"No excuses" huh? "No excuses"!? Sha right!
Monday was a bust. The ominous headaches have returned. Whatever. Even though I woke up at around 4 a.m. today and couldn't go back to sleep (you all know how much I love that, right?), I went out for a run. I was SO excited to go.
I ran just over a 5k in 35 minutes. Without a knee strap, without chapstick, without water, and without stopping. Oh, and without an iPod. Sort of. It died in the middle of my run. Running without it makes it seem agonizingly slow.
But, hey, I'm just impressed I can still run that distance in pretty good time and health after the lengthy breaks I've been taking. I changed up my route on the 3rd mile and was glad I did.
I don't know if it was the lack of mental abstraction from the no-music-thing, but my eyes were playing tricks on me today. Dead palm husks looked like rattlesnake skin. Pumpkin scarecrows looked like real people.
Oh, and then there was Peter Cottontail. Or his cousin. That bunny just hopped across the street and we had a right old staring match. He eyed me warily and I watched him intently, each of us anxious for the other's next move. He won. I looked away first on account of my running in the opposite direction and all.
The weather was freakin' awesome! I could have probably run another mile or two - if I had the time. But alas, the chicken in my fridge was calling me to marinate it so it could be my dinner. . .
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Jabber-walky
I didn't run but once this last week. I did, however, get to go walking on Thursday night with my friend L. She and I went to the local high school track and walked and talked and yammered and walked and walked and jabbered for nearly 3 hours straight. It was great!
So, I figure if I can get myself back to some sort of normal running regime (M, W, F - 3, 4, 3), and walk with L on Tues and Thurs, I'll be pretty set. . . I start tomorrow. I'm off, and the weather is FABulous, so barring death or serious disease, I have no real excuse!
So, I figure if I can get myself back to some sort of normal running regime (M, W, F - 3, 4, 3), and walk with L on Tues and Thurs, I'll be pretty set. . . I start tomorrow. I'm off, and the weather is FABulous, so barring death or serious disease, I have no real excuse!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Back in the Saddle
I finally (finally) finished my week of training last week. I wanted to run 3 times last week, but it didn't happen on account of my having to be at work "early" (a.k.a. sometime between 8 and 8:30).
I got the chance to go this morning and I took it! Yeah!
I ran only 2 miles today because I had time constraints.
Easy peasy! No stopping (except to hug Michelle) and it was fun! Got a little pain in the ol' sciatic nerve (it's been almost non-existent for the last two weeks).
I'm hoping to go at least 3 if not 4 times this week.
I got the chance to go this morning and I took it! Yeah!
I ran only 2 miles today because I had time constraints.
Easy peasy! No stopping (except to hug Michelle) and it was fun! Got a little pain in the ol' sciatic nerve (it's been almost non-existent for the last two weeks).
I'm hoping to go at least 3 if not 4 times this week.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Demise
Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a ride and a half.
So. On Friday, I ran 5k in 33:30. Without water. Without a knee strap. And without stopping. It was great!
I really had to focus and redirect myself every once in a while to "run the mile you're in". I never realized how much I obsess over little things like how far I've run or how far I have to go.
It's pretty awesome that 5k, which seemed so long and far away when I first started, is now easy.
While I was running, I was making a mental list of points to remember about my 10-miler the next day. It included "No Fear" which may seem like antiquated sports doctrine, but is still personally and socially relevant. It also included "Let the mind lead, not the body". And a reminder to pump my arms when I'm feeling sluggish. This may be a Playskool technique, but it works for me.
I also had my first rush of drugs to the system in weeks. . . I was really visualizing my post-10 post and even my post-race post, proclaiming that "I survived Airport Hill" - complete with pics and everything.
Well, that was Friday.
Saturday I woke up later than I intended. It was already a little warm out when I started. I had gone the night before and got some new Spencos, some running socks, and some GU energy gel.
I had also mapped out a 10 mile route and was ready to go.
I did 3 miles, and that 3rd mile was tough because it was uphill. I figured I'd do some GU after that 3rd mile, so I could continue going strong. I drank the sugary, syrupy substance down, walking and rinsing out my mouth - and promptly got back to it.
As my body weakened to the point of being flaccid, I remembered an "experiment" my mom did with me when I was about 15 or 16. She told me to put out my arm and push up against her hand, resisting as she pushed down on my arm. I did. I was able to hold up against her. Then, she gave me a spoonful of sugar (not the Mary Poppins kind!), had me wait a few seconds and we did the same thing again. This time I was weak and could not resist. She pushed my arm down.
Yeah. That happened to me after the GU. My entire body felt limp and weak. I tried to keep running. I tried and tried. I spent much of the 4th mile walking off and on. It was very hard to get going again. And the fear took over. Big time. And my body took over. My mind suddenly had no place there. It was awful. I began to doubt. I began to give up. I knew that passing by the street that led to home would be the point of no return - either for quitting or for keeping going.
As I went into my 5th mile, I knew M had gone ahead of me on his bike and headed home to get me some chapstick. I got to the end of our street, and I suddenly cried out "I don't wanna do this!" And then, I burst into tears. Sobbing.
I walked down our street, found a shady corner, sat down on the street corner and cried. Which made my sunscreen run and sting my eyes. I rinsed it out and cried some more. Part of me was disappointed that I hadn't adequately outlined for myself my motivation for wanting to do this race. Part of me was upset that my body gave up and arm wrestled my mind into quitting.
But, part of me was relieved. Running had stopped being fun several weeks back. While I credit training for this race with getting me up and beyond running 5k in ways I never could have expected, it also became drudgery and felt more like a chore than something I really wanted to do.
I tried to complete my 5th mile. I tried to keep going. I finally just gave it up for good. M supported me and said he wasn't disappointed in me - I gave it a good shot and "5 miles is a lot!" So that was something.
I haven't run since then.
I'm thinking tomorrow I'll go out for a leisurely 5k.
It'll be great.
But, I'm still sad. (And kind of feel like I'm letting you down, Jen.)
'Cuz I kind of don't know where to go from here.
Back to One Hour Runner? Running 3 times a week and doing a 3-4-3 rotation for a total of 10 miles a week?
Who knows.
So. On Friday, I ran 5k in 33:30. Without water. Without a knee strap. And without stopping. It was great!
I really had to focus and redirect myself every once in a while to "run the mile you're in". I never realized how much I obsess over little things like how far I've run or how far I have to go.
It's pretty awesome that 5k, which seemed so long and far away when I first started, is now easy.
While I was running, I was making a mental list of points to remember about my 10-miler the next day. It included "No Fear" which may seem like antiquated sports doctrine, but is still personally and socially relevant. It also included "Let the mind lead, not the body". And a reminder to pump my arms when I'm feeling sluggish. This may be a Playskool technique, but it works for me.
I also had my first rush of drugs to the system in weeks. . . I was really visualizing my post-10 post and even my post-race post, proclaiming that "I survived Airport Hill" - complete with pics and everything.
Well, that was Friday.
Saturday I woke up later than I intended. It was already a little warm out when I started. I had gone the night before and got some new Spencos, some running socks, and some GU energy gel.
I had also mapped out a 10 mile route and was ready to go.
I did 3 miles, and that 3rd mile was tough because it was uphill. I figured I'd do some GU after that 3rd mile, so I could continue going strong. I drank the sugary, syrupy substance down, walking and rinsing out my mouth - and promptly got back to it.
As my body weakened to the point of being flaccid, I remembered an "experiment" my mom did with me when I was about 15 or 16. She told me to put out my arm and push up against her hand, resisting as she pushed down on my arm. I did. I was able to hold up against her. Then, she gave me a spoonful of sugar (not the Mary Poppins kind!), had me wait a few seconds and we did the same thing again. This time I was weak and could not resist. She pushed my arm down.
Yeah. That happened to me after the GU. My entire body felt limp and weak. I tried to keep running. I tried and tried. I spent much of the 4th mile walking off and on. It was very hard to get going again. And the fear took over. Big time. And my body took over. My mind suddenly had no place there. It was awful. I began to doubt. I began to give up. I knew that passing by the street that led to home would be the point of no return - either for quitting or for keeping going.
As I went into my 5th mile, I knew M had gone ahead of me on his bike and headed home to get me some chapstick. I got to the end of our street, and I suddenly cried out "I don't wanna do this!" And then, I burst into tears. Sobbing.
I walked down our street, found a shady corner, sat down on the street corner and cried. Which made my sunscreen run and sting my eyes. I rinsed it out and cried some more. Part of me was disappointed that I hadn't adequately outlined for myself my motivation for wanting to do this race. Part of me was upset that my body gave up and arm wrestled my mind into quitting.
But, part of me was relieved. Running had stopped being fun several weeks back. While I credit training for this race with getting me up and beyond running 5k in ways I never could have expected, it also became drudgery and felt more like a chore than something I really wanted to do.
I tried to complete my 5th mile. I tried to keep going. I finally just gave it up for good. M supported me and said he wasn't disappointed in me - I gave it a good shot and "5 miles is a lot!" So that was something.
I haven't run since then.
I'm thinking tomorrow I'll go out for a leisurely 5k.
It'll be great.
But, I'm still sad. (And kind of feel like I'm letting you down, Jen.)
'Cuz I kind of don't know where to go from here.
Back to One Hour Runner? Running 3 times a week and doing a 3-4-3 rotation for a total of 10 miles a week?
Who knows.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Did I catch a fiver in there?
It's official! I run an 11-minute mile. Which I thought was pretty good until I saw real racers times online today. . .
Oh well.
5 miles in 55:40 (plus 3 mins of walking) at 77 degrees and 21% humidity.
For the record, it was Not easy. My body wanted to quit. Badly. Then this thought came to me: "OF COURSE your body's going to want to quit! It's YOUR job to make it keep going!"
Hmmmm. Still pondering that one. But it must be true, because later in the day I found this quote:
I also made a list of "Notes to Self: How to Prepare for the Big Race Day" which goes like this:
~memorize the body/mind quote or some smaller version thereof
~take some Zyrtec so you're not so snotty and spitty on race day
~new socks? probably
~new shoes? hmmmmm. maybe
~look up tips about what to eat, how to warm up, how not to throw up/poop or pee my pants/trip and fall/die
I looked up some tips today and liked these ones:
Get plenty of sleep, water, and pasta the week leading up to the race.
Don't worry about time, especially if it's your first race.
Eat/swallow an energy replacement gel at the starting line. And eat/swallow one every 20-30 minutes, especially during the first hour of your race. (I'll try GU and CarbBOOM this weekend.)
Let the terrain dictate your pace.
Let your mind lead the way, not your body.
Run the mile you're in. Don’t think about how far you have to go or how far you’ve come.
Pray for the race, the runners, the volunteers and the medical teams. (and I'll also be PRAYING I won’t see anyone throwing up! That’ll totally ruin race day for me!)
Get a massage after your race.
If it seems like I'm excited, I am. But more than that, I'm really going on blind faith here. I'm scared out of my mind. . .
Oh well.
5 miles in 55:40 (plus 3 mins of walking) at 77 degrees and 21% humidity.
For the record, it was Not easy. My body wanted to quit. Badly. Then this thought came to me: "OF COURSE your body's going to want to quit! It's YOUR job to make it keep going!"
Hmmmm. Still pondering that one. But it must be true, because later in the day I found this quote:
"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."
I also made a list of "Notes to Self: How to Prepare for the Big Race Day" which goes like this:
~memorize the body/mind quote or some smaller version thereof
~take some Zyrtec so you're not so snotty and spitty on race day
~new socks? probably
~new shoes? hmmmmm. maybe
~look up tips about what to eat, how to warm up, how not to throw up/poop or pee my pants/trip and fall/die
I looked up some tips today and liked these ones:
Get plenty of sleep, water, and pasta the week leading up to the race.
Don't worry about time, especially if it's your first race.
Eat/swallow an energy replacement gel at the starting line. And eat/swallow one every 20-30 minutes, especially during the first hour of your race. (I'll try GU and CarbBOOM this weekend.)
Let the terrain dictate your pace.
Let your mind lead the way, not your body.
Run the mile you're in. Don’t think about how far you have to go or how far you’ve come.
Pray for the race, the runners, the volunteers and the medical teams. (and I'll also be PRAYING I won’t see anyone throwing up! That’ll totally ruin race day for me!)
Get a massage after your race.
If it seems like I'm excited, I am. But more than that, I'm really going on blind faith here. I'm scared out of my mind. . .
Monday, September 15, 2008
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