01.31.2015

Walked a couple of miles tonight.  Still feeling like death warmed over and not really able to breathe well yet, but hopefully we're getting there!

January has officially been OWNED!

Sick or not.

01.30.2015

It's fairly hard to run when you can't breathe.  So tonight after black belt club, I just walked my token mile.  

Hoping I can shake this nasty sinus stuff over the weekend.  And it looks like I'll be doing a re-do on this week's training schedule.

I'm totally fine with that, just so long as I keep moving forward.

01.29.2015

There's nothing like having a HUGE sinus infection with tons of fluid behind your ears.  It completely curtails the desire to run, let me tell ya!

Antibiotics are on board, I'm living out of a kleenex box and my head is on the verge of nuclear meltdown.  

So, instead of running my scheduled four miles tonight . . . I walked one.  Just to keep the streak alive.  

Now I'm off to snuggle up under a warm blanket with a good book and see if I can lay down without coughing a lung or two up.  Tomorrow has GOT to be better!  Right?!

01.28.2015

Thankful that today was a "rest" day.  I got my mile in before work.

Tomorrow is going to be rough on me though.  Four miles early in the A.M.  I hope I can get my eyes pried open in time to get it all done before I have to get ready for work.

Maybe I should consider getting my butt in bed before midnight tonight . . . Just a thought!

01.27.2015

A four mile run on the dreadmill at 5:00 a.m.  (Have I mentioned I'm not an early morning runner?)  Especially when I've only gotten a couple of hours of sleep.

And taekwondo at 7:00 p.m.  Station drills, forms and sparring tonight.

A long day for sure.  I just want to collapse.

01.26.2015

So far the running streak is still alive.  

Day number 26!

I'm so glad I have Fisher and Cameron to cheer me on and give me that extra little push.  I'm not just running for me.  I'm running for THEM!

01.25.2015

3 miles this evening for my little running buddies!  So glad they're there to cheer me on and keep me going.  

01.24.2015

After hauling wood and stacking brush all afternoon, I wasn't looking forward to my five mile run tonight.  Thankfully I have a few books from the library that I'm needing to finish reading . . .

So I read while I ran on the treadmill.  Multi-tasking at it's finest.

And my long run for the week is behind me. 

1.23.2015

Finally squeezed in my mile at 10:00 p.m.  

It's been a long day and I'm going to have a short night tonight.  No rest for the weary!

1.22.2015

The last thing I want to do when I roll out of bed in the morning, is go for a run.  But desperate times, call for desperate measures.

So I got up an hour earlier than normal, to squeeze in my 3 mile run before work.  Twenty minutes of that hour was spent trying to get my eyes pried open and my running clothes on correctly.

My late nights are catching up with me and it's time I get back to some semblance of "normal" around here.  Maybe having a set running time will help keep me on track better.  Then again, it may just kill me.

1.21.2015

Rest day.  Walked a mile on the treadmill, just to keep the streak alive.

Tomorrow, I will start shifting my routines in order to get my runs in before work.

Making Time

In starting back to work, it occurs to me that I'm going to have to either change my routines again . . . or do what I did today.  Go straight to work, rush home to get Eli off the bus, change into my workout gear and head out the door to pick Bayleigh up from archery practise, run back home to immediately hop on the treadmill, and have just enough time to get in a three mile run before heading back out the door for taekwondo.

I really think I need a breather in there somewhere.  And my mileage will be increasing soon.  So it looks like I'm going to have to opt for the get my butt out of bed earlier, just to get everything in.  

It's called "making time".  If it's important enough to you, you'll do it.

Three miles today and taekwondo this evening.  Now I just need to quit eating crap foods, and get back to my healthy eating again.

Perseverence

Life is not always kind to the runner.  Most runners work and have families to care for.  And sometimes that means either skipping a run . . . or doing completely insane things like walking or running on the treadmill after everyone has gone to bed, or at 4:00 a.m., just to keep the streak alive.

After a full day of shopping and logging a minimum of 5 miles wandering the mall with my 11 year old daughter and 12 year old niece, the last thing I wanted to do on my "rest" day was hop on the treadmill for 20 minutes.  But I did it anyway.  

And that is something I won't regret.  Chowing down on cheeseburgers, fries and potato chips all day . . . that's a whole other story.

Walked a mile tonight, while I ate dinner.  Still hanging in there.

Continuous Speed Increases

Sometimes, when I train on the treadmill, I do different things to break up the monotony.  Like slowly increasing speed each quarter to half of a mile.  

Tonight I ran on a 2.0 incline (which is my normal incline when I run on the "mill), and I started out at 5 mph.   At the half mile mark I moved the speed up to 5.3.  At the mile mark I moved up to 5.5 mph.  At the 1.5 mile mark, I moved up to 5.8 and at the 2 mile mark I moved up to 6 mph.  At the 2.5 mark I jumped up to 6.5 mph and at the 2.75 mile mark I jumped on up to 7 mph to finish off.  

It's nice to break things up now and again.  Next week, I'll switch to doing more interval training.  And tomorrow is a much needed "off" day.  I'm going to see if I can squeeze it in early, while I'm still half asleep, so my body doesn't know what's going on.  

3 miles this evening for Fish and Cam!  Thanks for cheering me on guys!  Love you both!

Proper Rest

Proper amounts of rest.

I'm not even sure what that means, but I know I would like to give it a try for the next 30 days or so.  I've been running tired since the new year began.  But somehow I've been getting my miles in.

I'm hoping to get some "GOOD" sleep tonight, so I have enough energy to get my three miles in tomorrow.

I did 4.5 miles this morning and bowled two games this evening and my body is fighting to stay in the upright position.  That tells me that I need to get my backside to bed!

Goodnight Fish!  Goodnight Cam!

Black Belt Club

Black belt club tonight.  And a 20 minute walk after I got home.  Sometimes you just have to take things easy after a long day.

Day 15

Squeezed in a nice easy 3.2 miles on the treadmill this afternoon . . . along with Pilates and weight training.  Just in time to head off to taekwondo.

Note to self:  Get my run and workouts in BEFORE taekwondo.  It makes it a lot more bearable.

"Off" Days

There are days when even "off" days aren't enough.  My body is wiped out from too many late nights, too many early mornings, and too many things on my list to be done.

Sure!  There are days when I'd just like to skip my run or workout . . . but then I know I'd feel like a big LOSER, if I skipped one.  So it all basically comes down to, "Do you want to feel like a loser?"  or pushing myself just a little bit to get at least SOME physical activity logged for the day.  

Today was an "off" day on my schedule, so I opted to walk my mile tonight.  And anything else is just beyond me at this point.  

MUST GET SLEEP.

Taekwondo and Running

Taekwondo works completely different muscles than running.  And more often than not, I come away battered, bruised and limping.  I'm not 18 anymore.  My flexibility and agility have flown the coop and the only thing keeping me sparring away, is that I'm just shy of my black belt.  

Taekwondo and running are pretty much like oil and water.  Or at least that's how I find them to be with me.  I've gotten more "running" injuries from taekwondo than from actually running.  But it's a great way to keep in shape and work those other muscles.  The ones that you neglect when you are a runner.  And the sparring is fun.  But learning and remembering forms taxes my brain.

I really need to come up with some other type of cross training.  Maybe something like biking or kayaking . . .

3 miles after class tonight!  I figured taekwondo was enough of a warm up for me tonight since I'm running late.

Half Marathon Training Begins

I've been down this road before . . . but I think picking a training program, will do even more to motivate me to keep running.  I have a tendency to slack off, if I don't keep myself to a strict schedule.  And this one should be a piece of cake after my 32 week marathon training program last year.

Today was an "off" day.  So I logged a mile, did my Pilates and lifted weights.  Tomorrow is a three miler.  I'm going to have to squeeze it in between activities, but it shouldn't be too bad.  I'm looking forward to getting back on track.

Let training begin!

Happy Birthday Cameron!

Happy Birthday Cameron!  I ran 4 miles for your 4th birthday, with an extra half mile to grow on!  And then did some Pilates and lifted some weights for you.  We've got to keep our strength up!

Hope you have an awesome birthday little buddy!

Walking Breaks

"Run when you can, walk when you have to, crawl if you must."

I'm not sure who to credit this quote to, but it holds a lot of truth.  I've been forced to walk through several injuries, but I've learned to heed my body's warnings a little better than I used to.  Tonight was definitely a "walk" night.  I somehow ended up with a bruised quad Tuesday night after taekwondo class.  I ended up walking my mile the next day, as my leg was really hurting.  And after class last night, I decided to see if I could handle a run.  I made it through alright wearing a knee sleeve, but it probably would have been wiser, to just take it easy.  

Tonight I was back to a walk.  I can tell that it is finally starting to heal a little, so I'm hoping that by tomorrow, after a good solid night's sleep, that I'll be back to running again.  This walking stuff takes FOREVER.  But better to walk than crawl!

Running Aids

Tonight I ran my mile with a "knee sleeve", just as a precaution.  It's been feeling somewhat out of sorts since Tuesday's taekwondo class, and I don't want to take any chances with it.  Even if it's more of a psychological crutch than any other reason.  

Sometimes, I think it's okay to ask for help, or baby things along.  Just so long as you don't let your body get used to those little crutches 24/7.  We are here to get STRONGER, not hurt or injure ourselves.

Recovery

And today I am recovering from a long week, and some intense station drill workouts from taekwondo last night.  My knee didn't like all the heavy impact stuff and I'm suffering for it.

So today I walked a mile to let my knees both recover a bit, before I start putting them through the paces again.  Hopefully taekwondo is a little lower impact tomorrow night.

Recovery days are an essential part of running.  I've learned that the hard way.

Strange

Runners can be a strange batch of people.  Dedicated and determined above and beyond mere normal standards.  

Running in bitter cold, desert heat, 100% humidity, rain, sleet and snow.  And pushing themselves farther than the average mortal.

Tonight I finally squeezed my run in after station drills and sparring night at taekwondo.  I was too lazy to change out of my taekwondo uniform . . . so I ran with "clothes" on tonight.  At 9:30 p.m.

But I got that mile in.  Ten minutes really isn't that long.  Anybody can find ten minutes out of their day to be active.  

Don't you agree?  Baby steps are better than no steps.

Nutrition

Spinach, kale, pomegranate, strawberry, banana, chia seeds, yogurt . . . this is dinner tonight.  A green smoothie.

I'm trying to be more mindful of what I cram in my body.  Or at least intermittently.  Which is better than I had been doing.  Every step counts, right?!

The taste isn't bad . . . but those pomegranate seeds pretty much suck.  (Note to self:  Don't use pomegranates when they aren't in their prime season.)

I've been using "My Fitness Pal" to track my calorie intake and try to keep my proteins, carbs and fats in line.  So far, so good . . . but it's only the 5th of January.  We'll see how long I make it.

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Logged a quick mile for my running buddies tonight, along with a little Pilates and some weights.  I love my Fish man and my little buddy Cameron!  They inspire me to keep moving!

The Hoka Stinson

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."  ~ John Bingham

After running for several years with the Nike Pegasus series, I finally switched over to the Saucony Kinvara 3.  I dearly loved those shoes.  Bright pretty colors.  Comfortable.  I completely wore them out after over 1200 miles . . . when they were slotted for closer to 400.  Since I liked them so well, I decided to stay with that particular series and moved into the Saucony Kinvara 4.  I didn't have as good a luck as I had with the Kinvara 3 . . . but I stuck it out through blisters and discomfort.

About a month before my marathon in November, I decided it was time to break in something new, as I'd finally reached my mileage limit on the Kinvara 4's.  So a friend told me to give the Hoka's a try.  I tried out a few different varieties . . . and ended up with the Stinson. 

What a difference one pair of shoes can make.  As ugly and clunky as these bad boys are . . . I wouldn't trade them for anything.  Not even a new pair of Kinvara 3's.  They took me through my first marathon  . . . and a couple hundred miles of training.  And they are wonderful.  Very cushiony, and not as heavy as they look.

Make sure when you start a running program to try out several different types and styles of running shoes.  It may be an inconvenience, but in the long run, it can make ALL the difference.

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Fish man and Cameron . . . you guys helped me make it through another 4.2 miles for my 42nd birthday!  You are both ROCK STARS!  Love you bunches!

Pick Your Spot Pilates

This is the Pilates workout I use to warm up and cool down with.

There are a total of four different 10 minute workouts and I think it's perfect.  Ten minutes is something I can handle.  And the exercises are pretty thorough.

Occasionally, I do all forty minutes, just for grins.  On a low mile day.

Just thought I would share.

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My running buddies, Fish and Cameron got me through two more miles this afternoon!  Thanks guys!  Love you both!  Day #3 of our run streak!

Necessary Evil

"We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable."

~ Sir Roger Bannister ~ 

If you're like me, you sometimes jump into situations without fully thinking and planning them out.  

Like my running for instance . . . when I happened to glance at a flyer in the library for a local 5k several years ago.  I thought, "SURE!  I can do that!  I've been doing yoga and pilates for months and I'm in pretty decent shape."  So I signed my six year old daughter and myself up for the full 3.1 miles.

Holy mother of hills!  I thought I was going to DIE.  But we both made it across the finish line in under an hour . . . with a passel of little kids beating the pants off of us.

Of course, I knew I couldn't let THAT happen again.  (How embarrassing!)  So I started actually running.  On a regular basis.  And adding mile after mile after mile.  Pushing myself to be faster and faster, so I could at least come in ahead of the pre-school/kindergarten pack the following year. 

And I fell in love with the sport.  The peace and contentment.  The feeling it gave my muscles, my heart and my lungs.  It challenged me and calmed me.

So I completely quit doing my yoga and pilates and focused fully on my running.  Which wasn't a very smart thing for me to do.  I pulled muscles and suffered from all kinds of aches and pains, but none of them were painful enough to keep me from heading out the door for a run, until the summer of 2013.

The past year and a half has been pretty frustrating for me.  You see . . . I don't like lifting weights.  Or resistance band training.  Or Jillian Michaels.  Or cross training.  I just want to run.

Unfortunately, it seems that there are usually two sides to everything.  (The good and the bad.)  And with my particular situation, in order to run the way I like to run . . . I must build the muscles of my right leg back up, and do some pretty unpleasant exercises, so I can get back to running pain free again.  I have to lift weights and do resistance band training.  I have to cross train and break up things with a Jillian Michael's workout now and then.  And I just have to suck it up and like it.

This whole process of building up and tearing down, seems to be a cycle with me.  One that I would like to put a halt to this year.  But the good thing about cycles . . . they always come back around again.

I highly encourage you, if you are just starting out, to find a beginner's program.  And build up your base BEFORE you start tearing up the pavement.  Go to a running clinic.  Take a class.  Ask questions.  Research.

I've been running for five years now . . . and I wish I knew then, what I know now.  I'm continually learning as I stumble and stagger my way through.  It's all part of the process, and you have to be kind to yourself along the way.

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Fish and Cameron . . . I logged a mile for you this afternoon!  After two hours of stacking brush and loading 70+ pound logs into the back of the truck . . . I was pretty tired.  But I counted it as my leg workout today.  When we got home from hauling wood, I put my workout clothes on, did a 10 minute pilates warm up, lifted some weights and got that mile in before I had to fix dinner.  Thanks for being my running buddies!  Love you both!

The Journey Continues

"Make each day your masterpiece." ~ John Wooden

 I've decided to keep a b(log) this year, mainly for my running buddies.  I run 4 Fisher, who just turned 11 in December, and Cameron, my IR4 Siblings buddy, who will be having a birthday in just a couple more weeks!  These boys keep me motivated and give me the strength to carry on, on those days when I just don't feel very motivated to do much of anything.  I love my boys!

I'm also doing this in order to keep better track of where I'm at in my training, what works for me, and what doesn't.  And maybe it will inspire or assist someone else in their own running journey along the way.

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I've always been a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of runner.  I just wanted to get out there and run.  But in May of 2013, I found out I had some major muscular issues that were causing me to experience some pretty massive pain when I ran.  My physical therapist gave me some pretty horrific exercises to work on (several times a day) and I was told not to run.  AT ALL.  But that simply wasn't going to happen with me.  I MUST run.

So we got together and came up with a plan.  It was an awful, horrible, terrible very bad kind of plan, but through sheer grit and determination we pulled it off.  2014 was my year to run.  I ran a total of 26 races.  1,005.5 miles.  Marked both an Ultra and a Marathon off of my bucket list.  And I completely wore my muscles, joints and tendons to the screaming point.  There was pain.  Lots and lots of pain.  But I found out that the heart is truly stronger than the brain and that by sheer force of will, the impossible can become possible.  Somehow, during all that training, the muscles on my right side miraculously started improving, but there was still a lot of pain involved.

So I spent the month of December recovering from a marathon, by focusing almost completely on stretching and strength training, and letting my "running" muscles rest. 

Now I get to pay for pushing myself so hard last year, by starting over.  Slowly and deliberately.  I get to re-train my muscles.  And hopefully by the end of this year, I will be running pain free 100% of the time.

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Today, I did a 10 minute Pilates warm up, ran 3.11 with a 10'08" pace on a 2.0 incline on the treadmill, did some post run stretching, and did a couple of reps with the 5 lb weights.  And it's time to get ready for a one hour taekwondo class . . . so I'm off and running.  Again.