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.