Heather's Training - Week 2

Week 2 - Training Day #4 - May 31, 2010

Ok, so the gym? On Memorial Day? At 8:30 pm? Is kinda creepy. Like stalker serial killer creepy. I wasn’t even sure the gym would be open, but I thought I would give it a shot after my salsa class. (Which totally kicked my ass tonight, so I wasn’t really in the best of moods to be running, but whatever.) The parking lot was nearly empty, so I knew I wouldn’t have any trouble getting a machine. However, I did not plan on the eight or so guys at the gym being the kind of guys you would not want to run into in a dark alley. I know I shouldn’t pass judgment on people based on the way they looked, but I tried not to make eye contact and be on my way.

Most of the dreadmills were available, so I grabbed one near the end and set all my stuff up. I then realized the TV didn’t work. This is a deal-breaker for me. I’ve used an elliptical with a non-functioning TV before and I came very close to stabbing my own eye out from boredom. Fortunately, the ellipticals are positioned behind the treadmills, so I just watched what everyone in front of me was watching. And you can tell a lot by a person by what they watch at the gym. I’m usually watching NCIS on USA, some show on HGTV or the Food Network or the Cards game if I can find it on the damn Charter cable channels (I hate not knowing what channels are what). I find it hilarious when a small petite mouse of a girl is watching Monday Night Raw, and the big tough guy is watching Real Housewives of New Jersey.

But, I digress. That treadmill’s TV wasn’t working, so I hopped onto another one and started up my mp3 player before I chose my interval training. I tend to crank my volume up pretty loud because a) it gets me pumped and b) I’m pretty much going deaf, so I might as well not fight it. My player was just finishing a song from my previous workout, so I was able to hear this horrible grinding and squealing sound before the next song started. I pressed pause and looked around in horror wondering where that sound was coming from. I quickly realized it was MY treadmill making this god-awful sound. No one around me seemed to notice, but it was grating on my nerves. So, I went the NEXT treadmill and started up again. And you know what, it made that same damn sound. WTF? I figured I had already played enough musical treadmills for one night, so I just cranked the volume and pretty much ignored it.

I didn’t do too bad tonight, I even progressed my distance a wee bit. 2.15 miles in 30 minutes, so I’m getting better. I’d feel even better if I was actually running that entire time, but baby steps. About half way through my session, I increased both my walk and run speeds just a skosh, so I could try to squeeze out a bit more mileage. I’m starting to notice that my body can handle the pressure, but my lungs can not. I was not in good shape at all growing up, so I was always winded. Hay fever did not help matters. Since college, I’ve become more physically fit, but still never quite built my lung stamina up. I’ve decided that this is going to be the kryptonite I must overcome.

Mental note: Stay away from the two treadmills on the end. Seriously, do not use them. Oh, and if I cool down and walk pretty slowly for 2-3 minutes after I’m done, I do not get the weird seasick feeling as bad when I get off the treadmill. This I like.

Training Day #5 - June 2, 2010

I was able to get a day of rest in between my two runs so far this week, so I was hoping for some more improvement. This, I didn’t really get. I didn’t get worse, but I ended at exactly 2.15 miles. Again. I even pushed myself the last 10 minutes or so making my walks at almost a run and running my fastest speeds yet. But apparently the last half of my workout didn’t make up for the first half. And this I blame on Adam Richman.

Adam Richman is the guy from Man Vs. Food on the Travel Channel. I was flipping through the channels on the TV when I saw that the episode playing was from when he came to St. Louis, which I hadn’t seen. (If you’re unfamiliar with the show, I suggest you check it out. He eats all kinds of crazy, hot, and enormous amounts of food. And he gets paid for it.) The reason I blame Adam for my lethargy is because I could not stop staring at the food the entire time. I hadn’t eaten dinner yet, as I hit yoga class right after work before my run. I was famished, and Adam was showing me some tender, fall off the bone pulled pork from Pappy’s. And I was literally salivating onto the treadmill. I’m surprised I didn’t start making “nom nom nom” noises. Also, the closed captioning was on, so I was trying to look at the food and read the subtitles at the same time. This is not a great combination while also trying to run. I’m talented, but not that much. I think that while TV is a great distraction for me while I run, any show involving delicious succulent food is a big no-no. I get in some kind of weird food trance and it’s hard to concentrate on what I’m doing.

The majority of my run was without incident. Which is nice, but at the same time it gives me nothing to write about. Nothing witty. Nothing sassy. Nothing entertaining. And no funny story about Sweaty McGruntsalot (who I actually haven’t seen in awhile...if he makes an appearance during one of my runs, you’ll be the first to know).

Oh, I do have a horrible pain in my shin though. I’m thinking it’s from the stress of those damn treadmills. Actually, it would probably still hurt if I was running outside. I think I need better running shoes, but I don’t really want to shell out the cash for it. I may have to if I’m already running into issues on Day 5. We’ll see what a few days of rest does for it.

Side note: I found out that my dear friend Audrey, who I've known since kindergarten, and her sister Kristen are running in the same race Steph and I are. Looks like we're all taking that sisterly bonding thing to whole new level!

Training Day #6 - June 5, 2010

My aunt lost her battle with cancer this morning. My heart goes out to my uncle, my cousins and the rest of my family.

I didn’t want to run today. Even before my mom called me with the news. I was tired and it was an overcast morning. I felt like staying in and watching an HGTV marathon until I started dreaming about back-buttering tile. But, the news spurred me forward. Cancer is an ugly disease and it claims too many lives. I can’t cure it, but I can do my small part to help fund research and treatment.

I took to the streets again. It was a cloudy day so the sun wasn’t baking my skin, but it was still humid. I feel like I need to intermingle outdoor running with my indoor training, so I can get used to terrain and other obstacles. Something has been bugging me this week about my first run last week. I just kept thinking that maybe I was wrong about how far I ran. So, yesterday I drove the route around the neighborhood and back to my house that I thought was a mile and realized that I am a retard. It’s actually 2 miles. So, day 1 of training, where I thought I barely broke a mile? Oh yeah, I broke over two miles. Score. I’m not really sure how I forgot that, but I’m glad I realized I was wrong. So, I took to the same route today.

Other than the humidity and looming storm, I really like running outside. There’s so much more to keep me out of my head. When I’m on a treadmill, I only have the TV and the other gym patrons to keep my mind occupied. If it’s a slow day at the gym, or there’s nothing on the TV (I’m not allowing myself to watch food shows anymore while I run), then I get bored quickly and constantly count down my times. That’s incredibly stressful. When I run outside, my mind is more focused on not being run over when I pass by the alley entrances or crossing intersections, not tripping over where tree roots have pushed the sidewalks out of whack and not smacking myself too hard when I swat at bugs. All of these things make my outdoor running more manageable.

I finished the two miles in just under 25 minutes. I was motivated to continue to run, so I stopped at my house to get a quick water break and mop up the 15 gallons of sweat running down my face. I quickly hopped back outside and continued my workout. I wasn’t concerned with time or distance, I just wanted to make the effort. I kept thinking about my Aunt Gloria and that motivated me to push through the searing pain in my lungs. I thought about my Aunt Dorothy who won her battle with cancer years ago. I thought about my mom who had cancerous skin removed last year. And I thought about the millions of other people in the world who have been affected by this devastating disease. And I thought about the thousands of people who are standing up and doing their part to help out. It wasn’t about how much I ran today, it was about running for those people who couldn’t.

God Bless You Aunt Gloria and Rest in Peace.