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.

Possible Lung Damage

Okay, so I'm just being dramatic. But after today's attempt at a run, it sure feels like I collapsed one of my lungs or something. I took Moxie to the Hope Mills Park for a change of pace and some relatively flat ground (except that one dreaded "hill"). I also wanted to get an idea of my mile time, since Angela says the outer loop is 1.02 miles. I did have Moxie dragging me along, which I thinked both helped and hurt me. I seem to run faster when I have her, but I also have more distractions to deal with from keeping her in line. That tends to use up any meager amount of energy I was conserving for the run.

So I did the first loop in 10:10, which I was happy with. Of course 8:30 would have been even better, but for now I am happy. I really pushed myself at the end and that is when the lung pain started. Usually if I'm short of breath I feel tight and a slight burn. This time was extreme burn and a sharp pain that still hasn't completely gone away. But I have to admit I was so happy to be out running that I basically ignored the pain. That's what real runners do, right?

In the end, I ran for 15 minutes straight, walked 3, and then ran 4 more to finish the second loop. So that was about 2 miles today. I'm glad I finally had a chance to go out again, but I feel like I am starting over yet again.

Bad Idea

Here is the equation I came up with today while running. You may remember it from your math classes in school.

Snow on the ground+36 degrees+iPod with no power+loose dogs taunting my dog+partially ripped off big toenail+already feeling sick=why would anyone be so foolish as to run?

The foolish person in this story is me. Luckily I came to my senses quickly and returned home right away. Today's summary is as follows:

Time ran: 10.5 minutes (out for 15 altogether)
Length: Probably a mile, maybe a bit more. I had to run fast to get away from the loose dogs!
How I felt: Very, very cold.

I hate to go too long without running, and today seemed like the first feasible day. Just standing outside it doesn't really feel that cold, but once I started running I could really feel it. Every breath was just killing my already pathetic lungs, so I headed back home. I guess it was better than nothing, although I'm not feeling so great right now. Hopefully I didn't just make myself even sicker!

Generic Run

I feel like I should have a template where I fill in my time, length I ran, and how I felt. It seems like that is all I ever write about! But I guess it's good, this blog defintely holds me accountable.

Time Ran: 22:30
Length: 2 miles (according to Google Maps)
How I Felt: Crummy.

I ran with my husband, dog, and daughter, and we started off strong. We went a different way that featured two "hills" and pleny of gentle up-slopes. It was very challenging! Towards the end I was barely moving at all, it was really quite pathetic. As my mother-in-law says, at least I was out there!! :)

I just need to know though, when is it going to get easier or better? When will I run two miles and not collapse? When will I actually feel like I'm losing weight or getting shape?

Two Miles Is My Max

I ran today and had some shin pain for a good portion of the run. Not fun! I moved pretty slowy but took a different route that seemed a bit longer, hoping to extend my distance and time. I did go a tiny bit longer than last time for a total of 22 minutes of running. But when I hopped into the car and drove the course, I found out that once again, it was exactly 2 miles!! It seems like my body just can't do any more than that these days. Or maybe my internal radar (was that what you called it Angela?) simply won't allow me to do more!

I'm glad I'm doing 2 miles, and it is definitely hard work, but I'm always left feeling unsatisfied at the end. I wish I could run more. I also want to move faster. My pace seems to be 10 minutes for the first mile, 11 or 12 for the second. Doing 10 minute miles consistently would be great, and 9 minutes would be even better! I'd better not get too greedy though. For now continuing to do 2 miles at least 4 times a week is my goal.

Getting There....

I pushed myself hard today, which was both good and bad. I managed to run for 20.5 minutes with no breaks, a definite improvement over the last few days, but I worry that I overdid myself and won't do as well next time. Either way though, I guess I'm glad I did a straight run today. It's encouraging to know that I won't always need to walk halfway when I run. It was really windy today and my breathing was bad, so it was really very tough. Not to mention the UPS guy driving by right as I was about to finish...I didn't want him to see me stop, so I have him to thank for the extra 30 seconds on my run.

I drove my course after I ran and it was almost exactly 2 miles, just a hair under. So that makes me really happy with my pace. Am I finally running a little bit faster? I felt like I was going slower than ever before but my first mile was under 10 minutes. Almost unheard of for me! Obviously I can't sustain that pace though since my second mile was slower. But still. Victory in our time!

Running With A Stroller-Just As Hard As I Remembered!

My husband is off golfing today with an old college friend, so Laura figured we would fill our time with some outdoor activities. First on the list was a run for me, since I seem to be on an "every three days" runing schedule. I don't really like that, but I guess it's better than nothing!

It has been a really long time since I've had to push Laura in the stroller so that added some extra work. But managing her in the stroller and the dog on the leash was much easier than I expected, and it was nice to be out with Laura again. I did 4 minutes warm up walking, ran 11 minutes, walked 3.5 minutes (would have been less if a man with 3 dogs hadn't been walking by-Moxie was awesome, but I didn't want to taunt the dogs by running past them with mine), then ran for 9 more minutes. Did a long walk on the end for a total of 32 minutes.

This was a tough run for me and I felt pretty tired at the end. I was pleased with my running though and at one point even managed to sprint up one of our neighborhood "hills". It's really just a long upward slope, but definitely a work out to sprint up pushing a stroller. Laura said I was running "as fast as Daddy" which was probably untrue but flattering nonetheless.

I plan on running tomorrow to get on a better schedule. Every three days is too infrequently for me!

Quick Run

I have a dental appointment this morning and therefore didn't have too much time to run. But since running is only part of the equation, I made sure to allot enough time for blogging too. So the rundown: walked 3 minutes, ran 9, walked 3, ran 8, walked 3. I felt like I was moving pretty quickly too, but who knows. My dog still just trots next to me when I run, no actual running is ever done on her part! I was done in 26 minutes, covered about 2 miles and did it all in 5 minutes less than on Monday.

It will definitely be a while until I'm back to running 3 miles straight, but I think I'm on the right track.

Asthma Strikes Again

My asthma is acting up again, but this time it's all my fault. I let one of my crucial asthma meds run out, and I was without it all weekend. It goes to show how much good Advair does for me, because 3 days without it and I am a pathetic mess.

Regardless, whether through extreme devotion or sheer stupidity, I was determined to get out today and do something. I haven't run since last year (so long ago!) and now that everyone is back to work and school, I don't really having any excuses-not breathing doesn't count.

In part because of my breathing and in part because I felt like I never really recovered after my sickness in November, I decided to start the "Couch to 5K" program over again, about halfway through. I picked week 5, since it seemed doable, although I may have picked the wrong week since by the end of the week I'm supposed to be running 20 minutes without stopping. Sadly, that seems really hard right now!

Today was run 5 minutes and walk 3 minutes. I did a 3 minute warm up walk, then did the rotation 3 times for a total of 15 minutes of running. I then did a long cool down walk, mostly since I had the dog with me and wanted to give her some more time out. I was out for 31 minutes, which I was pleased with. I'm running about the same amount of time I was over the last few weeks, but I'm out and moving a whole bunch more. Plus when I got home, Moxie and I played in the backyard for a few minutes which bumped up my "work out" a bit more.

To be honest, I am disappointed by this setback. I wish I was able to run 30 minutes without stopping like I was (oh so briefly) a while ago. But I think my bad runs were really discouraging me, so much so that I went 4 days without running and really didn't care. That's not the attitude I want to have. I'll admit, today was tougher than I had hoped it would be, but I met the goal I set for myself and that feeling of satisfaction helped offset the disappointment of starting over.

Last Run of 2008

I ran earlier today and Angela is right--it was windy!! I don't think I can use that as my excuse though. Only 15 minutes again, for the second time in a row. I think I did about 1.5 miles which is acceptable but not good by any stretch of the imagination. My legs felt like lead the entire time, and my lungs were barely functioning. I hope I'm not getting sick again.

It is worth mentioning, as I did on my other blog, that we recently adopted a dog named Moxie. She is 3 years old, so old enough to go on runs, but she is just as out of shape as I am...I took her with me today and she was huffing and puffing right along with me. It's somehow comforting that she and I are on the same level, although I think she will get better than me pretty soon! Still, it's nice to have a companion on my runs, no matter how awesome she will soon be.

And on a sentimental note, while I think 2008 will probably go down in history as one of my worst running years (although that statement puts a lot of pressure on my future running self), it will always hold a special place in my heart because this was the year I finally got serious about running and my health. This was the year I did my Couch to 5K plan and actually saw it through to completion. This was the year that I was mad when I was sick because I couldn't run. This was the year I finally had enough of the baby weight (4 years later) and was ready to get rid of it. This was the year Angela and I started talking on the phone every day (sometimes multiple times!) so we could discuss running. This was the year I ran over a mile without stopping and didn't die. In short, I became a different person this year, and I love it.

Oh Well

My run today was probably just a warm-up run for most actual runners. I did 15 minutes, and felt bad the entire time! On the plus side, I really didn't want to run at all, but I wanted to be able to post that I did something. I guess in that respect having the accountability of this blog is good. It would be too easy to go a week without running during this rainy holiday season.

The memory of my good run from 3 days ago is still with me, and I hope to have another one like that soon. I'll keep chasing that good run.

Day After Christmas

Yesterday I decided to take off as a Christmas gift to myself, but my husband made me look bad by going out for a run without me. Today, after we all watched "Kung Fu Panda", he started getting ready to go out again, so I knew I had to too. And believe me, I was not happy about it. We ran a route that I've never run before, and it seemed very long and full of horrible hills. My husband wouldn't let me stop running, something I was NOT happy about at the time, but of course thank him for now.

In reality the course wasn't all that hilly, but there were two notable slopes that we had to try extra hard to get up. My total time was 32:11 and according to Google maps, we ran 2.9 miles. I really, really, really hope that is true, because I was starting to get pretty discouraged with my 15 minute runs. I seem to be the type that has a few really bad runs followed by one good one, just to keep me interested enough to keep running.

Christmas Eve Jog

The family and I ran today on a very torturous Christmas Eve run. The weather is very pleasant, and everyone was feeling very jolly as we started out. That feeling went away very quickly for me, as I struggled along at a snail's pace. I'm just not sure what is going on with me lately! I barely managed to eke out 22 minutes of running, with about a minute of walking at the halfway point. We covered about 2 miles and I am now collapsed. I guess my mantra has become, "It's better than nothing"!!

Trying To Beat The Dark

Today was such a busy day that I didn't think I'd manage to get a run in. But in the end I psyched myself up enough about it that I sort of had to! I got all bundled up since it is so cold today (32 degrees with lots of wind!) and off I went. The only problem was, I forgot how early and quickly it gets dark this time of year. I hadn't been running for more than 5 minutes when it was almost totally dark. We have no sidewalks in our neighborhood, minimal lighting, and a ton of crazy drivers, so I had to get home fast!

I really picked up the pace and got back home safely. I only ran for 12 minutes, which was a bummer, but I covered over a mile, so that means a faster pace than usual for me. I guess it was better than nothing.

Acceptable Run

26 minutes, over 2 miles, no walking, constant drizzle. I deem it acceptable.

Afterwards the husband and I did the "abs" workout on the yoga video. I can barely move now! That's hard work.

Two Steps Back

If yesterday felt like I was finally taking one step forward, then today was two steps back! I ran this afternoon with my husband and we both struggled (me much more than him). I only managed 10 minutes, then walked 90 seconds, then ran 10 more minutes. I had planned on doing one more 10 minute circuit, but I was within sight of my house and just couldn't do it. I ran one more minute and collapsed at home.

On the plus side, our guilt over the bad run drove my husband and I to do some yoga for the first time ever. It was really hard! We were both sweating and sore by the end of the 20 minute routine but it made me feel better about the bad run. I hope to continue with the yoga and gain some more strength and flexibility. That can only help my running, right?!?

Slowly Getting Better

I guess I'm slowly getting back on track. Today I was short on time but I still wanted to get in at least a 2 mile run. I ran for 22 minutes and was moving pretty quickly (for me!). I got 2 miles done, maybe even a bit more. Hopefully this next week will go well and I can get ready for the 5K on Saturday!

Joint Run/Joint Post

I'll post quickly for both of us...Angela and I ran today around Hope Mills Park. We did one lap (about one mile), which was fine with both of us. She didn't want to undo her relaxing day, and I didn't want to die. We had Laura with us in the jogging stroller, and she kept taunting us, saying that she could run faster than us. Speaking just for myself: today, she probably could have.

Worst. Run. Ever.

I hadn't run for 2 days (horrors!) so today was a "run or else" kind of day. It rained hard overnight and the streets are wet, but it was barely drizzling when I went out. What it is though, is humid. Pretty shocking for mid-December, and while I have yet to experience our summer humidity, this was pretty bad. I felt lethargic and I couldn't breathe. I have no idea if that had to do with the weather or just me being out of shape.

I'm embarrassed to report that I ran one mile. That's it. And I had to force myself to do that. The only plus side is that I ran it in 10:30, which is a quicker pace than I usually do. That in itself is embarrassing too. I long for the day that 10:30 is a super-slow pace. While I'm dreaming, it would be nice to be able to run more than a mile.

Recovery Run Part Duex

Today was another attempt at getting back on track. Nothing exciting to report...ran for 21 mins, walked 2, ran 5 more. Covered probably about 2 miles. It was cold today but not as bad as it's been. When my husband runs with me, he has been pushing the stroller for me since I still feel pretty winded while running. Hopefully I'll be back to pushing it on my own before too long.

I registered my husband and I for the Reindeer Run on the 20th. I hope I'll be able to do that race, it starts out with a huge hill which makes me nervous!