12 Minutes

I have worked up to 12 minutes of running. It isn't much, but it is something. After suffering with a bad cold last week I have thankfully been able to run 4 times this week! Yeah! My plan is to just add 2 minutes every run.

Starting again.

Should start running again today. Yeah!! It is fun to know I can get out there and get started again. My back hurts off and on, usually the day after walking. Not good. I saw a training program for runners at Rogue. It looks so awesome and is only $175. I hope I could do it.

Now I am waiting for my back to heal. It is frustrating to have so many things happen at one time to keep us from our goals. But I must remember that ultimately Christ is concerned more about my soul than my temporary tent. The funny thing is that the day I threw my back out was the day Micah brought home a nike +. Now, that's ironic! Oh, well.

I'm still running. I'm just on a temporary hiatus now and then to have my varicose veins taken care of. I did run 1-1/2 miles again though before going back on the table. I felt that was good since I did it 3 days in a row with no compression stockings. I'm looking forward to being done with all the vein stuff and have my legs back again. Only this time they will be better...and faster.

I am waiting to sign up for the 10k until I know how things fair and when all this vein stuff is over. I was very disappointed to not run my 5k, so I just want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Total Miles

Jenny's got me inspired to count up my tick marks. And for the record I had only made it to 4 miles before majorly slowing down on my training. I think it FELT like 5 miles!

Since July 20th:
I have run: 60 miles
I have walked: 93 miles

My poor shoes.

I haven't posted in so long. School has my head spinning. Instead of boring everyone with every run I've done since Aug 9 I'll just give you a briefing. I run 3 times a week. I had run up to 5 miles at one point, but it gave me such pain in my varicose viens that I've had to lay off. I'll have surgery, and then God willing I will start up again. For now I am running 2 miles and slowly adding distance every time I run. My goal is to be able to get up and run 3 miles at the drop of a hat and to run it very fast. Now for me very fast means faster than 15 minute miles. I'm hoping for 10 minute miles. I'm also hoping that after all these surgeries I can find a 5k or even a 5 miler and go for it. We'll see how I feel. I just really can't imagine.

Saturday-3 miles. It's not easy, but I've done it. Another thing to mark on my list.
Wednesday-3 miles.

Monday-2 miles w/ 2 miles light jogging/walking
Sunday-4 mile walk

I MADE IT!!!

Two miles. Finally. After so long. It was slow, but I did it.

Journaling really seems to help. After yesterday's entry I got to thinking and analyzing a bit. I did lots of research. From the articles I read and the info on the net, I think I was pushing too hard. The way I felt Friday pretty much tipped me off. I feel great afterwards, but I don't think I should be struggling quite so much during the workout.

So, I decided to slow my pace down quite a bit. I found this marvelous training tool on runners world. You put in your fastest mile, what race you're training for, how long you want to train, and how hard you want to train. It is marvelous! What is most marvelous about it is that it told me to slow my pace by 4 minutes. This was news to me. Even on the very hard setting I should not have been running as hard as I was. I've just never trained for a race before, only for exercise. Today I found by going much slower, at the pace they recommended, I was able to meet my goal without any struggling at all. I could have run even further, but I held back to stick to the schedule. I mean I sweat, and it was hard work; but it was nothing like I had been experiencing. This is huge news to me and really helps to turn the light bulb on! This is how new runners can run 2 miles their first time out. Duh! Then another thing I happened upon this morning and yesterday was that you need to warm-up for one mile before doing your workout as well as afterwards for a cool down. This was huge news to me b/c I usually only spend 5 minutes warming-up. They say you can go further. Well, who would have thunk? This should prove challenging in it's own regards as I am already running slower than a snail. I can't imagine running slower than that for a whole mile! Maybe really fast walking would be okay until I speed up a bit.

Thoughts...

The thought of running tomorrow has me scared to death. I am already so sore from swimming. I cannot even explain it, and I am shocked that I even made it today. When I run past people I think they are scared for me! Today was even worse b/c I agreed with them. I am so red I look sunburned, and I sweat so much! There is not an inch of me that is not pouring sweet. Even my legs sweat! The crease my elbow that trickles sweat, even when I'm walking. It's like a hole or something that just drips...drips...drips...or pours for that matter, and it took me FOREVER to figure out what was going on.

I am focusing today on resting and eating only what will help me in the morning. I really want to hit 2 miles tomorrow. I was so close last week but didn't realize how close I was. Originally, I wanted to run even past that, but now it seems impossible. Tell me I will feel better tomorrow morning. I will be excited; I won't have to work so hard like I did today. I will be rested. Tell me....

I am also working really hard not to weigh myself everyday. Do you know how hard this is? I stopped when the realization struck me that I would give myself permission to eat a little extra this or that because I was doing well. Then of course no progress would be made. This way I have no idea, so I work really hard to eat well. I have no idea if it's working, but I sneaked a peek on Wednesday just to see. Then I realized I shouldn't have looked. It's like looking at your Christmas present early or something.

Update; Down Beat

Friday- ran 8/7/7 About died or quit. Stayed up late and ate junk. made me tired. when will i learn my lesson? I am so sore from swimming and just tired. Nap?
Thursday-walked 35 minutes; swam laps with friend: she showed me proper techniques which was so fun.
Wednesday- ran 7/7/7
Tuesday-walked 40 minutes
Monday-ran 7/7/6

Narnia Man

I was walking today, and this VERY fit man ran past me going in the opposite direction. This gave me more opportunity to notice him. He was like a gazelle, or like the centaurs from the Narnia movie. I have never seen anything like it. I thought, "He must be an Olympian." I instantly felt dumb and inadequate, totally ridiculous at the thought of ever running a half marathon or even a 5k for that matter! His legs were perfect little muscular branches. Mine are so flabby and unfit. He was literally leaping down the road with what seemed no effort at all. I have so far to go! I wanted to stop and ask him how he ever got to this point, but then I figured he had to be born that way. Somehow that's consoling.

Today-Walked 1 hour 10 minutes/4 miles
Saturday-Ran 27 minutes! Very proud of this. It wasn't far, and I was real slow, but I did it!
Friday-Ran 7/6/6
Thursday-Walked 40 minutes/2 miles
Wednesday-Ran 6/6/6
Tuesday-Walked 40 minutes/2 miles

Rounding a Corner

Monday-Ran 6/5.5/5/5. Felt good and not very tired. I'm not worrying anymore about how fast I run. I'm just getting it done and trying to keep my body up straight to have good form. I think the speed will come with time, and I feel this has improved my ability to go further. I had to come home and make m's lunch before I could do the last 5, but I did it. I am now running more than I am walking, so I feel I have rounded a corner. Picked a race in town, so I won't have far to go. It doesn't make sense to drive an hour to only run 40 minutes. I've discovered I need more sleep; maybe 8 hours at least. It took me a long time to wake up this morning.

Sunday-walked 40 minutes

Saturday-Ran 3/5/5/5/2 on 4 mile circuit. It is getting a little more believable that I could run the whole 3 mile part of it, but running is still hard. Changed my course on the 3 mile part and ran the opposite direction toward the sun so that it would be to my back coming home when it is hotter. I think this helped mentally, too, as the hardest part of the trek is now at the beginning.

Friday-Ran 3/3/3/3/3 for 2 miles. Sweat like a pig as it was humid enough to steam clean clothing.

Today-walked 43 minutes. Older lady was lapping me! I watched her steps to quicken my pace. She looked as if she were sauntering, and I was practically running!
Wednesday-Ran 8/walked 5/ran 7
Tuesday-Walked 40 minutes.

Mental block

I am realizing I have a mental block I need to overcome. Somehow, somewhere I got it in my mind that I need to run every day. I think because I am afraid that if I don't I'll completely stop. But the proof is in the pudding. Last week despite only running three times (I start my weeks on Monday) I was able to go much further on the final day. That should help me to see. On Saturday I didn't even feel I was exerting myself. I came home because it was late in the morning and Micah was hot to trot to leave. I need of course, to exercise on the off days, but I shouldn't feel like I need to run. I need to pick a race I still haven't done that.

Monday-Slept in. Took a 3 hour nap on Sunday. Hmmm.
Sunday-4 mile circuit. Ran 10 minutes straight/5 minutes straight. Felt good to accomplish this though not sure if I can do it every day yet.
Saturday-Ran 12 minutes. Still at intervals at 2 minutes.

Tried a new course on Saturday, July 12. I ran/walked around another neighborhood. It is exactly 4 miles. Very nice to have something different and so pretty. This is where I clocked 10 minutes. Not much for some, but I felt it was a good marker for me. I am basically running .2 miles in 2 minutes. Wanted to push on to 14 this week, but will not be able to because of lice.

I have consistantly added one minute to my runs until July 15, totaling 11 minutes on Tuesday.
Then rebecca got lice. Stall out. Walked a little on Wednesday. None on Thursday, and 45 minutes on Friday. Will run tomorrow.

New shoes Thursday, July 17-adidas Supernova. Never tried adidas. I'm a big asic fan, but I'll give it a try.
Total miles on shoes: 3

Started running again

July 4-ran with Micah 6 minutes
July 3-ran with Micah 4 minutes
July 2-ran for 1 minute
June 23-Started walking 30 minutes....
Want to run a 5K. Jenny has inspired me. 8-10 weeks to train. Start by walking.
Old Asic shoes. Need to get new ones in a few weeks.