She Who Runs Amok

CFB Week One Halfway mark

2010-03-03T12:41:00.000-08:00

After a few fits and starts the Challenge officially got underway this Saturday. All participants are logging what we eat on a Facebook group set up specifically for the Challenge.

Here is what I’ve learned thus far. I would rather be Paleo/Lacto than just Paleo. I really like my dairy. I don’t miss sweets or sugar or bread or potatoes or candy or cake. I miss yogurt and cheese and cream in my coffee! It took me a few days, but I finally got ‘dairy free’ as of today. With the help of a fellow CrossFitter -- I found out that I can buy coconut milk at Kroger. This morning I replaced the cream in my coffee with it, and it’s actually not too bad. I also miss peanut butter, which anyone who knows me, knows is one of my favorite foods. I’ve replaced it with almond or sunflower butter, and they are not bad, but they are also not the same. I imagine that with time, my memory of the taste of cream and peanut butter will fade, and the replacements will be the ‘new normal’….

I’m also trying out the Intermittent Fasting way of life. I’m struggling a little with the ‘rules’ of how to do it. I’m confused by the need to eat before my WOD and how to work the timing of a daily 14 hour fast around sleeping and working out at 6 a.m. As far as I can figure, this means on the day before my CrossFit days, I need to start fasting by 3:30 in the afternoon, which is actually fine with me. However, I suspect that my friends and family, and particularly my husband is NOT going to understand this. He’s the type of person who NEVER misses a meal. He actually eats every 3 hours, or he gets cranky as hell. I have a feeling he is going to 1.think I’ve gone crazier and 2.not be happy that I am not eating dinner with him.

As for the rest of the challenge, I love that we are accountable for what we eat; I finally broke my cheese addiction because I got called on it on Facebook (Thanks Jennifer!)

During the day, I log my food in an app on my iPhone called ‘Lose It!’ It is a pretty cool, easy to use app. At the end of the day, I log everything for the day on the Facebook group. Then I wait for feedback. The funny thing is that my Spring Leaning group posts also show up on my Wall, so they are seen by my friends and family. I’m getting LOTS of questions about why I’m posting what I eat, why I eat so weirdly, and what the heck is a 'WOD' and why do I eat 'pre-WOD'. It gives me the chance to talk up CrossFit, which I love to do….although so far the response I get is along the lines of ‘You’re NUTS!’

Finally, I’ve noticed that I’m starving for breakfast (when I am literally breaking my fast). Breakfast is usually some kind of meat and a fruit or veggie serving (steak strips and grapefruit or chicken strips and salsa), but when it comes to lunch, I usually only ‘want’ the protein/fat part of whatever I’m having and am not really hungry for the veggies and/or fruit. I wonder why that is?

CFB Day One Spring Leaning Challenge

2010-02-24T09:59:00.000-08:00

I'm a little confused on some of the nutrition stuff because, I think, I missed a lot of the lecture on Sunday. I asked Justin some of my questions yesterday, but I forgot a few. I'm going to email him later.

We talked about the IF (Intermittent Fasting otherwise more positively known as Intermittent Feeding). Specifically we discussed fasting every day, which I think is a great fit for me for a couple of reasons:
1. I'm super busy, so one less meal means one less 'thing' to worry about
2. I'm NOT a breakfast person, for the past year I have been forcing myself to eat breakfast because everyone says 'it's good for you', but I just don't like food in the morning.

The part that confuses me is Justin said I should eat at least a small portion of protein before my CF workouts, which are three days a week, so does that mean I can't fast every day, or do I adjust the timing of my fast or does the small protein not count (I doubt that!) Definitely questions I need answered.

My plan for eating is this...prepare, prepare, prepare! I know from experience that I stick to an eating plan best if I have lots of choices readily available. Key phrase here is 'readily available'...I need to be able to open the fridge/freezer and have something that fits the plan ready to eat in 2 minutes or less, or I'll backslide into bad stuff.

I started this past weekend by grilling 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts and two big venison steaks (yay! wild game is SO Paleo) and roasting a turkey breast, all of which I sliced up and divided into 4 oz. portions in ziploc bags in the freezer. That covers a good portion of my protein needs. I also am making guacamole every other day (it doesn't keep for long) because I LOVE guacamole and it mixed with some salsa makes a really good replacement for salad dressing. (I'm not very keen on vinegar and oil). The trick to all this preparation is being awake and alert enough at 4:30 a.m. to remember to pack my lunch before I leave for the gym! Well prepared food that is sitting at home in your fridge is pretty useless.

So for day 1, here's what I ate (will eat)

Breakfast
1/2 c mixed nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans, filberts, raisins) this was my pre-workout snack (I need to ask Justin if this is ok)
30 oz. coffee (I love and crave Starbucks!)
2 T. half and half (ok, I cheated here already)
Lunch
6 oz tuna
10 baby carrots
Dinner
1 1/2 link Italian sausage
crumbled and cooked with 2/3 c peppers, 1/3 c canned mushrooms, 1/3 c onion, and 1/3 c (no sugar added) tomato sauce and lots of garlic, pepper, basil and Italian seasoning
1 c lettuce
1 c baby spinach
1/2 c broccoli slaw
1/4 c guacamole
1/4 c salsa

The workout this morning was fun and HARD. My arms and chest hurt from yesterday so the handstand push ups were deadly. I had to scale all the way back to knees on the box. But I made 8 rounds in 12 minutes, so that was good.

I almost forgot to mention... this weekend I told DH that I wanted to build a chicken coop and finally have chickens and !fresh! eggs readily available. He responded rather less than enthusiastically, so as an alternative I told him if he could find a steady supply of locally 'grown' eggs, I'd let him off the hook for another year. Wouldn't you know, that very night at the bar, one of my regular customers asked if I wanted any eggs, because they always have WAY too many, and can't give them away! WooHoo, problem solved! So I've enjoyed green and brown fresh eggs for the past couple of days. Yummy! If you've never had eggs from free range chickens that actually run around and eat bugs and stuff, you haven't had a real egg!

WCCRS 10K RUN

2010-02-23T13:10:00.000-08:00

This was the last in the four race series. It was held on Sunday, the 21st. I’ve been fighting this muscle tear in my right calf. It gets better, I overdo, it gets worse, I back off, it gets better, I overdo….you get the picture? Anyways, I was supposed to do this race with my daughter Jessica and her friend Christina. Neither of them has been running much recently, so we all agreed to walk run and shoot for finishing in under an hour and 25 minutes. Jessica and her fiancé were supposed to be in town for the weekend, BUT she ended up sick and they stayed home, so it was me, myself and I who showed up at Shelby Farms on Sunday afternoon.

I worked Saturday night (I waitress and bartend at a little local beer joint on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) and my right ankle swelled up some while I was running tables. My calf didn’t hurt, just had some swelling, so I decided that all systems were go.

First of all parking was a JOKE, I had to park clear across the part at Patriot Lake and walk to Mullins Station to where I thought the start was (and so did about 150 other folks) finally they told us to head west towards Farm Rd and the Starting Line.

About the time everyone was lining up, it started lightning and thundering quite a bit. I expected them to call the race off, but no deal (not that I wanted them to!)

As far a race reports go, this one is gonna be kind of boring. I think we ran the same (or very similar) loop about 4 times. (I lost count) It rained, but was only a steady sprinkle. It got muddy, but not terribly. My right leg ached, but not horribly. I tried to ChiRun, but not very well (judging by the pictures posted on the MRTC site, anyways). I walked for a minute or so about every mile. During the fifth mile, going up a muddy hill, my right foot slipped and something popped in my calf (again, darn it!) It hurt a LOT, but I kept going. I couldn’t figure out how to stop 5/6ths of the way through a race! After a bit, it felt better. I was very happy to see the finish line, and tried hard to put an extra ‘kick’ in the last few hundred feet (yards? I’m a terrible judge of distance!)

As I crossed the finish line, I realized that this was the furthest I have EVER run, in my life. Even back in the day, when I ran as a kid, I’m positive that my longest run ever was 5 miles. WOW!

So I started walking back to my truck, and the race photographer asked if he could take a picture, I said sure, if he would take one with my iPhone so I could post on Facebook too. He did, and I posted my time and a picture of me dripping wet, but smiling!

I left the farm and headed straight for CrossFit, where I was in the process of missing Justin’s introductory lecture for our Spring Leaning Challenge. The idea is to eat strict Paleo for the next seven weeks, to reduce body fat, and to log all of our food on a Yahoo Group site. Those participating pay $15 to get in. I assume that the winner(s) get the money at the end. The entrants also had their ‘before’ pictures made. As soon as I got to meet some more members, and Angie took my photo, I made a dash to the bathroom to put on some dry clothes, as I was about to freeze to death!

By the time I got home, my right calf was killing me, and I couldn’t lift the toes of that foot even a half inch off the floor. I iced it all night and off and on yesterday and today it is much, much better. I did skip CrossFit on Monday morning, I was still beat from the race and worried about resting my leg. I went to ATC and walked on the treadmill and stretched a LOT instead. I was wearing my CrossFit tee and a guy asked me if I belonged. Turns out his name is Mike, he the coach at Christian Brothers, works with Justin and is Cole and Conner’s dad. C and C are some really nice boys, I’ve worked out with them and they are always polite and they work hard!

http://MRTC.zenfolio.com/p333773289/e3ab82f4

Super Sunday Cont'd

2010-02-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

So, I found my groove and kept up a steady pace. Now, I'm not saying it was a fast pace, but I was maintaining my position and even passing a few people on the hills. Funny things---hills. I used to hate them, but ChiRunning changed that. I actually like running up and down hills now. I LOVE passing folks on long uphills, when they cut their eyes over at you like "WTF? How is she faster going up this big azz hill then she is on the flats?" I can't explain it, other than my personality loves a challenge. Make it harder and I go harder...
Well, things went on like that for the rest of the race, until about 1/4 mile from the end. Then I crested a small hill to a short line of folks waiting to...go down a steep bank into a knee deep (or deeper) creek (the infamous 'Stanky Creek') and then to PULL THEMSELVES UP THE OTHER BANK BY A ROPE! Hey, no one warned me about this bit of craziness! The steep bank and the pull up weren't too much of a problem, but the deep creek sure was! Waterproof boots are great and all, except for just like they don't let water in they also don't let water OUT. Once I stepped off into that creek and it overtopped my boots, they filled up with water and I was running in my own little portable pools. Squish, squish, squish! Let me tell you, it didn't take long for the ends of my toes to start to blister from the extreme wet condition of my socks!
The next challenge was a little wood-type bridge, made out of horizontal slats of wood which was completely covered with ice. I could not get any traction with my shoes, so I literally was sticking my fingers in between the slats and pulling myself up an inch at a time. ARRRRRGGGGHHHH! Suddenly, I got a friendly (at least I hope it was) boost from behind. I guess someone back there was tired of waiting on me and bravely (stupidly? kindly?) put both hands on my behind and shoved me over the top, where I gasped out a thanks and slid down the other side. Thankfully, that was pretty much the last bit of adventure on this run. The course wound a bit more through the woods, but I could hear the whooping from the finish line, which always helps pull the last bit of speed out of me, so I poured on what I had left and ran up the last hill to the finish. I noticed the clock was at 1:08 when I passed it, but I wasn't 100% sure where the actual line was, so I guesstimated my time at that.
It's always an adventure at Stanky Creek!

Super Sunday

2010-02-03T08:31:00.000-08:00

We ended up having snow and ice last weekend. Memphis got lots more snow then we did in NW Mississippi. I had to postpone my Saturday morning CrossFit On Ramp session, but did make it to the Grand Opening for a little bit. After that we went to Stanky Creek to check out what the trails looked like. They were pretty much mud, covered by ice, which was covered by snow. So I came up with the brilliant plan of running in a pair of my husband's hunting boots. They are super-light, thinsulate and waterproof. After running in mud and water at the Stanky Creek 5K, I figured I'd be happy to sacrifice a little speed for warmer, drier feet.
So I went to the race on Sunday by myself. (the only friend I have crazy enough to trail race in the snow with me had to work) It turned out to be a beautiful, but very chilly day. The temps never got above freezing, but it was sunny so some of the snow and ice melted where the sun was shining directly on it. There were only about half as many people running as did the 5K. I assume the icy roads and cold discouraged a lot of folks.

Anyways, back to my footwear. I did see one other guy wearing boots, and gaiters over them. So I took a picture (above)

These are what I wore. Yes, I got some (well, a lot of) funny looks, but I didn't really care. I enjoy being 'outside the box' enough to wear my weirdness proudly. :0)
Oh yeah, the race...It was crazy, intense, fun, full of surprises and TIRING! They call it a 8K+ because it is actually just under 8 1/2K, which makes it roughly 5.25 miles. That is exactly 1.25 miles further than I've ever run before at one time, anywhere, much less on snowy, muddy, slippery, HILLY trails! Needless to say I was a little nervous about being able to finish. I decided to go for it and set a goal of 1:10 for my time.
The first two or three minutes of running was pretty fun, there was a lot of smack talk and slip sliding away as the pack entered the trailhead. The pack spread out pretty quickly, I was about 3/4 of the way back. After the fun start, I quickly became miserable. Minutes 3 - 9 SUCKED. I couldn't figure out exactly what was wrong, I still don't really know, but all I wanted was to turn around and walk out of the woods. My calf hurt, I couldn't breathe, couldn't find my running rhythm... I was miserable. But I gave myself the 'you are not a quitter' pep talk and kept slogging along. Somewhere in minute 10 - 12, the run smoothed out and I was able to find my groove.
More later.

CrossFit Day 2

2010-01-29T06:48:00.000-08:00

So Thursday morning 6 a.m. was my second On Ramp day at CrossFit. We worked on squats, which, by the way, I suck at. My balance is for crap, and I don't go down far enough, and I do them too fast (which means without enough control). Anyways, I tried to commit everything Justin was telling me to memory, but I'm afraid it's going to take more than one lesson for me to get all the nuances right!

The WOD was hard, hard, hard!
400m run
15-12-9
squats
push-ups
ring pulls
400m run
time: 9:11

The first run was cool, that's one thing I actually know how to do relatively well. The squats were ok-ish, the push-ups too, but the #$%^& ring pulls KILL ME! Holy crap are they HARD. On the second run, about 6 steps out the back door, something popped in my right calf, and it hurt. I finished the run, limping pretty badly. I don't know what it was, but I've iced it on and off ever since and it still hurts. I ran on the treadmill this morning and that seemed to aggravate it. I am supposed to run the Stanky Creek 8+K on Sunday, so I'm hoping for a quick recovery.

I subscribed to CrossFit Journal yesterday and printed a bunch of the beginner articles to read. My next On Ramp session is supposed to be tomorrow morning at 8, but we are in the beginnings of a winter weather event, which in Memphis can mean no safe travel for a day or two, so we'll see what happens and if I can make it to Bartlett tomorrow!

Trail Racing 102

2010-01-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

I had my second in the series trail race, a 5K this time at a park named Stanky Creek. The run was mainly on dirt bike trails. Now mind you, it rained 2+ inches in the 48 hours before the race, so it was muddy, well that's an understatement, it was a freaking SWAMP. When the race director gave the pre-race instructions, he literally ended with 'Swim well!' The only part of the race that wasn't in mud was the first 100 yards down a sidewalk to the trailhead.
I talked a friend of mine into running it with me, she's a newish runner (like me) she's a lot younger, she's under 5 foot and a lot <100 lbs. and this was her first trail race. She regularly runs 3 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill. When I told her my goal was to finish this race in less than 45 minutes, she looked at me like I was nuts. She was all like, 'I think we can do it in like 36 or 37 minutes', and I said 'it's gonna be really muddy and it is going to slow us down'. Needless to say, she didn't believe me, but we made an agreement to stay together and pace each other.
We lined up about 3/4 of the way to the back of the pack, and waited for the start. While we waited we agreed on 3 goals. 1. to finish 2. not to get hurt 3. to do both in under 45 minutes.... we also decided not falling down at all would be nice.
Unlike the 3K, there were not many places where the pack bottlenecked on the trail. But, HooWee! was it muddy! We ran through mud from about an inch deep to 10 inches deep...and stanky, it was! I can't imagine how it would smell after a couple of days rain in the heat of a Memphis summer! And, as you can imagine, it was hilly (dirt bike trails, remember?) we scrambled up, we slid down. We hopped, skipped and slogged our way through heavy, wet stuff, which seriously stuck to our shoes. We saw several people go down, we saw LOTS of people lose shoes in the deep mud (ye Gods, not something I had even considered! Suddenly at every mudhole I had a whole new possible problem to worry about). It was intense! One thing about trail running that is SO different....in roadracing, virtually every step is like every other step...on a trail no two steps are alike. You must be constantly focused and making split second decisions....left? right? down the middle? is that deep mud worse or better than running off the side of the trail? is that tree branch going to snap off if I grab on to sling myself around a turn? do I try to run down this muddy hill, or should I be safe and walk? It is crazy, challenging, intense FUN!
In the first mile, all was well. Let me explain, my friend and I are friends because we are SO alike...we are very social and kind of, well, big-mouths??? So for the first mile we were whooping and hollering and laughing and talking smack to each other... I'm sure some of the people around us thought we were nuts. They were right.
At about the half-way mark, I entered the 'zone' ----I felt GREAT---- almost like I was having an out of body experience... (if the arches of my feet didn't burn so bad from the constant stride adjustments it would have been even better) I seriously felt like I could run all day. Even though it was hard and intense and demanding, I was so in the flow, I can't really describe it. About the same time I hit the 'zone' my friend hit the wall. She got real quiet, and I could hear her breathing get more labored. The more mud that accumulated on our shoes, the harder time she had, the quieter she got. We both were carrying the same amount of extra weight in mud, but I think it took a bigger toll on her because she is so small and light. Anyways, per our agreement, we stuck together. We alternated walking and running as she needed, at about 2.5 miles she got a bad side-stitch which set us back to a walk for most of the rest of the race. There was a piece right before mile 3 where the trail literally BECAME a creek, so we ran thru the 8-10 inch deep water for about 150 yards. It was ridiculous! I laughed the whole way! Finally, when we could see the finish line, I pushed her a bit... I said we are GOING TO RUN ACROSS THAT #$%^ FINISH LINE! She laughed, agreed, and we ran the final bit. I looked at the clock as we topped the last hill and it was at 43 minutes, so I'm pretty sure we ended up under 44. They only post the top 3 in each class at the race, the rest have to wait until sometime today to get their official times. I'm just happy we were under our 45 minute goal, and we finished and we didn't get hurt. To top it off, neither one of us fell, and boy-howdy, we very easily could have!
After a couple of glasses of water and a little time to catch her breath, my friend decided that she had had a great time, that she loved it, and that she can't wait to do it again! I was so relieved for a bit there I thought she was gonna hate me for a good long WHILE! Anyways, we are going to start running a local trail every Sunday morning because we both recognize that we need PRACTICE on trails to get good running on trails...

My next race in this series is this Sunday, and it is what they call an 8K+ (I understand it is just a hair under 8.5K) It is also at Stanky Creek... as of now, the weather is calling for rain on Thursday and SNOW on Friday, with a high on Sunday of 40 degrees... I'm hoping that the trails dry out a little, but it's not looking real good... Barring that, I'm really hoping that I find that zone again, and feel like I can run all day!

CrossFit Evaluation

2010-01-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I think we've established that I'm a little crazy, and maybe a lot OCD... Well, I decided that it was time to up the ante so to speak and check out CrossFit. If you haven't heard of it before, it is kind of extreme fitness. It is not really 'extreme' but it seems like it is to 'normal' people I guess.

So I met Justin, the CrossFit Bartlett instructor, at 6 a.m. this morning to check out what they do and to have my fitness evaluated. I've been working out since May, so I like to think of myself as reasonably fit. This evaulation kicked my butt and it wasn't even a full workout. It was really fun though and I think I will seriously love it. So I signed up for 4 months of two days per week. Like I really need more stuff to do!

WOD (I think I remember this correctly)
row: 500m
squats:40
push-ups: 30
sit-ups: 30
pull-ups: 20
time: 6:30

Trail Racing 101

2010-01-11T09:25:00.000-08:00

So a month or so ago I registered for a Winter Trail Series, a 3K, 5K, 8K and 10K over the months of January and February. At the time I registered, my training plan was to run the trail at Arkabutla Lake (a local State Park) every Sunday morning. Well, a combination of flooded trails, my illness and our recent super-cold temperatures killed my entire training program.

But I still showed up for the first race yesterday. There were WAY more people there than I expected! The temperature was in the upper teens, but it was beautiful and sunny.

The race started in Overton Park in a field, went a pretty good ways along the edge of the field and little bit on a road then turned onto a single track (I always wondered what that meant, I know now!). Not having a clue about how my run was going to go, I lined up way towards the back.

When my part of the pack hit the woods, we bottlenecked and dropped to a walk for about 2 minutes. That was really weird. Then we came to a ‘wide’ spot in the trail and folks started to space out a little better and resumed running.

Remember, this was the VERY FIRST time I EVER ran on a trail. My biggest fear was falling. I am a klutz. I can fall over my own feet in my own living room! I was seriously worried about falling while trying to run in the woods. Shortly after what I considered the ‘real’ part of the race got going, it happened. The woman about 6 feet in front of me tripped and fell. As she went forward and down, she took out the two teenage girls who were directly in front of her. I now had 3 obstacles right in front of me, and momentum behind me. YIKES! Somehow, I managed to nimbly (for me anyways) get off the side of the trail, run around the now getting up ones, and get back on the trail without falling down myself! That’s when I settled down and decided I was probably going to like this trail running stuff.

However, there is a LOT you have to watch out for on a trail, it is completely different from road racing. Look up for tree limbs, look down for roots, ice, slick leaves, look ahead for falling runners, try to keep an eye behind for someone who may fall into you… at around the halfway mark I stepped on a tree root that was hidden in some fallen leaves and twisted my right ankle pretty badly. I hopped three or four steps, put my foot down and decided I was fit to keep going. I’m guessing about 4 minutes later I did it again. The second time HURT so I stepped off the side of the trail to let the folks directly behind me by, and gingerly put my weight on my right foot. After about 10 steps, and a quick contemplation of quitting and walking out (Is it really that bad? Will I injure myself worse if I keep running? Can I do this? Turns out the answers were no, maybe hopefully not and YES!) I decided again to keep running.

So back on the trail I went, ChiRunning to the best of my ability, trying to watch the ground and to tread lightly around, over and through the remaining obstacles. And I did it. The cold air took a toll on my newly recovered lungs, and the last of the demons from my viral lung infection came rushing violently out, i.e. I coughed my head off, and I had to walk a little bit, but I finished in 21:22. Woohoo! Booyah!

So yeah, I’ll be back for the next one, which is somewhere named Stanky Creek, can you believe it?

What I learned:
Three layers is enough even if it is <20 degrees out. Lose the jacket before the gun goes off!
I need to work on ankle strength.
Eyes everywhere!
Tread lightly, be nimble.
I like running trails.
There is no stopping the snot when it is cold out.

Oh, and I think I finished 4th in my age group, not too shabby for my first time out.

Long Time Gone!

2010-01-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

About 3 weeks since my last post, time flies. Especially around the holidays and especially when you are too sick to do more than breathe.

Had some crazy viral infection that ran my WBC into the ground, still in recovery mode, but am finally back full time in the gym. Now the weather has been so frigid I haven't run outside in several weeks, but am trying to log 1-2 miles per day on the treadmill.

Little Pains are Making Me Nervous

2009-12-15T11:57:00.000-08:00

I have such a fear of injury that every little ache or pain makes me a wreck. I had a crazy busy weekend and had to cram my 'long' 4 mile run in 45 minutes that I really didn't have to spare. I actually had my DH drop me 4 miles from the house so I could run the rest of the way home. Within 30 seconds of starting my run, I felt a distinct POP in my left calf followed by the most intense charlie-horse of my life. I decided to try to 'run it off', which I did. As long as I was running, it didn't hurt, but as soon as I stopped, it would cramp up again. I think maybe an adhesion from my surgery let loose. Who knows? It gradually got better over the next two days, and was always the most painful after inactivity. THEN, I just about get over that first little deal when I decide (like a dummy) to run this morning without my usual 10 minute warm-up. I was running late (notice a 'lack of time' theme here?) and it was a chilly 40 degrees and windy and I just went out the door and started running. In a few minutes my achilles tendons started to ache and feel tight. I tried mightily to relax my feet, but the twinges wouldn't go away. I'm now about 6 hours post run and they feel tender and sore. I'm trying to stretch them out every few minutes. The last thing I need is tendon injuries and 10-12 weeks of healing time!

Sunday's Workout
Run: 4 miles in 42:10

Today's Workout
Run: 3.66 miles in 39:00
Stretch: 20 minutes
Abs: 15 minutes

BRRRRRRR - Frozen Friday

2009-12-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

Ran outside this morning and it was COLD (around 25 degrees). My nose and fingers suffered the most, but the run was actually really good. Did 3.95 miles in 42 minutes, which is under 11 minutes per mile. I think my new running playlist makes a huge difference in how easy the run feels. I found a website named JogTunes where you can find songs by BPM, and connect directly from it to iTunes and download the songs you choose. I downloaded $14 worth of 170-180 BPM songs, which work out perfect for my best running cadence, which is 90.

Here are some of the songs I'm running to:
Black Eyed Peas   Boom Boom Pow (warm up song)
Black Eyed Peas    Imma Be
Jack Johnson   If I Had Eyes
Linkin Park   One Step Closer
Melissa Etheridge   I Run for Life
Iron Maiden   The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner
Collective Soul   Run
Usher   Hush
N.E.R.D.   Rock Star
Rascal Flatts   Unstoppable
Black Eyed Peas   I Gotta Feeling (this one is a little slower but I love this song!)
Beyonce    Single Ladies (also slower, good cool down song)

Today's Workout:

Running: 3.95 mi in 42:14 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
Walking: 5 minutes (cooldown on treadmill)

Just a fast update

2009-12-09T12:58:00.000-08:00

I did the St Jude 5K this past Saturday, it was great, but at 26 degrees it was MISERABLY cold after the race, when I was all sweaty and couldn't find my husband OR my truck. I finished in 32:33 and as this was my first post-surgery race, I was very happy to have beaten my previous PR of 33:41...I don't have time today to write the whole saga of that race, but my marriage did survive, just barely - mainly because there wasn't a divorce lawyer handy when I was hypothermic.

I ran 3.89 this morning in 42:12, and I was very happy with that, it was COLD and very windy, but fun.

Today's workout:
Running: 3.89 miles in 42:12 minutes
Legs: 20 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes

TGIF

2009-12-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Well, I decided to go ahead and do the St. Jude 5K tomorrow. I'm pretty sore, but as long as I don't push too hard I think I'll be fine. Hoping to finish in 36 or less. It is supposed to be COLD in the morning!

Today's workout

Elliptical: 25 minutes
Arms: 25 minutes
Bike: 10 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes

FINALLY

2009-12-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Today I'm in a much, much better place. I ran 3.1 in 35 this morning! Yippee! Since I started back to running after my surgery I have been STRUGGLING to say the least. I was at my wit's end trying to figure out why I was having such a hard time running more than 2 miles. This morning as I was driving in (my 1 hour 10 minute commute gives me PLENTY of time to think) it occurred to me that just maybe part of the problem was the darn DREADMILL. Every run for the past two weeks has been on the dread....I hate the dread....maybe if I ran outside it would go better??? My problem with running outside is, it is pitch dark when I leave my home in rural Mississippi in the morning, and pitch dark when I get home, and weekends are just crazy at this time of the year....

So, I had a brilliant idea....I could run 'around' my gym in Memphis when I got there. It is a relatively safe area, it is well lit, and by the time I get in, it is starting to get light out...so when I got there, I quickly drove around and found a 3.1 loop (I know the area pretty well, so this was easy). I parked, took my 'stuff' in the gym, told a girl that is there at the same time as me every day what I was doing. (I didn't think it would be very smart to take off and have NO ONE know what I was up to or where I was going) She said if I wasn't back in 45, she'd come look for me

Anyhoo, it was pretty cold out, around 43 degrees, I'm guessing, so the breathing was a little tough and my ears were a little cold, but other than trying to avoid mud and wet leaves (we've had a LOT of rain over the past couple of days) it went GREAT!!! I did 3.1 in 35 minutes, and that is with 4 or 5 short walking intervals when I got out of breath. Which probably happened because I was running TOO fast, because I was having so much fun. So this is my official notice: I'M BACK!

Oh, and BTW, I will be celebrating 90 days of being smoke-free this Sunday. Another huge milestone in the life of lil ol me. Can you believe it?

Today's workout:

Run: 3.1 miles/35 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
Elliptical: 10 minutes to cooldown from run

Slight Improvement

2009-12-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Today was marginally better, no cramping, but still can't go too far or too fast. I know I should be listening to my body, but I don't like what it is saying! :0)
I was able to do 2 in 22, which is better. I just want to get back to where I was. I think that a couple of things are factors: legs still healing, compression hose make me HOT, extra weight I'm carrying, and not working out for 10 days set me back.

Today's Workout

Run: 2 mi/22 minutes
Stretching: 15 minutes
Legs: 25 minutes

Just a Quickie

2009-12-01T12:56:00.000-08:00

Kind of had a crappy workout this morning. Mostly because my right calf cramped up and shortened my run. I was planning on improving on yesterday's 2.5 in 25, but ended up with only 1.6 in 18. Ugghhh. I haven't ever had a cramping problem on the treadmill, I'm not sure what could have caused it, other than I was doing intervals, and my 'fast' ones were 6.5 which is faster than normal for me.

Today's workout:

Run: 1.6 mi/18minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
Stairmaster: 5 minutes
Arms: 25 minutes

Time to Get Back with the Program

2009-11-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

I didn't work out over the Thanksgiving Holiday, but I did work a lot. Lots of time on my feet meant some pain and swelling, especially in the left leg. I ran this morning, and managed 2.33 miles in 25 minutes, which is just under an eleven minute mile. I just couldn't go any longer, I don't know if the loss of stamina is due to the surgery/recovery or the extra 12+ pounds I'm carrying. Whatever, I'm going to work on overcoming both!

Today's workout:

Run: 2.33 mi/25 minutes
Stretching: 10 minutes
Abs: 15 minutes
Legs: 10 minutes

At last, positive news....

2009-11-25T07:18:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm in a MUCH MUCH better mood. I eased into running (on the treadmill) yesterday and today and so far, so good. I did 1.5 miles in 20 minutes yesterday and 2 miles in 24 today. My leg is still sore, but I CAN RUN!!!!! WooHoo! I'm not where I was, but this is definitely better than WALKING! I'm going to try to run a little each day over the weekend (outside, the weather here is supposed to be beautiful). But no Turkey Trotting for me, and I'm still not decided about the St. Jude 5K on next Saturday, will have to see how it goes.

This is me and how my life goes, exactly...

Still not there

2009-11-23T13:28:00.000-08:00

My left leg is still lumpy and very sore, especially behind the knee. I did work out this morning, but limited my cardio to biking and walking on the treadmill.

I'm pissed and ready to start running again. I've gained even MORE weight (not smoking AND being incapacitated is killing my good diet) I'm scared to get on the scale, but I'm guessing I'm up more than 12 lbs. YIKES. Must get myself under control.

Today's workout:
Bike: 2 mi
Walking: 3 mi
Abs and stretching

Quick Recovery? Not so much.

2009-11-19T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm frustrated because my left leg is not healing from the double EVLT as quickly as I had hoped. I was planning on being back to running at least 2 miles every other day this week, but I ran 1.5 mile on Saturday, 2 miles on Monday and Tuesday, and by Tuesday night I could barely stand or walk. My leg was hot, swollen and very painful. So I went to the doctor yesterday and was told that there is a natural inflammatory process BUT I need to also 'listen' to my leg and back off on the running if my leg is hurting and/or swelling. NOT what I wanted to hear. I want to RUN.

Almost Unbelievable

2009-11-18T08:30:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a cigarette in 72 days, and no, I haven't been in a coma. I never thought I could make it this long, and I never thought I would see myself as a non-smoker, but guess what? I did and I do.

I go for hours and hours without thinking about a smoke. I automatically ask for the no smoking section in restaurants (yes, in Mississippi, there are still restaurants with smoking sections)

I'm NOT saying that I don't still struggle some...I still have the hand to mouth fixation, and have gained 10 pounds since I quit (YUCK!) and not being able to work out or run at 100% is not helping there. I still automatically look for my smokes when I first get in my truck, and it takes me about 2 seconds to smack myself in the forehead and say "Big dummy, you don't smoke anymore!" But all in all, this has been easier than I thought it would be. I'm SURE that's because my head is in the right place, for the first time. I want to run more than I want to smoke.

What I've been up to for the last week or so

2009-11-16T13:16:00.000-08:00

I had EVLT (Endovenous Laser Treatment) for my varicose veins on the 6th and then again on the 9th. Lucky me, I have a duplicated Greater Saphenous vein in my left leg. When he saw my ultrasound, my doctor said "You're not normal" Needless to say, I was NOT surprised. LOL. Anyways, they couldn't treat two veins in one leg on one day, so left and right on Friday, then back for round 2 on left leg on Monday. As usual, 'mildly uncomfortable' is doctor-speak for HURTS LIKE HELL. I guess I should have figured something out when they prescribed me a Xanax for the procedure. Uh-huh, mildly uncomfortable, but we want you to take a drug that makes you pretty much not give a crap about what is happening to you.....Yep, I shoulda figured that one out!

Have I mentioned that I am a lightweight, and have little tolerance for alcohol and something like NONE for drugs? I'm pretty sure I provided the day's entertainment for the doctor and his staff. I have an iPhone, and it has all my music on it. I asked the nurse, "Can I listen to my music while you do the procedure?" She's like, "Sure!" So I'm lying on my back, holding my iPhone on my chest, listening to the Black-Eyed Peas when the following sequence occurs: I think - "I bet if I turned on the camera on my phone I could take a picture and see what they're doing down there" I turn on the camera, Click! "Yep, there's a picture of my thigh, all covered with betadine and the doctor with his...WHAT THE CRAP, THAT HURT LIKE HELL!" That's when he started sticking me with the first of about 20 injections. "Ok, Ok, back to the camera, Click, Click, Click, hmmmm, I bet I could post these on Facebook" and, lo and behold, I DID!!!!! I honestly don't remember deciding to actually do it, and I sure don't remember uploading the pics...But a few minutes later when I started getting these frantic text messages from my friends and family, I was like "Oh Shit, do I do thhaaattt?" I thought y'all might be amused by some of the messages I got both on my phone, and on Facebook:

Carla: OMG!!! WHO else but you would "take pics" during surgery and post to facebook! LOL Hope you are doing ok -- are you home yet?

Linda: Hope all goes well Monica! good pics! lol

Me: Ever heard of 'drunk dialing'? This was 'Xanax Facebooking!' LOL I don't really remember doing this...seriously

April: How freakin funny! Sounds like something I would do

Me: This hurts like he'll and how weird is it that I'm telling yall live while it is hsppening

Vickie: What? What are you having done?

Me: Laser ablation of baaadddd varicose veins, procedure is done now going home to cry or sleep and take pain meds!!!!

Me: The worst part is I have to have this done again on Monday

Shari: Ouchy! Done again Monday?? Other leg??

Brenda: WOW!! U Are Brave !! Take Care Girl!

Marci: Ouch, sounds painful...take care!!! We'll see you soon...

Brian: Dear, dear, dear friend....whatever they gave you that prompted you to post SURGERY pictures on Facebook....PLEASE save some for me =) Hope you are feeling well....I'm guessing you are! LOL

Me (later): Officially apologizing for posting pictures of her surgery, it seemed like such a GOOD idea at the time-you think it may have been the Xanax? LOL

Carla: Yeah, it was pretty gross! And yeah, I think it was the Xanax!! Light weight!! LOL

Rachel: I was eating lunch and checking Facebook. I saw your post, and I was thinking "Monica, oh Monica." Then I think I passed out and John colored on the walls or something. ;-)

Frankly, I'm just VERY grateful that the nurse had me well-draped, or I could have been kicked off Facebook for posting some pretty inappropriate pictures. I promise, if it had all been hanging out, I sure as crap wouldn't have noticed!

As for me and my running, I had to take all last week off (from the 6th to the 13th - that's the longest I've gone without some kind of workout since MAY 11th!) from BOTH running, and weightlifting! The horror! I did have to, however, walk for 20 minutes at a time, 3 times per day, starting with the day of surgery. If I have time later, I might write a post about me walking in rural Mississippi on pain meds (lightweight, lightweight, lightweight!!! I'm pretty sure my neighbors think I have brain damage)

BUT I went back to the gym on Saturday morning, after swearing on my running shoes to my husband that I would take it easy. I lifted (upper body ONLY) and ran on the treadmill, 1.5 miles in just under 20 minutes, which considering that I'm a solid bruise from hip to knee on one leg and knee to ankle on the other, I was VERY pleased with. Plus, I did it easily, with no strain or pain. YAY ME! This morning I started back on my usual 6:00 to 7:30 a.m. workout, and it went GREAT. I easily ran 2 miles in 23 minutes. WooHoo!

Of course last week, when I was lying around and in pain, the weather was beautiful...this week when I'm finally on my feet and ready to run, it's supposed to be cold and rainy!

ChiRunning Part 2

2009-10-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

I went to part 2 of my ChiRunning workshop on this past Sunday. We did a lot of running drills outside at Overton Park (wow, that brought back distant memories). I found out that instead of heel-striking (bad), I'm toe-landing (not as bad) but really need to learn to land with a mid-foot strike. I'm definitely working on that.
Then we learned hills. ChiRunning up and down hills is just about the coolest thing I have ever done. You would NOT believe how much easier it is than any other way of running hills. I think EVERY runner, whether they want to Chi or not, should check out the ChiRunning hill techniques. They look a little odd (well, maybe a LOT odd) but HOLY COW do they work. You can blast up hills like you would not believe, and without dying!
Basically there are 4 types of hills

Runnable uphills - keep cadence, keep column, increase height of arm swing (kind of like punching yourself in the chin)
Nonrunnable uphills - attack hill at an angle, keep uphill shoulder stationary, cross downhill leg over uphill leg
Runnable downhills - increase cadence, increase lean, let 'er rip! Scary but fun....
Nonrunnable downhills - sink down over your heels, increase cadence, kind of like sliding downhill on your butt (not really, but that's the best I can come up with today)

After the drills in the park we went back to the gym and learned treadmill ChiRunning technique. It's hard, but I do most of my running on a dread, so I really needed that lesson! I ended up running a quick (under 10 minute) mile on the treadmill while I was there. I got home from my workshop and SO wanted to test everything out that I went out and ran another 3.1 miles. I'm thinking that I ended up running about 5 miles on Sunday, how cool is that?

Since Sunday, I've run 3 miles in 35 minutes (Monday) and 4 miles in 44 minutes (Wednesday) on the treadmill. I'm incorporating some speed intervals and running 2 minutes at a time at between a 5 and 9 incline, using the ChiRunning uphill techniques... people in the gym think I'm a little (ok, a LOT) nuts, but I don't care, cause it works!
I'm still looking for the perfect running shoe (or non-shoe). For now, I'm still using my New Balance without the insole.... and I'm ok with that... haven't had a chance to try out the AquaSocks. The only ones I have are old and stretched out, I don't think they are going to cut it.
Yesterday and today I'm feeling quite a bit of heel pain, not like Plantar Fasciitis. This is more like tendon or ligament on the sides of my heel, above the actual heel and below the ankle bone. It might have to do with the addition of the inclines/hills. So far have not found an 'exact' match, but it looks like maybe Achilles Tendon Bursitis or Achilles Tendonitis? Except more to the side than the Achilles tendon, I think. Hell, I don't know, I just know it hurts.

Today's workout:
5 minute warmup on bike
20 minutes arms
20 minutes planks, abs, pushups
10 minutes stretching
5 minute cooldown on bike

What about barefoot? Part 1, And the joys of Pandora Radio

2009-10-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

Another week gone, wow!

Am I really almost a month post C25K? It is so, so, hard to believe. What's even harder to believe is that this morning, I told one of my co-workers, "I only ran 2 miles today." WTF? ONLY 2? A couple of months ago, 2 miles would have been (well, actually was) cause for celebration, and now its like 'ho-hum' no biggie....Like I said "WOW!"
I recommend that anyone who is into running make 'Born to Run' NEXT on your reading list. It is such a great read, and IMHO very inspirational to runners. It also made me seriously think about my running shoe choices in a whole new light. Which led me to thinking about and researching barefoot running. I ran across the Vibram Five Fingers, which are kind of like rubber gloves for your feet, complete with individual toes, no kidding! The problem is I only have four toes on my left foot, and have NO idea how that would affect the wearability of these.
How I ended up with 4 toes is definitely a lively chapter in my 'book of life'. The Reader's Digest Condensed version is, don't wear open toed shoes (or go barefoot) on a step ladder. Period. Ever. If you like all your toes, that is.
As for the barefoot running, I'm still researching it. So far, I've taken my lightest, flattest running shoes and removed the insole and am running in them (with very loosely tied laces). This is all SO counter to anything I've heard/seen about running before, but the research makes so much sense! All I can say is that the running shoe companies do an EXCELLENT job of convincing us we really, really need their shoes to help us 'correctly' do something we did right instinctively (and also without pain --- go figure) when we were two years old! Ain't marketing GRAND!
I really love spring and fall, but now, as a runner, I HATE RAINY. Especially cold and rainy. I am so busy, and my time is so limited, that rain pretty much forces me onto the treadmill. Yuck! Although I did install Pandora Radio on my iPhone, and get to listen to great and very varied music when I run.
If you've never heard of Pandora, it is pretty darn cool. You set up your 'own' radio stations, I have one called "Koko Taylor" and Pandora polls all the music in its database for songs similar to Koko Taylor's and plays them randomly for me. When each song plays, I can give it a 'thumbs up' and, from what I understand, it will be added to my playlist AND that song's characteristics will be added to Koko Taylor's song's characteristics to make future selections more likely to be liked by me. Similarly, if I give a song the 'thumbs down' it will never play on my station again, and songs very like it will be less likely to be selected for me. Check it out at: http://www.pandora.com/

My Running Diary to Date (or what I stole from the forum I've been posting to)

2009-10-22T14:06:00.000-07:00

Aug 6, 2009

I've struggled with my weight for all of my adult life, dieted a LOT, but rarely stuck with any type of exercise program. I started going to the gym on May 11, lifting weights and doing elliptical and treadmill (walking). I've lost 22 lbs and feel great. Last Monday I started my own version of 'W1', walking for 4 minutes, running for 2 for a total of 30. Then, in my typical OCD way, on the spur of the moment decided to do a 5K on Saturday. I did it, walked the first half, then ran 85% of the second half, finished in 40:18. LOVED IT! This week I moved to walking for 3 min and running for 2 and started looking for some info on starting a 'real' training program, have already signed up for 2 more 5Ks (one the end of Sept, one in mid-Oct). I stumbled across C25K today and am excited to jump right in. I figure I'm about ready for W3, which I will start on Monday. One thing I've already learned is that training 5 days a week is probably too much. So, I'll continue going to the gym M-F, alternate lifting (legs and abs one day, arms and back the other) and cut the walk/jog down to 3 days. I live in the deep south and it is HOT, HOT, HOT here. So most of my training is in the gym. I do have access to a 30 ft above ground pool.

I ran back when I was in high school and was totally into it, I can't believe I forgot how great it feels... am looking forward to thinking of myself as a 'runner' again!

Aug 7, 2009

Only 20 more to go! I am officially at my lowest weight in 24 years. WooHoo!

I see posts from a few people with knee problems. Being overweight has always put a lot of strain on mine. Now that I've started running, I'm having some pain, more in my right knee, around the top of my kneecap. All that I'm doing is taking Ibuprophen at night. I did buy some better running shoes (I am a severe underpronator - so bad I have to put arch supports in shoes designed for high arches). The new shoes helped a little. Does anyone have any advice for this? Are there exercises I could do to strengthen this area?

Aug 14, 2009

Well, I've been training on my own 'program' for about three weeks, and did a 5K that I half walked, half jogged in 40:18 - so I was feeling pretty darn good about jumping into C25K week 4. I guess I survived the 5K on sheer stubborness and competiveness alone, because on Monday I did W4D1 with my sister and OMG the difference between running on a treadmill (with air conditioning) and running OUTSIDE on a track in 90 degree heat is huge!!! I did it, barely, and on Tuesday my knees hurt so bad I could barely walk. Wednesday they were marginally better, plus I was having ultrasounds on both legs (bad varicose veins) so I did W4D2 yesterday morning - on the treadmill. It went pretty well. Knees were goodish, breathing better 'cause I was inside. Knees were sore last night and this morning, but not nearly as bad. I've been taking Ibuprophen, and using BioFreeze on them every day.

I'm planning on trying W4D3 tomorrow morning (outside again) so say a prayer for me, ok?

Aug 19, 2009

I didn't do W4D3 on Saturday, I decided that my knees were telling me that I had jumped in too far too fast, so am redoing week 4 - inside and on the treadmill. So far, so good. Did W4D1 on Monday, knees were a little sore, but I used BioFreeze and Ibuprophen Monday night, this morning I did W4D2 and it went GREAT. I found my initial running pace was too fast (had some calf cramping and side stiches) so I slowed it down to 4.6 MPH and made it all the way through, plus did an extra 3 minutes at the end. That means a total of 19 minutes running (well, jogging) and I survived it! WooHoo!:^0

For an 45 yr old exFatGirl, it is astounding that my body can still do this.

BTW- I don't think it is my shoes, I'm happy with the ones I have. I've had knee issues all my life....my daughter is a Physical Therapist and says I need to slow down my pace, strengthen my quads, not overtrain and put the treadmill on a slight (.5 to 1) incline.

I am wondering what kind of pace I should be using for the walk and run portions of your program. Since I am also primarily training on the treadmill I strictly go by time, but have no idea if I am going too fast or too slow according to C25K... today I did 3.5 walking and 4.6 running at a 1.0 incline...

As for those of you who are running outside in the South...with the heat and humidity…My hat is off to y'all! I just can't do it. Of course, it probably has to do with the fact that I am a long time smoker (who is working VERY hard to quit - tapering off, replacing a very bad habit with exercise, plus C25K definitely gives me an incentive to quit, I know that I can't do both!!!!! - September 7 is my 'official' quit day) I am determined to do this, and scared to death:0 I have a whiteboard in my office that I update everyday, today it says: Smoking QUIT day: 19 days Race for the Cure 5K: 59 days

Aug 21, 2009

I did W4D3 today (on the treadmill) and it went great, even though my legs and butt are killing me because my daughter, the Physical Therapist MADE me do lunges yesterday...as part of her (evil) plan to strenghten my quads)

My legs are sore, but I completed the run AND added an extra 3 minute run on the end, just because I felt like I could.

I am amazed by my body's adaptation. Three months ago, I could barely do 10 minutes on the elliptical, nevermind RUNNING at all, four weeks ago running for two minutes seeemed impossible, today I ran, albeit pretty slowly, for a total of 19 minutes. And my knees too are feeling much better. WooHoo!

Aug 26, 2009

Did W5D2 last night, outside on a hilly walking trail at a park near my sister's house - it was about 90 degrees and humid (not as bad as Mississippi can get but not nice either). The first running interval was hard (I was sucking wind and feeling kind of pukey), but some kind of miracle happened and the second interval was great. Not full out running Forrest Gump great, but a good steady pace, with controlled breathing felt like I could go some more great! I don't know if I passed some kind of threshold, or if the temp dropped a bit, but whatever!!! I loved it.

I tried to show my sister how to 'do' a lunge on Sunday and pulled a butt muscle on the FIRST one! Still feeling it four days later.... My PT daughter says it's my glutemous medias (?) and no lunges until I can do them without pain. Luckily, it doesn't bother me AT ALL when running, just when climbing stairs, stooping or lunge-ing... Like you, I am looking forward to D3. I REALLY want to know if I can really run for 20 minutes straight. I'm also dreading it because I'm afraid I can't. I am going to cheat the odds a bit and do D3 inside on the treadmill, so at least the temp/humidity won't be working against me.

I was reading a bunch of inspirational running quotes on runnersworld.com. Do you know the only two that stuck with me? "Trample the weak, hurdle the dead" and "Run like you stole it!" LOL I don't know why but, maybe this 45 yr old career women/mom/ex-fat girl secretly wants to be a bad-a$$!

Since I've started running, I haven't really lost any weight (1.2 lbs is all) BUT I've dropped from a tight size 10 jean to a loose size 8...I don't claim to understand it, but I sure am NOT complaining. I am worried about next week, we go on an annual vacation to the National Chuckwagon Races (check it out at chuckwagonraces.com). It's a week of camping, horseback riding, cooking out (great food, but the calories!!!), partying (add to the great food alcohol induced loss of inhibitions!!!!!), and oh yeah, chuck wagon racing. It's not exactly an environment that is conducive to running, but I'm going to try to make it work...

Aug 27, 2009

TWENTY FIVE MINTUES!!!!!!! My W5D3 was fantabulouso! I got to the gym, 5 minutes on the bike to warm up, twenty minutes of intense upper body weights, then with lots of trepidation, jumped on the tread...Granted, I kept my pace slowwww, but I promise you, I have not run/jogged for longer than 10 minutes in 27 years. WOW! It felt so good, and I felt so strong that I ran an extra five minutes. I think I got a runner's high... that's the only explanation I have for feeling this good. I'm at work now, and can NOT wipe the big ol' smile off my face.

Aug 28, 2009

I feel like I crossed TWO thresholds this week. 1. I ran longer than I truly ever believed I would. 2. For the first time, I really believe I'm going to quit smoking. I've tried to quit a gazillion times, but truthfully, I never really WANTED to, I just knew I needed to. For the first time, there is something I want more than to smoke....TO RUN!!! I know, I know, wanting to live a long life and not get cancer and all that should be more important (DUH!!!!) but those are 'way out there in the future' goals. The running is HERE AND NOW. I know that I won't really be able to be a runner AND a smoker. And for some crazy reason, running suddenly is very important to me!

I’m running 4.5, at a 1.0 incline, at this point I don't care if I run like a turtle, as long as I'm running! I also read somewhere that running on a slight incline helps to make up for the fact that the treadmill is doing some of the work for you when you run.

The Chuckwagon Races are da BOMB! It's kind of like NASCAR with horses and mules... I love every bit of it, except for the 3 races that my husband actually participates in, those scare me to death!!!

BTW what is it with squats? I think they are the most unnatural, awkward movements (when done with the correct form, anyways!) My daughter promises they will get better when I'm stronger and have improved my balance. (did I mention I am a complete and total klutz? I can fall over a shadow, I'm NOT kidding!) One of my fitness goals is to increase my core strength, which I understand will greatly improve my balance...

Sep 8, 2009

I'm back after 10 days of vacation at the Chuckwagon Races. Had a GREAT time, despite a couple of thunderstorms that scared the **** out of me AND flooded our tent!

I forgot to take my print-out of C25K with me, so instead of doing all of W6 and W7D1, I repeated W5D3 four times - obviously I was running outside, in the Ozark Mountains, I ran the same course every time, a long flat (gravel road), followed by an intense hill, turn around at the top and come back. It was pretty chilly (low 50s) and I found there are issues with running in the cold too (freezing ears and a running nose mostly). I'm really proud of myself for sticking with the training while on vacation. I even ran one morning with a monster hangover - a guy asked me "isn't running on those rocks hard?" I puffed out an answer to him - "not as hard as running after drinking WAY too much rum and smoking too many cigarettes last night!".

I came home with a bruised butt and sore knees. We spent 4 - 8 hours each day in the saddle, after about three days, I spent a lot of time trying to lessen the pain in my booty by holding more of my weight with my legs, hence the sore knees.

Today I did W7D2, on the boring treadmill. After a week of running outside, the tread is now definitely the dread!!! I too am suddenly interested in my pace instead of just the time. I ended up doing the 25 minutes just fine, but couldn't quite keep the pace up to make 2.5 miles. I'm going to concentrate on getting faster now.

I has been 14 hours and 22 minutes since my LAST cigarette, so far, so good, i.e. no dead bodies to hide!

Sep 9, 2009

41 hours and counting....they say it takes 72 hours for the nicotine to clear out of your system, and that the cravings will steadily subside after the first 3 days. So far, so good. I'm proud that I've made it longer that I have in at leat five years, and I'm concentrating on viewing this as 'I've succeeded for 41 hours instead of I've been deprived for 41 hours!"

It wasn't too hard to stick with the running because

1. I'm a little (ok, a LOT) OCD, and once I'm hooked, I'm hooked!

2. I ran at the butt-crack of dawn, when everyone else was sleeping off the previous night's festivities, so I didn't feel like I was missing too much, and didn't have too many 'spectators'.

I love running outside, but the heat just wrecks my performance. Plus, going to the gym before work just fits my schedule better during the week. Now that fall is getting here, I intend to run outside at least once every weekend. I'm entered in a 5K in mid-October and want to finish it in 33 minutes. To do that, I have to increase my pace a BUNCH! Isn't it great to have goals?

Sep 11, 2009

TICK - TICK - TICK

I'm proud to report that I'm 90 hours in and still smoke-free. Believe it or not, I haven't even sidled up close to a smoker to try and suck up some second-hand nicotine! Already I'm feeling the positive physical results.

1. less hacking, especially when I first wake up

2. better sense of smell

3. about $20 more in my pocket!

Overall, my mood has been remarkably good. I have had a few 'fold in half and turn into a double _itch' moments, but they have been pretty rare and short-lived (for which my family, friends and co-workers are probably very thankful) Right now, my pride in myself for having the strength to make it this far outweighs my cravings for a smoke. I'm worried about the weekend, but I'm still determined to make it! Kind of like being able to run for 25 minutes straight, I NEVER thought I'd have the POWER to overcome my addiction to smoking. I think doing C25K proved to me that I am far more capable than I give myself credit for. I be things I never dreamed, like a 'runner' and a 'non-smoker'... GO FIGURE! Now, everyone say a prayer that I make it through the weekend!!

I think in addition to a secret runner, there is a frustrated writer hidden inside of me! But, I have to admit, the 'butt-crack of dawn' phrase was actually coined a few years ago by my youngest daughter, who is decidedly NOT a morning person. And yes, I ran up the side of the bluff in the background of the picture, it has a gravel road that kind of goes sideways up the hill, not straight up, so while the grade is not as steep is was lllloooonnnngggg. For some twisted reason, I really liked running up that hill. I think it was because it was the only appreciable one on my route, so I knew that after that one big burst of power, the rest of the run would be easy by comparison, and yes, I did play the Rocky theme song in my head at the top (but no dancing around) there were people camped up there) One of the mornings, two cowboys (boots, spurs, hats and everything, I SWEAR) were standing outside their tent when I ran by, one of them said "Maam, Ah don't know what's chasing yew, but Ah'll shure try and stop it" It's kind of hard to laugh out loud when you're sucking wind, but I somehow managed!

Dogs (no matter what size) are one of the things that keeps me running in the gym. I live out in the middle of nowhere and loose dogs are a definite problem. We've even had horses attached my packs of dogs in our area.

I did W7D3 yesterday, it went pretty good. My breathing has improved and I've increased my speed some, but I couldn't make the pace I wanted, but I did run for 26 straight before I ran out of time...must allow for cooldown and stretching before the mad dash thru the shower, into makeup and clothes and off to the office!

Sep 16, 2009

I am reporting that this is day nine, and I am still 100% no cheating, smoke free!

I don't know what happened, but I seem to have hit a wall this week. I did W8D1 on Monday and W8D2 today, but am not even closing to getting 2.75 in 28 minutes. Today I only managed 2.3 in 29 minutes, and even then I thought I was going to die. You would THINK that being smoke-free for over a week would have a positive impact on my performance, but it hasn't (yet, anyway). Today when I got on the treadmill, I was determined to get to 2.75, no matter how long it took. I even allotted a bunch of extra time at the end of my workout for it. But literally, my legs were like rubber by 2 miles and I had to force myself to keep going. I thought maybe if I pushed through, I would be able to make it to 2.75, but it soon came down to get off or fall off. I had absolutely no go left. And this was on a treadmill, which I think we all agree is easier than running outside! I was so disgusted with myself; I cooled down on the bike and jumped in the shower.

Now that I've had a couple of hours to reflect (and eat breakfast), I'm thinking that MAYBE I'm trying to do too much and my body is asking me to back off a bit... I think I may have mentioned that I have a tendency to be obsessive/compulsive about stuff? Well, I've been weight training 5 days a week (3 sets each of 8 reps of 70-80% of my 1 rep max - arms on my run days, legs and abs on non-run days) , and just added weights to my squats and lunges (yesterday, now that I think about it). I'm thinking perhaps I should lighten up (so to speak) on my weight training, at least until I make my distance/time goals for C25K.

I SO want to complete the program 'on time', and am even considering a 5K next Saturday...but today my confidence has been shaken a bit.

Sep 17, 2009

I decided to 'dial it down' a bit for today and tomorrow. I hit the gym this morning and let the meatheads keep their weights to themselves for once.

I just did 10 on the bike to warm up, stretched a bunch, then did the elliptical for 40 minutes, finally finished up with more long and slow stretching. My daughter and I have even agreed (I really didn't have to twist her arm much) to skip the gym tomorrow morning. We are going to do W8D3 on Saturday and do it outside. I'm hoping a couple days off from both the weights and runs will help me gear up for a much better run. I guess trying to become a runner AND a bodybuilder at the same time isn't the smartest idea in the world. DUH! I'm going to concentrate on the running until after my 5K in October, and keep the weight training on the 'light side' until then.

Sep 22, 2009

Good news from Mississippi. Not only am I still not smoking - despite some severe temptations this weekend. I also had two really good runs (W9D1 and D2) to make up for the crappy one I had last week. I think that taking a couple of days to rest, and lightening up on the weight training really helped. More than either of those, I think running outside made a huge difference. Even though I always think of the treadmill as 'easier', I think that psychologically, running outside is much easier because

1. you make actual progress, and move from point A to point B, which beats the heck out of the hamster on the wheel effect of the treadmill

2. running with a partner (in my case my daughter) adds a bit of competition which makes me push just a little harder and go a little further and

3. you can constantly adjust your pace to meet the demands of the road and the response of your body

I think I mentioned before the fact that I hesitated to run in our rural area because of all of the dogs...well two Saturdays ago, my hubby and I scouted out my planned running route on horseback. I figured this would be a good way to draw out the lurkers, the barkers and the 'just to the edge of my yard' vs. the as 'long as we are in sight of my house' chasers and to figure out if any of them are serious, or if they are just making noise. What we found was good news, there were plenty of barkers, most of whom were also 'edge of my yarders'. There was only one 'in sight of my house-er'... and he eventually did turn and go home, so I was pretty confident that we wouldn't have dog problems when running. Our first run (on Saturday) went great, the dogs were out and pretty much acted just like we expected... now yesterday evening's run was a little more interesting.... Somewhere about 1/2 way around our loop, we picked up a follower....a female blue-heeler pup, maybe about 6 months old. Now she wasn't even a little bit scary, just extremely friendly and determined to keep up with us. No amount of hollering 'GO HOME', stomping our feet or throwing our arms around could deter her, added to that; we were not even sure which house she came from.

Let me tell you, running 'with a dog' (intentional or not) adds a WHOLE new dynamic to your interaction with every other dog along the way... instead of a bit of bark and chase to the edge of the yard, it seemed like the consensus amongst all the dogs was 'if she gets to run along I get to go too!!!' At one point we literally had 6 or 7 dogs trailing behind us, I felt like the accidental Pied Piper of Puppies! Now, while the running part was going pretty well, I sure as heck didn't have a lot of extra energy for yelling 'Go Home' or stomping feet, or mock chasing them away. Thank god my extremely fit daughter was along to take care of all of that. She finally ran off all but our original follower, who stuck to my side like glue, until we got to the last quarter (thankfully cool-down) mile, which is, as luck would have it, on a much busier road. THEN she decides to dart in front of every passing vehicle. So, despite the fact that I was pretty much tapped out by the 3.1 miles I had just run (WOOHOO!) in 31 (WOO double HOO) minutes, I picked her up and carried her the rest of the way home, cursing her most of the way, while she batted her eyes at me and licked my face. So, I may now have four dogs...that is if we can't find her rightful owner.

Even though I’m almost done with C25K, I most definitely plan to continue with the running. I think I want to take a month or so to increase my 5K speed, (I am running 5Ks on 9/26, 10/17 and 12/5) and then get on the 10K program.

Sep 24, 2009

I'm thinking about a half marathon (I know, I’ve lost my ever-lovin’ mind), but not until Dec 2010, I want to get in a couple of 5Ks than work up to 10K, do a couple of those, and then start training for a half. I don't know if my knees will ever be able to handle that kind of distance, but there is only one way to find out! I love the quote on a fellow C25Ker’s blog... and it SO applies here

"Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right." -Henry Ford~

The treadmill sucks. I truly didn't know how badly it sucked until I ran outside, from now on, I'm doing it 'on the road' unless the temp is >90 degrees or it is pouring buckets!

Just FYI- if you are looking for cheap, or inexpensive singlets, running t's etc, believe it or not, I found all of mine (plus running shorts, workout clothes, dry-wick apparel including a jacket) at the local Goodwill Store. We're talking Nike, Adidas, Avia and Champion stuff, some still with the original store tags on them, seriously! A sleeveless top (tank, singlet, etc) is $2.99, shorts are $3.49 and pants are $4.49, you can't beat those prices with a stick!!!

Oh and......

I did it! I completed W9D3 yesterday. My daughter and I left for our run as soon as we got home from work, but after the warm-up, as soon as we started to run, she started having problems with an old ankle injury. I told her to turn around and go home, that I could handle running on my own, I think I said "I got this!" So I pulled one earphone out (I tend to listen to my music and leave her in charge of listening for dogs/cars/trucks/etc) and headed on down the road. Thanks to some awesome 'Girl Band' music from a podcast I downloaded last week, I cruised along. And I did it, I ran 3.2 in 31 minutes! I paced myself better than I ever have, breathe in for two paces, breathe out for two paces(daughter's brilliant suggestion - she does in for four, out for four, but she's 24 and has never smoked a cigarette in her life!) I finished up the 3.2 tired, but not sucking wind. When I slowed to a walk, the muscles in my calves and thighs did feel a lot like jalapeno jello (if you think about it, this makes sense) but I DID IT!

So how did I celebrate my graduation???? Well, I stopped running, started walking and waving my 3' PVC pipe (my hubby's idea of a self-defense weapon - it's light and easy to carry) around like a drum major, at the same time I was talking to myself (yes, out loud) and also laughing (even louder) Here's the jist of the conversation I had with myself... (I apologize in advance for my language, even though I'm bleeping myself out)

"I did it, I don't *&%$#@! believe it, I just ran more than 3 miles without &%$ stopping, in like 30 &%$#@ minutes!!! Holy %$#@ I really did it! LOLOLOLOLOLOLWOOHOO!!!! I never thought I could do it, holy #$%, I did it!!!! (repeat for 3 choruses) Then, to top things off, I announced (again loudly) to the three innocent horses in the pasture next to where I was walking "I am telling you right now, I am NEVER going to smoke another %^&% cigarette in my life, and that's a promise!"* Poor ol horsies, they looked at me sideways, kinda like "Ok, lady, we're just gonna move away from you rreeaallllll slow-like, no need to get all crazy over there." Then I cried. Yep, crazy lady on the loose. Let me rephrase, crazy RUNNER on the loose!

Seriously folks, as a 45 year old, used to weigh 260 lbs, pack a day for 20+ years new ex-smoker, this has been a life-changing experience for me. I'm never going to be the same, and that makes me so %^&*% proud and happy and in love with life that I just about can't stand it!

So, I'm running a 5K on Saturday morning, with my friend, daughter and sister. Can't wait!!! Also will be attending a ChiRunning workshop the first weekend in October, also can't wait for that! I'll let y'all know how both go, because the secret writer in me just LOVES posting.

Sep 28, 2009

About my crazy graduation post...I have reread it myself a few times, and it still makes me laugh out loud! I even posted it on my Facebook status and have gotten lots of comments from my friends and family...(who already know I'm certifiable) in addition to making me LOL, every time I read it, I feel this sense of 'shock and awe' that this is by and about ME! Wow!

YES I'm still 'flying' on my runner's high... I did my first 5K on Saturday morning (well, my first real, running, post-C25K 5K) Back in July most of my rather large family impulsively did a 5K as a group, I eeked out a combination of walking, running, and sheer determination and finished in 40:18 back then. A week later I could barely run for 2 minutes --- there is definitely something to be said for sibling rivalry.

Anyways, back to THIS Saturday, while both my friend Lisa and my sister Chris have been training at the same time as me, neither of them has been using C25K. My sister basically just runs a little farther every day. Lisa has been running intervals on a treadmill. She runs as long as she can, then walks to recover.

We all decided to do this 5K in New Albany MS, which is about 1 1/2 hours from where we live. Well - we had to leave home at the proverbial butt-crack of dawn, and it was raining BUCKETS, but the forecast said early morning showers, clearing by mid-morning. The race was at 8:30, so we decided to chance it. Lisa and I rode together, while my sis was riding with her hubby. All the way down we texted back and forth, joking about drowning, canoe racing, etc. My hubby called and asked if I was going to race to win it, I said NO, I just want to finish! Lisa said if the three of us were the only ones crazy enough to show up in this %^&*$ monsoon, I might win it after all!

When we got to New Albany, it was raining even harder, in places there was 6-8 inches of water in the road! We finally found the 'old' downtown and saw two women on a golf cart who looked like they might know what was up. I asked if the race was going to be cancelled due to the weather, they said NO WAY, so we found out where to register, got ABSOLUTELY SOAKED while we did so. We ran back to the van, and since we already had our t-shirts we briefly discussed taking our shirts and heading for home, after all, who would know???? Our families don't know enough to check the race results online (not yet anyways) BUT really, we WANTED to do this, wet or dry. We were already going to be wet from sweat about 5 minutes into the race, right??? We discussed our goals, mine was to finish in 33:00 (a nice round number, right??) my sister's was to stay with me, Lisa's was to finish in less than 1 hour. What we didn't do was factor in the type of course we would be running.....I copied this text today from the race wwebsite: "This challenging 5K begins on the Tallahatchie River Bridge in historic downtown New Albany. The hilly course is sure to be one you'll want to run for years to come! If you enjoy a challenge, come on! This course is for you! "

Hold on! We didn't say anything about wanting a challenge, and for sure we didn't ask for hills! Well, we found out, they were NOT KIDDING. Thankfully, the rain stopped about the time we arrived at the starting line. There were a LOT (350+) people there! Way more than we expected....There were 8 or so guys warming up who were obviously some kind of military/enforcement dudes...they were all wearing camo pants, grey tees and combat boots. I figured that I would run behind them...if they were running as a group, I thought they would pace themselves pretty well, and the 'scenery' wouldn't be too bad either! HA! They were slower than Christmas! I was falling asleep on my feet! I didn't have music slow enough for their pace on my mp3 player, so I passed those bad boys (with a last glance at the view, gotta love a guy in uniform!)

The first third of the race was pretty flat, then it got hilly, then it got really hilly, then it got ridiculous! I'd be running up a hill, looking at the crest thinking, "Finally!" only to get there and find out the course turns to the right and goes uphill some MORE! I did manage to run up all of them, but on the last three I had to walk at the top for 15-20 seconds, just to catch my breath. Then the last quarter mile was a long gradual decline, what a relief...but it SO ****** me off when all of these KIDS (and I mean kids under 14 yrs old) came whizzing by me, sprinting to the finish line. I so was jealous, I wanted to sprint too! But I was also TIRED! I did manage to pick up the pace a bit, and crossed the finish line at a slow run, but definitely NOT a shuffle.

My time was 33:41! And considering the hilliness of the course, and the slickness of the wet pavement I was more than happy and satisfied with that. My sister finished in 35:42 and Lisa in 51:10. All in all, a great time was had by each of us, and I'm ready to do it again. Well, I do when my calves recover.... I guess running up those hills was a little more than my calves could handle, they are sore, honestly they kinda feel like they are disconnected from my legs, like they wobble with each step I take, and the cramps I had in them last night were ferocious!

To top it all off, when I checked online today, I found out that I finished 2nd in my division (women 45-49). Not too bad for this ex-fat girl, ex-smoker, NEW runner! I can't wait to do it again!

So what are my plans for the future and running? We (me, daughters, sister, sister in law, friend) are registered for the Race for the Cure in Little Rock on 10/17, and some of us are considering a local Habitat for Humanity 5K the following weekend. I am having long overdue surgery on my nasty varicose veins in early November, so will be sidelined for a little while, but plan to be back for a 5K for St Jude's Children's Hospital in early December. I'm also going to start the Higdon 10K training for novices this week.

Still smoke-free in Mississippi.

Oct 2, 2009

Weight training is da bomb! Despite being a smoker and pretty much out of shape, I've always been pretty 'strong' for a girl, so weight training is one athletic thing I've always felt confident about. Now that I'm doing it 'for real' I'm lovin' it. I especially like what it has done for my arms. Keep it up, if you want quick results, go for higher weights, fewer reps. (and don't worry about getting bulky, it is NOT going to happen)

I hope everyone’s first 5K is as much fun as mine was. I just have such a strong awareness of the unreality of the situation... I spend a LOT of time thinking 'I don't freakin' believe I'm doing this!' and grinning from ear to ear. I suppose that eventually the novelty will wear off, but for now, I'm just 'wallering all up in it'! (an appropriate southern phrase, hope it translates ok)

This week, I did two days of some version of tempo runs, trying to figure out 'what's next'. Yesterday my daughter and I ran 1/2 mile (at the fastest pace I could maintain for that long) then walked 1/2 mile for a total of 3, with the very last quarter being close to a full out sprint. WOW! it was hard, but fun. We ended at our mailbox, which just so happened to contain the AWARD that I didn't know I won at my 5K last Saturday. God bless race coordinators who follow through and mail stuff like that out. It totally made my week!

Oct 13, 2009

From what my daughter tells me, the Race for the Cure in Little Rock (my next race) is an extreme example of your "fast, slow, real fast, brake!". Last year she ended up having sore calf muscles from going up and down curbs trying to move around other racers. There are seven of us doing this race and we have pretty much decided to walk it, so we can all stay together. This one is not about the time, it is about the experience. Go Girl Power!

I'm still struggling a bit with the shoe thing. I've got a few pair, one favorite, but I'm still not sure if I have the pair that is really best for me.... One day soon I plan to go to one of those high end running shoe stores where they video tape you running, and measure your feet and recommend the best shoes for your foot. I've also been checking out barefoot running, but don't know that I'll ever be that brave.

Ok, now for the ChiRunning report. The workshop was supposed to be 9-1 on Saturday and Sunday. There were 7 students on Saturday, all of them were members at the gym where the class was being held, all were also athletes and veteran runners - all there for ChiRunning because they no longer liked to run, due to pain or boredom or injury.... and then there was me. We sat in a circle and introduced ourselves, I was last. As I sat and listened to each of them talk about how long they had been running, how many marathons, or halfs they had done in the past and how running was no longer a joy, I was like "Wow! I'm totally NOT like any of these people" So when it came to my turn, what do I do? I cry. Seriously, I swear I have never been this emotional about anything in my life. But I was trying to explain how I used to weigh 260 lbs. and how I just started running and stopped smoking, and how much I love running...I think I ended up by saying something like "For me running IS this huge joy in my life, I just want to be able to do it better and without pain" Luckily these were 7 of the nicest folks, who were so supportive and did not seem to think I was some nutcase who had just invaded their gym!

For anyone here who has no idea what ChiRunning is, the instructor described it as a method of running that is based on a controlled fall, and that is pretty much it. ChiRunning is HARD, well not so much hard as there is a lot to learn and a lot to remember. It also requires being very 'in touch' with your body, standing in balance, etc...all of which are difficult for me. Not that I can't do it, because I am, but it is difficult, for sure... It ended up that the Sunday part of the class was postponed due to bad weather, so I will be going back on 10/25 for that. What I have found since the class: ChiRunning slowed me down, I can usually only do about 2.5 miles in 30 minutes, but ChiRunning is also faster. I know that doesn't make sense, but the cadence you are supposed to be shooting for is 180 BPM (right now I'm doing 170 BPM), no matter how fast or slow you are running....this is a much higher turnover than I usually have, which gets me 'out of breath' sooner. BUT already there is much less pain! And this is weird too, because landing smack dab on the mid-foot seems SO wrong, but when you do it correctly, it feels SO right. And you use different muscles, so there is some different soreness going on... particularly in my calves from the heel lift, I think. So yes, I would recommend it but I will add --- it is something that will take some time to get good at, and definitely some getting used to.

Last week I had two inside treadmill runs (Mon and Fri), ChiRunning is harder on the dread, for sure! I also ran outside Wednesday evening, and misjudged the time/light. It got DARK while I was out, and I wasn't dressed very well for dark. I ended up jumping into the ditch (literally) 3 times because I was afraid a late churchgoer was going to take me out! Also, all the nice pups that I am such good friends with in the daylight decided that I just might be evil incarnate after dark. I spent a lot of time saying "Nice dog, it's me! Remember me? I run by here all the time! Nice, nice doggie" Lesson learned. I'll be trying to find a track to run on in the near future! My early Sunday morning outside run was MUCH better, although it took me about 35 minutes to do 3 miles, and I had to stop to walk a couple of times to catch my breath thanks to the ChiRunning cadence.

All in all, it was a good week. I ran today on the treadmill again, and it went pretty well... I seem to be getting better at putting all of the Chi pieces together...

Oct 20, 2009

Once again, I have SO MUCH to say and SO LITTLE time to say it...

This past weekend was my trip (along with a daughter, a sister, a sister in law and a friend) to the Komen Race for the Cure in Little Rock AR. Funny thing, this has been our 'goal' race, the one we (my sister, friend and I) have been training for from the start of July, and guess what? We walked the WHOLE thing.

The whole experience was mind-blowing to say the least. We're talking about 45,000 women (which is why we walked, the running/passing logistics were just TOO crazy) all participating in one of the largest race events in the WORLD! I'm posting a couple of pictures, but there is no way they can do the experience justice. It is one of those things you just have to live to understand. The feelings and emotions in that crowd were so incredibly moving. We laughed, we cried, we sang, we leapt for joy. It was wild. And we are definitely going again next year!

As for my running, I've managed to keep up a 2.5 to 3 mile run about every other day (sometimes two days in a row), and am still trying to incorporate the ChiRunning focuses into my runs. I'm finding that ChiRunning uses my calf muscles more and stresses my knees less, so I have sore (as in muscle soreness, not pain) calves, and my knees are feeling really, really good! YAY!

I'm also doing a lot of research on barefoot running and am pretty much ready to look for some different (minimal cushion and support) shoes. I've already given up on my Saucony Grid running shoes and moved to a pair of extremely light New Balance shoes, with a lot less heel on them. I just finished reading 'Born to Run' http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Hidden-Superathletes-Greatest/dp/0307266303, which really gave me a LOT to think about as far as running form and shoes go. I'm pretty convinced that less may be more when it comes to running shoes. I HIGHLY recommend this book, not just because of the shoe thing, but the story is AMAZING and if you are like me, you'll end up wanting to make a trip to Mexico to meet these amazing runners.

In the meantime I'm looking for something like Aquasocks to try running in....sounds weird, but I think it might make sense.

My new post-C25K training

2009-10-21T10:10:00.000-07:00

This is a 16 week program, which should culminate with me being able to run a half marathon.

If you click on the table, it will open in a new screen that is big enough to actually read. This is from a very cool tool on the Runner's World website, here is the link: http://www.runnersworld.com/cda/smartcoach

My first post and I'm already planning on cheating

2009-10-16T12:52:00.000-07:00

I'm going to start this blog off by 'stealing' and editing some of my posts from a forum that I found when I was doing the Couch to 5K program.

You can find info on C25K at http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml.
The forum is at http://community.active.com/thread/69868/starting-c25k-0n-7-27/75/0.

These posts were written as I went through C25K and are pretty indicative of what relearning how to run has done to and for me. It has been a trip and I hope you enjoy the ride as much as I am!