I just completed Day 2 of Week 9, and I made it through the run again (though, again, I did not reach 3.1 miles). OH MY GOD, MY LEGS. I almost sat down and cried on the walk home. Then I sat down to take off my Yak Trax, and I almost stayed there and cried. Then I audibly whined while stretching, and almost cried again. It's worn off a bit and really only warrants a sad face now, but it was definitely worth giving up and crying during the cool-down walk.
I find this amusing because, though I think my legs have been achy since beginning this, I feel like this ache is so much more intense than week 8's aches (haha, say that five times fast). Would my legs implode if I tried for 32 minutes? Gee whiz, muscles. Quit your complaining.
So now I'm trying to decide whether to finish week 9 in six days, as I'd planned -- I have a friend's birthday on Monday, so I can't run that night -- or whether I should give my legs a rest and finish it Tuesday, taking eight days to finish this week. I might opt for the latter. Besides, I'm about to hop in the shower and then go to Wisconsin, and I'm reading at a sex show on Sunday night and cannot guarantee I'll be back in time to cram a run in there.
Have a lovely weekend! I will be sitting indoors reading while my more adventurous friends go snowboarding and skiing.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Quick Note
Ok, so here's the rundown. Wednesday= me falling asleep on the couch, and therefore missing my window to head to the gym. Since then, I have been buried under roughly 16" of snow, closing the rinky-dink gym (although I love it's tiny size, blizzards causing it to close is becoming way more of an issue than originally anticipated), and causing a delay in my progress. I'm confident by tomorrow I should be able to make it there without issue.
I will now have to assess if the time lapse will cause me to do one more week 4 workout, or just soldier on, and try out my W5 D1 with such a long break. I guess we'll see! I'm pissed b/c I'd finally gotten on a good schedule, but I've recovered from longer breaks before, so I'm not discouraged. One day I"ll be posting about my 30 minute run as well, even if it takes an f-ing year. Haha.
Happy Snow Day, ALL!!!!!!!!
I will now have to assess if the time lapse will cause me to do one more week 4 workout, or just soldier on, and try out my W5 D1 with such a long break. I guess we'll see! I'm pissed b/c I'd finally gotten on a good schedule, but I've recovered from longer breaks before, so I'm not discouraged. One day I"ll be posting about my 30 minute run as well, even if it takes an f-ing year. Haha.
Happy Snow Day, ALL!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I Can Run For THIRTY MINUTES!!!!!!!!!
Week 9, Day 1 complete, and I ran for 30 minutes. Yay!! My left calf feels like it's gonna fall off, but hey, such is the price of accomplishment.
It's cold out there! In the 20s (the temperature has been rising and I'm becoming a baby about anything less than freezing). However, I think we're past ninja mask weather (knock on wood). Carli's mix is funny. First of all, personally I would put "Song 2" by Blur toward the end -- it's fantastic, but it's also about two minutes long, so you feel like you've accomplished a lot by running to one song, and really you have not. Then comes Daft Punk's "Better Faster Stronger," which is a great song to run to, but about halfway through I started to have a strange sensation, like I was a running robot. It was weird. And I have to disagree with having the Eminem song on there. The one from 8 Mile was fine, it's somewhat inspirational. This one is very angry-sounding. I do not like angry-sounding when I run.
Oh, and the WEIRDEST part -- "Eye of the Tiger" is on there, but it is not the vocal version, it's a weird muzac-ish version in which the music is the normal Survivor music, but the melody is electronic. It's a bad instrumental, and it makes me sad.
Anyway, it's still pretty decent, despite all this weirdness. Or at least, it's runnable. And I ran, and it was okay. I felt good for awhile, around 20 minutes I wanted to quit and had to slow down a lot. I had to ask a guy and his friend to let me through around 28 minutes, and the guy was all, "Oh, have a great night! Be careful!" and it was really cute, so that helped me pick up my pace a bit at that point.
The only annoying thing is that I only ran 2.84 miles, but I have at least a month to better my time if I am doing the Cheetah Run 2010: Save the Cheetahs! (I plan to add a bit to the name of this run every time I talk about it). So, whatevs! Now time to take a hot shower in hopes that my damn muscles will stop aching quite so much.
Seriously. The cool-down walk was painful and I was a floppy weirdo with little control over my body. Ouch.
It's cold out there! In the 20s (the temperature has been rising and I'm becoming a baby about anything less than freezing). However, I think we're past ninja mask weather (knock on wood). Carli's mix is funny. First of all, personally I would put "Song 2" by Blur toward the end -- it's fantastic, but it's also about two minutes long, so you feel like you've accomplished a lot by running to one song, and really you have not. Then comes Daft Punk's "Better Faster Stronger," which is a great song to run to, but about halfway through I started to have a strange sensation, like I was a running robot. It was weird. And I have to disagree with having the Eminem song on there. The one from 8 Mile was fine, it's somewhat inspirational. This one is very angry-sounding. I do not like angry-sounding when I run.
Oh, and the WEIRDEST part -- "Eye of the Tiger" is on there, but it is not the vocal version, it's a weird muzac-ish version in which the music is the normal Survivor music, but the melody is electronic. It's a bad instrumental, and it makes me sad.
Anyway, it's still pretty decent, despite all this weirdness. Or at least, it's runnable. And I ran, and it was okay. I felt good for awhile, around 20 minutes I wanted to quit and had to slow down a lot. I had to ask a guy and his friend to let me through around 28 minutes, and the guy was all, "Oh, have a great night! Be careful!" and it was really cute, so that helped me pick up my pace a bit at that point.
The only annoying thing is that I only ran 2.84 miles, but I have at least a month to better my time if I am doing the Cheetah Run 2010: Save the Cheetahs! (I plan to add a bit to the name of this run every time I talk about it). So, whatevs! Now time to take a hot shower in hopes that my damn muscles will stop aching quite so much.
Seriously. The cool-down walk was painful and I was a floppy weirdo with little control over my body. Ouch.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Update: "Skinny Jeans"
I have two pairs of jeans I have been unable to wear for... quite awhile. I just tried them on; I'm wearing one pair (which is from Old Navy and is actually really unflattering, but hey, they fit). The other pair juuuuuuuuust fits -- I was able to button them! I probably haven't been able to do that in about a year. So, yay!
Bye Bye Week 4!!!
Last night, I finally COMPLETED WEEK 4!! It's a miracle! Week 4 was (up to this point) my Everest. I really think that it has been a really good experience to break down what was causing me to stagnate, and now I feel like I might actually be able to get to week 9 at some point! Now my only issue for the week is scheduling. I plan on starting week 5 tomorrow, but then I will not be able to run until Saturday. I'm hoping that I will be ok with a two day break. I've done it in the past, but with the variable schedule that week 5 brings, I hope that it doesn't cause me any trouble. I am FINALLY planning on heading to yoga on Thursday, for real this time. I haven't been in two months, and after starting week 5 tomorrow, and with the return to weight lifting, I think it will be a fantastic way to recover!
So, crazy treadmill girl was there again, and someone has requested I take a video of her, but she was like 6 machines to my left, so it just wasn't possible. If I can ever manage to do so, I'll be sure to post it, haha. The one thing that really bothered me last night was the kickboxing class! The crazy drill sargent lady that runs the class pumps the music up SO high, that it was hard to hear my cues, forcing me to keep an eye on the time. I do much better when I am not exactly sure of the time that has elapsed, so that's something I'll have to keep in mind for Monday night runs. I'm very happy to have tonight off, but my calf is feeling a bunch better! It didn't hurt while I was running, and although is still a bit achy, it's not at all debilitating or anything, so onward and upward!
So, crazy treadmill girl was there again, and someone has requested I take a video of her, but she was like 6 machines to my left, so it just wasn't possible. If I can ever manage to do so, I'll be sure to post it, haha. The one thing that really bothered me last night was the kickboxing class! The crazy drill sargent lady that runs the class pumps the music up SO high, that it was hard to hear my cues, forcing me to keep an eye on the time. I do much better when I am not exactly sure of the time that has elapsed, so that's something I'll have to keep in mind for Monday night runs. I'm very happy to have tonight off, but my calf is feeling a bunch better! It didn't hurt while I was running, and although is still a bit achy, it's not at all debilitating or anything, so onward and upward!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Completing Week Eight
I would be lying if I told you that my run today was fun or easy. It was a struggle the whole time and I was tempted to take a walking break several times. But, I made it through, at times running at a near crawl, but running nonetheless.
We got our snow last night and a bit today -- luckily not the 12 inches they tried to scare us with, maybe 3 or 4 inches? It's really hard to say because it was 36 degrees when it began snowing and I don't think it's gone below freezing since. So it took forever to stick and it's pretty much been a melty, slushy mess. Which, btw, is the most annoying type of snowy crap to run through. Yak Trax work but you can still slip and slide, and puddles abound. My feet were wet before my warm-up walk was through.
Speaking of Yak Trax, I think mine might make it through the season but I need new ones soon! The rubber broke on both of them in a rather unimportant-seeming place, but when I took one off after my run, it had slid up too far in the front. They have served me well, though, and with the changes in temperature they've been through, I'm surprised the rubber did not get brittle and break before now!
As I told Boulos earlier today, I've smoked three cigarettes since my last run. Now, it wasn't so much that my lungs were achy or anything, but I was really, really phlegmy. This made it hard to breathe and just kind of made the run difficult. Plus I'm a baby who doesn't like running in daylight. PLUS, I was at the very end of my run and really wanted to make it as far as I had last time. But this total dumbass decided to park her car in an alley, completely blocking the sidewalk, in the snow. So I had to stop running and walk carefully around her car because of snow piles. I HATE HER. It was my last minute and I wanted to run full stop! Believe me, I shook my head and gave her a very dirty look. You can't back up your car a little when you see someone running at you? Man, she is really lucky I didn't knock on her window and then slap her.
Um, as you can see, I wasn't in the best mood by the end of my run. But I'm in a better mood now (just still really mad at that dumb... well, insert whichever word you think I would use here. Hint: it rhymes with bunt p.s. there is a street in Chicago called Lunt and myself and other natives discuss how it's our favorite street).
On to week Nine! This one might take more than a week to complete, but I've got time! If I sign up for Cheetah Run 2010 (that's what I'm gonna call it), I have over a month to prepare. Rawr!
We got our snow last night and a bit today -- luckily not the 12 inches they tried to scare us with, maybe 3 or 4 inches? It's really hard to say because it was 36 degrees when it began snowing and I don't think it's gone below freezing since. So it took forever to stick and it's pretty much been a melty, slushy mess. Which, btw, is the most annoying type of snowy crap to run through. Yak Trax work but you can still slip and slide, and puddles abound. My feet were wet before my warm-up walk was through.
Speaking of Yak Trax, I think mine might make it through the season but I need new ones soon! The rubber broke on both of them in a rather unimportant-seeming place, but when I took one off after my run, it had slid up too far in the front. They have served me well, though, and with the changes in temperature they've been through, I'm surprised the rubber did not get brittle and break before now!
As I told Boulos earlier today, I've smoked three cigarettes since my last run. Now, it wasn't so much that my lungs were achy or anything, but I was really, really phlegmy. This made it hard to breathe and just kind of made the run difficult. Plus I'm a baby who doesn't like running in daylight. PLUS, I was at the very end of my run and really wanted to make it as far as I had last time. But this total dumbass decided to park her car in an alley, completely blocking the sidewalk, in the snow. So I had to stop running and walk carefully around her car because of snow piles. I HATE HER. It was my last minute and I wanted to run full stop! Believe me, I shook my head and gave her a very dirty look. You can't back up your car a little when you see someone running at you? Man, she is really lucky I didn't knock on her window and then slap her.
Um, as you can see, I wasn't in the best mood by the end of my run. But I'm in a better mood now (just still really mad at that dumb... well, insert whichever word you think I would use here. Hint: it rhymes with bunt p.s. there is a street in Chicago called Lunt and myself and other natives discuss how it's our favorite street).
On to week Nine! This one might take more than a week to complete, but I've got time! If I sign up for Cheetah Run 2010 (that's what I'm gonna call it), I have over a month to prepare. Rawr!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Mini Update
Today my right calf is SO SORE. I think that it might have something to do with my potassium levels. I usually have a banana every day, and I haven't had one since Wednesday or so. I guess I'll have to get back on it tomorrow, because I am supposed to complete week 4 tomorrow night, and now that I'm finally getting onto a good schedule, I do not want to be derailed by pain! I believe Amanda went through this a few weeks back, so I don't think it's uncommon, it's just something to keep my eye on.
Alright, happy Sunday night, everyone!
Alright, happy Sunday night, everyone!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Week Eight, Day Two
Today was a lovely day for a run -- 36 degrees when I left. That's just about the perfect temperature to run in a fleece-lined sweatshirt and I actually came home pretty sweaty. I wore my Yak Trax because I had not been out today, but all that accomplished was running with a clicking sound -- almost all of the ice and snow on the sidewalks had melted. The park, however, is still covered in a mix of snow and giant puddles -- still running on the sidewalks.
I have to admit, I had a cigarette on Wednesday. After over two weeks without one! So I was a little concerned that I wouldn't make it through the run today. Also, I had no running partner. I felt like I hit a good pace around the halfway point; I didn't feel out of breath and felt like I was running, not fast walking with a little bounce (um, sometimes that is pretty much my speed). Then when I had around 8 or so minutes left, I felt like I needed to quit or die. But, I just slowed down and didn't let myself quit or die.
So I ran 28 minutes again! Woo! And I got a bit farther on this run -- just measured it and I ran 2.74 miles, which is .01 miles less than I should have according to the program. Yay!
Does this mean I will actually be starting Week Nine next week? omg. Well, let me tell you that I have been downloading TONS of fun running songs this week in an effort to create a bunch of playlists so that when I finish the program, I can just continue 30 minute runs three times a week, and a million different playlists might keep me from getting bored with that.
Day Three of Week Eight is scheduled for Monday. I hope that works out -- we're supposed to get a bunch of snow starting Sunday night and the bulk of that should arrive on Monday. But I like running in the snow, so it should be fine.
I have to admit, I had a cigarette on Wednesday. After over two weeks without one! So I was a little concerned that I wouldn't make it through the run today. Also, I had no running partner. I felt like I hit a good pace around the halfway point; I didn't feel out of breath and felt like I was running, not fast walking with a little bounce (um, sometimes that is pretty much my speed). Then when I had around 8 or so minutes left, I felt like I needed to quit or die. But, I just slowed down and didn't let myself quit or die.
So I ran 28 minutes again! Woo! And I got a bit farther on this run -- just measured it and I ran 2.74 miles, which is .01 miles less than I should have according to the program. Yay!
Does this mean I will actually be starting Week Nine next week? omg. Well, let me tell you that I have been downloading TONS of fun running songs this week in an effort to create a bunch of playlists so that when I finish the program, I can just continue 30 minute runs three times a week, and a million different playlists might keep me from getting bored with that.
Day Three of Week Eight is scheduled for Monday. I hope that works out -- we're supposed to get a bunch of snow starting Sunday night and the bulk of that should arrive on Monday. But I like running in the snow, so it should be fine.
Movie Montage
Today was a great day for a run. Although the weather was up to nearly 40 and sunny, I chose to run at the gym because the massive snow piles throughout town are melting everywhere, and I had no desire to ruin my lovely running shoes, or have annoyingly wet feet when I'm trying to get through the week that has proved too hard for me in the past. Because I knew the weather was warmer, I was able to wear capri length workout pants, knowing I wouldn't freeze my butt off on my walk to the gym. Wow, what a wonderful difference some breeze on my legs made! I was still sweating like a pig, as my Mom would say, but I didn't feel overheated.
Saturday might be my new favorite gym day. There was only one other person there for most of the time, and then some girl showed up 20 minutes before closing, and did the most pathetic attempt at a workout ever, making me feel far superior, and spurning me to finish that final five minute run. I had fun today trying to compose mental movie montages that coordinate with the MJ songs playing on my podcast. Too bad I don't have nearly enough video clips of my life to make these possible, because they were quite entertaining.
So, week 4D2 is officially complete! I decided to take a day off the strength training though, to give my muscles a bit of a breather, but with plans to head back on Monday, they won't have long to rest. I'm so proud to be back on track, and feeling great about it. The feelings of impending death are severely reducing as I progress, so that's nice, haha. Alright ladies, enjoy the rest of your weekend, time to munch, and then head out to a friend's bday party later. Woo!
Saturday might be my new favorite gym day. There was only one other person there for most of the time, and then some girl showed up 20 minutes before closing, and did the most pathetic attempt at a workout ever, making me feel far superior, and spurning me to finish that final five minute run. I had fun today trying to compose mental movie montages that coordinate with the MJ songs playing on my podcast. Too bad I don't have nearly enough video clips of my life to make these possible, because they were quite entertaining.
So, week 4D2 is officially complete! I decided to take a day off the strength training though, to give my muscles a bit of a breather, but with plans to head back on Monday, they won't have long to rest. I'm so proud to be back on track, and feeling great about it. The feelings of impending death are severely reducing as I progress, so that's nice, haha. Alright ladies, enjoy the rest of your weekend, time to munch, and then head out to a friend's bday party later. Woo!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
The Way You Make Me Feel!
So tonight was a big one for me, as far as the program goes. I returned to W4D1, in hopes that my regression had prepared me for week 4 again, and it did!!! First of all, I did some research to try and find a different podcast for week 4, since although I love Carli, the week 4 from her site makes me want to stab myself in the ear with a fork. So, after a lot of reviews on c25k.com, and the c25k Facebook page, I found a podcast by someone named Suz, and it's awesome!
Apparently Suz is known for having a super dirty week 4 mix, which included several songs with explicit lyrics. This actually sounded good, because I figured it would be a good distraction, but upon further review, I had read enough reviews to learn that the dirty mix was missing a run. Just when I was going to give up, I saw that she'd made a tribute Michael Jackson week 4 workout, which got me so psyched!!!!! I love MJ anyway, and the prospect of a new approach to the week that has been my biggest challenge really made my day!
I forgot how intense week 4 really does feel as compared to week 3. I think it's so funny how week 3 can seem so easy now, but I think that mentally I made some great strides today in regards to week 4. Basically, when I was ready to just quit (which happened as early as the first five minute run), I just decided that I wouldn't. I kept pushing to end of each song, and that is really a phenomenal strategy. I realized that when I stopped thinking about when I could stop running, that I really physically didn't feel like I needed to stop. My body kept going, and feels like it could've possibly, even after the final five minute run, which gives me hope for the weeks to come. I did do my strength training once again, and I am pretty sore. Unfortunately, yoga was tonight at 8, but I had to get myself home for the Olympics! Alas, I will head back to it soon, it was always a nice way to ease the pain from running.
So, I think that getting back to a regular schedule will really be the key to my advancement. I have got to get myself back out to run on Saturday. Also, I decided to slow my pace down a bit, which helped a TON. I think that I was overdoing it before, which also caused me to get fatigued way too quickly. I will build speed after I conquer the timed runs!
Oh, and finally... crazy treadmill death-grip girl was back. I seriously do not know what is up with her! I can't imagine running in her crazy up and down manner, with the shortest of strides, hanging on for dear life. It is beyond bizarre, but continues to entertain me. I am completely exhausted, btw, so I apologize for what seems like an endless ramble.
Love you all, thanks for sticking with our crazy blog!!
Apparently Suz is known for having a super dirty week 4 mix, which included several songs with explicit lyrics. This actually sounded good, because I figured it would be a good distraction, but upon further review, I had read enough reviews to learn that the dirty mix was missing a run. Just when I was going to give up, I saw that she'd made a tribute Michael Jackson week 4 workout, which got me so psyched!!!!! I love MJ anyway, and the prospect of a new approach to the week that has been my biggest challenge really made my day!
I forgot how intense week 4 really does feel as compared to week 3. I think it's so funny how week 3 can seem so easy now, but I think that mentally I made some great strides today in regards to week 4. Basically, when I was ready to just quit (which happened as early as the first five minute run), I just decided that I wouldn't. I kept pushing to end of each song, and that is really a phenomenal strategy. I realized that when I stopped thinking about when I could stop running, that I really physically didn't feel like I needed to stop. My body kept going, and feels like it could've possibly, even after the final five minute run, which gives me hope for the weeks to come. I did do my strength training once again, and I am pretty sore. Unfortunately, yoga was tonight at 8, but I had to get myself home for the Olympics! Alas, I will head back to it soon, it was always a nice way to ease the pain from running.
So, I think that getting back to a regular schedule will really be the key to my advancement. I have got to get myself back out to run on Saturday. Also, I decided to slow my pace down a bit, which helped a TON. I think that I was overdoing it before, which also caused me to get fatigued way too quickly. I will build speed after I conquer the timed runs!
Oh, and finally... crazy treadmill death-grip girl was back. I seriously do not know what is up with her! I can't imagine running in her crazy up and down manner, with the shortest of strides, hanging on for dear life. It is beyond bizarre, but continues to entertain me. I am completely exhausted, btw, so I apologize for what seems like an endless ramble.
Love you all, thanks for sticking with our crazy blog!!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
28 Minutes! My Running Partner Helped Me Do It.
I don't know what I was thinking last post, but Week Eight (Finally! Finally!) is 28 minutes, not 28.5 minutes. And I did it! Woooooooooo!
My sister joined me for my run -- embarrassingly, this was her second workout on a 2-a-day day, the lighter one -- and she let me set the pace since she's a fast runner and former marathoner and stuff. I think my pace is a bit slow -- I didn't make it far enough past where I ended up on my 25 minute run to feel like my pace was really appropriate -- but I'm just happy I don't fall down and die during these runs. My shin hurts, too, so there's that. I mean, if I wind up running a 5k (I am on the fence -- I really don't like the idea of a crowded group run), and it takes me over 3o minutes, I will really be fine with that.
Anyway, it was uneventful but a good time. No hecklers, no falls, it's like 33 degrees out and that is nice. The one thing I want to say is that Carli's Week 8 podcast is pretty great. There's a Black Eyed Peas song on there that I actually like, as well as the theme from Rocky (not Eye of the Tiger -- the other song), which is seriously dramatic and awesome to finish up a run to.
My sister joined me for my run -- embarrassingly, this was her second workout on a 2-a-day day, the lighter one -- and she let me set the pace since she's a fast runner and former marathoner and stuff. I think my pace is a bit slow -- I didn't make it far enough past where I ended up on my 25 minute run to feel like my pace was really appropriate -- but I'm just happy I don't fall down and die during these runs. My shin hurts, too, so there's that. I mean, if I wind up running a 5k (I am on the fence -- I really don't like the idea of a crowded group run), and it takes me over 3o minutes, I will really be fine with that.
Anyway, it was uneventful but a good time. No hecklers, no falls, it's like 33 degrees out and that is nice. The one thing I want to say is that Carli's Week 8 podcast is pretty great. There's a Black Eyed Peas song on there that I actually like, as well as the theme from Rocky (not Eye of the Tiger -- the other song), which is seriously dramatic and awesome to finish up a run to.
Cross Training Realization
So, I did another week 3 workout last night (yes, a full week after my last workout), and the running went very well, but then I did something monumental... strength training! For the first time since October, I was accompanied by my old gym buddy, which did help with motivation. Although due to spinal issues, she must remain on the elliptical machine while I rock the treadmill, we always followed up our cardio with weights. I think that getting back into a regular schedule of both will really help me build my endurance. I usually get my groove going the second running block into a workout, but by the end I really struggle. I think that getting myself into more overall shape can only help me continue to progress further in the program, while also helping me to prevent injury.
Thankfully, the upcoming weeks are relatively uneventful for me, which will really help me to get back on schedule. Although I'm incredibly impressed with Amanda's participation in a public event, I do not believe that is in the cards for me any time soon, and I'm ok with that. I mean, I am obviously further behind in the program, but I'm really into my own pace, and with the addition of the weights, I think that I'm on the right track.
Finally, I would like to point out, that although I miss out on sweet heckling by running inside, I did witness some excellent craziness last night at the gym. First, it was Tuesday night Zumba, which is always amusing and a fantastic distraction. I seriously want to try it some day, it looks ridiculous fun! Secondly, I saw some treadmill behavior that made me realize that no matter how silly I may feel, I look normal compared to some. The girl on the machine in front of me looked like she was holding on to the treadmill for dear life. The girl, who weighs no more than 90lbs or so, had wrapped both her arms around the button panel in front, increased the speed and incline way too high for her fitness level, and was running with such short strides, it basically looked like she was jumping up and down. She started this craziness halfway through my run, and was still doing it when I left the gym. This is insane! If she had let go, she would've been shot straight backwards into my machine, and lost a limb or something! Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is what keeps her so skinny, but as far as I'm concerned, it looked like the girl had lost her mind!
Thankfully, the upcoming weeks are relatively uneventful for me, which will really help me to get back on schedule. Although I'm incredibly impressed with Amanda's participation in a public event, I do not believe that is in the cards for me any time soon, and I'm ok with that. I mean, I am obviously further behind in the program, but I'm really into my own pace, and with the addition of the weights, I think that I'm on the right track.
Finally, I would like to point out, that although I miss out on sweet heckling by running inside, I did witness some excellent craziness last night at the gym. First, it was Tuesday night Zumba, which is always amusing and a fantastic distraction. I seriously want to try it some day, it looks ridiculous fun! Secondly, I saw some treadmill behavior that made me realize that no matter how silly I may feel, I look normal compared to some. The girl on the machine in front of me looked like she was holding on to the treadmill for dear life. The girl, who weighs no more than 90lbs or so, had wrapped both her arms around the button panel in front, increased the speed and incline way too high for her fitness level, and was running with such short strides, it basically looked like she was jumping up and down. She started this craziness halfway through my run, and was still doing it when I left the gym. This is insane! If she had let go, she would've been shot straight backwards into my machine, and lost a limb or something! Perhaps this ridiculous behavior is what keeps her so skinny, but as far as I'm concerned, it looked like the girl had lost her mind!
Monday, February 15, 2010
I Declare Week Seven Completed
I totally cheated this week by making my third run on a Monday when my first run was... last Monday. I was planning to run yesterday but that did not happen. On Saturday, I had to take an exam at 7:30 a.m. (for teaching certification, which I am looking into). I also had a friend's birthday party that night. Unfortunately, the nap I planned to take did not pan out and I stayed out until about 5 a.m. and drank too much. I woke up Sunday a) with my cold back YET AGAIN -- my nose is super stuffy and b) with a bad hangover. I had to sleep until 4 p.m. and after that, I had Valentine's Day plans with my family. I got home at about 9:30 but felt it was too late to run outside after that guy in the hood last week. So yesterday, instead of running I ate a cupcake in honor of V-day. Ha. Though I didn't smoke, and have only had ONE DRAG of a cigarette in over two weeks. Yay for me.
Yesterday, a couple of things gave me further motivation to continue (it is strange, but every time I take 2 or 3 days off, I feel certain that I will leave the house, attempt to run, and just utterly fail immediately. Let's blame years and years of smoking and exercise avoidance). I weighed myself yesterday morning and realized I had reached a certain goal I've been looking forward to (sorry, not willing to publish my actual weight, haha). Now, yesterday I was dehydrated and off a normal eating schedule due to the hangover and all the sleeping, but I weighed myself when I got up today and I think I can definitely say I've reached this particular goal. And I certainly don't want to throw it away. I stupidly did not really take an official weight before beginning this program -- plus December, month of pig outs and cookies, was the first month of it -- but I think I've lost over ten pounds. Probably eleven or twelve. Yay!
The other source of inspiration was not as awesome. Pictures from the other night were posted on Facebook and I'm not crazy about how I look in them. Also, as a sidenote -- I wore a shirt that I worried was too see-through. Yes, yes -- turns out it is pretty sheer. Whoops.
Anyways. Today's run was good. The best part had to be when I ran past this tall guy and he loudly exclaimed, "Baby, baby, lookin' good! Work it off!" hahaha. I hope he heard my appreciative laugh. The last two songs were kind of a struggle and there were points at which I was barely running. But overall, the run felt good, especially considering I hadn't run in three days.
I really think 28.5 minutes is going to be a struggle, because I was soooooo ready for the run to end, and I briefly considered what it would be like to have 3.5 minutes left (aka basically another song), and that made me briefly want to die. I think that about 99% of this is mental, though, so I will try to go into week eight with a better mindset -- beginning it on Wednesday, wish me luck!
Also, and this is kind of strange, I am considering signing up for this. It is a "Run for the Cheetah." Now, when you think of worthy charities, you may not think of cheetahs. However, I think I've stated before that I'm not really that into big races -- and all the other 5ks in Chicago look like they'll be giant. This one will probably be a bit less popular. And, I like cheetahs! And the entry fee is less than $30. So I'm considering this.
Yesterday, a couple of things gave me further motivation to continue (it is strange, but every time I take 2 or 3 days off, I feel certain that I will leave the house, attempt to run, and just utterly fail immediately. Let's blame years and years of smoking and exercise avoidance). I weighed myself yesterday morning and realized I had reached a certain goal I've been looking forward to (sorry, not willing to publish my actual weight, haha). Now, yesterday I was dehydrated and off a normal eating schedule due to the hangover and all the sleeping, but I weighed myself when I got up today and I think I can definitely say I've reached this particular goal. And I certainly don't want to throw it away. I stupidly did not really take an official weight before beginning this program -- plus December, month of pig outs and cookies, was the first month of it -- but I think I've lost over ten pounds. Probably eleven or twelve. Yay!
The other source of inspiration was not as awesome. Pictures from the other night were posted on Facebook and I'm not crazy about how I look in them. Also, as a sidenote -- I wore a shirt that I worried was too see-through. Yes, yes -- turns out it is pretty sheer. Whoops.
Anyways. Today's run was good. The best part had to be when I ran past this tall guy and he loudly exclaimed, "Baby, baby, lookin' good! Work it off!" hahaha. I hope he heard my appreciative laugh. The last two songs were kind of a struggle and there were points at which I was barely running. But overall, the run felt good, especially considering I hadn't run in three days.
I really think 28.5 minutes is going to be a struggle, because I was soooooo ready for the run to end, and I briefly considered what it would be like to have 3.5 minutes left (aka basically another song), and that made me briefly want to die. I think that about 99% of this is mental, though, so I will try to go into week eight with a better mindset -- beginning it on Wednesday, wish me luck!
Also, and this is kind of strange, I am considering signing up for this. It is a "Run for the Cheetah." Now, when you think of worthy charities, you may not think of cheetahs. However, I think I've stated before that I'm not really that into big races -- and all the other 5ks in Chicago look like they'll be giant. This one will probably be a bit less popular. And, I like cheetahs! And the entry fee is less than $30. So I'm considering this.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Three in a Row! And, Ouch.
Well, technically I have completed week seven, FINALLY!!! I just got back from my third successful 25 minute run. I mean, I had to pause once at an alley to let a car go by, and another time when I dropped my mp3 player (during the last song -- I was taking it out to see how much longer I had!). But such is running on the streets when the park is beneath 12 inches of snow and thus unrunnable.
We're no East Coast/Midatlantic/whatever, but we got 12 inches the other day and it was our biggest storm of the season. My sister suggested I put my feet in Ziploc freezer bags before placing them in my shoes, but I did not and I made out okay. People tend to actually shovel when you get a foot of snow -- it's that three or four inches that they disdainfully sneer at and leave me to fall and die in. So there wasn't too much to run through, except for those slushy messes that gather at crosswalks.
Speaking of the snow, I stayed home yesterday but had to dig out my car in the morning. I woke up today thinking WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO TO MY BACK LAST NIGHT?! Then I realized this terrible, horrible, neverending ache in my upper back and shoulders is due to shoveling. And right now, I am sitting here with achy post-run legs. I kind of feel like a bus ran me over.
The run itself was fine except for that mp3 thing. I wore the ninja mask because it's 22 degrees out, which isn't sooooooo cold, but I was just feeling cold even before I left the house. It looks like I covered just over 2.32 miles, which isn't amazing, but I suppose I have to factor in the snow, and also just deal with the fact that if my pace needs to be a bit slower than I'd like so that I can actually make 25 minutes, so be it.
My plan is to do one more 25 minute run on Sunday, and then begin week 8 next week! I hope I can do it!
We're no East Coast/Midatlantic/whatever, but we got 12 inches the other day and it was our biggest storm of the season. My sister suggested I put my feet in Ziploc freezer bags before placing them in my shoes, but I did not and I made out okay. People tend to actually shovel when you get a foot of snow -- it's that three or four inches that they disdainfully sneer at and leave me to fall and die in. So there wasn't too much to run through, except for those slushy messes that gather at crosswalks.
Speaking of the snow, I stayed home yesterday but had to dig out my car in the morning. I woke up today thinking WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO TO MY BACK LAST NIGHT?! Then I realized this terrible, horrible, neverending ache in my upper back and shoulders is due to shoveling. And right now, I am sitting here with achy post-run legs. I kind of feel like a bus ran me over.
The run itself was fine except for that mp3 thing. I wore the ninja mask because it's 22 degrees out, which isn't sooooooo cold, but I was just feeling cold even before I left the house. It looks like I covered just over 2.32 miles, which isn't amazing, but I suppose I have to factor in the snow, and also just deal with the fact that if my pace needs to be a bit slower than I'd like so that I can actually make 25 minutes, so be it.
My plan is to do one more 25 minute run on Sunday, and then begin week 8 next week! I hope I can do it!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Sporadic, yes, but better than nothing!
So, I was able to get back to the gym and continue on tonight, and week 3 being repeated continues. I still hold that week 3 is the ideal workout for me. Even if I added another round of alternating running/walking, I'd still love it. So, due to the unfortunate passing of a friend's future Mother-in- Law, I cannot do my run on Thursday night as originally planned, because I now have to go to a wake. I would possibly attempt a run tomorrow, but since the snow has already started, and we are possibly getting up to 2 feet, I can guarantee that my rinky-dink gym will be closed. Sigh... I also have plans on Friday night, so I have to wait until the weekend to run again, but I'll do it!!
I feel like my posts are so lame, since I'm like a hamster that keeps repeating my actions, but I do love the week 3 workout. I am hoping that with a different podcast, and getting back to a more consistent schedule will lead me to week 4 and beyond.
Well, Alice & I will be hanging out tomorrow on our snow day. Stay safe out there, and happy running!!
I feel like my posts are so lame, since I'm like a hamster that keeps repeating my actions, but I do love the week 3 workout. I am hoping that with a different podcast, and getting back to a more consistent schedule will lead me to week 4 and beyond.
Well, Alice & I will be hanging out tomorrow on our snow day. Stay safe out there, and happy running!!
Huge Sigh of Relief. It Was Not a Fluke!
I was able to run for 25 minutes again! It was not a flash in the pan accomplishment created by a super special alignment of the planets + 15 hours of sleep or something. This is great news.
So actually, I got like 6 hours of intoxicated sleep last night (um, Superbowl followed by live band karaoke. And yeah, I do waaaaaaaay too much of my partying on Sunday nights). I noticed on Saturday after I completed my run, I finally was not smelling ammonia afterward. I think it's because I drank a fair amount of water that day -- I babysit most days and it's really hard to get a sufficient amount of water in when you're chasing after a kid. So I figured the water may have helped, and when I got home today I drank a couple of glasses to make sure I had enough (I also drank a grande latte -- I am really lucky I did not pee my pants during this run!).
I was seriously tired today, but we're supposed to get 12 inches of snow tomorrow so I wanted to run before that. I headed out a bit later than usual, around 8:30, and used one of my own playlists again -- also nice to know I don't necessarily require Carli's encouraging words to make it through the run. I started out in the park but after one lap, I had kind of a scare. This guy/kid/teenager? (I'm old now, btw, and I didn't really get a good look) was crossing the street toward me with his hood up, concealing his face; I expected him to go to a car or head toward the sidewalk that cuts through the park, but he kept walking straight across the grass directly toward me, which just seemed off. I realized quickly that there was no one else around. Like, I saw no one. And the running path is a few feet in from the edge of the park, which is across the street from all of the houses -- basically the chances of quickly alerting anyone to anything aren't in your favor. I picked up my pace a little (that and the adrenaline kicked my ass for a few minutes after this encounter, btw), keeping an eye on my shadow to make sure he wasn't coming behind me. I'm sure it was nothing, but I felt weird about circling the park again and decided to head over to run on the sidewalks, closer to houses (and my zig-zag path takes me on busy streets as well).
I'm usually pretty fearless about walking/running in my neighborhood alone but I realize that on occasion I can probably be overconfident. The guy was most likely just cutting through the park but, newsflash to dudes: when you walk toward a lone lady at night and you have your hood up, you are being creepy. So, don't do that. Thanks. I was skittish for the rest of the run, continually seeing things out of the corner of my eyes. Annoying.
But, anyway. I did it again! Yay! I think I'll keep to the 25 minutes the rest of this week, and move on to 28.5 next week.
So actually, I got like 6 hours of intoxicated sleep last night (um, Superbowl followed by live band karaoke. And yeah, I do waaaaaaaay too much of my partying on Sunday nights). I noticed on Saturday after I completed my run, I finally was not smelling ammonia afterward. I think it's because I drank a fair amount of water that day -- I babysit most days and it's really hard to get a sufficient amount of water in when you're chasing after a kid. So I figured the water may have helped, and when I got home today I drank a couple of glasses to make sure I had enough (I also drank a grande latte -- I am really lucky I did not pee my pants during this run!).
I was seriously tired today, but we're supposed to get 12 inches of snow tomorrow so I wanted to run before that. I headed out a bit later than usual, around 8:30, and used one of my own playlists again -- also nice to know I don't necessarily require Carli's encouraging words to make it through the run. I started out in the park but after one lap, I had kind of a scare. This guy/kid/teenager? (I'm old now, btw, and I didn't really get a good look) was crossing the street toward me with his hood up, concealing his face; I expected him to go to a car or head toward the sidewalk that cuts through the park, but he kept walking straight across the grass directly toward me, which just seemed off. I realized quickly that there was no one else around. Like, I saw no one. And the running path is a few feet in from the edge of the park, which is across the street from all of the houses -- basically the chances of quickly alerting anyone to anything aren't in your favor. I picked up my pace a little (that and the adrenaline kicked my ass for a few minutes after this encounter, btw), keeping an eye on my shadow to make sure he wasn't coming behind me. I'm sure it was nothing, but I felt weird about circling the park again and decided to head over to run on the sidewalks, closer to houses (and my zig-zag path takes me on busy streets as well).
I'm usually pretty fearless about walking/running in my neighborhood alone but I realize that on occasion I can probably be overconfident. The guy was most likely just cutting through the park but, newsflash to dudes: when you walk toward a lone lady at night and you have your hood up, you are being creepy. So, don't do that. Thanks. I was skittish for the rest of the run, continually seeing things out of the corner of my eyes. Annoying.
But, anyway. I did it again! Yay! I think I'll keep to the 25 minutes the rest of this week, and move on to 28.5 next week.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
ZOMG I RAN FOR 25 MINUTES FINALLY !!!!!1111
I finally did it! On a totally unexpected day. I last ran Tuesday. I planned to run Thursday, but my cold came back pretty badly that day and my nose was really, really stuffy. I came home and napped for awhile; when I woke up, my voice was nearly gone. No running that evening. So I planned to do it last night instead. But when I got home yesterday, I felt like I'd been hit by a bus and my stomach felt queasy. I was in bed by 7 p.m. and I slept through the night, until 10 this morning! So, um, yeah. No running then, either.
I did not feel 100% today, but both my respiratory system and my stomach were feeling better. So after spending the day laying around my parent's house and eating an "Italian Turkey" with fries -- it's like an Italian beef, but with turkey, and if you don't live in Chicago you probably don't know what that means, except Boulos might know, but I can assure you it is NOT a healthy meal -- I decided I needed to run around 9 p.m. I was getting sleepy and lazy again and really just wanted to fall into bed, but I did not want to get too off course with this and I knew I needed to get back out there.
I set out pretty certain I would be okay with a two-break run. I had no confidence that I might make a full 25 minutes. I'd taken more days off than I had in a long time, and I was certain that my less than stellar physical condition would make tonight's run super difficult.
However, I think the key here was that I paced myself much better today. I started out running slowly because I didn't want to push myself too hard today. And after awhile I felt like, hey, I think I can run for longer than I thought. After five or so minutes, I was thinking, um maybe I can do the whole 25? And that encouraged me to focus on not running too fast. I still made it around the track over 4 times (that is over 2.5 miles), so my pacing was just about right on. The last minute was tough, because I figured I'd end at just 2.5 miles and the 25 minutes took me a bit farther, but I did it! I even ran an extra 30 seconds or so to make it to one end of the track. Boo ya, 25 minute run!
I am so excited about this. YAY!!!!!!!!!! Soooo... what is the secret? Eating a fatty sandwich and fries and getting 15 hours of sleep? Um, yeah, that's not gonna happen every time. So, I'll just have to do my best. My next run will be Monday; hopefully I can repeat this and then I'll consider my next move. Should I move on to week 8 then? I don't know. We'll see.
I did not feel 100% today, but both my respiratory system and my stomach were feeling better. So after spending the day laying around my parent's house and eating an "Italian Turkey" with fries -- it's like an Italian beef, but with turkey, and if you don't live in Chicago you probably don't know what that means, except Boulos might know, but I can assure you it is NOT a healthy meal -- I decided I needed to run around 9 p.m. I was getting sleepy and lazy again and really just wanted to fall into bed, but I did not want to get too off course with this and I knew I needed to get back out there.
I set out pretty certain I would be okay with a two-break run. I had no confidence that I might make a full 25 minutes. I'd taken more days off than I had in a long time, and I was certain that my less than stellar physical condition would make tonight's run super difficult.
However, I think the key here was that I paced myself much better today. I started out running slowly because I didn't want to push myself too hard today. And after awhile I felt like, hey, I think I can run for longer than I thought. After five or so minutes, I was thinking, um maybe I can do the whole 25? And that encouraged me to focus on not running too fast. I still made it around the track over 4 times (that is over 2.5 miles), so my pacing was just about right on. The last minute was tough, because I figured I'd end at just 2.5 miles and the 25 minutes took me a bit farther, but I did it! I even ran an extra 30 seconds or so to make it to one end of the track. Boo ya, 25 minute run!
I am so excited about this. YAY!!!!!!!!!! Soooo... what is the secret? Eating a fatty sandwich and fries and getting 15 hours of sleep? Um, yeah, that's not gonna happen every time. So, I'll just have to do my best. My next run will be Monday; hopefully I can repeat this and then I'll consider my next move. Should I move on to week 8 then? I don't know. We'll see.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Back in the saddle!
So, I went from no blogs in over two weeks to two in one day! I had to report that I did finally get back to the program, and I feel sooo good about it! I decided in order to avoid injury after my long hiatus, I should head back down a notch, and I think it was a great idea. Week 3 is seriously my favorite, and I think that I might just re-do it before I head back to my dreaded week 4.
Two bonehead things I did in my return:
1) I did my entire warm up walk AND my first 90 second run at a 2% incline! This may not seem like a lot, but considering I like a 0 to at the MOST a 1%, this was crazy! I realized later, but was proud that I had even been able to do that. It made me realize that to increase endurance and calorie burn, I really should keep it to at least a 0.5%, which is also supposed to make outdoor running easier.
2) When I got to the cool down, I was already thinking about what I'd write in our blog. How I wish I could somehow take a snapshot of the feeling I get after a good workout, and how I can't believe I stayed away so long from something that seemed so easy! Then, I heard Carli say "Ok, great job on your last three minute jog!" which made me feel simultaneously confused and annoyed! My immediately pre-hiatus self would have thought this was meant to be, and would have just kept on walking, but I felt cheated! I not only felt I'd be cheating myself, but you guys as well, so I did a three minute run and then extended the cool down. I think that the silliest part about this, was while walking when I should have been running, I was thinking, Carli should have made this song play while running, it's so upbeat! Haha, duh...
So, there you go, I'm back! I'm so happy to have finally gotten myself together, and it's really amazing how healthy actions can take on a snowball effect. I started counting points again this week, followed by packing all food for the work day, and now I am back to the program! I have plans to head back to yoga for the first time in over a month, and I can't wait. Thanks for sticking with me ladies, you're the best, and I couldn't do it without your continued support and motivation! Yay!
Two bonehead things I did in my return:
1) I did my entire warm up walk AND my first 90 second run at a 2% incline! This may not seem like a lot, but considering I like a 0 to at the MOST a 1%, this was crazy! I realized later, but was proud that I had even been able to do that. It made me realize that to increase endurance and calorie burn, I really should keep it to at least a 0.5%, which is also supposed to make outdoor running easier.
2) When I got to the cool down, I was already thinking about what I'd write in our blog. How I wish I could somehow take a snapshot of the feeling I get after a good workout, and how I can't believe I stayed away so long from something that seemed so easy! Then, I heard Carli say "Ok, great job on your last three minute jog!" which made me feel simultaneously confused and annoyed! My immediately pre-hiatus self would have thought this was meant to be, and would have just kept on walking, but I felt cheated! I not only felt I'd be cheating myself, but you guys as well, so I did a three minute run and then extended the cool down. I think that the silliest part about this, was while walking when I should have been running, I was thinking, Carli should have made this song play while running, it's so upbeat! Haha, duh...
So, there you go, I'm back! I'm so happy to have finally gotten myself together, and it's really amazing how healthy actions can take on a snowball effect. I started counting points again this week, followed by packing all food for the work day, and now I am back to the program! I have plans to head back to yoga for the first time in over a month, and I can't wait. Thanks for sticking with me ladies, you're the best, and I couldn't do it without your continued support and motivation! Yay!
Owning Up...
Hello all! As you may have noticed (or since I'm assuming we have more than like two faithful readers, you may not have), I have been conspicuously absent for nearly three weeks, and it's time to f-ing get myself together and get back to it!
Originally, my hiatus was mostly a mental one, since I kept psyching myself out during my repeats of week 4. I don't know if it's fear of failure, or success, or the resposibility I feel because of this blog, but I just was not in a good mindset to continue! So, I decided to take a week off, re-group, and head back out with a vengence. One week would have been ideal, but alas, that's not how it went down. Last Monday, I literally got dressed for the gym, sat down for my pre-workout snack, and then... didn't go. The RIDICULOUS amount of rationalization I was going through cannot even be explained. There was no reason for me to stay home, except for the fact that I was LAZY. I did read a post on the C25K facebook page about getting back to working out, and some people had stopped in the middle for MONTHS or longer, so this made me feel pretty good about myself! I then had all these plans during the week, and I didn't make running a priority, so I continued to skip it.
The worst part was that I didn't even want to log into the blog, because the guilt was overwhelming! I know it's self induced, but I felt so terrible that I'd started this whole thing with all the excitement in the world, and then ended up with one injured friend, and another who, under other cirucumstances, sounds like she should've been training for the Olympics since birth!
So, here I am owning up to my absence, and making it right! Last night I REALLY did plan on going, and NJ Tranist thwarted my attempts! I MUCH rather would have attempted a triumphant return to the treadmill, rather than being stuck in Port Authority, but it was not in the cards. So, tonight I have my workout gear ready to go. The boyf & I already decided our dinner menu, and I've even started couting points again this week! Although I might have to even repeat a week 3 workout to help me get back on the horse, I don't care! Getting back to it is my number one goal for now. Progress will eventually follow.
Sorry for abandoning you out here for so long, Amanda, I won't let it happen again!!!
Originally, my hiatus was mostly a mental one, since I kept psyching myself out during my repeats of week 4. I don't know if it's fear of failure, or success, or the resposibility I feel because of this blog, but I just was not in a good mindset to continue! So, I decided to take a week off, re-group, and head back out with a vengence. One week would have been ideal, but alas, that's not how it went down. Last Monday, I literally got dressed for the gym, sat down for my pre-workout snack, and then... didn't go. The RIDICULOUS amount of rationalization I was going through cannot even be explained. There was no reason for me to stay home, except for the fact that I was LAZY. I did read a post on the C25K facebook page about getting back to working out, and some people had stopped in the middle for MONTHS or longer, so this made me feel pretty good about myself! I then had all these plans during the week, and I didn't make running a priority, so I continued to skip it.
The worst part was that I didn't even want to log into the blog, because the guilt was overwhelming! I know it's self induced, but I felt so terrible that I'd started this whole thing with all the excitement in the world, and then ended up with one injured friend, and another who, under other cirucumstances, sounds like she should've been training for the Olympics since birth!
So, here I am owning up to my absence, and making it right! Last night I REALLY did plan on going, and NJ Tranist thwarted my attempts! I MUCH rather would have attempted a triumphant return to the treadmill, rather than being stuck in Port Authority, but it was not in the cards. So, tonight I have my workout gear ready to go. The boyf & I already decided our dinner menu, and I've even started couting points again this week! Although I might have to even repeat a week 3 workout to help me get back on the horse, I don't care! Getting back to it is my number one goal for now. Progress will eventually follow.
Sorry for abandoning you out here for so long, Amanda, I won't let it happen again!!!
Damn You, Elusive 25 Minute Run!
Okay, I'm actually not that angry. Today's failure was to be expected. As of yesterday, I felt as though I was getting over this cold. However, this morning I woke up unable to breathe through my nose. It sucks, and it's hard to run when the nose breathing isn't that great. I should go back in time and tell my Sunday self to stop ordering shots of "the cheapest whiskey you have" (actual quote), suggest NOT staying out until 2 a.m., and grab those two cigarettes out of my mouth and crush them beneath my heel. Alas, I am pretty sure I know why the cold is not retreating/why breathing even under normal conditions is kind of an issue right now.
Today was probably my poorest showing in awhile -- I had to take two breaks and each lasted a song, both songs just over three minutes long (I ran to another mix I made for myself -- btw "The Modern Leper" by Frightened Rabbit and "Not Even Jail" by Interpol are great running songs). But you know, what are you going to do when you can't breathe? Not much. I still managed to cover about 2.5 miles in about 25 minutes and 30 seconds. My next run will be either Thursday or Friday (I have tentative plans for Thursday so if I don't feel great, I think I'll move to Friday). Let's see if I can get through the 25 minute run by Sunday at latest!
Today was probably my poorest showing in awhile -- I had to take two breaks and each lasted a song, both songs just over three minutes long (I ran to another mix I made for myself -- btw "The Modern Leper" by Frightened Rabbit and "Not Even Jail" by Interpol are great running songs). But you know, what are you going to do when you can't breathe? Not much. I still managed to cover about 2.5 miles in about 25 minutes and 30 seconds. My next run will be either Thursday or Friday (I have tentative plans for Thursday so if I don't feel great, I think I'll move to Friday). Let's see if I can get through the 25 minute run by Sunday at latest!
Monday, February 1, 2010
Week 7 Keeps Going
I managed to quickly cram in a run yesterday even though I didn't wake up until 5 p.m. and had a show to get to by 7:30. Still couldn't do a full 25 minutes. I took a break about 2/3 of the way through, which I think is a little better, as it was a bit later in the run. I again ran to my own playlist, and I have to say it is a good one. Garbage, Sarah McLachlan remixed, Florence and the Machine... it's a lady-centric mix and it's great.
So, still planning on repeating week 7 again this week. Maybe, at this rate, I'll finish up right around St. Patrick's Day. I think there is a 5k here that weekend, perhaps I'll sign up for it.
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