Training Day #36 - August 23, 2010
Poopy day at work today, so I wasn’t really in the mood to run. I was, however, in the mood to go for a walk to clear my head. And it just so happened that the weather was gorgeous tonight, which allowed me a nice night for it. It’s starting to get darker earlier, so I had to head out soon after heading home. If I waited too long, the skeeters would be out to get me.
I tried resetting my pedometer, to get a better distance calculation, but I had to either set it for running or walking. Since I did a little of both, I figured the distance wouldn’t be correct. Oh well, I reset it anyways and hoped for the best.
I had a few close calls tonight, between the numerous sprinkler systems strategically placed in my path, to the near collisions with some motor vehicles popping out of the alleys. It’s amazing I actually made it home in one dry piece.
I forgot my watch, so I’m not sure how long I was actually out for, but I covered a span of nearly 2.5 miles. Or so my pedometer said. Probably can’t really trust it. But, I tried an alternate route than what I usually do around town, so there’s no telling how far it really was. Oh well, it was good to be outside to enjoy the fabulous weather.
I can’t believe the race is in less than a month. I’m really ready for it to be here. My friend Betsy made a good point when she said that on race day, my adrenaline will be pumping with the big crowd and I’ll be able to push myself farther than I’m able to when I run by myself. I believe she’s right, which is why I’m ready to get to race day, so I can stop having non-productive training sessions. lol
Side note: I wasn’t able to completely escape the mosquitos. Two of them had their way with me and left their mark on my legs. B*stards.
This week turned out to be crazy busy at the beginning of the week. I only had three days to get a ton of stuff done before my niece came to visit for her birthday weekend with me. Needless to say, I didn’t get a chance to work out again before she got here. I did, however, do a TON of walking while she was here. Between walking around the Arch grounds, the Zoo and the Botanical Garden, I’d say I was able to do my workouts. Just in a different manner.
Next week, it’s time to kick things back up and make it happen. Only 3 weeks til race day. Oh good Lord! :o
Friday, August 27, 2010
Stephanie's Training - Week 14
Training Day #43 - August 23, 2010
I feel like I’m becoming a broken record……
Another day, another run.
I’m not as motivated this Monday morning as some of my other Mondays. It follows a busy weekend and not a lot of rest.
Today was one of the last “hot” days for awhile, so Megan and I decided to try and beat the heat. We met fairly early, strapped on our music players and set off. We visited for quite a while…..I mean we hadn’t seen each other in a week. :)
We set off on a quick-paced walk through the bustling town of Sturgeon. Weather wasn’t too bad, a little sweat a brewin’……..
From what I gathered from Megan we walked about half our distance before we decided to kick it into jogging mode. Off we went……
I managed to muster enough to jog the rest of the distance back to the “start” line. Funny thing, though, I decided to take a bit of “advice” from my sister. She had read or heard that runners should drink ‘heavily’ (water, that is!) about a half hour before their run. It helps build their “endurance” and then you only need small sips throughout……
So a half hour before I went to town, I drank a hefty sized glass of water with my breakfast…something I usually don’t do. I also took a last minute restroom break on my way out the door…..you know, just to make sure.
Not even 15 minutes into our walk…….I have to PEE!! Great. How is one to walk, and then jog, with a full bladder! Well, there wasn’t exactly a great “restroom break” stop along the route, so I just held it…..and held it…..and held it.
By the time we reached the rec center, where we had begun, I bee-lined it to my van to get my key card and raced into the building to the restroom! Aahhhh!
Mental note: Drink as little as possible before the race. Really don’t need a potty break at The Heidelberg in the middle of my race!
Training Day #44 - August 25, 2010
What a beautiful morning! The temperature has dropped and what a morning to walk….I mean jog.
Met Megan again this morning, fairly early. This time, though, my joints….ALL of them from the hip down were ACHING!!! Not just a little bit…..a WHOLE LOT! Aging is not a great thing.
I thought that perhaps as we warmed up that the pain, as usual, would subside.
NOPE!
Not too long into our walk, Megan asked me if I felt like jogging……Ummmm, can I be honest and say “no way!” Well, I was honest. I didn’t feel like jogging. She didn’t either….sore knee and lots of site-seeing for her the next few days.
We decided we’d quicken our walk and go a little extra distance to get in a good work out this morning. It was a good work out….got my heart rate up. But, Oh….my…goodness. Where is the Advil! I think I need to invest in some Icy Hot!
So far, this is not a week I’d like to have in my blog at this stage of the game! But I guess when our bodies know they need a break, they sure have a way of telling us to “Slow down!”
Friday is a new day. We’ll see what happens.
Training Day #45 - August 27, 2010
I truly had resigned myself last night that there was just NO time today to squeeze in a workout. I mean, I’m planning a large get-together for my husband’s 40th birthday……I have yard to mow, errands to run, house to clean, cakes to bake, etc….etc….etc….
So when, oh when, will I find time to run…….
Inner voice. That inner voice…..it’s called “Guilt” today.
I was up at 7, out the door to Centralia by 8, and headed back to Sturgeon to pick up the steaks for tomorrow by 9. I knew I couldn’t pick up my steaks until around 9:30 so “Guilt” pipes up and lets me know…..”You’ve got time to run.” Huuhhhhh.
Yes, yes I do.
So off to the rec center I go. I knew then that I wouldn’t be able to run my full 3.1 and opted to run for 30 minutes and get whatever distance I could squuueeezzze into that 30 minutes.
At first I thought I’d just walk the whole time…..knees and ankles were still pretty achy. But after 6 minutes, I pushed the speed up to 4.8 and set into a jog. I was able to jog to the last 10 minutes, took a 3 minute walk break and then finished the rest out in a jog.
My final distance was 2.15.
Got my workout in……even amidst all the “stuff” to do!! :)
I feel like I’m becoming a broken record……
Another day, another run.
I’m not as motivated this Monday morning as some of my other Mondays. It follows a busy weekend and not a lot of rest.
Today was one of the last “hot” days for awhile, so Megan and I decided to try and beat the heat. We met fairly early, strapped on our music players and set off. We visited for quite a while…..I mean we hadn’t seen each other in a week. :)
We set off on a quick-paced walk through the bustling town of Sturgeon. Weather wasn’t too bad, a little sweat a brewin’……..
From what I gathered from Megan we walked about half our distance before we decided to kick it into jogging mode. Off we went……
I managed to muster enough to jog the rest of the distance back to the “start” line. Funny thing, though, I decided to take a bit of “advice” from my sister. She had read or heard that runners should drink ‘heavily’ (water, that is!) about a half hour before their run. It helps build their “endurance” and then you only need small sips throughout……
So a half hour before I went to town, I drank a hefty sized glass of water with my breakfast…something I usually don’t do. I also took a last minute restroom break on my way out the door…..you know, just to make sure.
Not even 15 minutes into our walk…….I have to PEE!! Great. How is one to walk, and then jog, with a full bladder! Well, there wasn’t exactly a great “restroom break” stop along the route, so I just held it…..and held it…..and held it.
By the time we reached the rec center, where we had begun, I bee-lined it to my van to get my key card and raced into the building to the restroom! Aahhhh!
Mental note: Drink as little as possible before the race. Really don’t need a potty break at The Heidelberg in the middle of my race!
Training Day #44 - August 25, 2010
What a beautiful morning! The temperature has dropped and what a morning to walk….I mean jog.
Met Megan again this morning, fairly early. This time, though, my joints….ALL of them from the hip down were ACHING!!! Not just a little bit…..a WHOLE LOT! Aging is not a great thing.
I thought that perhaps as we warmed up that the pain, as usual, would subside.
NOPE!
Not too long into our walk, Megan asked me if I felt like jogging……Ummmm, can I be honest and say “no way!” Well, I was honest. I didn’t feel like jogging. She didn’t either….sore knee and lots of site-seeing for her the next few days.
We decided we’d quicken our walk and go a little extra distance to get in a good work out this morning. It was a good work out….got my heart rate up. But, Oh….my…goodness. Where is the Advil! I think I need to invest in some Icy Hot!
So far, this is not a week I’d like to have in my blog at this stage of the game! But I guess when our bodies know they need a break, they sure have a way of telling us to “Slow down!”
Friday is a new day. We’ll see what happens.
Training Day #45 - August 27, 2010
I truly had resigned myself last night that there was just NO time today to squeeze in a workout. I mean, I’m planning a large get-together for my husband’s 40th birthday……I have yard to mow, errands to run, house to clean, cakes to bake, etc….etc….etc….
So when, oh when, will I find time to run…….
Inner voice. That inner voice…..it’s called “Guilt” today.
I was up at 7, out the door to Centralia by 8, and headed back to Sturgeon to pick up the steaks for tomorrow by 9. I knew I couldn’t pick up my steaks until around 9:30 so “Guilt” pipes up and lets me know…..”You’ve got time to run.” Huuhhhhh.
Yes, yes I do.
So off to the rec center I go. I knew then that I wouldn’t be able to run my full 3.1 and opted to run for 30 minutes and get whatever distance I could squuueeezzze into that 30 minutes.
At first I thought I’d just walk the whole time…..knees and ankles were still pretty achy. But after 6 minutes, I pushed the speed up to 4.8 and set into a jog. I was able to jog to the last 10 minutes, took a 3 minute walk break and then finished the rest out in a jog.
My final distance was 2.15.
Got my workout in……even amidst all the “stuff” to do!! :)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Heather's Training - Week 13
Training Day #34 - August 16, 2010
Wow, I can’t even describe what I’m feeling right now. Pretty much anger and disgust at myself. I don’t know what my deal is lately, but I can’t seem to find the energy to pick my nose, let alone run for 3 miles. So, pretty much, I don’t really want to talk about it. It wasn’t my worst time, but it wasn’t my best. I finished, barely. I mean seriously, I barely made it a mile before I thought I was going to die. Ridiculous. Better luck next time I guess. My sister and I are going to try to run together this weekend, so I’m hoping she’ll give me the motivation I’m needing.
Side note: Bought a pedometer. But, I clearly didn’t set my stride properly, b/c after the treadmill said 3.12 miles, my pedometer said 1.85 miles. Hmmm. I guess I shouldn’t have tried to run through the house to measure my stride. Clearly, that was an incorrect measurement.
Training Day #35 - August 21, 2010
Um, so yeah, crazy busy week this week. Not a single day available for a run, unless I wanted to go around 9:30 at night. I’m not really a fan of that. I intended to go last night when I got home from work, but I was rocking the beginnings of a migraine all day, so I was not a happy camper. (I have never experienced a migraine in my life, so this was a new experience for me. And one I was not fond of.)
Today I headed back to the homestead for a family reunion tomorrow. Steph and I agreed that we should try the race route once before the big day to see what we’re up against and decide if we’ll be able to run together. Neither one of us wants to slow the other down, but it would be nice to cross the finish line together.
I headed to Columbia in the late afternoon, arriving around 4. The sun was shining brightly, but there was a fairly decent breeze that kept it from being unbearable. Steph and I set out on the course and bam, right ahead, a giant hill. WTF. Lovely. We decided to warm up using the hill for a walk and at the top kicked in our run.
My sister had warned me about the Stephanie Shuffle, but I didn’t believe it to be true. She has a few inches on me and her nickname growing up was Legs for crying out loud. I figured she was over exaggerating and we’d keep up with each other nicely. About 35 steps later and she was no longer at my side. 35 after that and I couldn’t hear her behind me anymore. We ran until the next intersection to turn at, and I had to wait a few seconds before she caught up with me.
Nope. Not going to be able to run together. She runs just fine, she just doesn’t cover as much ground as I do. ;-) We continued with a walk, run, walk, run, walk run until the end of our route. And I have to say there is a bit more of an incline on some of the streets than I had hoped for. But, that’s part of the challenge, right? I guess I’ll just need to add some inclines to my treadmill runs in the next month (ha, that’s funny).
Despite our chatting and walk segments, we still finished in 40 minutes. Not bad. I think we’ll be just fine. I just need to get us some brightly colored hats or something so we’ll be able to pick each other out in the crowd.
Love you sis, and I think your Shuffle is cute. :)
Side note: We’re running on Mizzou’s campus and kids were back for school starting on Monday. Dear lord, when did these college kids get so young?! We passed dozens of kids out and about and I swear they looked 15. Good grief, I’m getting old!
Wow, I can’t even describe what I’m feeling right now. Pretty much anger and disgust at myself. I don’t know what my deal is lately, but I can’t seem to find the energy to pick my nose, let alone run for 3 miles. So, pretty much, I don’t really want to talk about it. It wasn’t my worst time, but it wasn’t my best. I finished, barely. I mean seriously, I barely made it a mile before I thought I was going to die. Ridiculous. Better luck next time I guess. My sister and I are going to try to run together this weekend, so I’m hoping she’ll give me the motivation I’m needing.
Side note: Bought a pedometer. But, I clearly didn’t set my stride properly, b/c after the treadmill said 3.12 miles, my pedometer said 1.85 miles. Hmmm. I guess I shouldn’t have tried to run through the house to measure my stride. Clearly, that was an incorrect measurement.
Training Day #35 - August 21, 2010
Um, so yeah, crazy busy week this week. Not a single day available for a run, unless I wanted to go around 9:30 at night. I’m not really a fan of that. I intended to go last night when I got home from work, but I was rocking the beginnings of a migraine all day, so I was not a happy camper. (I have never experienced a migraine in my life, so this was a new experience for me. And one I was not fond of.)
Today I headed back to the homestead for a family reunion tomorrow. Steph and I agreed that we should try the race route once before the big day to see what we’re up against and decide if we’ll be able to run together. Neither one of us wants to slow the other down, but it would be nice to cross the finish line together.
I headed to Columbia in the late afternoon, arriving around 4. The sun was shining brightly, but there was a fairly decent breeze that kept it from being unbearable. Steph and I set out on the course and bam, right ahead, a giant hill. WTF. Lovely. We decided to warm up using the hill for a walk and at the top kicked in our run.
My sister had warned me about the Stephanie Shuffle, but I didn’t believe it to be true. She has a few inches on me and her nickname growing up was Legs for crying out loud. I figured she was over exaggerating and we’d keep up with each other nicely. About 35 steps later and she was no longer at my side. 35 after that and I couldn’t hear her behind me anymore. We ran until the next intersection to turn at, and I had to wait a few seconds before she caught up with me.
Nope. Not going to be able to run together. She runs just fine, she just doesn’t cover as much ground as I do. ;-) We continued with a walk, run, walk, run, walk run until the end of our route. And I have to say there is a bit more of an incline on some of the streets than I had hoped for. But, that’s part of the challenge, right? I guess I’ll just need to add some inclines to my treadmill runs in the next month (ha, that’s funny).
Despite our chatting and walk segments, we still finished in 40 minutes. Not bad. I think we’ll be just fine. I just need to get us some brightly colored hats or something so we’ll be able to pick each other out in the crowd.
Love you sis, and I think your Shuffle is cute. :)
Side note: We’re running on Mizzou’s campus and kids were back for school starting on Monday. Dear lord, when did these college kids get so young?! We passed dozens of kids out and about and I swear they looked 15. Good grief, I’m getting old!
Stephanie's Training - Week 13
Training Day #38 - August 16, 2010
Monday.
Tired.
Sore.
Nope. Don’t feel like running today.
Training Day #39 - August 17, 2010
I felt really guilty for not running yesterday, but I think my body needed a big-time break.
This morning the alarm rang at 7am (we’re trying to get back in the groove for school---we’ll work up to 6am later). I knew it was going to be a nice morning. I truly believe the weather forecaster!! :) I gathered my running clothes and quickly got ready. I wanted to be back before Shawn had to leave for work.
I already knew I was taking a right out of my driveway this morning and taking a straight shot to the highway….about 7/10 of a mile. The trek to the highway has some nice inclines, so I decided to walk to the highway to warm up. When I reached the highway, I turned myself around and started my jog back to the house.
The gravel was much nicer to me than my last outdoor/country run. The morning was beautiful. I was able to jog back to the house and quickly got a shot of H²O from the water bottle I left at the end of the driveway. I about drowned myself….the water shot out a little too fast and went up my nose. Not so great when you’re puffing for air and suck water down your lungs! Geez.
I quickly turned around and headed back to the highway, walking, of course. And, again, at the end, I turned around and headed home, jogging. All in all, it was approx. the distance I needed to get in and with the weather so nice, it was a good jog.
I’m looking forward to my run on Thursday. We’ll be camping at Mark Twain area and it should be a beautiful run.
Training Day #40 - August 19, 2010
Mark Twain Lake. Ray Behrens area is where we arrived this morning. We got our camper set up and quickly meandered our way to my in-law’s camper. (They're camp hosts.) We visited for a bit and then headed out on the boat for some relaxing time and some tubing………..
Um, did I forget something! Oh, yeah, I was supposed to run today……….oops! Let’s look towards morning for that…….
Training Day #41 - August 20, 2010
Again. Felt guilty for skipping my run yesterday. But, it was too long of a day…….
Anyways, I had a cruddy nights sleep in the camper….always do the first night. I was up early to pee, of course, and decided I couldn’t hold it any longer. While I was up, I decided to throw on my running clothes and get this over with.
The morning was gorgeous! Shawn and I had done a quick trip estimate in the van the night before to decide the route. I strapped on my MP3 player and grabbed my water bottle and off I went.
I walked a short distance to warm up and then began the Stephanie Shuffle. I jogged along the campground site for approx. a half mile and found my way out to the campground entrance. I then set my sights for the almost mile to the check-in station (up where my in-laws were). It was a scenic view and enjoyable jog.
I turned around at the main entrance and then set out back to the campground.
I wasn’t looking forward to the run BACK……..I was going to have to run UP two hills……they weren’t so intimidating on the run DOWN them. I trudged along and found my way to the top of the first hill. (I had the Rambo theme playing in my head!)
Then came the second hill.
No Rambo theme.
I walked it.
Got to the top and turned into the campground to head towards “home”.
Not quite 2.5 miles.
Now time to hit the boat and enjoy some more R&R!!
Training Day #42 - August 21, 2010
Dragging total butt today…..again.
Another crappy night’s sleep in the camper. Going to have to muster up some energy today. :)
Today’s run is in Columbia. The race route. My sister and I arranged earlier in the week to get together so she could “see” the race route and get a feel for it. She is also in town for our family reunion. :)
We met this afternoon, just as the clouds cleared out and the sun….hot, so hot….was shining down.
We haven’t had the opportunity to run together in any of our training thus far, so this was going to be great to see how we kept up with each other.
We started out with a walk to warm up and to get to our “first” turn through campus. We then kicked it in……
There it was. The Stephanie Shuffle. I’m a little taller than my sis and should have length in my favor.
Nope.
I believe I surprised her with my itty bitty stride. :)
We cruised along and I really heaved today. I was tired and it was HOT! I purposely left my water bottle (a first for me) and really regretted doing so! But, really, where was I going to put it? I soooo needed some refreshment more times than I can count. Sad part….I was relying on a measly piece of chewing gum to create spit to keep myself hydrated. I soon realized I couldn’t even make spit and soon launched my gum out (on accident…good thing no one was in front of me!)
Monday.
Tired.
Sore.
Nope. Don’t feel like running today.
Training Day #39 - August 17, 2010
I felt really guilty for not running yesterday, but I think my body needed a big-time break.
This morning the alarm rang at 7am (we’re trying to get back in the groove for school---we’ll work up to 6am later). I knew it was going to be a nice morning. I truly believe the weather forecaster!! :) I gathered my running clothes and quickly got ready. I wanted to be back before Shawn had to leave for work.
I already knew I was taking a right out of my driveway this morning and taking a straight shot to the highway….about 7/10 of a mile. The trek to the highway has some nice inclines, so I decided to walk to the highway to warm up. When I reached the highway, I turned myself around and started my jog back to the house.
The gravel was much nicer to me than my last outdoor/country run. The morning was beautiful. I was able to jog back to the house and quickly got a shot of H²O from the water bottle I left at the end of the driveway. I about drowned myself….the water shot out a little too fast and went up my nose. Not so great when you’re puffing for air and suck water down your lungs! Geez.
I quickly turned around and headed back to the highway, walking, of course. And, again, at the end, I turned around and headed home, jogging. All in all, it was approx. the distance I needed to get in and with the weather so nice, it was a good jog.
I’m looking forward to my run on Thursday. We’ll be camping at Mark Twain area and it should be a beautiful run.
Training Day #40 - August 19, 2010
Mark Twain Lake. Ray Behrens area is where we arrived this morning. We got our camper set up and quickly meandered our way to my in-law’s camper. (They're camp hosts.) We visited for a bit and then headed out on the boat for some relaxing time and some tubing………..
Um, did I forget something! Oh, yeah, I was supposed to run today……….oops! Let’s look towards morning for that…….
Training Day #41 - August 20, 2010
Again. Felt guilty for skipping my run yesterday. But, it was too long of a day…….
Anyways, I had a cruddy nights sleep in the camper….always do the first night. I was up early to pee, of course, and decided I couldn’t hold it any longer. While I was up, I decided to throw on my running clothes and get this over with.
The morning was gorgeous! Shawn and I had done a quick trip estimate in the van the night before to decide the route. I strapped on my MP3 player and grabbed my water bottle and off I went.
I walked a short distance to warm up and then began the Stephanie Shuffle. I jogged along the campground site for approx. a half mile and found my way out to the campground entrance. I then set my sights for the almost mile to the check-in station (up where my in-laws were). It was a scenic view and enjoyable jog.
I turned around at the main entrance and then set out back to the campground.
I wasn’t looking forward to the run BACK……..I was going to have to run UP two hills……they weren’t so intimidating on the run DOWN them. I trudged along and found my way to the top of the first hill. (I had the Rambo theme playing in my head!)
Then came the second hill.
No Rambo theme.
I walked it.
Got to the top and turned into the campground to head towards “home”.
Not quite 2.5 miles.
Now time to hit the boat and enjoy some more R&R!!
Training Day #42 - August 21, 2010
Dragging total butt today…..again.
Another crappy night’s sleep in the camper. Going to have to muster up some energy today. :)
Today’s run is in Columbia. The race route. My sister and I arranged earlier in the week to get together so she could “see” the race route and get a feel for it. She is also in town for our family reunion. :)
We met this afternoon, just as the clouds cleared out and the sun….hot, so hot….was shining down.
We haven’t had the opportunity to run together in any of our training thus far, so this was going to be great to see how we kept up with each other.
We started out with a walk to warm up and to get to our “first” turn through campus. We then kicked it in……
There it was. The Stephanie Shuffle. I’m a little taller than my sis and should have length in my favor.
Nope.
I believe I surprised her with my itty bitty stride. :)
We cruised along and I really heaved today. I was tired and it was HOT! I purposely left my water bottle (a first for me) and really regretted doing so! But, really, where was I going to put it? I soooo needed some refreshment more times than I can count. Sad part….I was relying on a measly piece of chewing gum to create spit to keep myself hydrated. I soon realized I couldn’t even make spit and soon launched my gum out (on accident…good thing no one was in front of me!)
We split our time by walking/jogging and still we made it back to the car in approx. 40 minutes. Sweet. I’m still sticking to my average.
I enjoyed running with my sister and getting a feel for our “Day of Glory”. We’ll both finish that race………maybe not together……or maybe we will. :)
LOVE YOU, HEATHER!!
I enjoyed running with my sister and getting a feel for our “Day of Glory”. We’ll both finish that race………maybe not together……or maybe we will. :)
LOVE YOU, HEATHER!!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Stephanie's Training - Week 12
Training Day #35 - August 9, 2010
Today is actually Thursday and I’m trying to think back to my Monday and Wednesday runs….the week has kind of ran together AND I’ve procrastinated in doing my blog!
Monday was my 35th training day. I can’t quite believe it. I’ve got to look back though and be really proud at how far I’ve come and those “running” with me. I was really hit tonight with what a TRUE journey this has been. Dedicating my body and my time to such a great cause does my heart good. We never know what life has before us or our loved ones. We can live life without hope and without faith and be bitter when life deals us a blow OR we can live life FULL of hope and with a SOLID faith in our CREATOR and turn to Him when life deals us an unwanted event. So many women are struck with breast cancer each year….a number I can’t truly fathom. My dedication, my sweat, my tears, my pain is only a small sacrifice for the thousands of women who have passed on, are dealing currently, or are proud survivors of such a vicious disease. Let me honor you!!!
Now with a tear in my eye, let me tell you of my success on Monday. It began as most of my training days have: weights and then onto the treadmill. I’m becoming rather bored of weights, but I know I need to keep up with them to help tone my muscles. But it’s hard to stay focused and do them for more than 10-15 minutes.
After the doldrums, Megan and I hopped onto the treadmills, entered “5K Loop”, and off we went. I warmed up with a walk for the first 4 minutes and then knew my next 5-10 minutes of jogging would be my usual struggle to find my groove.
I didn’t disappoint myself…….the next 16 minutes were a struggle. It takes some focus to find that groove, but I found it and wasn’t feeling too bad. It’s definitely getting easier to stay in the groove.
As I was reaching the 20 minute mark, I was having a two-sided conversation in my head: “You should keep running, don’t stop!” and “You should stop, you need a breather!”
Well, the first voice won. I’m noticing that it’s harder to get back into my groove if I stop for a short bit than to just push through the pain and lack of oxygen to gain my “second” wind. So I kept running…………
And kept running……
And kept running……..
Did I mention I was still running! :)
Now during all this running, my two voices were SCREAMING and arguing with each other (LOL!!)
39:22 That was my finish time…..AND I RAN THE WHOLE TIME!!!! WOO-HOO!!
What an awesome feeling!
Training Day #36 - August 11, 2010
Megan and I were joined today by 3 other members of our running “team”. Today we went to Columbia to check out the race route.
We all hooked up in the Hearnes Center parking lot, which we assume will be the general area of the “Start/Finish” line on September 19th.
The race route will take participants on a journey up and around the University of Missouri.
With great company in tow, we all set our pace. Walking was the pace today. We wanted to get a feel for the terrain. The “faster” gals set out about 2 blocks ahead of us “slower” gals, but all-in-all we finished just over an hour. It was a good thing, too……storm clouds were CLOSE and looming!!! We made it back just in time. :)
The route will be challenging (to me at least!). There are a few “hills”!
Training Day #37 - August 13, 2010
Tired today. Achin’ muscles today.
It was another humid morning so inside is where Megan and I trained today. Both of us were dragging today. I didn’t want to set my hopes too high today….Monday was long gone and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to run the whole time.
I was sore from the hips down. My knees were really talking to me and my ankles today were rather sore. I’ve come to accept the daily pains in my legs, but today…..not so much!
And because of my less than thrilling attitude, today’s blog entry will be short… and to the point.
Hopped on the treadmill, set out on a nice walking pace for the first 5 minutes, then kicked it in. I ran to the 20 minute mark and just had to take a break. Well, that “just had to” attitude bit me in the rear about 12 minutes later when I needed, yet again, a break.
I knew I should have just kept running and screamed my way on through the pain and oxygen loss.
I also decided I like Megan’s IPhone app that says the treadmill’s distance for a 5K is actually finished at approximately 2.9 miles.
I kicked in the last minutes in a jog and went to 3.0 and called it “quits”!
That’s it.
Not proud……..
Now where’s the Advil!
Today is actually Thursday and I’m trying to think back to my Monday and Wednesday runs….the week has kind of ran together AND I’ve procrastinated in doing my blog!
Monday was my 35th training day. I can’t quite believe it. I’ve got to look back though and be really proud at how far I’ve come and those “running” with me. I was really hit tonight with what a TRUE journey this has been. Dedicating my body and my time to such a great cause does my heart good. We never know what life has before us or our loved ones. We can live life without hope and without faith and be bitter when life deals us a blow OR we can live life FULL of hope and with a SOLID faith in our CREATOR and turn to Him when life deals us an unwanted event. So many women are struck with breast cancer each year….a number I can’t truly fathom. My dedication, my sweat, my tears, my pain is only a small sacrifice for the thousands of women who have passed on, are dealing currently, or are proud survivors of such a vicious disease. Let me honor you!!!
Now with a tear in my eye, let me tell you of my success on Monday. It began as most of my training days have: weights and then onto the treadmill. I’m becoming rather bored of weights, but I know I need to keep up with them to help tone my muscles. But it’s hard to stay focused and do them for more than 10-15 minutes.
After the doldrums, Megan and I hopped onto the treadmills, entered “5K Loop”, and off we went. I warmed up with a walk for the first 4 minutes and then knew my next 5-10 minutes of jogging would be my usual struggle to find my groove.
I didn’t disappoint myself…….the next 16 minutes were a struggle. It takes some focus to find that groove, but I found it and wasn’t feeling too bad. It’s definitely getting easier to stay in the groove.
As I was reaching the 20 minute mark, I was having a two-sided conversation in my head: “You should keep running, don’t stop!” and “You should stop, you need a breather!”
Well, the first voice won. I’m noticing that it’s harder to get back into my groove if I stop for a short bit than to just push through the pain and lack of oxygen to gain my “second” wind. So I kept running…………
And kept running……
And kept running……..
Did I mention I was still running! :)
Now during all this running, my two voices were SCREAMING and arguing with each other (LOL!!)
39:22 That was my finish time…..AND I RAN THE WHOLE TIME!!!! WOO-HOO!!
What an awesome feeling!
Training Day #36 - August 11, 2010
Megan and I were joined today by 3 other members of our running “team”. Today we went to Columbia to check out the race route.
We all hooked up in the Hearnes Center parking lot, which we assume will be the general area of the “Start/Finish” line on September 19th.
The race route will take participants on a journey up and around the University of Missouri.
With great company in tow, we all set our pace. Walking was the pace today. We wanted to get a feel for the terrain. The “faster” gals set out about 2 blocks ahead of us “slower” gals, but all-in-all we finished just over an hour. It was a good thing, too……storm clouds were CLOSE and looming!!! We made it back just in time. :)
The route will be challenging (to me at least!). There are a few “hills”!
Training Day #37 - August 13, 2010
Tired today. Achin’ muscles today.
It was another humid morning so inside is where Megan and I trained today. Both of us were dragging today. I didn’t want to set my hopes too high today….Monday was long gone and I wasn’t sure I had it in me to run the whole time.
I was sore from the hips down. My knees were really talking to me and my ankles today were rather sore. I’ve come to accept the daily pains in my legs, but today…..not so much!
And because of my less than thrilling attitude, today’s blog entry will be short… and to the point.
Hopped on the treadmill, set out on a nice walking pace for the first 5 minutes, then kicked it in. I ran to the 20 minute mark and just had to take a break. Well, that “just had to” attitude bit me in the rear about 12 minutes later when I needed, yet again, a break.
I knew I should have just kept running and screamed my way on through the pain and oxygen loss.
I also decided I like Megan’s IPhone app that says the treadmill’s distance for a 5K is actually finished at approximately 2.9 miles.
I kicked in the last minutes in a jog and went to 3.0 and called it “quits”!
That’s it.
Not proud……..
Now where’s the Advil!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Heather's Training - Week 12
Training Day #31 - August 9, 2010
Walked to the gym tonight. I’m surprised my shoes didn’t melt into the asphalt. I really wasn’t in the mood to run, but I’m never in the mood to run, so that’s not at all surprising. I had some errands to run after work, so I didn’t get to the gym until close to 7:30. It took a lot of willpower to even get up and go. I thought the gym would be fairly empty this late in the evening, but turns out it was busier than I thought.
There was only one treadmill that I saw open and a girl had just left it to get on the elliptical. When I walked up to it, none of the lights on the screens were on, nor was the TV, so I assumed it was broken. I absentmindedly pressed a button and when nothing happened, I hopped off to wait my turn for a free t-mill (hmmm...t-mill...that sounds dumb, I won’t use that again). Two seconds later a guy walks up behind me and asks if I’m going to use that treadmill and I said no, that it doesn’t work. He presses a button and it starts right up. Wow, I felt like a jackass, and that’s exactly what I told him. He kind of looked at me like I was an idiot, then walked away, so that made me feel extra special. Turns out I had hit the “Stop” button before, which naturally meant nothing was going to start blinking. Sometimes I wonder about myself.
The run was nothing special. It was a bit of a lung struggle due to the humidity in the air, so I was sucking wind big time. I finished 2.75 miles in 30 minutes, and the 5K in 33:30. The last 4 minutes I was up to 6.5 on the treadmill to try to beat my time, but I realized that was a really stupid idea. My face looked like a beet when I was finished. I was kind of all over the place with my run speeds from a 5.4 to 5.7 then 5.5 then 5.9 then 6.0. I just need to find a pace that works best and stick to it the whole time.
Random spotting at the gym: Beefy No Neck. This guy was seriously nothing but muscle. His arms wouldn’t lower completely and there was nothing to define his neck from his head. Good grief buddy, it’s okay if you miss a day at the gym, or 50. Get a hobby.
Training Day #32 - August 11, 2010
33:07. Best time yet. I planned on running a full 2 miles before I took any breaks, and I did that in a little over 21 minutes. Sometimes it amazes me that I can actually do that. I’m honestly not sure how I accomplished it today, seeing as how it was triple digits outside and only about 4 degrees cooler than that at the gym. I don’t know why they don’t turn the A/C up. It’s not like people are standing around or sitting to get cold. And if they are, well they clearly shouldn’t be at the gym.
I took a couple breaks in the last 12 or so minutes, but all in all, it was a pretty good run. I did 2.8 miles in 30 minutes, which is a record for me. I even ran at 6.0 for a song and a half at the end. Go me.
Side note: Had on a red tank top tonight. You couldn’t tell the difference between it and the shade of my face/neck/arms after my run. Awesome.
Training Day #33 - August 14, 2010
It’s not a bad day out this morning, but I still decided to go to the gym instead of running outside. The clouds can be deceiving of the fireball behind them. I did walk to the gym and was amazed at how semi-pleasant it was.
I got really bored today. And bored very quickly. At 1.5 miles (15-1/2 minutes), I was antsy and really wanted to do something else. So, I hopped off the treadmill and ran over to the machines. I did some calf raises, some lat pull-downs, tricep push-backs, you know, the usual. Then, I headed back to the treadmill for the final mile and a half. I have no idea what made me split the time up. It’s not like they’re going to give us a time out during the race to work on our quads. But, I just needed something to break up all the running today. Wow, has it really come to the point where a 5K BORES me?! Good grief, this is weird, unfamiliar territory.
It was probably around 33 minutes total for the entire run. I didn’t pay too much attention to the exact times. I did buy a cheap pedometer at Target though, to better calculate my outdoor run times. I haven’t taken it out of the packaging yet. I guess it could be a good gauge to see if the treadmill is correct with its distance as well. I was running at a good 6.0 speed for a lot of my runs, so that’s pretty wild.
I just had a thought. Wouldn’t that be bad if the treadmills were off and I wasn’t actually running a full 5K all of these times? Shit. I don’t really want to think about that.
Walked to the gym tonight. I’m surprised my shoes didn’t melt into the asphalt. I really wasn’t in the mood to run, but I’m never in the mood to run, so that’s not at all surprising. I had some errands to run after work, so I didn’t get to the gym until close to 7:30. It took a lot of willpower to even get up and go. I thought the gym would be fairly empty this late in the evening, but turns out it was busier than I thought.
There was only one treadmill that I saw open and a girl had just left it to get on the elliptical. When I walked up to it, none of the lights on the screens were on, nor was the TV, so I assumed it was broken. I absentmindedly pressed a button and when nothing happened, I hopped off to wait my turn for a free t-mill (hmmm...t-mill...that sounds dumb, I won’t use that again). Two seconds later a guy walks up behind me and asks if I’m going to use that treadmill and I said no, that it doesn’t work. He presses a button and it starts right up. Wow, I felt like a jackass, and that’s exactly what I told him. He kind of looked at me like I was an idiot, then walked away, so that made me feel extra special. Turns out I had hit the “Stop” button before, which naturally meant nothing was going to start blinking. Sometimes I wonder about myself.
The run was nothing special. It was a bit of a lung struggle due to the humidity in the air, so I was sucking wind big time. I finished 2.75 miles in 30 minutes, and the 5K in 33:30. The last 4 minutes I was up to 6.5 on the treadmill to try to beat my time, but I realized that was a really stupid idea. My face looked like a beet when I was finished. I was kind of all over the place with my run speeds from a 5.4 to 5.7 then 5.5 then 5.9 then 6.0. I just need to find a pace that works best and stick to it the whole time.
Random spotting at the gym: Beefy No Neck. This guy was seriously nothing but muscle. His arms wouldn’t lower completely and there was nothing to define his neck from his head. Good grief buddy, it’s okay if you miss a day at the gym, or 50. Get a hobby.
Training Day #32 - August 11, 2010
33:07. Best time yet. I planned on running a full 2 miles before I took any breaks, and I did that in a little over 21 minutes. Sometimes it amazes me that I can actually do that. I’m honestly not sure how I accomplished it today, seeing as how it was triple digits outside and only about 4 degrees cooler than that at the gym. I don’t know why they don’t turn the A/C up. It’s not like people are standing around or sitting to get cold. And if they are, well they clearly shouldn’t be at the gym.
I took a couple breaks in the last 12 or so minutes, but all in all, it was a pretty good run. I did 2.8 miles in 30 minutes, which is a record for me. I even ran at 6.0 for a song and a half at the end. Go me.
Side note: Had on a red tank top tonight. You couldn’t tell the difference between it and the shade of my face/neck/arms after my run. Awesome.
Training Day #33 - August 14, 2010
It’s not a bad day out this morning, but I still decided to go to the gym instead of running outside. The clouds can be deceiving of the fireball behind them. I did walk to the gym and was amazed at how semi-pleasant it was.
I got really bored today. And bored very quickly. At 1.5 miles (15-1/2 minutes), I was antsy and really wanted to do something else. So, I hopped off the treadmill and ran over to the machines. I did some calf raises, some lat pull-downs, tricep push-backs, you know, the usual. Then, I headed back to the treadmill for the final mile and a half. I have no idea what made me split the time up. It’s not like they’re going to give us a time out during the race to work on our quads. But, I just needed something to break up all the running today. Wow, has it really come to the point where a 5K BORES me?! Good grief, this is weird, unfamiliar territory.
It was probably around 33 minutes total for the entire run. I didn’t pay too much attention to the exact times. I did buy a cheap pedometer at Target though, to better calculate my outdoor run times. I haven’t taken it out of the packaging yet. I guess it could be a good gauge to see if the treadmill is correct with its distance as well. I was running at a good 6.0 speed for a lot of my runs, so that’s pretty wild.
I just had a thought. Wouldn’t that be bad if the treadmills were off and I wasn’t actually running a full 5K all of these times? Shit. I don’t really want to think about that.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Stephanie's Training - Week 11
Training Day #32 - August 2, 2010
We’re at Tan-Tar-A Resort down at Osage Beach for a couple of days. My husband has his annual Superintendent’s Conference and the girls and I usually tag along for some much needed “away” time.
I’m headed down to the resort’s gym to do my daily run. In all the years we have been coming down here, I’ve never set foot in this place to actually exercise. It’s usually been just a “walk through” to the indoor pool. :)
Anyways, I had the girls and knew they would grow bored quickly, so I had them each bring a book to read. I parked them in a couple of benches near the closest treadmill.
Now these treadmills were state of the art….they had bells and whistles all over them….I like these!
I have to admit I was pretty hesitant today….especially after last Friday’s run. I wasn’t sure if I should just take off and jog until I needed a break or set intervals to walk/run. I decided I’d take the latter. I wanted to survive to run another day, so let’s take things slow and do some intervals.
These treadmills had the “5K loop” option. I started off with a good 5 minute warm-up walk and then took my speed up to 4.8 and jogged for 10 minutes. That was my interval today…..walk 5/jog 10.
That was a good interval and I felt really good today. No weird sensations or dizziness. I completed the 3.1 miles in approx. 41:34 minutes, which is about a minute over last Wednesday’s run. Not too bad. I can handle that. :)
And, can I take one of these machines home with me…….. :)
Training Day #33 - August 4, 2010
We returned home from the Lake yesterday, so it’s back to the rec center I go. I guess I’m going to have to settle for the “plain jane” treadmills. :)
I realized when I got to the rec center that I forgot my MP3 player. I had unpacked it and set it on the counter. Well…..just going to have to find an interesting show to watch, I guess.
I spent about 15 minutes on the weights and then headed to the treadmill. I turned on the TV and found the “Bonnie Hunt Show”. And on after that was “The Price Is Right”. I really don’t know what it is about that show…….maybe since I haven’t seen it in ages…….maybe that is what makes it soooo interesting..
I plugged in the “5K Loop” program and off I went. I warmed up with a 5 minute walk and then set the speed at 5.0 and took off on my jog. I ran for 10 minutes, needed a break, and walked for 2 minutes before jogging again. I ran another 10 minutes and this time took a 3 minute walk break. At this point, I’m getting close to the “down hill slide” and kick up the speed to 5.0 to jog. I got to about 2/10ths of my distance left and kicked up my speed to 5.5.
THAT TOOK EVERY OUNCE OF FOCUS!! AND MUSTERING ENOUGH OXYGEN TO FINISH!
I hit the 3.12 miles and my time………a new goal….40:12! Ten seconds faster!
OK…..time….to……recover……..whew!!!!!!!!!!
Training Day #34 - August 6, 2010
Nervous? Anxious? Not sure what the pit in my stomach represents, but I know it makes me a little nervous to know I’m running with Megan outside today. I’m not nervous about Megan (chuckle)….I’m nervous about the outdoors part. ;) I get a little anxious at the challenge.
I met Megan at her apartment. We stretched and off we went. We decided to set a good walking pace for the first mile or so and then we kicked it in. I let Megan know that if she needed to run on ahead, I’d catch up……..at some point. I wasn’t sure how far I’d be behind her but I didn’t want to stifle her run.
I was gasping at first. Really trying not to hyperventilate. I kept breathing in-and-out so quickly, that I had to focus hard on controlling and taking deep in-and-out breaths.
I also had carried along a water bottle. I knew it would be cumbersome, but that I also wouldn’t be able to make it without it. I switched it from one hand to the other and realized that was jacking with my rhythm. I had pockets today and slid that down into my pocket. Good thing the ‘ol shorts had drawstrings!! It was cumbersome in the pockets, but I could deal………
I didn’t have a way to keep track of distance or minutes between my running and walking intervals. I just ran til I needed to quit and took a short walking break, then was back at it.
It was a nice morning which really helped. The breeze was great to keep somewhat cool.
The last leg of the run was a few blocks away and I was doing pretty well. Megan was about 3 blocks ahead of me. As I rolled to the “finish line”, I was proud of my run today. Not fully where I want to be, but great for the first attempt outdoors.
Megan uses her IPhone and the cool app that goes with it to keep track of her efforts and according to her, we ran in 39:?? (I don’t remember the seconds, but I sure remember the minutes!) I would say that I can consistently run the 5K in approx. 40 minutes. That’s encouraging to me. :)
Let’s see what next week brings!!
We’re at Tan-Tar-A Resort down at Osage Beach for a couple of days. My husband has his annual Superintendent’s Conference and the girls and I usually tag along for some much needed “away” time.
I’m headed down to the resort’s gym to do my daily run. In all the years we have been coming down here, I’ve never set foot in this place to actually exercise. It’s usually been just a “walk through” to the indoor pool. :)
Anyways, I had the girls and knew they would grow bored quickly, so I had them each bring a book to read. I parked them in a couple of benches near the closest treadmill.
Now these treadmills were state of the art….they had bells and whistles all over them….I like these!
I have to admit I was pretty hesitant today….especially after last Friday’s run. I wasn’t sure if I should just take off and jog until I needed a break or set intervals to walk/run. I decided I’d take the latter. I wanted to survive to run another day, so let’s take things slow and do some intervals.
These treadmills had the “5K loop” option. I started off with a good 5 minute warm-up walk and then took my speed up to 4.8 and jogged for 10 minutes. That was my interval today…..walk 5/jog 10.
That was a good interval and I felt really good today. No weird sensations or dizziness. I completed the 3.1 miles in approx. 41:34 minutes, which is about a minute over last Wednesday’s run. Not too bad. I can handle that. :)
And, can I take one of these machines home with me…….. :)
Training Day #33 - August 4, 2010
We returned home from the Lake yesterday, so it’s back to the rec center I go. I guess I’m going to have to settle for the “plain jane” treadmills. :)
I realized when I got to the rec center that I forgot my MP3 player. I had unpacked it and set it on the counter. Well…..just going to have to find an interesting show to watch, I guess.
I spent about 15 minutes on the weights and then headed to the treadmill. I turned on the TV and found the “Bonnie Hunt Show”. And on after that was “The Price Is Right”. I really don’t know what it is about that show…….maybe since I haven’t seen it in ages…….maybe that is what makes it soooo interesting..
I plugged in the “5K Loop” program and off I went. I warmed up with a 5 minute walk and then set the speed at 5.0 and took off on my jog. I ran for 10 minutes, needed a break, and walked for 2 minutes before jogging again. I ran another 10 minutes and this time took a 3 minute walk break. At this point, I’m getting close to the “down hill slide” and kick up the speed to 5.0 to jog. I got to about 2/10ths of my distance left and kicked up my speed to 5.5.
THAT TOOK EVERY OUNCE OF FOCUS!! AND MUSTERING ENOUGH OXYGEN TO FINISH!
I hit the 3.12 miles and my time………a new goal….40:12! Ten seconds faster!
OK…..time….to……recover……..whew!!!!!!!!!!
Training Day #34 - August 6, 2010
Nervous? Anxious? Not sure what the pit in my stomach represents, but I know it makes me a little nervous to know I’m running with Megan outside today. I’m not nervous about Megan (chuckle)….I’m nervous about the outdoors part. ;) I get a little anxious at the challenge.
I met Megan at her apartment. We stretched and off we went. We decided to set a good walking pace for the first mile or so and then we kicked it in. I let Megan know that if she needed to run on ahead, I’d catch up……..at some point. I wasn’t sure how far I’d be behind her but I didn’t want to stifle her run.
I was gasping at first. Really trying not to hyperventilate. I kept breathing in-and-out so quickly, that I had to focus hard on controlling and taking deep in-and-out breaths.
I also had carried along a water bottle. I knew it would be cumbersome, but that I also wouldn’t be able to make it without it. I switched it from one hand to the other and realized that was jacking with my rhythm. I had pockets today and slid that down into my pocket. Good thing the ‘ol shorts had drawstrings!! It was cumbersome in the pockets, but I could deal………
I didn’t have a way to keep track of distance or minutes between my running and walking intervals. I just ran til I needed to quit and took a short walking break, then was back at it.
It was a nice morning which really helped. The breeze was great to keep somewhat cool.
The last leg of the run was a few blocks away and I was doing pretty well. Megan was about 3 blocks ahead of me. As I rolled to the “finish line”, I was proud of my run today. Not fully where I want to be, but great for the first attempt outdoors.
Megan uses her IPhone and the cool app that goes with it to keep track of her efforts and according to her, we ran in 39:?? (I don’t remember the seconds, but I sure remember the minutes!) I would say that I can consistently run the 5K in approx. 40 minutes. That’s encouraging to me. :)
Let’s see what next week brings!!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Heather's Training - Week 11
Training Day #28 - August 2, 2010
One word: redemption. I figured going into tonight’s run, anything had to be better than the crap I did last week. Fortunately, I did do much better and was back up to where I was the week before.
Since it’s hot enough to bake a cake in my car, I headed to the gym and hopped right onto my favorite treadmill. I decided to do a full 5-minute warmup before I started my run, because, to be honest, I was terrified of how I would do. Last week’s disaster was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to prepare myself.
After the 5 minutes were up, I set the treadmill for a run, covered the screen and away I went. I was determined to finish at least four songs before I stopped, took a break or looked at the screen. I didn’t accomplish the last one, I looked after song 3, but I didn’t stop running! I miraculously ran for 18 WHOLE MINUTES before my legs ever got a break. Hot. Damn. During the second song, I really wanted to stop, but I forced my brain into not being a wimp and pressed right on through. At minute 18, I really needed a water break and a quick breather. I wasn’t doing too bad at this point, but figured I should give myself a hot second to recover. Then, I was back at a run until minute 24 when I decided to walk it out for a few minutes. Minute 26 until the end wasn’t pretty, but I finished.
It’s weird how after the first 5 or 6 minutes, I got into a groove and didn’t feel too bad. The moment I took that first break, the rest of the run was run/break/run/break/run/walk/run/break. I just couldn’t get my stride back, and after each quick break or walk, my muscles would get tight and then running was that much more difficult. I think once I can build up the stamina to run the entire thing, I’ll be much better off. I need to stop stopping (that’s an awesome phrase).
In 30 minutes, I completed 2.71 miles, with the full 5K in 33:58. I was determined to finish under 34 minutes, so the final 15 seconds or so were at a massive run to get it all in. Success. Not my best time so far, but it comes in a close second, so I am perfectly happy with that. And like I said, wayyyy better than last week.
Side note to the guy next to me: please recognize the fact that you’ve decided to run random increments at 11 or 12 mph. No one else is making you run that fast. There is no need to smack the treadmill or drop 85 F-bombs. You did this to yourself jackwad. Now shut the hell up.
Second side note: While I thought it was a good idea to eat some Honey Nut Cheerios before I hit the gym (a little carb-loading), the nutty burps I was straining to hold in the entire time were not pleasant at all.
Training Day #29 - August 4, 2010
Sweet sassy molassey, it’s hot. When I walked into the gym tonight, the air was heavy with humidity and sweat. Blech. I knew immediately it was going to be an unpleasant run. I’m glad I’m training this time of year for this though, rather than in January and February. Lots of people stay away from the gym in the summers due to busier schedules and lots more activities outside. Which is great for me, because I don’t have to fight for a treadmill.
I started with my 5-minute warm up since I drove to the gym instead of walked. Hey, it was 99 degrees out. I’m not at all ashamed about cranking the A/C in the 5 minutes it took me to drive it. After that I plugged 5.5 into the run speed and away I went. It was a bit more difficult to get going than it was on Monday. I think it had a lot to do with the heaviness in the air. Even though the air was on, the gym was still a sweltering sweatbox (say that 5 times fast). I just felt like I couldn’t get complete full breaths. I eventually worked out some kind of rhythm, but I couldn’t keep from staring at the screen and time ticking oh-so-slowly by. I tried covering it with my towel, but about every minute and a half, I had to remove the towel to wipe down. Maybe I need to start bringing another towel with me. Or maybe they need to invent the shower treadmill that sprays you with cold water as you run. I imagine that could be a bit of a death trap though.
I was determined to finish 20 minutes without a break and that proved to be harder than I thought. I thought my lungs were going to collapse, followed immediately by my knees and my ankles. But, somehow, I kept going, despite the ragged gasps of air. I needed to prove something to myself, and that was that I can do this. I’m strong enough to make it. And I did. As soon as that clock struck 20:00 though, I hopped off for a quick drink and tried to get my breath in check. After about 15 seconds and half of my water bottle gone, I was back on and switched to a fast walk for another minute or so. The last 10-12 minutes were run/break/run/break, etc, with only one more minute of a full walk.
I managed 2.78 miles in 30 minutes with 3.1 miles in 33:10. YES! After reading my sister’s blog and seeing that her treadmill considers a 5K 3.12 miles, I ran that little bit extra and finished in 33:20. The last minute and a half, I had the speed up to a 6.7 and I was bookin’ it. It took all of my concentration to focus what little energy I had left into not tripping. I have never been happier than I was when I pressed that cool down button. Good Lord, I was dripping sweat everywhere. I’m surprised I didn’t slip on it after the bucketful that fell onto the belt.
Side note: I’m not a fan of triple-digit Midwestern summer days.
Second side note: I’m glad we’re running this race mid-September. Although in Missouri, that could still mean it could either be snowing or 95 degrees out. Let’s hope for somewhere in the middle.
Training Day #30 - August 7, 2010
Running outside stinks. Can’t they just get hundreds of treadmills that we could run on for the race? That’s totally reasonable, right?!
Considering the heat we had earlier this week and will have next week, this morning was gorgeous. Low to mid-70’s when I headed out, which was great. Until I started running. By the time I finished, it was hitting the low-80’s. :( I set off through the neighborhood today, rather than heading to the park like last week. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the hills this morning. Running through the neighborhood is nice, except for the sidewalks. I have to concentrate so much on not tripping on anything and paying attention to sprinklers so I don’t get doused (although that actually feels good on a hot day!) I could have run on the street, but St. Louis City drivers sometimes leave something to be desired. And I wasn’t looking to get run over today.
I did a quick warm up walk to the corner and then away I went. I’m pretty sure of the route now, as far as distances go, so I was able to run over a mile before I got winded and needed a break. And I was right on track with a 10-11 minute mile that I’ve been doing on the treadmill. That made me feel really great. The remaining two miles weren’t as pretty, and I needed a few more walk breaks than I’d like to admit, but they weren’t terrible.
There’s a two-mile route that I run that goes from my house around the neighborhood and back around to my house. I didn’t take any water with me b/c I hate carrying a water bottle when I run, so after the 2 miles, I stopped in to the house and chugged some agua. Then, I was back at it again.
I also know the half mile mark from my house, so I ran that, turned around and came back home for the last leg. All in all, I finished in a little over 35 minutes. Considering the amount of times I stopped to walk, I’m happy with that number. I really thought it would take me longer outside. I'm reasonably certain that I completed the entire 3.1 miles, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a pedometer to be sure. I can't trust my car's odometer completely.
I’m pooped now. In the half hour I was outside, the temp rose considerably and I drank about a gallon of water when I got back to the house to hydrate.
Side note: I’m thinking maybe dodging cars to run in the street might be better than dodging cracks and tree roots on the sidewalks. Either way, it’s an obstacle course running near my house.
Second side note: SIX WEEKS LEFT!!!
One word: redemption. I figured going into tonight’s run, anything had to be better than the crap I did last week. Fortunately, I did do much better and was back up to where I was the week before.
Since it’s hot enough to bake a cake in my car, I headed to the gym and hopped right onto my favorite treadmill. I decided to do a full 5-minute warmup before I started my run, because, to be honest, I was terrified of how I would do. Last week’s disaster was still fresh in my mind and I wanted to prepare myself.
After the 5 minutes were up, I set the treadmill for a run, covered the screen and away I went. I was determined to finish at least four songs before I stopped, took a break or looked at the screen. I didn’t accomplish the last one, I looked after song 3, but I didn’t stop running! I miraculously ran for 18 WHOLE MINUTES before my legs ever got a break. Hot. Damn. During the second song, I really wanted to stop, but I forced my brain into not being a wimp and pressed right on through. At minute 18, I really needed a water break and a quick breather. I wasn’t doing too bad at this point, but figured I should give myself a hot second to recover. Then, I was back at a run until minute 24 when I decided to walk it out for a few minutes. Minute 26 until the end wasn’t pretty, but I finished.
It’s weird how after the first 5 or 6 minutes, I got into a groove and didn’t feel too bad. The moment I took that first break, the rest of the run was run/break/run/break/run/walk/run/break. I just couldn’t get my stride back, and after each quick break or walk, my muscles would get tight and then running was that much more difficult. I think once I can build up the stamina to run the entire thing, I’ll be much better off. I need to stop stopping (that’s an awesome phrase).
In 30 minutes, I completed 2.71 miles, with the full 5K in 33:58. I was determined to finish under 34 minutes, so the final 15 seconds or so were at a massive run to get it all in. Success. Not my best time so far, but it comes in a close second, so I am perfectly happy with that. And like I said, wayyyy better than last week.
Side note to the guy next to me: please recognize the fact that you’ve decided to run random increments at 11 or 12 mph. No one else is making you run that fast. There is no need to smack the treadmill or drop 85 F-bombs. You did this to yourself jackwad. Now shut the hell up.
Second side note: While I thought it was a good idea to eat some Honey Nut Cheerios before I hit the gym (a little carb-loading), the nutty burps I was straining to hold in the entire time were not pleasant at all.
Training Day #29 - August 4, 2010
Sweet sassy molassey, it’s hot. When I walked into the gym tonight, the air was heavy with humidity and sweat. Blech. I knew immediately it was going to be an unpleasant run. I’m glad I’m training this time of year for this though, rather than in January and February. Lots of people stay away from the gym in the summers due to busier schedules and lots more activities outside. Which is great for me, because I don’t have to fight for a treadmill.
I started with my 5-minute warm up since I drove to the gym instead of walked. Hey, it was 99 degrees out. I’m not at all ashamed about cranking the A/C in the 5 minutes it took me to drive it. After that I plugged 5.5 into the run speed and away I went. It was a bit more difficult to get going than it was on Monday. I think it had a lot to do with the heaviness in the air. Even though the air was on, the gym was still a sweltering sweatbox (say that 5 times fast). I just felt like I couldn’t get complete full breaths. I eventually worked out some kind of rhythm, but I couldn’t keep from staring at the screen and time ticking oh-so-slowly by. I tried covering it with my towel, but about every minute and a half, I had to remove the towel to wipe down. Maybe I need to start bringing another towel with me. Or maybe they need to invent the shower treadmill that sprays you with cold water as you run. I imagine that could be a bit of a death trap though.
I was determined to finish 20 minutes without a break and that proved to be harder than I thought. I thought my lungs were going to collapse, followed immediately by my knees and my ankles. But, somehow, I kept going, despite the ragged gasps of air. I needed to prove something to myself, and that was that I can do this. I’m strong enough to make it. And I did. As soon as that clock struck 20:00 though, I hopped off for a quick drink and tried to get my breath in check. After about 15 seconds and half of my water bottle gone, I was back on and switched to a fast walk for another minute or so. The last 10-12 minutes were run/break/run/break, etc, with only one more minute of a full walk.
I managed 2.78 miles in 30 minutes with 3.1 miles in 33:10. YES! After reading my sister’s blog and seeing that her treadmill considers a 5K 3.12 miles, I ran that little bit extra and finished in 33:20. The last minute and a half, I had the speed up to a 6.7 and I was bookin’ it. It took all of my concentration to focus what little energy I had left into not tripping. I have never been happier than I was when I pressed that cool down button. Good Lord, I was dripping sweat everywhere. I’m surprised I didn’t slip on it after the bucketful that fell onto the belt.
Side note: I’m not a fan of triple-digit Midwestern summer days.
Second side note: I’m glad we’re running this race mid-September. Although in Missouri, that could still mean it could either be snowing or 95 degrees out. Let’s hope for somewhere in the middle.
Training Day #30 - August 7, 2010
Running outside stinks. Can’t they just get hundreds of treadmills that we could run on for the race? That’s totally reasonable, right?!
Considering the heat we had earlier this week and will have next week, this morning was gorgeous. Low to mid-70’s when I headed out, which was great. Until I started running. By the time I finished, it was hitting the low-80’s. :( I set off through the neighborhood today, rather than heading to the park like last week. I really wasn’t in the mood to deal with the hills this morning. Running through the neighborhood is nice, except for the sidewalks. I have to concentrate so much on not tripping on anything and paying attention to sprinklers so I don’t get doused (although that actually feels good on a hot day!) I could have run on the street, but St. Louis City drivers sometimes leave something to be desired. And I wasn’t looking to get run over today.
I did a quick warm up walk to the corner and then away I went. I’m pretty sure of the route now, as far as distances go, so I was able to run over a mile before I got winded and needed a break. And I was right on track with a 10-11 minute mile that I’ve been doing on the treadmill. That made me feel really great. The remaining two miles weren’t as pretty, and I needed a few more walk breaks than I’d like to admit, but they weren’t terrible.
There’s a two-mile route that I run that goes from my house around the neighborhood and back around to my house. I didn’t take any water with me b/c I hate carrying a water bottle when I run, so after the 2 miles, I stopped in to the house and chugged some agua. Then, I was back at it again.
I also know the half mile mark from my house, so I ran that, turned around and came back home for the last leg. All in all, I finished in a little over 35 minutes. Considering the amount of times I stopped to walk, I’m happy with that number. I really thought it would take me longer outside. I'm reasonably certain that I completed the entire 3.1 miles, but I'm seriously thinking about getting a pedometer to be sure. I can't trust my car's odometer completely.
I’m pooped now. In the half hour I was outside, the temp rose considerably and I drank about a gallon of water when I got back to the house to hydrate.
Side note: I’m thinking maybe dodging cars to run in the street might be better than dodging cracks and tree roots on the sidewalks. Either way, it’s an obstacle course running near my house.
Second side note: SIX WEEKS LEFT!!!
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