Day Nineteen: Distance Versus Time

The rest of week three went well and again I felt better about the run every day.  My pace was still lacking what I hope for, which hadn't really bothered me until today.

Today was the first day of week 4 of training.  For this week I started to track distance along with time and that added to my anxiety that since my pacing is so slow I probably have not been running the recommended distances.  Even as I carefully mapped out points at which I should walk and run per week four distance recommendations in order to keep up with the plan, keeping track of these points got hard, and I got too caught up in whether I was running the right amount.

I know, I know, I know.  This is all very silly and I shouldn't worry about it, but I really don't want to finish the c25k program and realize that I have only been running two miles the whole time.  I am a perfectionist.  It is very stressful and annoying, but when it is something like this, something where I have set a challenging goal for myself that I feel is very important to accomplish, I can't help be get wrapped up in doing everything right in order to reach that goal.

I should also add, it is also stressful that I have so much to do all the time and rarely can find time to run at all. This is a bigger problem since daylight is getting shorter and I don't exactly live in the safest place for a small woman to go running all on her onesies after dark or before light (who does these days?).

Someone please tell me that I don't need to worry about this crap.  Give me ways to avoid doing so.  Also, I am worried about training inside for the winter.  I will be on a flat track then.  Would my runner friends suggest that I try to push my distance more so that I can build up more stamina, keeping in mind that the half marathon will NOT be a flat track.  Or should I perhaps cross-train, doing the normal distances on the track and then maybe throwing in some elliptical or something?  I'm at a loss.  And I want to kick ass.  Help me kick more ass, please.

Day Thirteen: Not As Eventful As I Expected...

This is going to be a short one today...

Today I began week three of the c25k program.  This is the week when my exercise time is divided equally between running and walking and I run for a longer duration than I have previously in the program, three minutes.  I expected that this would be a big challenge for me, but three minutes? Really? It was just about as easy as any other part of the program.

I had also expected that my pacing would be WAY better since I was running more, but I was also wrong about that.  My pacing was worse than it has been and I realized why that is as I was completing the cool-down walk back to my apartment.  When I was alternating running and walking for shorter times I could keep a lot faster pace through the running because it was such short bursts.  This realization was a reminder to me that I need to be patient and work on endurance before pacing.  After all, I am not running a half marathon in order to get first place, I am running to cross the finish line and celebrate my very own personal victory.

While today was not as challenging or exciting as I had thought it would be, it was a personal victory because I am one tiny step closer to running those 13.1 miles in June.

Day Twelve: First Day of Classes, Last Day of Week Two in Couch to 5 K

Well today was the last day of week 2 in the Couch to 5K program.  It was also my first day of classes (or class, since I just had one today).  Looking at the upcoming semester I can see that I will be VERY busy and therefore probably only able to blog about the milestones and not every time I run.  That is no big deal though, I feel like I will soon start running out of new things to talk about.  I'll make sure to post tomorrow though and provide an update as to how I did on the first week of half-and-half run/walking.  After that I will be sure to continue to post at least once a week so that I keep on track with the program and don't get lax on the amount of time I spend on it (this blog is keeping me honest!).

I am interested to see how getting up extra early to run during the semester will affect my learning and concentration.  I already feel like my mind has been more clear on days when I run and that I have better focus and stamina at work.  I don't know if that is because of the running or just a psychological response to exercise or even just the weather (I LOVE cool, sunny days) but I am excited to find out.  It will also be interesting to see how running will affect my mood as the days get shorter, the weather gets colder, and I get harder to motivate to do anything due to the dreaded "winter weepies."  Stay tuned for updates as this semester and the cooler weather progress and keep the positive vibes and advice coming (cold weather running?  What's to know?).

Day Eleven: Reverse Psychology and Me: A Life Long Partnership

After a brief hiatus from running due to a sore hamstring (though I did continue with yoga), I am back in the saddle.  I did not want to be back in the saddle, but my stubborn mind when told that I am not capable of something MADE me get back in the saddle.

Allow me to elaborate on the effects of reverse psychology in my life.  I am not a quitter and I never really have been but there are very often times in which I would LIKE to quit and never run/go to school/read/act/work... you get it, ever again.  I can remember countless times in my short life when I have been so close to quitting and someone, usually my wonderful mother, will come to me with a comment like, "maybe you just need to drop band so you can focus more on school" and boom, I'm acing band AND all other classes.  Or, "it is ok if you need to let your grade in that class slip so you can improve your classes that are worth more credits..." Nope, I'm gonna get straight As and Bs at the end of the semester from 1 B and 3 Ds after that suggestion.  Then there is, "Okay, maybe you are right and you did bite off more than you can chew this semester. Maybe you should step down president of that group," Nice try, watch me ace that test I was stressing about this week AND help my group pull of a successful and fun recruitment event.

My mom never tells me to quit things at school because she doesn't think I can do successfully complete them, she suggests it because I don't think i can succeed.  Somehow throughout all of my years of schooling and related challenges, these comments are always precursors to me finding success in whatever I am trying to balance or whatever challenge I face.  I don't know if she does this on purpose (she probably does), but that is just the way it always works.

Fast forward to today when, after a few days' break from running, I really really did not want to go out and run.  It was already about noon when I had time and it is a hot day (about 85 degrees F) I whined and made excuses not to go for a run, which is when boyfriend laughed and said, "you're not actually going to do the half marathon."

I realized then that if 85 degree heat is making me not want to complete a 2 mile walk/run there is NOT A CHANCE I will be running 13.1 miles in probably comparable heat or worse with humidity come this June.  "Oh screw that," I thought, "I have a reputation at stake. I am a TINY SHE-TITAN!" And I ran.  I had better pacing that I have had on any of my other walk/runs yet and I feel great.  I sweat like no one's business (or rather, like a normal person sweats after a run in 70 degree weather, because my body hates me and I don't sweat as much as I should) and I was covered in dirt from the dry paths, plus the dry air plus pollen plus heavy breathing have made me sneezy and nose-burny, but I don't care.  I had a good run when I really did not want to run at all.  I rock!

Stretching, Drinking Water, Taking It Slow

As I have been increasing (vastly) the amount which I run I have also had in the back of my mind that I need to figure out a good warm-up/cool down regiment for stretching my muscles.  I have done a lot of yoga in the past and I LOVE it but I haven't done it since this spring.  I decided to consult one of my favorite youtube channels, EkhartYoga, which offers free and easy to follow yoga classes.  I have used Ester Ekhart's videos since the very beginning of my ventures in to yoga along with attending classes at my University.  She does a great job teaching the basics of yoga!

Anywho, here is the sequence I used after I ran yesterday to cool down my muscles.  It is a relatively easy sequence which is where I went wrong.  As someone who is used to doing yoga and being able to stretch pretty far I tried to push myself to attain my normal level or flexibility.  This was a mistake and long story short I have the sore hamstring to prove it.  I don't want to turn something small in to a major injury (at least not THIS early in the process) so I decided to take it easy for the time being and though I had planned on running again today, I will just be doing some yoga and bringing dog for a nice long walk.  Oh also, drinking LOTS of water.

I did thoroughly enjoy my "sleeping in" today... until 8:30.  Then dog demanded my full attention.  Oh well!

Day Seven: Running Can Be a Pain In The Neck, Apparently

Today was day four of the couch-5k program, which is day 1 of week 2 of training. I upped my running/walking times from 60 seconds of running and 90 seconds of walking to 90 seconds of running and 2 minutes of walking. It wasn't so bad and it helped that I had a buddy along. I roped my neighbor in to running with me, and while he is not normally a runner he admitted that the pace of the c25k program was manageable. Maybe I'll have a buddy for the 5k I run in October!

Now for the serious item of business. I am going to spread the word about my blog more so that I may get input for other runners, both amateur like myself and more experienced. My first concern that arose today is muscle tightness and pain in my neck after I run. This came up today for the first time, but I would not be surprised if it came up more often and became more of an issue for me because I have always had problems with tightness in my neck and shoulders ESPECIALLY when I get stressed.

So what do you do to prevent this? Is there anything I can do before or during my run to prevent this from happening? I took two ibuprofen when I got back to my apartment and the pain and tightness has subsided. I'm not sure if that is because of the painkillers (it took about 15 minutes for the feeling to go away) or just that my body relaxed, but I'm assuming if it was the latter I will soon have bigger issues when my body decides it is sick of relaxing after a run and my neck becomes knot city.

All in all, I feel great after today's run and dog wasn't QUITE as much of a little jerk. Yay for dog.

Day Six: "But I Dun WANNA Run!" -Pepper

So today is 6 days since I started training, which is to say the third day of my couch-5k program. I truly did not want to run today. Neither did Pepper. I got over it and was out running by 7am, once again dragging the dog slightly behind me, only far enough to be annoying.

I really pushed myself to walk and run faster today. I kept to the program of power walking 5 minutes, then alternating running 60 seconds and walking 90 but in the 25 minutes of the program I made it farther than I ever have before. It felt nice, but it also sucked because the faster I run the harder it is to drag the dog.

Speaking of dogs, People of Duluth, LEASH YOUR F%@#ING DOGS! At 7:30 as I was running on a narrow path by the creek (there are shrubs to one side and a steep drop in to thorns followed by rocks followed by a creek) and I saw I giant black dog --I think a lab/great dane mix, from his shape and size, so huge-- assaulting a smaller brown and white dog as black dog's owner apologized to brown and white dog's owner for his behavior. Then giant black dog sees Pepper. A little known fact about Pepper, she is PETRIFIED of big dogs and dogs with high energy levels. This was her worst nightmare. Big black dog charged at Pepper and Pepper cowered in fear and snarled at big black dog, who honestly was just a huge lommix who wanted a friend. Owner of big black dog once again apologized and I said, "that's fine. My dog is horrified of big dogs," to which she apologized and responded, "I didn't think there would be anyone here at 7am. LADY IT GETS HOT! IF PEOPLE WANT TO RUN IT IS 7AM OR HEAT STROKE! And I think the real point here is, you are in a park in the middle of a city with a population of nearly 300,000. Leash your damn dog unless you KNOW he is not a giant hyper sack of stupid. (Nothing against giant hyper sacks of stupid. They are some of the best dogs, but LEASH THEM!)

I think as I progress in the program I will stop bringing Pepper along. She really slows me down, and besides, no harm if I also have to walk her once/day. What is wrong with exercising twice?

That didn't have quite as much to do with my progress as it should have.