Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Day 147 Update
So yesterday was the hottest day ever recorded in LA, 113 degrees. I'd still rather have that than fall/winter/spring in the midwest. But apparently it's only in my declared range 364 days a year.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Day 147: Desperately Seeking Endorphins
I hate fall. I hate it. I hate it. I've heard complaining about the weather amounts to a person not being able to deal with reality. I like that. But the reality I can't deal with is not that it gets cold in the fall. It's that I live somewhere where it gets cold in the fall. I'd give up just about everything to be in California right now. Soo..not only do I need to run to fight off the winter blahs, but I have to convince myself to actually go run in this suck-ass weather. I hate it. I thought I would run yesterday, but I couldn't get outside. I was pretty sure I'd run today, as the stupid brats would be in school.
It took a lot of convincing and procrastinating, but I finally dug out my winter pants (which are too long for running), my cold weather under armour, and a stocking cap. Fuck. This. I want to sell all this shit.
Last time I ran it was 94 degrees heat index. That was one week ago. Today it was 62. Which is nowhere near as cold as it's going to get, it just pisses me off that there's no in between. The in-between of 94 and 62 is what it is 365 days a year in LA. That's all I'm asking for.
I had only had a Dew and some water this morning, and I was hungry, so I threw back a couple handfuls of healthy cereal before I headed out.
I had a stomachache this morning. It didn't affect my run too much, but it definitely didn't help.
I started messing with my mp3 player at one point, to take it off random and leave it on the Poison cover album (Poison covering other songs). The distraction of messing with the mp3 seemed to help. And I love running to Poison. Queue the victory speech where I have to thank Poison for helping me finish a run.
But alas the lower chest cramps started up, which are impossible to stop. I pressed on. I kept checking the time, hoping it would click over to the next minute right when I hit a corner. As it didn't, I kept running. You would think if I could do this for several blocks, I could do it for the whole 5K. Thankfully, it finally lined up and I quit. I don't care. I had already turned off the route.
By the way, I was sweltering in my winter gear. And I really need to figure out a way to pack water without spending any money or having to lug a water bottle.
So I made it 21 minutes today. My last run was 17. I decided to take a look at the Couch to 5K Plan to see if I could wiggle back onto a schedule. Days 49 and 50 were 17 minute runs. Days 54 and 57 were 20 minute runs. Day 59 was run 12, walk 5, run 12. And Day 61 was a 24 minute run. Soo..I'm going to reset and aim for a 24 minute run in two days. (I refuse to deal with walks scheduled into my runs.) Then, instead of going for a 5K on Day 70, I'll move into my made up 10K plan, where I'm just increasing by a few minutes here and there. Eventually the time will cross over the 5K distance.
Oh, one last note...left knee was a bit sore after the run.
Weather: 62, Sunny, Breezy 3 mph, 54% Humidity
Time: 11:30am; 21 minute run
Distance: 2.68K (1.67m)
Elevation: +44.6/-35.5/net 9.1 ft
5K/10K: 41:11/1:27:04 (I actually thought I was going a little faster today..)
It took a lot of convincing and procrastinating, but I finally dug out my winter pants (which are too long for running), my cold weather under armour, and a stocking cap. Fuck. This. I want to sell all this shit.
Last time I ran it was 94 degrees heat index. That was one week ago. Today it was 62. Which is nowhere near as cold as it's going to get, it just pisses me off that there's no in between. The in-between of 94 and 62 is what it is 365 days a year in LA. That's all I'm asking for.
I had only had a Dew and some water this morning, and I was hungry, so I threw back a couple handfuls of healthy cereal before I headed out.
I had a stomachache this morning. It didn't affect my run too much, but it definitely didn't help.
I started messing with my mp3 player at one point, to take it off random and leave it on the Poison cover album (Poison covering other songs). The distraction of messing with the mp3 seemed to help. And I love running to Poison. Queue the victory speech where I have to thank Poison for helping me finish a run.
But alas the lower chest cramps started up, which are impossible to stop. I pressed on. I kept checking the time, hoping it would click over to the next minute right when I hit a corner. As it didn't, I kept running. You would think if I could do this for several blocks, I could do it for the whole 5K. Thankfully, it finally lined up and I quit. I don't care. I had already turned off the route.
By the way, I was sweltering in my winter gear. And I really need to figure out a way to pack water without spending any money or having to lug a water bottle.
So I made it 21 minutes today. My last run was 17. I decided to take a look at the Couch to 5K Plan to see if I could wiggle back onto a schedule. Days 49 and 50 were 17 minute runs. Days 54 and 57 were 20 minute runs. Day 59 was run 12, walk 5, run 12. And Day 61 was a 24 minute run. Soo..I'm going to reset and aim for a 24 minute run in two days. (I refuse to deal with walks scheduled into my runs.) Then, instead of going for a 5K on Day 70, I'll move into my made up 10K plan, where I'm just increasing by a few minutes here and there. Eventually the time will cross over the 5K distance.
Oh, one last note...left knee was a bit sore after the run.
Weather: 62, Sunny, Breezy 3 mph, 54% Humidity
Time: 11:30am; 21 minute run
Distance: 2.68K (1.67m)
Elevation: +44.6/-35.5/net 9.1 ft
5K/10K: 41:11/1:27:04 (I actually thought I was going a little faster today..)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Day 140
Oof. This is the blog for a run last Monday, Sept 20.
I have been having really bad headaches, and I haven't wanted to overdo it by trying to run with them. Monday, I had had no food, little water, but I popped a couple Tylenol and went for a run after I watched an excellent video of Bill Maher touting studies that say exercise is better than medicine (not surprised). Best quote from the video, in pharma commercial voice, "Ask your doctor if Getting Off Your Ass is right for you."
My goal was to run 33 minutes.
As soon as I started running, my left shin was hurting, which surprised me, but didn't do any damage..it stopped pretty quickly. Or maybe I was just distracted, because a stupid mini pinscher tried to kill me as I ran down my street, then a creeper looking car pulled over just ahead of me (where there's really no houses), and the passenger started getting out as I ran up. So either I just forgot about the pain, or a double-dose of adrenaline took care of it. I've since noticed that car parked there often, but thankfully this all happened at the start of my run, so I knew I could sprint out of there/back to my house if need be.
After I ran down the main street, and turned back towards downtown on the side street, I noticed that a retaining wall in someone's yard is totally about to fall over on the sidewalk. It's always leaned - I feel bad for these people's drainage woes on this weird hilly street - but it's about to crash. We have had a lot of rain, all year, but especially just lately. I took note because this is gonna be a mess and will force me to alter my route.
I managed to get up to the post office, run around the post office, but I felt so horrible. I'm sure lack of food was the issue. I maybe could have gone a little farther, but I knew if I felt this bad, this early, there was no way I was doing anything amazing, so I turned back for home. Unbelievably, I actually managed to run it out, all the way home. (Which was only another 2-3 blocks after I decided to go home.)
So, another crappy run, resulting in a week (gasp) of not posting, not running. First, it has been raining, only when I feel like running, of course. Second, I have been watching a LOT of tv. New shows, Jimmy Fallon, and I finally got over the hump and got into "Mad Men." I'm halfway through Season 3, which means I desperately need AMC to run a marathon of Season 4, so I can catch up/not die of withdrawal pains when I get through 3.
I've noticed I've been dreaming about running the last few weeks. I don't recall doing that a lot before (usually I would maybe start running, but then I would start flying, which still required pumping the legs). Now I run, effortlessly (on the ground) in my dreams. Maybe that is why I haven't been so interested lately. I mean, mostly it's Mad Men. It's also partly not having a good plan or goal. Maybe I'm just annoyed that the 10K I had planned for originally is next week and I still can't do a 5K.
Whatever. This morning, cold and dreary though it is, I decided I would go for a run. I checked the weather (55 degrees, I hate this), told Husband I was going, and then changed my mind. Maybe I'll go still once football starts up (A. I can't watch Mad Men, B. I HATE THE NFL).
Anyway, here are the numbers from last week's run. I still can't believe it's been a week.
Weather: 89, Sunny, 12 mph WINDY, 54% Humidity, Feels Like 94 -- Ok, I knew it was hot when I set out, but I didn't feel too hot while running. When I got home, I was freaking soaked. I don't know what happened. Like walking into the AC in the house made my body realize I had just run in 94 degree heat.
Time: 1:30pm, 17 mins
Distance: 2.17K (1.35m)
Elevation: +56.9/-55.7/net 1.2 ft
5K/10K: 41:53/1:28:32 -- Yuck, I knew I was super slow.
I have been having really bad headaches, and I haven't wanted to overdo it by trying to run with them. Monday, I had had no food, little water, but I popped a couple Tylenol and went for a run after I watched an excellent video of Bill Maher touting studies that say exercise is better than medicine (not surprised). Best quote from the video, in pharma commercial voice, "Ask your doctor if Getting Off Your Ass is right for you."
My goal was to run 33 minutes.
As soon as I started running, my left shin was hurting, which surprised me, but didn't do any damage..it stopped pretty quickly. Or maybe I was just distracted, because a stupid mini pinscher tried to kill me as I ran down my street, then a creeper looking car pulled over just ahead of me (where there's really no houses), and the passenger started getting out as I ran up. So either I just forgot about the pain, or a double-dose of adrenaline took care of it. I've since noticed that car parked there often, but thankfully this all happened at the start of my run, so I knew I could sprint out of there/back to my house if need be.
After I ran down the main street, and turned back towards downtown on the side street, I noticed that a retaining wall in someone's yard is totally about to fall over on the sidewalk. It's always leaned - I feel bad for these people's drainage woes on this weird hilly street - but it's about to crash. We have had a lot of rain, all year, but especially just lately. I took note because this is gonna be a mess and will force me to alter my route.
I managed to get up to the post office, run around the post office, but I felt so horrible. I'm sure lack of food was the issue. I maybe could have gone a little farther, but I knew if I felt this bad, this early, there was no way I was doing anything amazing, so I turned back for home. Unbelievably, I actually managed to run it out, all the way home. (Which was only another 2-3 blocks after I decided to go home.)
So, another crappy run, resulting in a week (gasp) of not posting, not running. First, it has been raining, only when I feel like running, of course. Second, I have been watching a LOT of tv. New shows, Jimmy Fallon, and I finally got over the hump and got into "Mad Men." I'm halfway through Season 3, which means I desperately need AMC to run a marathon of Season 4, so I can catch up/not die of withdrawal pains when I get through 3.
I've noticed I've been dreaming about running the last few weeks. I don't recall doing that a lot before (usually I would maybe start running, but then I would start flying, which still required pumping the legs). Now I run, effortlessly (on the ground) in my dreams. Maybe that is why I haven't been so interested lately. I mean, mostly it's Mad Men. It's also partly not having a good plan or goal. Maybe I'm just annoyed that the 10K I had planned for originally is next week and I still can't do a 5K.
Whatever. This morning, cold and dreary though it is, I decided I would go for a run. I checked the weather (55 degrees, I hate this), told Husband I was going, and then changed my mind. Maybe I'll go still once football starts up (A. I can't watch Mad Men, B. I HATE THE NFL).
Anyway, here are the numbers from last week's run. I still can't believe it's been a week.
Weather: 89, Sunny, 12 mph WINDY, 54% Humidity, Feels Like 94 -- Ok, I knew it was hot when I set out, but I didn't feel too hot while running. When I got home, I was freaking soaked. I don't know what happened. Like walking into the AC in the house made my body realize I had just run in 94 degree heat.
Time: 1:30pm, 17 mins
Distance: 2.17K (1.35m)
Elevation: +56.9/-55.7/net 1.2 ft
5K/10K: 41:53/1:28:32 -- Yuck, I knew I was super slow.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Try, Try Again
Well, I'll start with an update on the last few days...I still don't feel great, but have been feeling better. My toes don't really hurt anymore, so they clearly were not broken. I'm barely interested in running, and I don't really feel like it. I was pretty restless on Thursday, so I decided I would go for a run anyway.
I didn't want to get caught in school traffic, so I decided to run my route in reverse (which was actually originally the way I mapped it), thereby going by the school earlier in the run, hopefully before dismissal.
As I got started, I was focusing on my arms. I saw an ad for the Scary Spice reality show where she was screaming at her husband to pump his arms when they were running. I focus on them off and on - I've never been a big arm pumper but whether it's effective or just a distraction, it does seem to help when I focus on it. Mid-way through my run, when I was still feeling pretty great, I worried I was going to have to attribute success to a Spice Girl. Just great.
Speaking of attributing success, I often run my "victory blog" through my head when I'm feeling good during the run. I probably should start typing them up, for humour's sake. It's different all the time.
I had a lot of U2 come up on the mp3 today. Had some Beatles come up, too. I put a few albums on since Husband is a big fan, and I really don't know much of their music. I can't stand it. I had to face that today as I kept skipping over Beatles songs. Then "All You Need Is Love" came on and I realized a little Beatles is alright. I love that song. I tried to tell myself I love running. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love everything about it, It's all I need to get through this, I just have to get through this. Just for today, I have to finish this run. I can make myself finish this run today and never have to worry about this again.
I was getting tired. I had to run slightly away from my house and I kept telling myself that I would not quit when I was closest to the house. I had to run farther away when I went around the post office block. I just kept telling myself I would not quit just because I was close to home. I had to keep going until I got on the long side street. Once I was on that street, it was all down hill. Away from home, yes, but downhill. And once I was on that street, it would be just as easy to finish the route than to turn and go home. I had to make it to the side street.
As I ran around the post office, I checked the time and I had been running for 25 minutes. I was a little shocked that it had been that long. I mean, I knew how far I had gone, and that I was going unbearably slow, but ideally, that would mean I only have about 10 minutes of running left to do. Wait, "only"? I cannot possibly run for 10 more minutes.
OK, this is the point where I am closest to home, this is where I quit (going the other direction) last run. I will not stop until I am going down the side street. Get mad. Get as mad as you would be if you quit right now. Get superstitious - I am somewhat convinced that if I ever finish the 5K, I will get a job offer immediately after...and I need a blooming job...
I made it on the side street. I had felt pretty good on this run. Not too hot, not too tired, not too thirsty, not too crampy, not too breathless, not too throat-burny. A little of all of those things - the stomach cramps were probably the most noticeable ailment, but it was low, not across my chest where I can't breathe. But I saw no possible way I could finish this stupid thing, so I made it to the next corner, and stopped, right as the clock ticked over to 28 minutes.
I turned to walk back home, and oh man, my legs were tired. I couldn't even believe how heavy they were. I haven't experienced anything quite like that. Maybe just from having not run much lately and then going actually a pretty decent distance today? I trudged slowly home, and sat down to rest (at home, although I almost had to sit on my neighbor's wall).
I think I'm going to have to go back to time being more important than distance in running. I don't know why it should make that much difference - after all, I always liked to know approximately how far I would be running when I was running for time. I had planned to finish the 5K and then do one run a week for distance, and two for time, but I'm not sure that is still my plan. It's incredibly obnoxious since I ran 28 minutes Thursday, but I think I want to add 5 minutes to each run for awhile. In theory, that should simultaneously have me completing the 5K in two runs anyway. I don't know if it will work, but I have to try something different.
After I sat for awhile, I stood up, and holy balls, my toes hurt!! I had completely forgotten about them while I was running! They must have been ok, but they were definitely sore after I had rested a bit.
Since it's Friday now, I can say the toes are ok, just a little tender, my legs are actually sore today, but I feel pretty good. I guess I'll go for 33 minutes tomorrow. Hmmm..33 is my lucky number.
Weather: 69, Cloudy, 10 mph wind (a little rough at times), 64% Humidity
Time: 2:30pm, Run 28 minutes
Distance: 3.52K (2.19m)
Elevation: +49/-39.8/net +9.2 ft
5K/10K: 40:55/1:26:29
I didn't want to get caught in school traffic, so I decided to run my route in reverse (which was actually originally the way I mapped it), thereby going by the school earlier in the run, hopefully before dismissal.
As I got started, I was focusing on my arms. I saw an ad for the Scary Spice reality show where she was screaming at her husband to pump his arms when they were running. I focus on them off and on - I've never been a big arm pumper but whether it's effective or just a distraction, it does seem to help when I focus on it. Mid-way through my run, when I was still feeling pretty great, I worried I was going to have to attribute success to a Spice Girl. Just great.
Speaking of attributing success, I often run my "victory blog" through my head when I'm feeling good during the run. I probably should start typing them up, for humour's sake. It's different all the time.
I had a lot of U2 come up on the mp3 today. Had some Beatles come up, too. I put a few albums on since Husband is a big fan, and I really don't know much of their music. I can't stand it. I had to face that today as I kept skipping over Beatles songs. Then "All You Need Is Love" came on and I realized a little Beatles is alright. I love that song. I tried to tell myself I love running. I love it, I love it, I love it, I love everything about it, It's all I need to get through this, I just have to get through this. Just for today, I have to finish this run. I can make myself finish this run today and never have to worry about this again.
I was getting tired. I had to run slightly away from my house and I kept telling myself that I would not quit when I was closest to the house. I had to run farther away when I went around the post office block. I just kept telling myself I would not quit just because I was close to home. I had to keep going until I got on the long side street. Once I was on that street, it was all down hill. Away from home, yes, but downhill. And once I was on that street, it would be just as easy to finish the route than to turn and go home. I had to make it to the side street.
As I ran around the post office, I checked the time and I had been running for 25 minutes. I was a little shocked that it had been that long. I mean, I knew how far I had gone, and that I was going unbearably slow, but ideally, that would mean I only have about 10 minutes of running left to do. Wait, "only"? I cannot possibly run for 10 more minutes.
OK, this is the point where I am closest to home, this is where I quit (going the other direction) last run. I will not stop until I am going down the side street. Get mad. Get as mad as you would be if you quit right now. Get superstitious - I am somewhat convinced that if I ever finish the 5K, I will get a job offer immediately after...and I need a blooming job...
I made it on the side street. I had felt pretty good on this run. Not too hot, not too tired, not too thirsty, not too crampy, not too breathless, not too throat-burny. A little of all of those things - the stomach cramps were probably the most noticeable ailment, but it was low, not across my chest where I can't breathe. But I saw no possible way I could finish this stupid thing, so I made it to the next corner, and stopped, right as the clock ticked over to 28 minutes.
I turned to walk back home, and oh man, my legs were tired. I couldn't even believe how heavy they were. I haven't experienced anything quite like that. Maybe just from having not run much lately and then going actually a pretty decent distance today? I trudged slowly home, and sat down to rest (at home, although I almost had to sit on my neighbor's wall).
I think I'm going to have to go back to time being more important than distance in running. I don't know why it should make that much difference - after all, I always liked to know approximately how far I would be running when I was running for time. I had planned to finish the 5K and then do one run a week for distance, and two for time, but I'm not sure that is still my plan. It's incredibly obnoxious since I ran 28 minutes Thursday, but I think I want to add 5 minutes to each run for awhile. In theory, that should simultaneously have me completing the 5K in two runs anyway. I don't know if it will work, but I have to try something different.
After I sat for awhile, I stood up, and holy balls, my toes hurt!! I had completely forgotten about them while I was running! They must have been ok, but they were definitely sore after I had rested a bit.
Since it's Friday now, I can say the toes are ok, just a little tender, my legs are actually sore today, but I feel pretty good. I guess I'll go for 33 minutes tomorrow. Hmmm..33 is my lucky number.
Weather: 69, Cloudy, 10 mph wind (a little rough at times), 64% Humidity
Time: 2:30pm, Run 28 minutes
Distance: 3.52K (2.19m)
Elevation: +49/-39.8/net +9.2 ft
5K/10K: 40:55/1:26:29
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Great Pizza Race
Goodness, was it all the way back to Wednesday when I last ran? Ugh. I went back to not feeling well on Thursday, and still am not great. This has got to be allergies. It's miserable. So, when may I run again? Well, let me tell you about the race I had last night.
My dog loves when we have pizza, because he gets a fair amount of the crusts. When it comes out of the oven, he waits in the kitchen until it's plated, then he races into the family room, where we always eat, and jumps around, doing everything short of somersaults while we bring the food in. He always runs through first. Last night, I got started out of the kitchen before the dog. And with none of the wisdom I was born with, tried to beat him through the dining room yarn canyon. (Yes, all my yarn stash boxes are piled up in the dining room, as I've started my holiday knitting, vastly decreasing the width of the pathway.)
That was the last thing I remember before using all the balance tricks I have learned over the years to keep my pizza on my plate, while I fall towards the music shelf, with searing pain in my right foot. I don't know what happened, exactly, but I am pretty sure the 3 middle toes on my right foot are now broken.
They hurt so bad last night, and woke me up when they touched anything overnight. They aren't SO bad today, and haven't turned black, so maybe they aren't broken. Regardless, I still don't feel like running, and if professional athletes can sit out when their toes hurt, so can I.
My dog loves when we have pizza, because he gets a fair amount of the crusts. When it comes out of the oven, he waits in the kitchen until it's plated, then he races into the family room, where we always eat, and jumps around, doing everything short of somersaults while we bring the food in. He always runs through first. Last night, I got started out of the kitchen before the dog. And with none of the wisdom I was born with, tried to beat him through the dining room yarn canyon. (Yes, all my yarn stash boxes are piled up in the dining room, as I've started my holiday knitting, vastly decreasing the width of the pathway.)
That was the last thing I remember before using all the balance tricks I have learned over the years to keep my pizza on my plate, while I fall towards the music shelf, with searing pain in my right foot. I don't know what happened, exactly, but I am pretty sure the 3 middle toes on my right foot are now broken.
They hurt so bad last night, and woke me up when they touched anything overnight. They aren't SO bad today, and haven't turned black, so maybe they aren't broken. Regardless, I still don't feel like running, and if professional athletes can sit out when their toes hurt, so can I.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Hey, it was over 67,000 inches!
There's a theory floating around that rather than colds, Husband and I had massive allergy issues over the weekend. I don't know, but it took a lot out of me. I have been eating better the last couple of days (I am literally eating salads out of mixing bowls they're so big), and I felt better yesterday. Not well enough to do much other than knit and watch movies (and I actually put Nutella on bread instead of just my finger - progress), but better. By the way, "Did You Hear About The Morgans?" is fantastic, and watching SJP and Hugh Grant run all over "Wyoming" did make me jealous in my weakened state (also jealous watching Renee Zellweger run around Miami in "New In Town," equally awesome movie). The fact that the Morgans were carrying bear repellent made me feel like I was separated at birth from these properly-prepared-to-leave-the-house fictional characters. Also, the "what to do in case of a bear attack" cards/posters in the movie - that is exactly what I said should have been in California!
Anyhoo. I spent too much time reading the news online today, got riled up, and decided to go for a run. I felt about 90%. I didn't really think I'd make it 5K, but I sat and routed a new route before I went out. It took me forever, but I wanted to skip running around the post office, since I hate it for some reason, and I needed a just slightly longer route. I also wanted to change running around the school, but I actually left that part of the route alone, in the end.
So, with tissues shoved in my waistband, I set out. I actually felt pretty good, despite the suddenly massively running nose, but I wasn't too energetic.
I made it down the main road, and started back up the side road. Not feeling great, especially after running into a swarm of gnats (?) with my mouth wide open. Ick. When I got to the end, where I was turning towards home, instead of going around the block the post is on, I was exhausted. I made it to the end of the block (back to the main road), but I couldn't do any more. Side note, this was my actual new finish line...I just meant to run 2 more miles first. Home I walked.
OK, so I had a pretty slow, short run. I clearly overestimated how much my giant salads had improved my health. Of course, I had only had a mtn dew and a gingin before I ran today... Oh well, at least I tried. Back to crafting for now - these piles of yarn aren't going to knit themselves.
Weather: 78, Sunny, Wind 8mph, 41% Humidity
Time: 1pm; 12:40 run
Distance: 1.71K (1.06m)
Elevation: +50.4/-39.8/net +10.6 ft
5K/10K: 40:22/1:25:19 (ouch)
Anyhoo. I spent too much time reading the news online today, got riled up, and decided to go for a run. I felt about 90%. I didn't really think I'd make it 5K, but I sat and routed a new route before I went out. It took me forever, but I wanted to skip running around the post office, since I hate it for some reason, and I needed a just slightly longer route. I also wanted to change running around the school, but I actually left that part of the route alone, in the end.
So, with tissues shoved in my waistband, I set out. I actually felt pretty good, despite the suddenly massively running nose, but I wasn't too energetic.
I made it down the main road, and started back up the side road. Not feeling great, especially after running into a swarm of gnats (?) with my mouth wide open. Ick. When I got to the end, where I was turning towards home, instead of going around the block the post is on, I was exhausted. I made it to the end of the block (back to the main road), but I couldn't do any more. Side note, this was my actual new finish line...I just meant to run 2 more miles first. Home I walked.
OK, so I had a pretty slow, short run. I clearly overestimated how much my giant salads had improved my health. Of course, I had only had a mtn dew and a gingin before I ran today... Oh well, at least I tried. Back to crafting for now - these piles of yarn aren't going to knit themselves.
Weather: 78, Sunny, Wind 8mph, 41% Humidity
Time: 1pm; 12:40 run
Distance: 1.71K (1.06m)
Elevation: +50.4/-39.8/net +10.6 ft
5K/10K: 40:22/1:25:19 (ouch)
Monday, September 6, 2010
Fall Has Most Certainly Arrived
I have a cold; I thank Husband for his lovely Labor Day gift. I feel bad I didn't get him anything. One would think that since I can hardly breathe through my nose when running anyway, that this wouldn't interfere with my run schedule, but I am Death walking, so no running is happening.
It's getting cold and it's almost dark more than it is light. I don't like. Thanks in part to my awesome new gams, I finally bought shorts for the first time in 1000 years and I'm not happy about wearing pants again. I AM happy my pants fit better.
I don't know how much longer they'll fit because I bought my first jar of Nutella yesterday and I am addicted. I had a boss once that kept a jar of peanut butter in her desk for a little protein boost, and if I ever go back to work, I will keep a jar of Nutella in my desk. For the protein. It's in there, ok, you just have to eat a lot of the Nutella to get a good boost. Hence re-outgrowing the pants. Seriously, though, I owe someone at cnn.com a thanks for posting an article on the glories of Nutella. No one else had made it sound worth the cost. It is so worth it.
I often make a handful of Christmas presents. This year, I believe there will be a lot of crafting going on to stretch the Christmas Budget. I'm almost too sick to get started, but with less than 4 months to go, and Husband monopolizing the TV on his day off, and no sign of me being well enough to do anything ELSE, I officially kick off Christmas Crafting Season (raised knitting needles click together like champagne glasses toasting). I know love and happy thoughts are supposed to be worked into homemade presents, but there may be a germ or two this year. And a schmear of Nutella, possibly. Sorry about that.
It's getting cold and it's almost dark more than it is light. I don't like. Thanks in part to my awesome new gams, I finally bought shorts for the first time in 1000 years and I'm not happy about wearing pants again. I AM happy my pants fit better.
I don't know how much longer they'll fit because I bought my first jar of Nutella yesterday and I am addicted. I had a boss once that kept a jar of peanut butter in her desk for a little protein boost, and if I ever go back to work, I will keep a jar of Nutella in my desk. For the protein. It's in there, ok, you just have to eat a lot of the Nutella to get a good boost. Hence re-outgrowing the pants. Seriously, though, I owe someone at cnn.com a thanks for posting an article on the glories of Nutella. No one else had made it sound worth the cost. It is so worth it.
I often make a handful of Christmas presents. This year, I believe there will be a lot of crafting going on to stretch the Christmas Budget. I'm almost too sick to get started, but with less than 4 months to go, and Husband monopolizing the TV on his day off, and no sign of me being well enough to do anything ELSE, I officially kick off Christmas Crafting Season (raised knitting needles click together like champagne glasses toasting). I know love and happy thoughts are supposed to be worked into homemade presents, but there may be a germ or two this year. And a schmear of Nutella, possibly. Sorry about that.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Getting Closer..
Instead of taking two rest days, I went after the 5K again on Friday. I want to run the whole thing before I move on to the next phase of my training plan. No matter how long it takes.
I had thought about running Thursday, but my right thigh was super sore. I felt pretty good, all around, by Friday, but I had to go to St Louis, and drive all the way back, so I was pretty tired. I hadn't gotten much sleep the two nights prior, so I was a little worried about being able to finish.
Thursday night I ate a massive amount of pasta, and Friday I had eaten a blueberry muffin, Subway breakfast sandwich, water, mt dew, and Peanut Butter Cupcake from (cacao). Wow, do I need to get some salads back in my diet.
By the time I got back from St Louis and got ready, it was about 2:30 and I was wondering about school traffic. It's a holiday weekend, so I figured either the kids didn't go at all today, or they're probably getting out early. Ugh. I'm going to have to make a new route that doesn't go around a school. I set out, so tired, and was actually winded before I GOT OUT OF MY ALLEY. Pa-thetic. I knew at this point that it was stupidly pointless to try and do this today. I should have taken a two day break like I had planned.
Then the song switched to U2's "Beautiful Day," which one could argue it was. It definitely felt like fall, all of a sudden. But the sun was shining, the temperature was moderate, and in spite of a very strong wind, it was beautiful. I struggled down the main road, because I was running straight into 23-31 mph winds. As hard of a time as I normally have breathing, I am actually somewhat surprised that I survived this. I didn't have any problem, at all, when I turned around and ran back up the side street. Having the wind at my back obviously helped, but I just zenned out and ran up the long hill that is the side street with no effort whatsoever.
For the first time while running, I got a phone call. It was Husband, and as he was on his own athletically challenging trip, I really wanted to take the call. But, I was doing so well at this point, yet was still probably too winded to speak, that I let it go to voicemail. He left a voicemail, and that was all I could think about for a long, long ways. I assumed if it was an emergency, he would keep calling until he got me, but I really wanted to hear the voicemail..
When I got to the post office block, the Bow Wow Wow song, "I Want Candy" came on to get me around that terrible block. I was definitely not energetic going into the second half of the run.
As I ran through the intersection of "Head out of town and finish this" and "Last turn off to go home," I slowed down as I saw a car pulling up to the stop sign. (I had to stop for traffic A LOT today. I can't even keep track of the number of intersections I was stopped at.) Then I noticed the passenger hopped out of the car and ran back behind it, where there was a guy on a horse. This is in the dead center of town. I have seen this guy on the horse before in my neighborhood. It annoys me to no end. And now this guy is blocking traffic getting out to talk to him. Toolbags.
This is really gross, but I was super phlegmy today. Like choking on it phlegmy. This is the stuff that makes me not want to get off the couch. Husband has been sick, and I'm moderately concerned that I'm catching it. I'm deeply annoyed, what with not ever leaving the house, except to exercise. I haven't been sick in freaking eons. Ah, well, so it goes.
To add insult to that injury, I ran past a guy mowing grass, and since I was plowing along with my mouth hanging open, I ended up with grass in mouth. This is the dumbest hobby I've had yet.
Oh! It was right along here on my last run that I saw some kids playing with a hose, and I was so hot, that had I had enough breath, I truly would have asked them to spray me as I went by. Today it was plenty cool - crazy freaking MO weather.
I was really struggling as I hit the hilly section and ran toward the school. I was hoping to make it to the bottom of the hill that I had planned to stop and walk up on my last run. Since I actually managed to get up the hill last time, I was scolding myself for planning to stop. It's flat after the hill, I should just muscle up it, and finish this thing. But this run was different than the last one - I was tired and winded (literally), and there was no school traffic to guilt me into pressing on. So I stopped at 2.93K/1.82m/21 minutes, and walked up the hill. This gave me a chance to check my voicemail from Husband, who had just called to chat, shew.
I only allowed myself the one block, no matter what, because it's just too much effort to keep track of all these stops otherwise. So I walked for about a minute/.12K/.07m. I think this is where I noticed the bottom of my feet, especially my right foot, were in pain. Why oh why didn't I think to put a bandaid on that blister on my arch!! Youch!!
I ran up another two blocks, and REMEMBERED to continue out of town for two more odd shaped blocks (that amount to about the distance of one normal block). Of course, when I got to the end of the second block, there was a car pulling up to the intersection since the whole town was full of traffic. I wasn't planning to cross over anyway, but I felt like a real douche turning around with them waiting for me to cross in front of them. Sigh. Running is so fun.
Alright, I am headed home now. It's nearly all flat. I'm farther than I expected to be, but it still feels like a long way to go. The Middle School bus is dropping kids off, and stays about a block ahead of me all the way down the street, so there's herds of kids everywhere. Lovely. I do so love children.
Speaking of children, there is the slightest of all inclines on this side of the elementary school. I didn't think I could hack it, and needed another breather anyway. This seemed like the best place, after running another burst of 6 minutes. All the kiddos at the elementary school were out on the playground. (What, recess at 3pm? Way to wrap up the school day.) Anyway that was another 1 block/1 minute/.14K/.09m breather.
It almost killed me to start up again, but I had to keep going. At this point I had 11 minutes to get home to finish this in 40 minutes. It should be doable, I had covered a total of 3.93K/2.44m, but I still had to finish running straight into the wind.
There's the horse again. He's pulled over in someone's yard and there's a crowd. Whatever. I couldn't really look because there was a herd of middle schoolers I had to navigate on my side, who were all intently staring at this idiot on the horse instead of getting out of my way. The weirdest part was that I think this was the exact same spot where they guy dropped all the cash on my last run. Strangest town ever.
This time I only ran about 4 minutes, before stopping to walk the last block on this street. It was another 1 minute/.10K/.06m break, then I was off into the wind. As I headed downhill for the home stretch, here comes some scrappy little dog running after me. His poor owner was carrying a laundry basket to the car, so he couldn't chase the dog, and this guy was clearly going to follow me for miles. I used the last of my energy to yell at him to go home, and then I turned around and if he continued to chase me, it was his owner's problem. Sadly, I am certain that caused me to require one more walk break after only 2 minutes of running. The streets don't line up here, so I had to estimate my "block," but it was about .09K/.06m/1 minute, then I ran the rest of the way home (about one more block, lol). I charged ahead on that last little run, too. There was no, "Take it easy, you have to get through this, so you may as well do it slowly." It was all out, get this crap over with, as fast as humanly possible. I was somewhat concerned I was having a heart attack at this point.
I finished at 38:20, and when it was all said and done, the distance was 4.94K/3.07m. I measured it with the sidewalks on satellite - I have a feeling when I originally mapped it, I did it on the "map" setting and it was right at 5K. Whatever, close enough for me. I ended up walking about 4 minutes/.45K/.28m, which was about half as much as the last run, in spite of taking one additional walk break. I walked 9% of the total distance. One more and this is behind me, I know it.
And now the payoff of running: Chocolate cupcakes (or whatever choco is on-hand), hot shower, foot balm with spa socks, healing oils, and more food glorious food! This is why I run. This is the good stuff.
I was in fairly decent shape, except for unbelievable exhaustion. The bottoms of my feet hurt very badly, as if I had been standing on them for days. In spite of all that, I managed to mix up my first curry and it was a triumphant success. At least I can follow a recipe, if not a training plan. As it's now Saturday night, I'll add that the foot pain went away overnight, but I definitely have a cold and am as exhausted as I ever remember being (following another drive back and forth to StL today). I have a feeling tomorrow's scheduled run will be put off. Maybe I'll manage a baby run.
Weather: 72, Sunny, 23 mph Wind (Gusts to 31 mph), 41% Humidity
Time: 2:30p; Run 21, Walk 1, Run 6, Walk 1, Run 4, Walk 1, Run 2, Walk 1, Run 1:20
Distance: 4.94K (3.07m)
Elevation: +86.6/-88.8/net -2.2 ft
5K/10K (lol, why not): 38:51/1:22:07
Run Time: 34:20
Distance: 4.49K (2.79m)
5K/10K: 38:34/1:21:32 (Neither set of times is that great, but at least it's under 40, and I can almost taste a 3 mile run.)
I had thought about running Thursday, but my right thigh was super sore. I felt pretty good, all around, by Friday, but I had to go to St Louis, and drive all the way back, so I was pretty tired. I hadn't gotten much sleep the two nights prior, so I was a little worried about being able to finish.
Thursday night I ate a massive amount of pasta, and Friday I had eaten a blueberry muffin, Subway breakfast sandwich, water, mt dew, and Peanut Butter Cupcake from (cacao). Wow, do I need to get some salads back in my diet.
By the time I got back from St Louis and got ready, it was about 2:30 and I was wondering about school traffic. It's a holiday weekend, so I figured either the kids didn't go at all today, or they're probably getting out early. Ugh. I'm going to have to make a new route that doesn't go around a school. I set out, so tired, and was actually winded before I GOT OUT OF MY ALLEY. Pa-thetic. I knew at this point that it was stupidly pointless to try and do this today. I should have taken a two day break like I had planned.
Then the song switched to U2's "Beautiful Day," which one could argue it was. It definitely felt like fall, all of a sudden. But the sun was shining, the temperature was moderate, and in spite of a very strong wind, it was beautiful. I struggled down the main road, because I was running straight into 23-31 mph winds. As hard of a time as I normally have breathing, I am actually somewhat surprised that I survived this. I didn't have any problem, at all, when I turned around and ran back up the side street. Having the wind at my back obviously helped, but I just zenned out and ran up the long hill that is the side street with no effort whatsoever.
For the first time while running, I got a phone call. It was Husband, and as he was on his own athletically challenging trip, I really wanted to take the call. But, I was doing so well at this point, yet was still probably too winded to speak, that I let it go to voicemail. He left a voicemail, and that was all I could think about for a long, long ways. I assumed if it was an emergency, he would keep calling until he got me, but I really wanted to hear the voicemail..
When I got to the post office block, the Bow Wow Wow song, "I Want Candy" came on to get me around that terrible block. I was definitely not energetic going into the second half of the run.
As I ran through the intersection of "Head out of town and finish this" and "Last turn off to go home," I slowed down as I saw a car pulling up to the stop sign. (I had to stop for traffic A LOT today. I can't even keep track of the number of intersections I was stopped at.) Then I noticed the passenger hopped out of the car and ran back behind it, where there was a guy on a horse. This is in the dead center of town. I have seen this guy on the horse before in my neighborhood. It annoys me to no end. And now this guy is blocking traffic getting out to talk to him. Toolbags.
This is really gross, but I was super phlegmy today. Like choking on it phlegmy. This is the stuff that makes me not want to get off the couch. Husband has been sick, and I'm moderately concerned that I'm catching it. I'm deeply annoyed, what with not ever leaving the house, except to exercise. I haven't been sick in freaking eons. Ah, well, so it goes.
To add insult to that injury, I ran past a guy mowing grass, and since I was plowing along with my mouth hanging open, I ended up with grass in mouth. This is the dumbest hobby I've had yet.
Oh! It was right along here on my last run that I saw some kids playing with a hose, and I was so hot, that had I had enough breath, I truly would have asked them to spray me as I went by. Today it was plenty cool - crazy freaking MO weather.
I was really struggling as I hit the hilly section and ran toward the school. I was hoping to make it to the bottom of the hill that I had planned to stop and walk up on my last run. Since I actually managed to get up the hill last time, I was scolding myself for planning to stop. It's flat after the hill, I should just muscle up it, and finish this thing. But this run was different than the last one - I was tired and winded (literally), and there was no school traffic to guilt me into pressing on. So I stopped at 2.93K/1.82m/21 minutes, and walked up the hill. This gave me a chance to check my voicemail from Husband, who had just called to chat, shew.
I only allowed myself the one block, no matter what, because it's just too much effort to keep track of all these stops otherwise. So I walked for about a minute/.12K/.07m. I think this is where I noticed the bottom of my feet, especially my right foot, were in pain. Why oh why didn't I think to put a bandaid on that blister on my arch!! Youch!!
I ran up another two blocks, and REMEMBERED to continue out of town for two more odd shaped blocks (that amount to about the distance of one normal block). Of course, when I got to the end of the second block, there was a car pulling up to the intersection since the whole town was full of traffic. I wasn't planning to cross over anyway, but I felt like a real douche turning around with them waiting for me to cross in front of them. Sigh. Running is so fun.
Alright, I am headed home now. It's nearly all flat. I'm farther than I expected to be, but it still feels like a long way to go. The Middle School bus is dropping kids off, and stays about a block ahead of me all the way down the street, so there's herds of kids everywhere. Lovely. I do so love children.
Speaking of children, there is the slightest of all inclines on this side of the elementary school. I didn't think I could hack it, and needed another breather anyway. This seemed like the best place, after running another burst of 6 minutes. All the kiddos at the elementary school were out on the playground. (What, recess at 3pm? Way to wrap up the school day.) Anyway that was another 1 block/1 minute/.14K/.09m breather.
It almost killed me to start up again, but I had to keep going. At this point I had 11 minutes to get home to finish this in 40 minutes. It should be doable, I had covered a total of 3.93K/2.44m, but I still had to finish running straight into the wind.
There's the horse again. He's pulled over in someone's yard and there's a crowd. Whatever. I couldn't really look because there was a herd of middle schoolers I had to navigate on my side, who were all intently staring at this idiot on the horse instead of getting out of my way. The weirdest part was that I think this was the exact same spot where they guy dropped all the cash on my last run. Strangest town ever.
This time I only ran about 4 minutes, before stopping to walk the last block on this street. It was another 1 minute/.10K/.06m break, then I was off into the wind. As I headed downhill for the home stretch, here comes some scrappy little dog running after me. His poor owner was carrying a laundry basket to the car, so he couldn't chase the dog, and this guy was clearly going to follow me for miles. I used the last of my energy to yell at him to go home, and then I turned around and if he continued to chase me, it was his owner's problem. Sadly, I am certain that caused me to require one more walk break after only 2 minutes of running. The streets don't line up here, so I had to estimate my "block," but it was about .09K/.06m/1 minute, then I ran the rest of the way home (about one more block, lol). I charged ahead on that last little run, too. There was no, "Take it easy, you have to get through this, so you may as well do it slowly." It was all out, get this crap over with, as fast as humanly possible. I was somewhat concerned I was having a heart attack at this point.
I finished at 38:20, and when it was all said and done, the distance was 4.94K/3.07m. I measured it with the sidewalks on satellite - I have a feeling when I originally mapped it, I did it on the "map" setting and it was right at 5K. Whatever, close enough for me. I ended up walking about 4 minutes/.45K/.28m, which was about half as much as the last run, in spite of taking one additional walk break. I walked 9% of the total distance. One more and this is behind me, I know it.
And now the payoff of running: Chocolate cupcakes (or whatever choco is on-hand), hot shower, foot balm with spa socks, healing oils, and more food glorious food! This is why I run. This is the good stuff.
I was in fairly decent shape, except for unbelievable exhaustion. The bottoms of my feet hurt very badly, as if I had been standing on them for days. In spite of all that, I managed to mix up my first curry and it was a triumphant success. At least I can follow a recipe, if not a training plan. As it's now Saturday night, I'll add that the foot pain went away overnight, but I definitely have a cold and am as exhausted as I ever remember being (following another drive back and forth to StL today). I have a feeling tomorrow's scheduled run will be put off. Maybe I'll manage a baby run.
Weather: 72, Sunny, 23 mph Wind (Gusts to 31 mph), 41% Humidity
Time: 2:30p; Run 21, Walk 1, Run 6, Walk 1, Run 4, Walk 1, Run 2, Walk 1, Run 1:20
Distance: 4.94K (3.07m)
Elevation: +86.6/-88.8/net -2.2 ft
5K/10K (lol, why not): 38:51/1:22:07
Run Time: 34:20
Distance: 4.49K (2.79m)
5K/10K: 38:34/1:21:32 (Neither set of times is that great, but at least it's under 40, and I can almost taste a 3 mile run.)
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Finally, 5K: Stay Tuned For The Surprise Twist Ending
Yesterday the weather forecast for today was pretty dire. I figured, despite my overwhelming desire to run, that it was for the best because my knees were still a little sore. When I woke up this morning, I thought I heard the guy say the storms were going to clear out for the morning. I got up, and double-checked online, and there wasn't much of a window before more storms were due. I sat here all day, while not a drop of rain fell, watching the radar swirl around our town. I saw a Runner's World post about a guy who started running in April and is running a half marathon next month. Finally, when the SUN CAME OUT, I said that's enough, I'm running and I am finishing this thing. I don't care how deep zen I have to go, or if I have to walk, or what, I am finishing it.
So, on the heels of my day's food intake of a mt dew, some Mexi featloaf (faux veggie meatloaf), some triple chocolate cookie dough, some triple chocolate cookies, and a bit of water, I pulled on my compression pants and set out. I knew the school kids were going to be out, but I didn't care. This was, finally, it. Plus, I literally have not been out of the house since my last run, last Thursday, a week ago.
I quickly switched my mp3 from "Recovery" to Random, and set off. I was terrified of how my knees would react. The right knee is still a little sensitive, but I've been getting up and down the stairs without any difficulty the last couple of days. As I ran down the alley, my ankle tweaked and I had another quick shot of pain (I don't even remember what it was, lol), but my knees seemed to be okay. Yay!
My run was pretty uneventful. I had a great start, got winded running down the main road, kept working on slowing myself down. I really worked hard to go super slow over and over again. Instead of praising myself for how far I was making it, I kept telling myself I had just started. My shoulder/neck started hurting while I was running...in the interest of getting this in before some alleged storms started up, I didn't stretch my neck and shoulders as well as I normally do. Sigh.
As I ran around the post office, where I have been getting inexplicably exhausted, the Poison version of "Don't Mess Around With Jim" came up on the mp3. I love that song, and I am addicted to running to Poison. No troubles at all today.
Thankfully, the worms weren't nearly as bad as I expected after last night's storms. There were a couple giant ones though, YUCK. Seriously. Part of the reason I wore the pants today was so I wouldn't have to exert extra energy to avoid worms and mud and overgrown grass. Just plow right through it. Um, but as I splashed down in a big puddle on the other side of the post office, I quickly remembered my shoes aren't exactly waterproof. Thankfully, they didn't get too squishy. I have magic socks maybe. I did slide in the mud in several spots. I'm apparently graceful enough to stay upright, and I hope it stays that way.
As I was running down the last block I completed on my last run, David Bowie was on the mp3. I love Bowie, but I almost skipped for a faster song, except for the amusement of Bowie singing (to me, obviously), "If you say run, I'll run with you." :) Oh, D-Bow, we are running today. I was also thinking about ultramarathoners. I mean, really. I can't finish a 5K and those people run 24+ hours in crazy conditions? YOU. GOT. THIS.
I zoomed past my last stop and hauled on down the street. Again, I had changed my route over a block so that I would avoid the most drastic hills. This whole route truly goes by some of the most amazing old houses I have seen. I was coming up on a couple of sets of walkers. The first girl and toddler got over for me and were friendly. I really didn't want to exert extra energy to be friendly, but there were people everywhere, and they were being nice for once. I zoomed past the next walker, who happened to be wearing a No Doubt shirt which, basically, just caught my eye as I went past.
Alright, it's getting serious now. I have gone up a hill, which is the milder equivalent of the big hill that kills me a block over. I have a little bit of level-ish ground, then a big downhill, decent uphill, then it's flat the rest of the way. My plan is to make it to the bottom of the hill, and walk up the hill. It'll be about a block, time to get my self together, and then I'll kill this thing. My throat was absolutely burning. It wasn't really my lungs, it was my throat, and it got to the point where it almost felt like I had just puked, which in turn got me feeling queasy. Meanwhile, I'm going up and over this level-ish ground, and as I see the downhill, you won't believe it. Seriously. School pick-up traffic. I have never seen so much traffic. Of course they were all just sitting there, essentially parked. Well, I can't freaking stop running in front of all these people! Hmm...maybe this would make an actual race easier - peer pressure to keep going. Anyway, I made it up the hill I had planned to walk up. By the time I got to the top, I was out of the traffic, and, yeah, even though I told myself I'd regret once AGAIN stopping my run at the top of a hill, I did it. I had run 21 minutes at this point.
I walked farther than I wanted to, all the way around the block. I just couldn't get my breath back. It was probably for the best, though, because there was something all over the ground that I surely would have twisted my ankle on - maybe persimmons? I didn't pick one up to taste. My Mom gave me a persimmon once to eat and my entire mouth went numb. I have never experienced anything like it, and I'm terrified of them now. Anyway, I am almost positive I started running again as soon as I got around the block, but, as you'll see, I had a lot to remember today, and I opted not to carry a pen. I had walked for about 3 minutes and .32K (.2m).
Now, of course, I have to run past the other side of the school. This side had less parental traffic, but the kids were all lined up to get on the buses on this side. It was a mess, for sure. The bottoms of my feet hurt when I started running again. That's new. I only managed about 5 minutes of running this time (about 3 big blocks).
I'm not used to going down this street, in this direction, so I was trying to keep track of my times, the streets, catch my breath, and hopefully run again. I was somewhat aware that there were some people standing around a truck in the street, but I wasn't paying any attention. All of a sudden there was what I will judgementally call "hillbilly screaming." You know, the type you hear on "Cops," when the drunk old guy doesn't have any teeth? Yeah, so I looked over. This guy had somehow dropped more cash than I have ever seen in the middle of the street. The woman standing next to him had bent down to help "stop it from blowin' away" and I thought he was going to backhand her across on to my sidewalk. He didn't want "that bitch touchin" his money because you "can't trust her." All I'm saying is that if I were a little less winded and a lot more fast, I'd be running down the street like I stole it. Literally. I had been walking for about 2 minutes (.24K/.15m) when I realized I was a block from the street I was going to turn to go home on? Too good to be true!!!
So off I go, and for the first time ever, Gwen Stefani came up on the mp3 player. I love Gwen. And I was definitely stoked to wrap this up with a little "Hollaback Girl." (How weird is it that I saw a chick in a No Doubt shirt on this run?) OK, I am so close to home, and it's downhill. But, my throat was KILLING me. I tried to push through it, and I did for awhile. I couldn't slow myself down, and it felt just like there was puke actively in my throat (there wasn't), so I stopped at the next intersection. Stupid. Looking back, now, I'm not sure why I couldn't finish this out. I was about two blocks from home. I had only run about 3 minutes.
Even if I wanted to run again, there was no way I could remember anymore times or intersections! So, I walked the .22K (.14m) home in about 3 minutes, and finished with a time of 36:55!!! I think my original goal was 45 minutes, then 40 minutes. My goal is to eventually get it below 30, but I knew with my race predictor hitting around 40 minutes, that this was a great time!! I was stoked! And after taking a week off to heal, after several bad runs! I had collapsed in the family room, still with my ear buds and shoes on (too exhausted to deal with them), while I scribbled my times down. All together, I ran 29 minutes - my longest run being 30 minutes previously. This was great!! I still want to run the whole thing, but this was a victory. I announced my triumph on Facebook, then settled in for a much needed Victory shower.
My knees held up great. They were a little sore, and my ankles were a little sore, my shoulder was a little sore, and I have a blister on the bottom of my right foot. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I didn't ice anything today.
I sat down to get my measurements, and fill out my spreadsheet. I was collecting congratulations from my Facebook friends. They didn't care that it took me 121 days, or that I walked .78K (.49m). For some reason, I decided to re-measure my whole route. Usually I just use the google maps "map," but today I decided to set it to "hybrid" and actually measure down the sidewalks. It shouldn't make any significant difference, I just wanted to do it this way today. Now, wait - why is it showing that I ran 4.67K (2.9m)? That cannot be right. At one point, I had made my route end a little farther up the alley, but I know I changed that. OK, let me set it to map, and just use that setting to measure. 4.75K/2.95m. I sat back, in total confusion.
Oh my bleepity bleepity bleeping bleep bleep bleeper. Remember how I changed my route? I still ran a Figure 8, but I moved the bottom loop a block narrower. So, um, picture an 8 on a popsicle stick. At the point where I walked around the block, I was actually supposed to go about a block and a half in the other direction, then turn, and re-trace my steps, and finish off the persimmon block. I cannot believe as obsessively as I have looked at my walk/run times, and I always double-checked my original route, that I screwed this up. I was shattered. If it helps, I would've gotten it wrong last time, too, if I had even made it that far.
SO. I still haven't run or even run/walked the stupid 5K. I almost went back out for another run, I'm not even kidding. I was crazed. I had planned a two day rest after completing the 5K. I have every intention of running tomorrow (the weather is supposed to be less stupid tomorrow anyway). Unbelievable. I need some Ginkgo.
OK, so here's the rundown, if you will.
Weather: 72, Partly Cloudy, 8mph wind, 89% Humidity (no heat index)
Time: 3p; Run 21, Walk 3, Run 5, Walk 2, Run 3, Walk 3
Distance: 4.67K (2.9m) (longest to date, of course)
Elevation: +75.5/-75.1/net +.4 ft
5K/10K: 39:45/1:24:01 (shew, still under 40! Not one of my best times, though)
Run Time: 29 Minutes
Distance: 3.89K (2.41m) (The distance is just short of the 30 minute-run distance, although the predictor was a full minute faster today)
5K/10K: 38:02/1:20:24 (7th place)
I ended up walking .78K/.49m, or about 17% of the total distance. OK, I suppose I'll alert my facebook friends? Next time, I'll try to remember to finish the route...I have never claimed to be fully alert during a run!!
So, on the heels of my day's food intake of a mt dew, some Mexi featloaf (faux veggie meatloaf), some triple chocolate cookie dough, some triple chocolate cookies, and a bit of water, I pulled on my compression pants and set out. I knew the school kids were going to be out, but I didn't care. This was, finally, it. Plus, I literally have not been out of the house since my last run, last Thursday, a week ago.
I quickly switched my mp3 from "Recovery" to Random, and set off. I was terrified of how my knees would react. The right knee is still a little sensitive, but I've been getting up and down the stairs without any difficulty the last couple of days. As I ran down the alley, my ankle tweaked and I had another quick shot of pain (I don't even remember what it was, lol), but my knees seemed to be okay. Yay!
My run was pretty uneventful. I had a great start, got winded running down the main road, kept working on slowing myself down. I really worked hard to go super slow over and over again. Instead of praising myself for how far I was making it, I kept telling myself I had just started. My shoulder/neck started hurting while I was running...in the interest of getting this in before some alleged storms started up, I didn't stretch my neck and shoulders as well as I normally do. Sigh.
As I ran around the post office, where I have been getting inexplicably exhausted, the Poison version of "Don't Mess Around With Jim" came up on the mp3. I love that song, and I am addicted to running to Poison. No troubles at all today.
Thankfully, the worms weren't nearly as bad as I expected after last night's storms. There were a couple giant ones though, YUCK. Seriously. Part of the reason I wore the pants today was so I wouldn't have to exert extra energy to avoid worms and mud and overgrown grass. Just plow right through it. Um, but as I splashed down in a big puddle on the other side of the post office, I quickly remembered my shoes aren't exactly waterproof. Thankfully, they didn't get too squishy. I have magic socks maybe. I did slide in the mud in several spots. I'm apparently graceful enough to stay upright, and I hope it stays that way.
As I was running down the last block I completed on my last run, David Bowie was on the mp3. I love Bowie, but I almost skipped for a faster song, except for the amusement of Bowie singing (to me, obviously), "If you say run, I'll run with you." :) Oh, D-Bow, we are running today. I was also thinking about ultramarathoners. I mean, really. I can't finish a 5K and those people run 24+ hours in crazy conditions? YOU. GOT. THIS.
I zoomed past my last stop and hauled on down the street. Again, I had changed my route over a block so that I would avoid the most drastic hills. This whole route truly goes by some of the most amazing old houses I have seen. I was coming up on a couple of sets of walkers. The first girl and toddler got over for me and were friendly. I really didn't want to exert extra energy to be friendly, but there were people everywhere, and they were being nice for once. I zoomed past the next walker, who happened to be wearing a No Doubt shirt which, basically, just caught my eye as I went past.
Alright, it's getting serious now. I have gone up a hill, which is the milder equivalent of the big hill that kills me a block over. I have a little bit of level-ish ground, then a big downhill, decent uphill, then it's flat the rest of the way. My plan is to make it to the bottom of the hill, and walk up the hill. It'll be about a block, time to get my self together, and then I'll kill this thing. My throat was absolutely burning. It wasn't really my lungs, it was my throat, and it got to the point where it almost felt like I had just puked, which in turn got me feeling queasy. Meanwhile, I'm going up and over this level-ish ground, and as I see the downhill, you won't believe it. Seriously. School pick-up traffic. I have never seen so much traffic. Of course they were all just sitting there, essentially parked. Well, I can't freaking stop running in front of all these people! Hmm...maybe this would make an actual race easier - peer pressure to keep going. Anyway, I made it up the hill I had planned to walk up. By the time I got to the top, I was out of the traffic, and, yeah, even though I told myself I'd regret once AGAIN stopping my run at the top of a hill, I did it. I had run 21 minutes at this point.
I walked farther than I wanted to, all the way around the block. I just couldn't get my breath back. It was probably for the best, though, because there was something all over the ground that I surely would have twisted my ankle on - maybe persimmons? I didn't pick one up to taste. My Mom gave me a persimmon once to eat and my entire mouth went numb. I have never experienced anything like it, and I'm terrified of them now. Anyway, I am almost positive I started running again as soon as I got around the block, but, as you'll see, I had a lot to remember today, and I opted not to carry a pen. I had walked for about 3 minutes and .32K (.2m).
Now, of course, I have to run past the other side of the school. This side had less parental traffic, but the kids were all lined up to get on the buses on this side. It was a mess, for sure. The bottoms of my feet hurt when I started running again. That's new. I only managed about 5 minutes of running this time (about 3 big blocks).
I'm not used to going down this street, in this direction, so I was trying to keep track of my times, the streets, catch my breath, and hopefully run again. I was somewhat aware that there were some people standing around a truck in the street, but I wasn't paying any attention. All of a sudden there was what I will judgementally call "hillbilly screaming." You know, the type you hear on "Cops," when the drunk old guy doesn't have any teeth? Yeah, so I looked over. This guy had somehow dropped more cash than I have ever seen in the middle of the street. The woman standing next to him had bent down to help "stop it from blowin' away" and I thought he was going to backhand her across on to my sidewalk. He didn't want "that bitch touchin" his money because you "can't trust her." All I'm saying is that if I were a little less winded and a lot more fast, I'd be running down the street like I stole it. Literally. I had been walking for about 2 minutes (.24K/.15m) when I realized I was a block from the street I was going to turn to go home on? Too good to be true!!!
So off I go, and for the first time ever, Gwen Stefani came up on the mp3 player. I love Gwen. And I was definitely stoked to wrap this up with a little "Hollaback Girl." (How weird is it that I saw a chick in a No Doubt shirt on this run?) OK, I am so close to home, and it's downhill. But, my throat was KILLING me. I tried to push through it, and I did for awhile. I couldn't slow myself down, and it felt just like there was puke actively in my throat (there wasn't), so I stopped at the next intersection. Stupid. Looking back, now, I'm not sure why I couldn't finish this out. I was about two blocks from home. I had only run about 3 minutes.
Even if I wanted to run again, there was no way I could remember anymore times or intersections! So, I walked the .22K (.14m) home in about 3 minutes, and finished with a time of 36:55!!! I think my original goal was 45 minutes, then 40 minutes. My goal is to eventually get it below 30, but I knew with my race predictor hitting around 40 minutes, that this was a great time!! I was stoked! And after taking a week off to heal, after several bad runs! I had collapsed in the family room, still with my ear buds and shoes on (too exhausted to deal with them), while I scribbled my times down. All together, I ran 29 minutes - my longest run being 30 minutes previously. This was great!! I still want to run the whole thing, but this was a victory. I announced my triumph on Facebook, then settled in for a much needed Victory shower.
My knees held up great. They were a little sore, and my ankles were a little sore, my shoulder was a little sore, and I have a blister on the bottom of my right foot. Overall, it wasn't too bad and I didn't ice anything today.
I sat down to get my measurements, and fill out my spreadsheet. I was collecting congratulations from my Facebook friends. They didn't care that it took me 121 days, or that I walked .78K (.49m). For some reason, I decided to re-measure my whole route. Usually I just use the google maps "map," but today I decided to set it to "hybrid" and actually measure down the sidewalks. It shouldn't make any significant difference, I just wanted to do it this way today. Now, wait - why is it showing that I ran 4.67K (2.9m)? That cannot be right. At one point, I had made my route end a little farther up the alley, but I know I changed that. OK, let me set it to map, and just use that setting to measure. 4.75K/2.95m. I sat back, in total confusion.
Oh my bleepity bleepity bleeping bleep bleep bleeper. Remember how I changed my route? I still ran a Figure 8, but I moved the bottom loop a block narrower. So, um, picture an 8 on a popsicle stick. At the point where I walked around the block, I was actually supposed to go about a block and a half in the other direction, then turn, and re-trace my steps, and finish off the persimmon block. I cannot believe as obsessively as I have looked at my walk/run times, and I always double-checked my original route, that I screwed this up. I was shattered. If it helps, I would've gotten it wrong last time, too, if I had even made it that far.
SO. I still haven't run or even run/walked the stupid 5K. I almost went back out for another run, I'm not even kidding. I was crazed. I had planned a two day rest after completing the 5K. I have every intention of running tomorrow (the weather is supposed to be less stupid tomorrow anyway). Unbelievable. I need some Ginkgo.
OK, so here's the rundown, if you will.
Weather: 72, Partly Cloudy, 8mph wind, 89% Humidity (no heat index)
Time: 3p; Run 21, Walk 3, Run 5, Walk 2, Run 3, Walk 3
Distance: 4.67K (2.9m) (longest to date, of course)
Elevation: +75.5/-75.1/net +.4 ft
5K/10K: 39:45/1:24:01 (shew, still under 40! Not one of my best times, though)
Run Time: 29 Minutes
Distance: 3.89K (2.41m) (The distance is just short of the 30 minute-run distance, although the predictor was a full minute faster today)
5K/10K: 38:02/1:20:24 (7th place)
I ended up walking .78K/.49m, or about 17% of the total distance. OK, I suppose I'll alert my facebook friends? Next time, I'll try to remember to finish the route...I have never claimed to be fully alert during a run!!
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