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!

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.

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.

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!

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.

A REAL 25 minute run with just one break

Okay, I'm really proud of myself today. I had to stay home and take a nap because I have a pretty bad cold -- sore throat, very stuffy nose, etc. I'm having trouble breathing as it is and running seemed so very undoable. I skipped it last night, in fact, due to exhaustion because of this cold , which only got worse today(and also because yesterday was the most frigid day this week). But I did not want to get off schedule when I am already struggling to complete week 7, so after a nap and some soup, I got out there.

It's still pretty cold -- around 15 degrees F. I wore my ninja mask, which I kept on for more than half the run! I think it was actually helping me breathe with this cold. Finally the ninja mask works its magic. Also, I took a tip from someone on Facebook who had commented on another friend's running-in-the-cold-related status and popped in a mentholated cough drop before going out. I feel like this helped my breathing and my general mucusness so much.

I ran to the updated Running Into Shape podcast, which is actually 25 minutes. I was feeling pretty good and then my nose was stuffing up and I decided to take a break to blow my nose, take off the mask, and catch my breath. So just over halfway through the run, I did that. I walked for about two minutes and then resumed the run. I then got a slight cramp just below my ribs on my right side, which I tried to good-breathe away, but pretty much stayed with me the rest of the run. But it was only a minor cramp.

I think I am pacing myself well in terms of the C25K goals! Even with a 2-minute walking break, I made it around the track over four times in the 25 minutes. I believe the track is 5/8 of a mile, so that means I ran just over 2.5 miles, which is the goal for 25 minutes. I have decided I definitely prefer the track because for whatever reason, the pace I set on it seems easier to maintain and I don't get out of breath as easily.

Okay, so my plan is to try and do a full 25 minutes on Sunday if I'm feeling a bit better. I think I'm going to repeat week 7 one more time -- I want to do the 25 minute run at least twice before moving on. But I should still complete the program by the end of February! (Hopefully.)

Getting better...

Well, I've made it over my 3-break hump. At least for a day, let's hope forever.

It is a balmy 42 degrees here, which is really warm. I have no idea how I am going to handle summer because I'm grossly sweaty and red-faced right now. Though I suppose that, in summer, I will not wear sweatpants and a sweatshirt.

The ice is gone! Today was my first run in like a month sans Yak Trax. YAY! I did one lap around the park but the thaw created some really big puddles so it was back to the streets. I can't decide which I like better; I do enjoy the feeling of accomplishment I get by actually traveling in lines and not circles.

So I started and had to pause after one song. Initially this was because I was waiting to cross the street and get out of the park, but that turned into a walk. I'm pretty sure I start out with too fast a pace. Because then I began running again and kind of wanted to quit, but Bad Romance came on (I used another of my own playlists, this one titled "Ladies") and I was like, "Okay I'm going to make it through this song." By the way, that is a song I would highly recommend for your playlist. So I slowed my pace a bit and got through it. Then my next song came on and I thought, "I'll make it halfway through this one." But I got to halfway and challenged myself to run through it. I took my next walking break about 30 seconds into the following song. Both breaks were probably about two minutes, so hey -- I ran about 21 minutes and that is longer than that 20 minute run I was so proud of.

My goal for this coming week is to get down to one break, and maybe do the whole 25 minutes the third run? We'll see!

Okay, so I've hit a plateau here, which won't last forever, but I remembered something I wanted to share: my leg muscles, though often achy, have really gotten awesome! My calves totally rock right now. Additionally, I was wearing a skirt and riding the train and trying to hold my thighs together, you know how you do, so as to not reveal your panties to the world? And I remembered how that used to be super annoying and kind of a struggle, but I did it with ease. I hope that makes sense. I mean, in other words, it's possible that I could crush you with my thigh muscles.

25 Minutes: A Long Time

Week 7 will probably be the week I repeat ad infinitum. Today was day 1 of week 7, but the second time I attempted a 25 minute run -- if you recall, week 6 ended with one. And I "failed" again.

Firstly, let me assure you all that my knee (actually knees -- the right one developed a pretty sweet bruise) are fine. The left one hurt pretty badly every time I sat down or stood up for the past couple of days but felt much better today. So I can't really blame it on that. What I can blame it on, in part, are the cigarettes I continue to smoke occasionally. I had one last night and I don't think they are helping me here.

Still running on sidewalks because the ice on the running path just does not want to melt. I was doing pretty well but about 7 or 8 minutes into the run, I was really getting out of breath. So I walked for a minute or two. I got myself running again, but maybe 18 minutes into the run, I had to slow to a walk again. I walked for a minute or so and was able to run the last 6ish minutes. I tried to push past the end time, and did so for maybe 30 seconds but I developed a cramp in my shoulder/chest area and had to stop.

I felt vomity a few times, there were various cramps threatening, and I just have difficulty taking those deep belly breaths. But I'm working up to this 25 minutes thing and even if it takes me over a week, I'm gonna do it! I am still running the vast majority of the time and I feel good afterwards.

Unfortunately dinner plans with my grandmother mean I won't be able to do the Thursday/Saturday like I wanted, so I will see you on Friday, when I cram in a run before my plans for the night, and then Sunday.

First Failure + First Injury = Finishing Week Six

Well, things couldn't go smoothly forever. Today was my first failed run. I managed to fail twice, too!

First I should set the scene... I wanted to run yesterday because jumping from two 10-minute runs to a full 25 minute run seemed crazy and I wanted to do this with only one day between. However, I had an interview for a teaching fellows thingy from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm and I was exhausted after. I took a nap and then got some tacos and beer. I then went out, drank like a sailor, smoked 2.5 cigarettes and sang karaoke. I believe I fell asleep on my couch around 6 a.m.

So today, despite sleeping until 3, I was kind of hurting. I'm not sure I drank enough water to make up for my hungover dehydration and I was a little headachy. I had to delay my run by a half hour or so because I discovered that my Zune was dead, too. So I was crabby as well.

I left the house with a severe lack of confidence, visited the park with hopes of running there, found that the snow had melted and refrozen into dangerously bumpy ice, and continued on across the park to the sidewalks I've been running on. Most of them are clear but there are a few areas that are just a sheet of ice, so I was wearing my yak trax. About five minutes into the run, another runner was coming at me from the opposite direction and I was checking her out rather than looking at the situation near my feet; my yak trax caught on some irregularity in the sidewalk (there was no ice there) and I completely wiped out. I landed on my left knee and my right hand; luckily my knee was covered by thick fleecy sweatpants and my hand was covered by a thick glove. Nothing hurt too badly so I got up, assured the other runner that I was fine, and continued on. My knee hurt, but I figured it was just bruised.

So that was my first interruption. My second was just about being a baby. I still have trouble regulating my breathing, perhaps due in part to the occasional cigarette, but also because my nose gets stuffy in the cold and my throat gets phlegmy and no matter how much I spit and blow my nose, this hinders me. Plus, I developed a pretty mean headache during this run, possibly due to dehydration. So about 16 minutes in, I had to switch to walking. I walked for about two minutes and somehow motivated myself to begin running again. I tacked on an extra minute at the end (day one of this week lasts 26 minutes so I was easily able to measure this).

The Running Into Shape website indicates that we should be covering approximately 2.5 miles in 25 minutes. With the fall and the 2 minute walk break, I still made about 2.3 miles in 25 minutes, so that's pretty good. Additionally, this coming week is composed of three 25 minute runs. So I'm not going to repeat anything and I pretty much hope to work up to running for 25 minutes straight by the end of the week. I really hope the park clears up soon because I'd like to be able to run in circles and let my mind wander more, plus I'm not a huge fan of the people I encounter on the street.

By the way, I got home to find that my knee was bloody and swollen. It has continued to swell a bit; I now have a rather large bump that I'll be icing. When I told my sister about my knee, she reminded me that I totally fucked up my knee last January, as well. I was running up an escalator after getting up the el and I tripped on my heavy winter boot. My knee slammed into the spiky edge of an escalator stair and was a bloody mess. I think it was the same knee; apparently this is an annual thing. Just like last year, I took pictures. Here they are: