Discontinuing...

I am discontinuing this blog... I have been writing two blogs for a while now, and decided to just merge the two together.  I ask that you please keep following me - over at my new blog.  http://www.knivesup.blogspot.com/.

Thanks!

My first early morning run

Tuesday - 6/21/11

Out and back through town

2 miles / 29 minutes

Went for a short run this morning.  This week, I started a new work schedule, giving me some extra time in the morning to work out.  Hopefully, it will allow me to be more consistent.

The run wasn’t too bad, just a quick out and back.  Did about two miles, in about 29 minutes.  Felt a little tight when I started, and loosened up as it went along, but there was some pain in my right ankle and calf muscle, but nothing too bad.  I tried to keep my heart rate in the monitor’s preprogrammed “zone”, which was between 127-143.  When I went over, I would walk, when I hit the lower end, I would start running again, which equated to about 2-3 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking.  Not sure if this was productive or not, but it seemed to work for me.

Since I was scheduled on the medic unit last night, I haven’t had a chance to set up my Garmin yet, but I plan to take care of that task tonight, and will hopefully be up for using it quickly.  I do want to do a few tests to see if the heart rate monitor and maybe the calorie burn figures are similar to the Polar HR monitor I’ve been using, just to see how things compare.  Really hoping this device will entice me to get out of bed more often than I have been!

Weekend in the Battlefields

Friday was one of the most exciting days I’ve had in a long time!  First, my parents were in town (granted, they came Wednesday, but mom wouldn’t let me take vacation, so Friday signified “the weekend with them”).  Second, my Garmin 310XT arrived!!!

Now, disclaimer time.  Even though it arrived on Friday, I knew I wouldn’t get to use it until after the weekend.  It would take time to get set up, time to get used to it, and I knew I would want to spend every second with the ‘rents.  I was ok with that…

Last night, when I got back to my apartment (and got laundry started…) I sat down and opened the box.  Even without a monitor on, I could feel my heart rate increasing…



My new Garmin 310XT, sans the baggies...

First, why do companies have to package every single little piece in it’s own plastic baggie?  What happened to putting all the pieces in cutout cardboard, with little twist ties?  So much easier.

The monitor was, as expected, a dead battery.  So it charged overnight.  Can’t wait to use it, although because I am riding the medic unit tonight, I doubt I will get to use it until tomorrow.  I will definitely spend part of my medic shift setting it up, though.

Now, for workouts… I haven’t been logging all of my workouts.  When I started this blog, I figured it would be a “running” blog, but I have been doing a LOT of walking, and while I have kept track of it, I haven’t always logged it here.  I probably won’t start, either, but felt it was worth mentioning, since I haven’t done a ton of running, either.  But I did run this Saturday, so…

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Run through part of Gettysburg Battlefield

3.74 miles / 55 min.

Back at it...

Oops, I forgot to report on my latest run.  First off, apologies.  I took off about 6 weeks, to let my legs heal.  I ended up deferring my Frederick 5k race until next year, and literally did not run at all for 6 weeks.  I walked a lot, though – not that it’s the same.

So for my first run, I knew I had to take it easy.  I planned to just do a 2 mile out and back (1 mile each way), walking as needed, but when I started, I decided to revise that.  I was really good about limiting how much I actually ran, and certainly how hard I ran, but I did a 4.7 mile loop.  I ran more at the beginning, and walked a bunch at the end, but I finished feeling great, and even the next day, didn't have much in the way of soreness, so I call that a win.  My stats for the run:  Monday evening, April 23, 2011 - warm and humid, 4.7 miles, 1hr 13 minutes, with an average heart rate of 138, which felt good to me.  I have to admit, my HR didn't seem to be the issue, as I thought it would be, but rather my lungs were the limiting factor.  Obviously, walking was not the cardio exercise I needed to maintain my lung strength.  But for a first run, I was pleased.

And then the bad news...

Three days later, I was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection, bringing with it a nice painful cough.  So no running since then.  Joy.

I am revising my training plans a bit.  Starting this weekend (assuming I can breathe without coughing by then...) I am going to start a slow run/walk program to get me back to speed again, and while doing that, I'm going to also do the Insanity DVD program.  It's a three month program that is aimed at cardiovascular health and weight loss, and I am hoping that the combination of the DVDs and the running will get me healthy and prepared for the marathon.  I believe the Marine Corps training program starts at the end of June, so I need to be semi-ready for that.

I am also making some life changes.  I am going to change my work hours, so that I better utilize what little free time I have.  By moving my hours back one hour, I should be able to get up and run in the morning before work, without having to get up any earlier.  It will also eliminate wasted time after work, as most of my evening activities begin later and the time between was wasted watching tv or surfing the net.  Either way, we'll see how this works...

More to follow...

Irish Sprint 10K

Irish Spring 10K

March 26, 2011

Quantico Marine Corps Base

Quantico, Virginia

Well, that's over. It wasn't as bad as I had expected, but it wasn't great, either. But, I finished, chip time of 1:18:34. Placed 667 out of 714. I know I could've done better (aka, less walking...) but for the amount I trained (or didn't train...) I can't complain too much.

I chose to not run with my cell, aka GPS. Really wish I had, but oh well. I think I dressed a bit warm for the day, but at the time, I was freezing - it warmed up a decent amount during the run, so I guess that couldn't be helped. And it wasn't like I sweated buckets or anything - just had to pop my hat off a few times when the wind wasn't blowing.

The race started out ok - a big group of people running around a track. Hill #1 was getting out of the stadium. Lots of people were half-heartedly complaining that the first hill shouldn't be so early, and I agree. I ran a decent pace for the first mile, mostly because there was a wall of people in front of me preventing me from running off too quickly. I took my first walk break then, with a nice young lady who had a stitch. We chatted for a bit, and then jogged up Hill #2, a bridge, right after the first mile marker. One of those nasty bridges that if you go off too fast with your car, you're going airborne. Nice. She gave up about half way up and walked some more - I think the stitch was still bothering her - and I kept going. She passed me later on and looked like she finished strong.

From mile marker 1 to mile marker 2, we ran through the Air Station, which was awesome. It was right on the water, so there was a bit more breeze, but there were big helicopters taking off, and one big jet that took off and scared everyone. It was a nice diversion. HIll #3 came just before the water station, a long slow hill that wound through what looked like dorms. I ran and walked as needed. My legs hurt for a while, especially my right outer shin, but it was more of a burning than a hurt. I'm not real sure when it went away, but somewhere around mile marker 4 or so I realized it wasn't hurting anymore. Interesting change... About mile 2.5 was the first water station...a welcome sight, but I inhaled a bit of water and coughed some, which bothered me for awhile.

Mile 3 to mile 4 was flat, and boring, going through part of the base that looked like housing or offices... not much to look at. Right around mile 4 was a Pipe and Drum Corps, playing 'O Danny Boy'. They were great. As this was near the stadium, there was some bystanders along the road, cheering everyone on. This helped some.

Just after mile 4 was the second water station... I made sure to drink slowly, and tried to not take as big of drinks. It worked. And then began the death march... hill #4. It lasted from the water station to just before mile marker 5 - a long, slow uphill, through the woods (no wind...) with nothing to act as a distraction. The road was divided in two with cones - we ran up, did a u-turn, and ran down. So the entire run up, there's runners coming back down. I have to say, the most demoralizing sight is watching an eleven year old go sprinting down the hill while I am laboring to walk up it... definitely not a great motivator. But I made it to the top, did the u-turn and was able to coast most of the way back down the hill. Passing mile marker 5 was probably the biggest motivation - one mile left!

As we came back down the hill, you start to hear the noise from the stadium. The road wraps around the stadium bowl, and we would get occasional glimpses into it. The entire time, we could hear the music playing and the announcers calling out the names and times as people passed the finish line.

Rounding the corner to head down into the stadium, the Pipe and Drum Corps had moved so they were right there, and were playing another Irish tune. Running out onto the track was an odd feeling - all of the racers who had finished, and lots of spectators, were lining the track, cheering people on. We ran straight down the long end of the track, then circled around to the finish line - backwards from most track directions. This was weird, too, because I didn't get a good sight of the finish line until I was about fifty feet away from it. But I saw the clock there, and knew that I had met my goal of an hour and twenty minutes. I ran through the finish with a smile on my face - I'm pretty sure I was too tired to raise my arms in the air. I collected my coin (not a finishers medal, but a challenge coin...) and wandered over to the refreshments table.

After passing through the finishers tent, I mad sure to walk around for a bit, then stretched out some to make sure I didn't cramp up, Then I got my "door prize" - a sunglasses holder - and got in line for a massage. It was cool to talk to some of the other finishers, to feel part of the group, although it was a bit anti-climatic for me, not having anyone there cheering me on. After my massage, I made my way back to my car alone... most of the stadium had cleared out, the Marines were taking down the tents, and it felt as if I had missed the party or something.

It was a long two hour drive home, with lots of different thought processes going on. Happy I finished. Upset I hadn't trained better. Disappointed that I had to walk as much as I did. Content that I actually accomplished my goal, but discontent knowing I could have beaten it by a lot more if I had trained better.

I am still not sure I consider myself a runner, since I am pretty sure I did more walking than running. And now that I am home, my calf muscles are sore, my knees are stiff, and even though six miles is a lot for some, in runner's circles, it's really not that long of a distance, so I don't quite feel like I have much to brag about. We'll see how things progress in the future though...

But all in all, I finished, I met my goal of 1:20, and I didn't die... so 'SUCCESS' !!!

Do or die time...

Praying I don't die.

Well, there's not much time left now... tomorrow, I drive down to pick up my race pack. I plan to walk or drive the race course, if I can, just so I have a bit of knowledge of where I will be running. After that, I am planning to stop by the National Marathon's race expo, in DC. Hey, it's on the way home, anyways... :-)

Not sure how I feel. Not great, for sure, but not certain if it'll be good or bad. I have been taking it easy, so my legs should be rested. But I fear the pain... it almost seems inevitable at this point, though. I know I will finish, I just don't know how much walking there will be... and how fast I'll be moving the next day.

More to follow... (unless I die...)

Anyone have a towel?

Yeah, thinking I have wasted a couple hundred bucks...

Went for a short run after work this afternoon, before I have to go to the station for my duty shift. Planned to do a quick 2 mile out and back... needless to say, it was a wreck. Within the first mile, I had shin and ankle pain... not as painful as it has been in the past, but still painful enough to make me walk... and it never went away. Starting to think the shin splints are more like stress fractures...

I am supposed to run the Irish Spring 10k next weekend - 9 days away. How in the world am I going to go 6.2 miles if I cannot even go 2 miles at an easy pace.

And I will not even begin to talk about the marathon in October... like I said, I think the marathon entry fee was wasted money...

3.5 Weeks to the Race

(3/1/11)
Random route through town
2.93 miles / 45 min

I’m not sure why, but I have an aversion to running during daylight. I can’t explain it, it doesn’t make sense, but it’s there. Today proved it. It was absolutely beautiful today – in the mid 60s, sunny, little wind. Tons of people took advantage of it. Not me, though. I sat at home, read a magazine, ate dinner, watched tv. Then at 9pm, I got up, changed, and headed out the door. It was cooler, windier… but empty streets. Not sure what that’s all about.

The run was ok overall. Started out a little stiff, but I tried to stay slow. I did concentrate on the form focuses from the seminar, and that seemed to help some. In the middle, I felt great – I was able to run nearly all of one of the roads on my route that I normally only run half of it or so. But I think maybe that overdid it and suffered for it at the end. My ankles had this weird feeling in them – not pain, really, but a feeling like I needed to ‘pop’ them or something. And shins felt ok, so that was good. Surprisingly, my heart rate was fine throughout the whole run. My legs were the weak point today.

I’ve decided I need to get a different GPS. I’ve been using my phone, but there’s not way to set intervals on it, etc. so it combines everything together. So when I start with an 8-minute walk, to warm up, it averages that pace into the whole run pace. At the end of this workout, it says I had a 17:23 min/mile average pace. Yeah, not. I figure I walked for a good portion, and I know I stopped a time or two to stretch my ankles a little, but there’s no way that’s my overall running average pace. So I need to find a different way of tracking that…

I am still feeling frustrated that I can’t run farther without having to walk. I don’t care about the speed aspect of things, but I really want to be able to run for a long time without having to stop. And I know this would all be a bit easier if I had a training partner, but I wouldn’t even know who to ask. So for now, I trudge on solo.

Bite the Bullet!

(2/23/11)
I had a mental relapse yesterday… I bit the proverbial bullet and registered for the Marine Corp Marathon, scheduled for October 30, 2011.

I had filled out the online registration form and was hovering over the “submit” button, and second guessed myself, so I canceled out. About twenty minutes later, I tried to do it again, but the website was experiencing heavy traffic and I could not get through. But that worked out in my favor – a coworker, Jeff, came back from his lunchtime run and I was able to bounce the marathon off of him, asking if I was being unrealistic or setting my goals too highly. He encouraged me to do it, stating that October would give me more than enough time to build up the mileage. So in the last ten minutes of the lunch hour, I logged back in, got into the website, and registered. I clicked the ‘submit’ button quickly, before I could think about what I was doing. Of course, then I spent the rest of the afternoon in a near-panic at the mere thought of what I had just committed to!

If nothing else, I can always defer the registration to next year if I have to…

The more this sinks in, though, the more I get this urge to go out and buy a complete new set of running gear – new shoes, new pants, new shorts, new shirts, all in bright colors, and made of some fancy, hard to pronounce material. But alas, my checkbook keeps that dream at bay!

Week 6 – Tuesday (Strike 3?)

(2/22/11)
(Random route through town)
44 min. / 2.4 miles

Well, tonight was another BAD workout. Nearly immediately, I felt pain in both ankles and shins. I thought I would warm up and relax a bit, but it just never happened. Ultimately, I ended up cutting my run short, doing a 180, and heading home, walking most of the way. Walking gave me time to evaluate a bit: I know I felt extremely rushed before the workout, like I was racing against an imaginary clock to get out and run before some arbitrary time limit. And at the beginning of the run, I had a lot of distractions, too – my iPod kept coming unplugged, my HR monitor stopped instead of starting, and my cell (which I carry for the GPS function…) was just an overall pain, mostly because of its size. And finally, the weather was a contributing factor, I think. It was in the low 20s, I changed what clothing I was wearing so I was constantly chilled instead of warming as I went along, and due to the storm yesterday, there was still areas where ice and slush were in my path, which I recognized was making me tense up as I tried to avoid falling on my oversized ass. From all of this, I know I was not in the correct mindset before the run even started, which I know was a big part of the negativity. For me, it is nearly all mental – especially when there is pain involved.

The huge let down for me was the timing of it. After the ChiRunning workshop on Sunday, I was really looking forward to having a good run, to put some of what I learned to work. And while I was able to do that to a small degree, by then the damage had already been done. I think I need to spend some dedicated time to just working on the form focus points, not worrying about the distance or timing, but just concentrating on correct form. I really wish I either had a treadmill, or that the high school track was clear for running – but it is still covered in snow. Actually, I really wish I had access to a high school gym… then I would have the space to do the exercises, sprints, and stretching that I do not really have room for now. The second aspect of timing – and perhaps the most damaging aspect - is that the Marine Corp Marathon opens for registration tomorrow at noon. Had this been a good workout, I would sign up with the confidence that I could train through the next 8 months and make it through in grand fashion. But because it was such a negative workout, I am now having HUGE second thoughts about whether I am cut out to be a runner, whether I can actually get motivated enough to train for a marathon, and whether I am just dreaming of a goal that is not really within my reach.

Something tells me that tonight is going to be a very long night…

Clothing rant

(2/21/11)
I was out running some errands today, and stopped in at the local Big Box sporting goods store to look at what they had in running clothes. What a disappointment.

First off, they are a HUGE Nike supporter. Not that I am truly “against” Nike, but I have always heard that they employ children in their workshops and such, and would like to avoid that… hard to do when they are the only thing around, I know, but still.

Secondly, and I have noticed this at dedicated running stores, too, it seems all running clothing is sized for either really big people or really small people. I am 6'-4", 240 pounds. Not small, by ANY stretch of the imagination, but I only wear a 40" waist with freakin' long-ass legs. But by the time I get a pair of pants that fit my legs, I could act as a second sail for an America's Cup sailboat just by stretching the top of the pants out! Stupid. Same with shirts, too - by the time I get a shirt that fits my shoulders, it's a blimp at the waist.

Sad, really. I walked out without buying anything. That is a good thing, I know, but still, it would be nice if I could at least ATTEMPT to look like a runner...

ah-HAH!

I know I've been lax in my writing, and most of that was because I wasn't feeling motivated to actually run. In truth, I think I was avoiding it. But that changes now...

Sunday, I attended a ChiRunning half-day workshop in D.C. UH-MAZE-ing! I learned so much about what I was doing wrong, and how to correct it. In just four short hours, instructor Lloyd Henry from On Point Fitness worked his magic and had most of the class running gracefully, pain-free, and naturally! It was the best course I've taken for sheer "ah-hah" moments.

I know I need to maintain the running form focuses, and I need to work on getting my endurance up. But I am completely motivated to keep this going. Of course, it doesn't help that tonight we're expecting somewhere around 6-8" of snow... but hopefully I can get my run in before it starts.

Garmin Demo... and local stores rant.

(2/9/11)

I stopped at the local running store tonight, mostly to grab a few gel and try to motivate myself some. I was looking at the case of GPS watches, and one of the workers informed me that the Garmin rep was actually going to be there doing a demonstration… in an hour! So I ran out, grabbed something quick to eat (oops!), and was back there to hear the schpeal. I will admit, I already had my mind made up to which one I wanted… but after listening to him talk, now I’m not so sure. I really liked one of the lesser models, for the more “everyday” stuff. I could see me wearing it as a watch, and monitoring my heart rate as the day went on, etc. But for running, I’m not convinced it would do what I want it to do. The one I really didn’t like at the start, but found myself leaning towards at the end, was the massive 310XT. This watch can do everything except fly the space shuttle! I really liked some of the functionality of it, the ease of use, and it was the only watch with a vibration alarm – something I am EXTREMELY interested in! So now I’m not sure what I want. I guess my big holdup is that I don’t think of myself as a runner, so I’m having a hard time justifying the cost of this beast.

On a side note (see the ‘oops’ above), I was limited for time and availability, so I had a burger from BK. I know this goes against my no fast food rule for the month, but there wasn’t much other option. And I didn’t go all out like I normally would’ve. So sue me…

I do need to mention, though, that I was extremely disappointed with this local store. I know I am bigger than most runners - 6'-4", about 240# - but they had ZERO clothing options for me. Not even their stupid-design t-shirt. Nothing was over an XL... my shoulders require a XXL. Nothing anywhere near my length for pants, nothing in my waist size. I can buy shoes, socks, and hats from them, and that's about it. I am trying to be a "support local stores" type of person, but when your local store doesn't support YOU, why the hell should I?! I think it's pathetic. And no, I did not ask the employees if they could order anything - ultimately, if I need to order it to get it, there's no use doing it from the store. I can go to a different, non-local store and get it much faster. This weekend, I plan to visit two or three other stores - all over an hour away, but if they have what I fit in, well-worth it. Ok, rant over...

Week 4 - Monday (Decent day)

(2/7/11) - 17:15
(Random route through town)
Plan:
Slow and easy... NO PAIN PLEASE!
Actual:
Very slow, a little discomfort, but all in all, ok.

45 min. / 3.15 miles / random intervals, as needed

Avg pace of 14:03 (12:15 running pace, 20ish walking pace)

So today wasn't too bad. I didn't bring the interval timer. I just strapped on my iPod, and headed into the misty road. Running (ok, more like slow jogging...) in the rain and the music in my ears sure helped to distract me. I had a little bit of discomfort in my shins and ankles, but for the most part, no big problems. I did notice a bit of discomfort in my chest - more of a sharp pain than anything else, but I am "watching" it... if it doesn't get better soon, I will head to the station and check myself on the Lifepak.

The biggest change for me was that I did "as needed" intervals. If I felt winded, I walked, if I felt pain getting bad, I walked. When the pain felt relaxed, or when my heart rate came back down, I started jogging again. It seemed to work pretty good, too, so I think I may just keep doing that instead of trying to follow some set plan.

Feeling lazy...

So it's been a week since I've run, and I've only walked once or twice in the mean time, and I have to admit, I'm kinda liking NOT running. But there is a big part of me that feels like a bum, too. Oh, the contradictions... I think my biggest issue is that I have no accountability. My sister asks how my running is going, but that's only once or twice a month. I don't have any friends that are interested and knowledgeable enough about running to keep me accountable on a day to day, week to week, level, a byproduct of simply not having many friends. And the lack of encouragement, accountability, and motivation really bugs me. There are people in the office that run - some at more
advanced levels, some at a more intermediate level - and I know that I am the "beginner" - but it drives home that I am an outsider here in the office, and here in the sport of running, as I often am everywhere. Once again, this goal is going to be something that I have to accomplish on my own, and to be completely honest here, I don't know that I am
strong enough to even approach the goal, let alone accomplish it. Something has to give, and I am afraid of what that might be...

On a different note, I have fallen in love. Wheat Things Sundried Tomato and Basil crackers ARE AWESOME! Holy crap. I had to force myself to put the box away, they just have an addictive flavor to them that if I don't pay attention, the whole box would be gone! Wow. Seriously, try them...

Week 3 - Monday (Failure #2 - Time to Regroup)

(1/31/11) - 17:10
(Station Treadmill)
Plan:
10 min run / 2 min walk (x4)
Actual:
10 min warm up 10 min run / 2 min walk / 5 min run 8 min cool down

So I ended up taking most of last week off. Bad mistake. My leg hurt. It wasn't convenient. I had other things to do. A snow storm hit. Yadda yadda yadda. And when you have nobody to hold you accountable, and nobody but me to enforce anything, it's real easy to just say "tomorrow."

Tonight's run was dismal. I warmed up extra long, again. Felt ok. Tried to keep it loose and slow. The first 10 minutes wasn't too bad, but I could feel the beginning of some pain. Walked for the 2 minutes, and started running again, and almost immediately felt tight. And nothing I did would relieve it. The pain just got worse and worse, and since my heart wasn't in it, I walked for a bit and called it quits. Failure #2.

I got home and did my first ice bath - who the HECK thought of an insane idea like that?!? Oh my LORD. The first 2 minutes were the worst torture of my life... but it gradually got better, as I numbed up. Afterwards, I felt better almost immediately - although now, two hours later, I can still feel some of the soreness. Hopefully, tomorrow isn't too bad though.

So I think I need to regroup. I am going to continue running, and I am going to try my hardest to maintain a more consistent schedule with it. The next time I run, I'm going to set the interval timer for a 5 / 1 interval, and just let it go... perhaps the 10 minutes is what is hurting me. I'll work my way back up from there, and see if what I need is a stronger base. I'm also going to start stretching and strengthening on my off days. Stronger muscles don't tire as easily.

For now, I'm enjoying my last fast food for a while - topped off with a Wendy's Frosty. Yum.

Health, Food, and Companionship

I’ve been listening to a lot of new podcasts lately. A coworker, who is an avid runner, gave me a short list of running podcasts, and I’ve been working my way through some of them…and one thing has become very apparent to me – running MUST be more enjoyable when you run with someone. All of these podcasts are two or more people, running together, or training together, etc. And they all seem like they’re having a great time. They’re laughing and telling stories and just having a great time. But I run solo. On a treadmill. And I hate it. But at my current level of conditioning, I don’t know anyone who is going to “walk” with me… I’m not real certain how to overcome this one.

I’ve also decided that I am going to start eating healthier. So, Food Goal #1 – No fast food for February. EEK!! A little worried about that one, since fast food is so convenient when I am busy. But, I know it’s not good for me, and avoiding it will help me to lose some weight (which will help my running…) so let’s see how I do. It also means I need to start shopping more regularly for groceries. Right now, I’m not sure I have anything healthy to eat in my apartment… good thing it’s almost the weekend.

I’m a little worried about tonight’s training session. It’s supposed to be another 10 min run / 2 min walk (x4) which was so painful on Tuesday. My legs still feel a bit sore, and I’ve been trying to stretch out my calves more, but let’s face it – the world wasn’t created in two days. So we’ll see how it goes…

Week 2 - Tuesday (Failure #1)

(1/25/11) - 17:45
(Station Treadmill)
Plan:
10 min run / 2 min walk (x4)
Actual:
10 min warm up 10 min run / 2 min walk / 5 min run 8 min cool down

I started the workout feeling a little tight… so I warmed up a little longer than normal. I started off feeling ok, concentrating on my form focuses. The first 10 minutes felt ok, but I could still sense my legs weren’t relaxing. After the initial two minute walk, I wasn’t as rested as I normally feel after a walk break, but was hoping it would work itself out. Nope. Five minutes into my next run, I had such severe pain in my shins that I had to walk. I walked for a good five minutes more, and felt the pain go way down, so I tried to run again. Nope. Thirty seconds later, I was almost in tears. So I walked for about ten minutes and called it quits. Failure #1.

I know I need to start doing more stretches and strength training on my off days. I looked up a few exercised on the Runner’s World website… so we’ll see if that helps. But my motivation and, more importantly, my confidence in this endeavor has been shattered. I am having some serious doubts as to whether I will be able to run 10K in 9 weeks, when I can’t run more than ten minutes at a time…

Week 1 - Saturday

(1/22/11) - 17:50

(Station Treadmill)

6 minute warm up

10 minute run / 1 minute walk (x4)

8 minute cool down

I took off an additional day, to give my ankle and calf time to do whatever it is they do... but not so certain it worked. I ran the first 10 minute with no problem, walked the minute, but then got winded halfway through the second run. I ad libbed a bit from there on out...

Lesson learned: Don't run unchecked when you are upset... the steam tends to make you go too fast for your own good.

I noticed during the second run that my right ankle was going numb... and when it does, I lose control of my foot, slamming my foot down and not able to run with proper form. I'm starting to wonder if I tie my shoes too tight or something. I'm going to need to strengthen those muscles, I think.

Also, there were far too many distractions while I was running... people kept coming up and wanting to talk. Um, hello, fat boy on a treadmill. Leave me the hell alone...

Overall, it wasn't a completely demoralizing workout... but it still leaves room for improvement.

Week 1 - Wednesday

(1/19/10) - 16:40
(Station treadmill)
6 minute warm up
5 min run / 1 min walk (x5)
15 minute cool down

Apparently my first day’s run was the warm up, because last night’s run hurt. Bad. My right ankle started to burn, radiating up my shin. It didn’t feel like the shin pain I’ve had in the past though – this was more burning sensation than anything. And within half an hour of stopping, the pain had gone away. I am guessing I rushed my warm up and stretching, and that was my body’s way of telling me so. I actually had to take a couple breaks to stretch out my calf muscle, although it really didn’t help much.

Oh, and I think I broke the station’s treadmill – it not makes a horrendous squeaking noise, making it all but unusable. Great…

A coworker, who is an exercise fanatic, set a goal for 1 million exercise heartbeats this year. He cracks me up sometimes. He’s using simple math – his average heart rate and the length of his workout, and keeping track of the number. Out of shear curiosity, I figured mine out – for just this week, my heart has beat 12,951 times while exercising. Not bad for just two short workouts. Not sure if I will keep track of that number or not (most likely, not…) but it’s something interesting. I just want to run my 10k without dying.

Week 1 - Monday

(1/17/10) - 21:20
(Station treadmill)
6 minute warm up
5 min run / 1 min walk (x6)
6 minute cool down

Surprisingly, I was able to maintain this for the entire duration. I concentrated on smaller steps, although I did NOT use that wretched metronome. I noticed that towards the end of the workout, I was getting sloppy with my form - going to have to work on that one. But I didn't have any ankle or shin pain... I kept waiting for it, but none came. The stretching exercises I've been doing must be paying off! Maybe it'd work better if I did them more regularly, too. :-)

I did notice a bit of tightness on the outside of my right knee, though. Not sure if I mis-stretched, or if there's something more to it. I will see how it feels in the morning...

For a "first workout", I ended feeling very good about myself... once I get my cardio up, I'm sure things will be better yet.

Deadlines

(1/17/11)

Tomorrow is the 10-week mark to the 10k in March. Crap. I haven’t ran in nearly a month, and I feel it – I am afraid to weigh myself, and I know my cardio levels are way down. This should be interesting... I suppose after work, I will try to go for a run. I think the training program calls for 5 min run / 1 min walk x5. HA. Since I can’t run 2 minutes, it should be a quick workout. Nice knowing you...

Runner's New Year's Resolutions

No, not mine. I don't consider myself a runner yet. But here's what Runner's World has to say about it...

Clicky

Simple explanation:
1. Think like an athlete, not a dieter.
2. Nix late-night snacks.
3. Take notes (aka food journal).
4. Plan ahead.
5. Eat breakfast - every morning.