy feet. 

They felt good. I pranced around the store, and even ran a lap feeling like a hero - the place was surprisingly packed, and I was the youngest person in there by at least 40 years so the crowd was in awe of my speed and endurance. The shoes felt better. Snug in the heel, roomy in the toe, no slipping. So $130 later, they were mine. And it must be mentioned that the salesperson, who had a daughter (or maybe it was a granddaughter) that ran, and as I was checking out, he congratulated me on my "accomplishments" and even said "Happy Racing" as if I were some sort of olympian.  Several customers chimed in as well. A perfect day for the ego, considering I doubt I can run 3 miles at the moment without wanting to pass out dead. But that's not the end of this ridiculously long, drawn out story about a simple pair of shoes.....

As I was leaving, I felt a little cheated, even with the ego trip considered. Had I really just bought running shoes at the store of "comfortable shoes for old people?" Seriously?  The further from the store I got, the more I was convinced that these shoes were second-rate, not "real" New Balance running shoes, and that I'd made an impulse purchase I'd live to regret. 

So, being the "real runner" I am, I checked out the Runner's World website and guess what?  These shoes won the "Best Update Award" for the latest round of shoe reviews. I'm not in love yet, but let's just say I'm ok with being the young, cool chick that impressed a bunch of old people with my fast new shoe purchase....Of course though, I'll keep you posted...

Running Out Of Titles

After my night out on Saturday, I was not in the mood for running on Sunday OR Monday! I knew that I had to get back into the swing of things today or I will loose any momentum I had gained last week. I broke my own rule of not running when it is below 40 degrees, but these are desperate times. It was about 33 degrees, but luckily it was sunny and not too windy.

I'm happy to report I'm slowly but surely increasing my time out. Today was 24:06, and the course I did was about 2.2 miles. Moxie and I were chased twice by the same loose dog, which added some excitement to our run. It seems like I can always find something to keep me moving!

I noticed that this time it was exhaustion in my legs that kept me from going farther-my breathing was actually pretty good. So good in fact that I managed a burst of speed at the end that made me look like a real pro-too bad no one was around to see it. That's actually probably good, because I don't need anyone telling me that my burst of speed is actually just a slow jog.

Just The Girls

This morning my husband was getting ready to go play with the boys (paintball!) so that meant it was just the girls on the run today. I am so proud that I kept up with running every other day since last Sunday. What an accomplishment compared to the last two months!

Today was cold but not windy, and I warmed up quickly and had to start peeling the layers off. I had Laura in the stroller and Moxie on the leash. Moxie got a bath yesterday and was inside all day, so she was ready for some action today! She really kept me moving quickly at the beginning. She usually mellows out about halfway through, but today she was strong until the very end when I wrapped her leash around the jogging stroller and made her help me pull Laura up the "hill" leading up to our house. I sprinted the last few houses and was very satisfied that she was running behind me.

We did a slightly different course today, a combo of parts of my two regular courses, so I have no idea how far I went. I ran for 23 minutes so I'm guessing at least 2 miles, which is good. I think later I will give into temptation and go map the course in my car. Running today wasn't my easiest or best run ever, but I did notice that I really didn't struggle as much as usual. Could it be that I'm finally getting back to the point where 2 miles is a doable run? And will I someday run enough each week that it will merit a mileage chart like Patty and her friends have on their blog?? I hope so!!

Almost didn't...

At the moment, I've got more work to do than I can handle (well, I can handle it, I just won't necessarily like it!) so when 2:30 PM rolled around and I was still at my desk, I though "there's no way I'm running today...." I put on my running shoes anyway and headed to pick Shelby up - but I still wasn't convinced that it was going to happen. The fact that I forgot my gym id card seemed like a sign.  Add to that the fact that I'm NOT enjoying the arch supports in my shoes, I forgot to charge my Shuffle, and I only had one component of the two required to monitor my heart rate, and things weren't looking good.... So maybe I'll just walk around the track for a few laps, and head home to do laundry....

Yep, you guessed it. It was the "head home to do laundry" thing that snapped me out of it. I don't do laundry unless I have exhausted ALL other possibilities, so I borrowed an access card, left my street shoes on (which are actually running shoes, but they're not really fit to run in anymore due to use), turned the iPod on using my phone, thanked God that no one else was in the gym to hear Metro Station urge me to "Shake It" - it's a church gym so I try to be respectful - and hit the "Start" button. Almost 30 minutes later I'd walked some, ran two miles, and walked some more. My feet are tired from the shoes, but whatever. 

Who knew that hating to do laundry would actually be a good thing?  I'm going to try to hate it more in the next year.....maybe I'll run that half-marathon someday after all! 

No More Wind Please!

When I moved here from California over 4 years ago, one of the first things I noticed was that it is nowhere near as windy here as in California. What I realized today is that is a big fat lie. It is so windy here and it is starting to piss me off. How is a girl supposed to run if she is being blown backwards?

All that complaining aside, today is actually a really nice day. It is about 60 degrees right now and the rain from yesterday stopped sometime over night. The streets are mostly dry and the sun is shining. I ran to the main road again today, and went a tiny (and I do mean tiny) bit farther than Tuesday. Today was a lot more difficult than it was the first time. It always seems really easy to run a new course the first time, mostly because of the newness. Now I'm already jaded because I know how tough it is. Moxie was also in her element today, trying to check out everything and pulling me along in all directions. Maybe the plus to that will be better upper body strength from pulling her back in.

My new brilliant idea for when I run in my neighborhood is to start my watch, put it in my mailbox, and then check it when I get home. That way I know how long I ran but it's not taunting me as I run. The bad news was today was only 19:10. I really need to increase my runs by AT LEAST 10 minutes. Hopefully that will be happening soon!

Road Running

Today I had a little course in my neighborhood all mapped out, but when I set out to run it, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. It's a small loop through the older part of the neighborhood, and I ran it once with my husband and HATED it. So I started running down the street that leads out of our neighborhood. Next thing I knew, I was on the main road (Elk Rd for those of you who are locals!)

I didn't go far at all-maybe just a few minutes on the main road since Moxie was not liking all the cars driving by, but it felt great. I imagine that is what it will feel like some day when I decide to run to a destination. Not that there's anywhere around here I could safely run to, but that doesn't matter right now!

I was very disappointed when I arrived home and checked the clock-I had only run for about 18 minutes!!! I thought for sure it was a "long" run, but when I drove the course later I found I ran only about 1.7 miles. Bummer. I guess next time I'll have to go farther up the road. Which is kind of upward sloping, by the way. I am feeling it already!

Blowing off work...

Today is Tuesday which means ballet class for Shelby and no afternoon running for me. So I thought I'd blow off work for a bit and hit the treadmill this morning instead. I finished up a conference call just after 11 am, and got right to it. I walked for five minutes and ran for about 15 before utter bordem set in, but at least I ran! It actually felt good too - my knee felt stiff, but didn't hurt. And the 20 minutes off of work has to make me more productive in the long run, right?

I'm going to run tomorrow and Friday too this week I think - 2 miles each time - and then on to over 2 miles next week! I have to break this 2-mile thing soon, or I'm going to go crazy!

Some Semblance Of A Routine!

I ran again today, which is (in my book) a huge deal! That means I have run every other day since Wednesday. I really hope to keep this up and make it my routine. The whole family went out today, in the somewhat cold, somewhat windy weather. Once again I thought I would only last about 5 minutes, but we did the whole neighborhood loop. I wish it was a bit longer, maybe 2.5 miles, but for now I will be happy with the 1.8 I think it is.

I didn't wear my watch but luckily my husband had his (when does he ever not wear his watch, were his exact words) and he said we did the loop in 19:30. Much better than Friday at 22 minutes, but I do seem to do better when he is around. Plus I didn't have to be in charge of the stroller and the dog like I did on Friday-today I just pushed Laura. I'm glad, in a way, that I'm back to pushing her, because that definitely makes it harder.

Fingers crossed for at least 3 runs during this week!

Friday Run

I forgot to post yesterday! It wasn't an exciting run, so maybe that's why. I pushed Laura in the stroller and had Moxie on the leash and did my neighborhood loop, which I think is about 1.8 or 1.9 miles. I didn't have my watch but I checked the clock in my car when I left and came home, and it said 22 minutes. I was really happy, since when I first started out I told myself I would just go to the end of my street since that was all I felt like I could handle. I think not having the watch really helps-it makes me set goals of distance, not time.

It's raining today and we are off for a delicious Valentine's Day lunch, so I think running is out of the question today. Maybe tomorrow!

Early run....with some success...

I ran early this morning on the treadmill....I walked for a full five minutes first, ran for about 15 minutes and walked to finish up at 30 minutes. I actually felt good the entire time, so I'm guessing this week's setback was due to the running+soccer+bicycling on Sunday - too much for one day right now. I'm going to run again tomorrow, still keeping my distance under two miles. In fact, I think the under two mile plan is probably my best bet for next week too, and then I'll reassess. 

Who knew that putting one foot in front of the other would prove to be so complicated and frustrating?!  Still, it feels good just to be moving again! 

No fun...

I must have done a little too much on Sunday, because I've been ready to run all week, but my knee has not. It really isn't too bad (not nearly as bad as it was in December), but I'm trying to be smart. It isn't fun....at all....

I put in less than 10 minutes on the treadmill yesterday and between my knee and the 500 things on my mind, I just couldn't do it. I hate this...... I should be looking forward to that 10K.......

Windy Run

Despite the horrible wind today, it is just beautiful and I couldn't pass up the chance to run outside. Maybe I should have because we were literally walking in place at times with the strong headwind. A few times Moxie lost her footing from being blown so hard!!!

I ran for a total of 21 minutes, less than 2 miles given my slow, wind-induced pace. I feel like I write this every time, but I haven't been feeling so great the last few days, so I view any amount of running as a success. I was also satisfied to see Moxie struggling towards the end when she started out straining at the edge of the leash and begging me to go faster. Isn't that mean of me? But if she was tired, I know that my being exhausted at the end was totally justified!

Another good run!

I really need to be working as a deadline is staring me in the face this morning, but I have to take a second to post about yesterday's run....

The weather was so beautiful, so Ed, Shelby and I headed to HM Park - they play, I run.... According to my Garmin, I covered 2.37 miles (before you yell at me, please know that I really only RAN about 2 miles - the rest includes pre- and post-run walking!). I wouldn't consider it an easy run (please don't ask me what my average heart rate throughout was, because it was too high!), but my knee felt nearly perfect throughout. At least 3 more 1.75 mile to 2 mile runs this week are on the schedule....

I didn't do myself any favors after running though (although seeing Shana and Olga at the park was wonderful!) - once I got home, I cleaned garden boxes, took Shelby on a bike ride and played soccer with her in the yard.  My knee hurt last night, and I can still feel it today. So, today is an off day, and I take it easy I guess. 

I'm determined to run outside again at least twice this week though - to warm outside NOT to run!

Outdoor Fun!

No run today, but the wonderful warm weather allowed us to have a lot of fun outside today! Moxie and I had her last obedience class this afternoon, which was an hour of walking around and working with her. We went straight home, picked up the rest of the family and headed to Ft. Bragg.

We took Moxie to the "Bark Park" which was okay except Moxie was pretty intimidated by all the other dogs. Plus someone's dog escaped while we were walking in and the lady gave me attitude about it (hello-it's called watching your dog!) So that was kind of a bust. After that we headed over to a outdoor track which is a regular 4 lap/1 mile track. I had wanted to know where it was in case I ever wanted to time my mile. Since we were there, I ran 1/2 mile just for the heck of it. Because that's the kind of pro I am...a few spare minutes, why not run a 1/2 mile?? It was so ego-inflating to do that (not because I did a great job) but because back in the day I never would have just run 2 laps at a track simply because it was there. Also a good ego boost was my time-5 minutes. It looks like a 10 minute mile may be becoming my pace!

Then Laura, Moxie and I walked about 10 minutes to a nearby park while my husband moved the car. We played there for a bit and then walked back to the car. All in all, a great day to be outside. It was great to enjoy temps in the high 60's and have fun with my family while spending no money. Can't wait for more weekend days like that!

No Watch Equals More Running?

It was still very cold this morning but I had told myself I was going to run no matter what. I debated going to the gym and running on a treadmill, but I really wanted to be outside, so I headed to the park after dropping Moxie off for a bath. I thought for sure I would run faster since I didn't have her to be reeling in every so often, but it turns out I am just slow no matter what.

I forgot my watch which I was really irritated about but I figured maybe it was fortuitous since Patty reminded me not to be so concerned about my times and just worry about distance. So I told myself I would do the figure eight at the track which we now know is 1.5 miles. I finished that and wasn't dead, so I kept going and did the smaller loop again, which is supposedly .6 miles. I'm not sure how much I trust their sign though since the 1.8 miles thing seems wrong, but for now I'm going with it.

I completed the smaller loop and ran a tiny bit more in front of the library to get back to my car. I "sprinted" for the last minute or two and when I got back to my car I almost barfed. So I feel very official now! I checked the clock in my car-I was out for 27 minutes, and I'm guessing about 3 of those minutes were walking. So I went farther than I have in a while, and it was all because I didn't have my watch. If I had, I probably would have set a goal for myself of 15 or 20 minutes and wouldn't have done as much. It felt so weird not knowing how long I ran for, but I may have to do this more often. It really did help me go farther. And thank goodness for finally cracking the 2 mile barrier again, I thought it would never happen!

Best run ever! Or at least since December....!

I'm pleased to report another successful 1.5 mile run, with improvements!  This is the first time I've run since my knee issues began that I felt as though I really could have run another mile, which is a definite good sign!  I wanted to go another mile, I debated about going another mile, I even decided at one point during my run to actually run another mile, but in the end, I didn't....visions of my ridiculous attempt to run with Claire a couple of weeks ago kept me in check.....

I have to say this still sucks, and I'm so disappointed that I won't be running that 10K in March, but I've already moved on with my life and decided that the next best thing is a 10K in May, during which time the weather may be appropriate for debuting my new running skirt (which I have yet to purchase....) to the world. I can hear you all laughing....but remember, I'm trying to look at the positive side of life here and what can be more positive than a girl running in a skirt?!  According to my husband, not one single thing... ;-)

Not A Run, But Still...

It was so flippin' cold today (under 30 degrees is just too cold for me!) so a run was out of the question. I am having enough breathing problems as is and just didn't want to risk the cold air doing a number on my lungs. But by the afternoon, it had warmed up a bit and our cabin fever got the best of us. So I popped Laura in the stroller (complete with jacket, hat, mittens, two layers of pants and a giant blanket), grabbed the leash, and we went for a walk.

I only walked for about 15-20 minutes, probably just a mile or less, but it felt great to be out. It was surprisingly hard to keep myself from running. I actually did run for about 4-5 houses, but with jeans and a giant coat on, I probably looked pretty silly so I decided to stop. I hope to run tomorrow, it is supposed to be warmer and I haven't run since Sunday. I hope I can do a decent run to get my confidence back up after Sunday's bad run.

I hope that the coming weeks will bring some warmer weather and some consistency on my part. I keep moaning that I have no idea why I'm not losing weight, but it's probably because I'm only running about two times a week. It needs to be more than that!

Mission accomplished....if 1.5 miles can be called a "mission!"

Back from a 1.6 mile run, of which I ran 1.5 miles with minimal knee discomfort. If I hadn't been through a month of knee-related issues, I would have brushed off what I felt as "first mile stiffness." So - my 1.5 mile per run week begins on a high note!  I still wonder if I'm the same person that ran over 4 miles with delight just before Thanksgiving, but I have to believe I'll get there again soon...

Oh, and I've tried to look at the positive side of the shorter runs.... I took a break from writing today, ran, showered, put on make-up and did my hair in less than an hour. Back to the couch (my office for today - a benefit of writing and working from home!) in plenty of time for a 1:30 PM conference call. All this to say, the short runs may be hard on my ego, but they're easy on the schedule!!

Sunny - and 68 Degrees!!!

Ok, just checked the forecast, and it looks like this weekend is going to be beautiful!  Sunny and 68 degrees on Sunday according to the Weather Channel....  Since Sunday is a run day for me, I'm going to do the HM Park loop that afternoon --- maybe with Shelby, maybe without -- probably around 2PM.  Anyone want to join me?!  An aside...this warmer weather means I must buy shorts, and I am now officially on the look-out for a running skirt...cute AND functional....what more could a girl ask for? :-)

Anyway, going now for a run....and as I look outside, I can see the wind is pretty significant. But whatever...it's still sunny and in the forties, so no complaints here. Will let you all know how it goes!  :-)

Better and better...

More progress!  I ran the Hope Mills Loop today, and then some (by the way, according to my Garmin, the  figure-eight really is 1.5 miles). Quick recap --- walked .2 miles, ran 1.3 miles, walked .2 miles figuring my knee could use the rest even though it didn't hurt, and then ran .3 miles for a total of 2 miles. I'm not sure how fast I did it, and I guess I don't even care. The running part of my run hurt - I never got my breathing right, the wind whipped me around a lot and I'm sure my heart rate was higher than I would have liked (I'll look later when I download) - but it felt GOOD....  I guess what I mean is, it felt good to deal with "regular" running issues, and not be held back by my knee. 

The rest of this week....I'm going to run three times, maybe four at most, and the actual running won't exceed 1.5 miles, unless my knee tells me to stop first. So maybe that 5K for the USO at FTCC on March 7 is possible after all?!?!?

Oh, and I've got to get back into my yoga workouts and weightlifting....now that my "I can't run" temper tantrum is over, I'm excited to get back into it all! 

Doggie Guilt

I really, really did not want to run today. But now that I have a dog, I usually don't have a choice in the matter. Moxie hadn't really been exercised since Thursday, save for a short walk yesterday, and she was bouncing off the walls. The weather was actually quite pleasant, so we set out around 11. I could tell it would be a tough run for me since my breathing was bad before we even set out.

I managed about 1.5 miles of running. My first mile was 10:15, so I'm happy to see that I've been able to sustain a somewhat faster pace. Looking back at my notes from when I first started, my mile times were about 11:30 or 12 minutes. So a definite improvement! I'm feeling greedy though and really want 9 minute miles to be my norm, with 8 minute miles my fast time. Right now 10 minutes is really pushing myself.

We ran 15 minutes altogether, and walked for about 7 afterwards, completing probably about 2 miles. I guess before I worry about my times I need to worry about endurance. I need to make 3 miles an average run for me. 1.5 miles isn't going to cut it!

HMP the mythical 1.8 miles "busted"....

So maybe I watch too much mythbusters... but today Ed, Olga, Laith and I went to the park. Olga was on her new bike, Laith in his stroller... me with my handy dandy GPS (Garmin Forerunner 201 series). We started right at the split and did the large loop first, then Ed and Olga dropped out to go play on the swings and Laith and I continued. I took the loop and figured eight back around... GPS says it's 1.5 miles at best. I say at best because on the first loop I would walk ahead and then double back a bit to "catch back up" to Olga and Ed. It wasn't a lot of extra steps but still enough so I'm not sure that the 1.53 on my GPS really doesn't mean 1.48 or whatever... But my average pace was about a 22 minute mile (am I a speed racer or what?) and when I was with Laith by ourselves I was clocking a 19 minute mile.. whhoo hoo.... 1.5 down.... We'll see what Monday has in store...

Started!

So I decided today was as good as any day to start exercising. After all it's been 9 whole days since I gave birth to my 5.7 lb bundle of joy. I walked a mile (yes that's right ONE mile) in 24 minutes. Although in my defense the dog was with me and I had to stop to pick up some poop and I did stop to talk to a neighbor for a minute or so. I don't know for certain if I could have walked any faster but I believe so therefor it must be true. It felt good but I'm tired now. One mile seemed like a good start after 3 months of bed rest and no physical activity for almost 6 months because of my pregnancy issues. I guess I'll use a mile as my base and see where I can go from there. Hopefully running will soon follow, but I definitely wasn't ready for that today.

Yesterday....and an invitation to slap me....

So this feels like Groundhog Day...I did run yesterday, same routine as Monday (track work, evil torture, then just over a mile of running). Knee pain is definitely less, so I'm off today, will run tomorrow, and then hopefully try for a 1.5 mile run on Sunday....

By the way, feel free to slap me around (figuratively speaking of course...if any of you actually slapped me I'd cry) about my distance....I'm having a REALLY hard time taking it slow, but as you can see, I'm trying. So if I tell you that I'm going to run five miles (which I'm not sure I could actually do at this point given the fact that my cardio fitness has suffered lately) or that I actually have run more than is advisable, feel free to speak up!  And just so you know, I'm up for slapping you all around as well in the name of smart running...In fact, it would be my pleasure... ;-)  

Hope Mills Park Loop

I ran again today at the park and I have to say I'm really starting to like it there. The ground feels softer underfoot (even though that's probably just my imagination) and I love seeing other people out exercising. The warmish weather today really brought a lot of people out. Plus it's a nice change from my neighborhood.

So I heard from a reliable source (aka Angela) that to do the 1.8 miles that they advertise, you have to run a figure 8. After my relatively "fast" mile there on Tuesday, I decided to attempt the entire 1.8 miles. I felt like I was moving so slowly. Moxie was begging me to go faster but I just couldn't. The only time I mustered any speed was when I ran past the police officers who were standing outside on a break. Having about 10 of them clustered around the path sure inspired me to look like a pro. Maybe I should pay them to scatter themselves around the track?

Anyway, I was shocked to look at my time and see I had done the 1.8 miles in 16:15! I have to say there is really no way that is possible so I'm kind of questioning if I actually did the full 1.8 miles. I can't think what other combination would add up to the 1.8 miles, so I want to think I am actually that fast. But it's really too good to be true.

I walked for a few minutes after finishing the loop, then ran for 4 more minutes for 20 minutes of running. I guess for the ego boost I will tell myself I really was that fast today, until I am proven wrong the next time I run.