This morning when I woke up I did my yoga practice like normal. I was really unsure whether I should do my walk/run today, because of my talk with a running mentor. He emphasized how important it was for me to have my knee checked out by my doctor. He said that he has know runners that will train through an injury and then they seriously injure themselves which results in being off for 6-8 months. I really do not want to have that happen or cause anymore pain to my body. So, I chose to wait until after I got off work and decide later.
I also had already planned to go to this meeting that a friend was holding at Munroe Falls Park. She said that it was for anyone interested in running, biking or triathlon. Okay, maybe a triathlon isn't in my near future, but I was interested. In the email that I got, she just said to show up. I packed my bag with a suit, and my running clothes because I would have to go straight from work. I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. I honestly thought that is was going to be more of a talking info session. But it was held at a park where there was a fee, so I was really up for anything. The park has a big lake, trails, tennis courts and road that goes all the way around the lake.
I found the group that met and there were 4 men and 3 other women. My friend and one of the other women were experience triathletes, and so were 2 of the men. I know that the third woman and I were inexperienced. It was great to have people that were willing to teach and show me how to do things. The next thing I know, I'm changing into my suit. We are going to swim laps. I'm so grateful for having had experience swimming laps! We had to do 8 laps to complete a mile while swimming. We got 3 in before they blew the whistle on us for a break. If my math is correct, we did at least 1/3 of a mile. Then the inexperienced triathletes went to change into our running clothes. One of the experienced runners had a knee injury as well, so she agreed to run at my pace with me. I was extremely grateful because my pace was A LOT slower than everyone else's! It was great to get to know Julie and make our way around the lake which was at least 1 mile or more. It was sunny, it was cooling off because it was evening, and it was beautiful!
I learned several things this evening. One is that I should never run on a treadmill, black top or concrete. They are too hard and don't have enough give to them which can cause a lot issues in your knees, hips, feet, etc. Second, I shouldn't run heel to toe. Julie said that every time I put my heel down it's like using breaks on your body AND 3 times your body weight. Then your body has to gear itself back up every step. So, I need to step more in the middle of my foot and keep my feet under my body. The third thing that I learned was that I need to keep my head in the water, as well as, my shoulders to protect my neck and keep my body straight in the water instead of slanted. Keeping my head and shoulders in the water will not only save me from neck pain, but also increase my speed.
It was such a rejuvenating night. I met new people, learned things I didn't know, and got to work out with other people who really enjoy it! It was exactly what I needed, right when I needed it. Thank you to Cassie for including me in your mass email! Oh, the other thing that I learned was to not say that my body is angry at me, but to say that it is grateful to be used. I had said that my pec was angry at me for swimming, and Julie suggested saying that my muscles are grateful to be used and that I have nerve endings there that are happy to be acknowledged. It was fun. It's 5 weeks into my training, I'm having knee issues, and I was able to swim and run without any severe pain~ plus it was enjoyable. It was great night! Now I need to surf Craigslist for a bicycle, go swimsuit shopping, buy goggles and a watch. And not forget to do yoga! Namaste.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Week 5: Able to run again!
Monday, the 27th, was absolutely awesome. I got to do a 25 min. walk/run at my original slower pace, but I was able to do it! I still had some pain in my right knee. Not enough to stop, but enough to be concerned about. So, I now have scheduled myself an appointment with an orthopedic doctor. Sadly, I'm pretty sure that my 9 year-old iPod actually bit the dust. It's tragic. I think I may have to have a memorial service for it. So this run was a la Channel 3. Luckily, I got to watch The Doctors show and the beginning of Ellen. Let's face it, Ellen is pretty hilarious and how could I not be inspired while watching Ellen trying to learn a hip hop dance and perform live on TV.
The other noteworthy experience during my day at the gym was while stretching. I've recently incorporated a hamstring stretch into my warm-up and cool down. It has me putting my leg up on a bar while standing and resting my heel on the bar. I was able to do this at the trail that I run on on the weekend and on the side of the track at the gym. This time I was stretching at the mirror where there are double bars. I stood there for seriously 30 seconds trying to figure out how I was going to do my said hamstring stretch. 30 seconds may not seem like a long time, but when there are other people around working out, stretching, etc. It feels like forever. The top bar was definitely too high for me to stretch on, but the second one was fine. The only problem was that they weren't staggered and they are pretty close together. Enter, another woman stretching who I watched out of the corner of my eye just to see how she was going to maneuver these bars. I almost laughed out loud in the middle of all those people. All she did was slide her foot under the top bar and rest her heel on the bottom one. Seriously, it was simple. Thank you to random woman stretcher who was able to save me from my brain short circuiting!
I have still continued my morning yoga. I can do a squat without my knees being in pain or way to tight. I feel much stronger in my legs during everyday activity and while running. Still taking it a day at a time with stretching. It is nice because now I pretty much have my yoga routine memorized. So, I can practice it while watching something else, or if I'm not at home and don't have my DVD. I just checked out a book about Qigong which I may start incorporating into my daily life. It is completely new to me, but the book is very descriptive and there are pictures, so we will see. I don't think there are any Qigong classes in this area. Either way, I am really, really grateful for yoga to help me maintain my flexibility and strength. Namaste.
The other noteworthy experience during my day at the gym was while stretching. I've recently incorporated a hamstring stretch into my warm-up and cool down. It has me putting my leg up on a bar while standing and resting my heel on the bar. I was able to do this at the trail that I run on on the weekend and on the side of the track at the gym. This time I was stretching at the mirror where there are double bars. I stood there for seriously 30 seconds trying to figure out how I was going to do my said hamstring stretch. 30 seconds may not seem like a long time, but when there are other people around working out, stretching, etc. It feels like forever. The top bar was definitely too high for me to stretch on, but the second one was fine. The only problem was that they weren't staggered and they are pretty close together. Enter, another woman stretching who I watched out of the corner of my eye just to see how she was going to maneuver these bars. I almost laughed out loud in the middle of all those people. All she did was slide her foot under the top bar and rest her heel on the bottom one. Seriously, it was simple. Thank you to random woman stretcher who was able to save me from my brain short circuiting!
I have still continued my morning yoga. I can do a squat without my knees being in pain or way to tight. I feel much stronger in my legs during everyday activity and while running. Still taking it a day at a time with stretching. It is nice because now I pretty much have my yoga routine memorized. So, I can practice it while watching something else, or if I'm not at home and don't have my DVD. I just checked out a book about Qigong which I may start incorporating into my daily life. It is completely new to me, but the book is very descriptive and there are pictures, so we will see. I don't think there are any Qigong classes in this area. Either way, I am really, really grateful for yoga to help me maintain my flexibility and strength. Namaste.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Week 4: Low Key
Week 4 started out with a 30 min. walk/run on Monday, 20th. I also worked in my crunches. I did my walk/run at my original slow pace. It was difficult to be running slower, but for the sake of my knees I figured it was worth it! Wednesday, I was still pretty nervous to walk/run. My knees continued to feel better, but they were still sore. Then I was blessed with a 30 min. sports massage by my friend, Shana Jane Steinhouse. She is a miracle worker. I decided to post pone my Wed. walk/run. On Thursday, I did a 10 min. walk/run, crunches. I'm continuing to do yoga every day and extra stretches to work on my tight hamstrings. Apparently, tight hamstrings can be a major cause of knee pain. Later in the evening, I did about a 50 min. walk with a friend. It was great to just walk and talk. Friday I noticed that my every day movements seem to be getting stronger which is very nice. I have a huge fear of having to quit this half-marathon training. On the other hand, it is also difficult to back off and go slower/shorter to wait for my knees to heal. But I'm trying my best at practicing.
So, Saturday's long run was 2.5 miles. My usual long run partner actually forgot to get up. It was funny. But thankfully, another friend showed up. She also brought along her Boston Terrier/Pug mix to enjoy our morning run with us. I also was still trying to go easy. So, I went pretty slow on my run interval, and took longer walk breaks. And we actually did 3 miles. As there are no 1/4 mile markers. So, Rocky lived it up on the trail. It sniffed everyone and wanted to meet every other dog on the trail. He doesn't seem to have the best manners on the trail, he's a newbie. Most people seemed to like Rocky, there were others that looked like they were going to completely trip over him, but there were no injuries incurred. It was also hard for me because my friend and Rocky had a quicker pace than I did when running. But as long I envisioned a string between the two of us with her pulling me forward, it wasn't bad. Plus, I was just glad to be able to part of my 3 mile walk/run.
It is very easy for me to blow off my stretching and yoga, because it doesn't take that long. And I like to try and tell myself that it doesn't really make that big of a difference. But from the improvements that I've made, it is has to be making a difference. Plus every stretching, and running book that I read usually suggests the exact stretches that are in my yoga practice. So, I have only missed one day in the last week. It is definitely practice. I really don't like when things are the same all the time, and usually as long as I tell myself that I only have to do it for today, then I can do it with ease. I'm still dealing with a lot of thoughts and mind-racing while doing yoga. I keep telling myself that that will get better with time. And that I just need to keep focusing on the moment.
For now, I'm still in the Half-Marathon game. Til next time, Namaste.
So, Saturday's long run was 2.5 miles. My usual long run partner actually forgot to get up. It was funny. But thankfully, another friend showed up. She also brought along her Boston Terrier/Pug mix to enjoy our morning run with us. I also was still trying to go easy. So, I went pretty slow on my run interval, and took longer walk breaks. And we actually did 3 miles. As there are no 1/4 mile markers. So, Rocky lived it up on the trail. It sniffed everyone and wanted to meet every other dog on the trail. He doesn't seem to have the best manners on the trail, he's a newbie. Most people seemed to like Rocky, there were others that looked like they were going to completely trip over him, but there were no injuries incurred. It was also hard for me because my friend and Rocky had a quicker pace than I did when running. But as long I envisioned a string between the two of us with her pulling me forward, it wasn't bad. Plus, I was just glad to be able to part of my 3 mile walk/run.
It is very easy for me to blow off my stretching and yoga, because it doesn't take that long. And I like to try and tell myself that it doesn't really make that big of a difference. But from the improvements that I've made, it is has to be making a difference. Plus every stretching, and running book that I read usually suggests the exact stretches that are in my yoga practice. So, I have only missed one day in the last week. It is definitely practice. I really don't like when things are the same all the time, and usually as long as I tell myself that I only have to do it for today, then I can do it with ease. I'm still dealing with a lot of thoughts and mind-racing while doing yoga. I keep telling myself that that will get better with time. And that I just need to keep focusing on the moment.
For now, I'm still in the Half-Marathon game. Til next time, Namaste.
Monday, June 20, 2011
5 Miles!
Saturday was my week 3 long run. 5 miles. I had worked a lot and gotten as much sleep as could the night before (about 6.5 hrs). I had also made sure that I ate at my normal intervals. At this point I knew that I could do the 5 mile walk/run, but I was really nervous about my knee situation. I didn't want to injure them further, but I also didn't want to not do it if I could. So, I showed up with a snack this time. It was cool, light out and 6:30 in the morning. You know that I'm committed when I will purposely show up at 6:30 am. It had rained the night before, so there was rain water dripping on us from the trees. Due to my pain and friend's lack of sleep, we turned out to be very raw and negative on the first third of our run. Once we noticed this, we worked on using our positive thinking mantras. Unfortunately, it just felt like words that I didn't believe. But at least still worked on it nonetheless. It was amazing how many people were out at this time in the morning. Most of them friendly. It's also very encouraging when other people are bright, chipper, smile and say something back to you when you say "good morning!" Sometimes it's just the boost that you need to keep going. My knees seemed to relax as we got to mile 2. I can't believe that I just wrote that sentence. Who would have thought that knees would relax after walk/running 2 miles. But it happened.
It was helpful to repeat, "One more step, one more step.. ." several times when going up hills. Those hills seemed to take forever. But we got up them. Some where after 2 miles there was an extremely attractive man running that I am pretty sure was put on that path just to entertain and encourage us. He was the most good-looking man that we have seen on the trail yet! We had to cross two roads which we hadn't done before and it was exciting. We knew we had to be close to the 2.5 mile marker where we could turn around. The picture trio the right is me running past the 2.5 mile marker. I couldn't figure out why I kinda look like a giant, but I think it's because my friend is shorter than me mixed with me height. Anyways, making it to the halfway point gave a burst of energy to finish off our run. We passed a lot of people twice which was fun sometimes. My friend got a couple of compliments on her bright pink hair which always made us smile.
We continued to attack the hills, and lets just say were dominating them! A woman running with her friend actually told us we were looking good. It was the second time we had passed them. It was wonderful having a perfect stranger give us encouragement. After a bathroom break, we were at the 4 mile mark. Who knew? I keep being grateful and loving that I can do things that I never thought I could! Did I mention there were more hills? We made it to mile 5 in 1 hour and 29 minutes! I think our time reflected our attitude, lack of sleep, and pain. But we completed the 5 mile walk/run! It was fabulous, sweat and all. Sweating salt is also a huge thing. It is actually enough that if I try to wipe my sweat off, my skin feels like sandpaper. It's weird. Must be why they have sodium in those GU things and Gatorade type products. I also have learned that ice is my friend. 10-15 minutes on, then 10-15 off, and back on again. It totally worked on my knees. They aren't 100% but they are feeling better. Most importantly, I made it through my 5 miles. It was great having a friend to run with, it made it so much more bearable. Woot!
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| The beautiful sunlight as we turned around at 2.5 miles. |
We continued to attack the hills, and lets just say were dominating them! A woman running with her friend actually told us we were looking good. It was the second time we had passed them. It was wonderful having a perfect stranger give us encouragement. After a bathroom break, we were at the 4 mile mark. Who knew? I keep being grateful and loving that I can do things that I never thought I could! Did I mention there were more hills? We made it to mile 5 in 1 hour and 29 minutes! I think our time reflected our attitude, lack of sleep, and pain. But we completed the 5 mile walk/run! It was fabulous, sweat and all. Sweating salt is also a huge thing. It is actually enough that if I try to wipe my sweat off, my skin feels like sandpaper. It's weird. Must be why they have sodium in those GU things and Gatorade type products. I also have learned that ice is my friend. 10-15 minutes on, then 10-15 off, and back on again. It totally worked on my knees. They aren't 100% but they are feeling better. Most importantly, I made it through my 5 miles. It was great having a friend to run with, it made it so much more bearable. Woot!
Knee pain, ugh!
Something happened on Wednesday. I'm not sure what. I felt fine during my walk/run. I felt fine at work. Then later in the evening, I drove about an hour(to go visit my new niece, but I won't go into that. I'd be writing for a long time!) I get out of the car to stop at McDonald's to bring food to the new parents. I step out of the car, and BAM, my knees are achy, one wanted to give out underneath me. It's a weird pain that really doesn't feel like pain, more of a soreness. It was on the inside of leg below my knee and down a little bit. This feeling is completely new to me. And it slowed me down a little. I'm not used to this. I am used to being able to walk at a pretty quick pace, and who wouldn't when there is a new 7.1 lbs baby girl to go visit. I thought maybe it's just because I sat still too long. It didn't go away the next day. Very stiff and sore. But I did go for an easy walk on Thursday. I think we did 45 min. walking at a leisurely pace at the Gorge in Cuyahoga Falls. It was very pretty scenery, but unfortunately the river stinks. The photo is of me near the waterfall.
Last Wednesday's Run and Shocking Dream
It's a bit late, but better late than never. Right? Right. I did do my 30 min walk/run on Wednesday. I was trying to increase my time, so I increased my speed slightly on my walking and my running. My previous times was 3.6/4.0 which was probably about a 16/17 min mile pace. So on Wednesday I did 3.7/4.4 pace which was probably about a 15 min. mile pace. It was tougher, but I got through it. It also wasn't such a drag as my run on Monday. I'm not sure why, but somehow doing my walk/run in the morning is easier than waiting til the evening. And Wednesday's was in the morning before I went to work. This is mostly what I remember from my day at the gym that day. One of the reasons why blogging the day of is important!
I do need to write about the most shocking dream that I had last week though. I didn't really completely remember it until later in the day while working in the Biology lab. If you had been a fly on the wall, you would have thought that I was crazy. Because I just bust out laughing because of this ridiculous dream that I had just remembered! So in my dream, I was running. I think it might have been the marathon, I'm not really sure. I was about half-way through my run and I was exhausted. Really exhausted! Now, some background information before I continue. I have been reading Jeff Galloway's book called Marathon: You can do it! There are several places where he tells you and continues to remind you to take your walk breaks starting from the very beginning of your run. Not 20 min. in, not when you start getting tired, not when you decide is good, but at the BEGINNING. Back to my dream, I'm completely exhausted and feeling like I'm ready to quit when someone asks me, "Did you take your walk breaks at the beginning like you were supposed to?" I react all horrified realizing that I didn't take them early, and get really disappointed with myself. Then I wake up.
How hilarious is that? Not only did I have a running dream, but I also dreamed about forgetting to take my walk breaks when I should. Just the face alone that I have had a running dream is pretty hysterical! Who dreams about running? Apparently, I do.
I do need to write about the most shocking dream that I had last week though. I didn't really completely remember it until later in the day while working in the Biology lab. If you had been a fly on the wall, you would have thought that I was crazy. Because I just bust out laughing because of this ridiculous dream that I had just remembered! So in my dream, I was running. I think it might have been the marathon, I'm not really sure. I was about half-way through my run and I was exhausted. Really exhausted! Now, some background information before I continue. I have been reading Jeff Galloway's book called Marathon: You can do it! There are several places where he tells you and continues to remind you to take your walk breaks starting from the very beginning of your run. Not 20 min. in, not when you start getting tired, not when you decide is good, but at the BEGINNING. Back to my dream, I'm completely exhausted and feeling like I'm ready to quit when someone asks me, "Did you take your walk breaks at the beginning like you were supposed to?" I react all horrified realizing that I didn't take them early, and get really disappointed with myself. Then I wake up.
How hilarious is that? Not only did I have a running dream, but I also dreamed about forgetting to take my walk breaks when I should. Just the face alone that I have had a running dream is pretty hysterical! Who dreams about running? Apparently, I do.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Week 3
For some reason, I was really procrastinating on doing my 30 min. walk/run today. I didn't do it when I woke up, so I just kept finding reasons to put it off. I laid down and took a nap until 5:30 pm, because I could. I laid there remembering - An object/person at rest wants to stay at rest, an object/person in motion wants to stay in motion. I need to get off my futon and start moving around and then I would be able to keep moving, right? I got up, got my gym clothes on, grabbed my iPod and gym pass. Off to the gym I go.
I still was not pumped to be doing my walk/run today. I walked past the outdoor yoga class. I didn't even know they did yoga outside! That is exciting, I will have to remember this for the future. I warmed up, turned on my music, stretched and got on my treadmill (#1 is my favorite. It doesn't feel right when I have to be on any other treadmill.) I kept telling myself, it's only 30 min. I can do this. I've done it before. It's only 30 min. I was slower today than last Thursday, but I increased my speed a little bit. I probably shouldn't have increased it, because it made me slower with my walking time. My walking speed stayed the same, but I needed longer to catch my breathe with walking. Either way, I did 2 miles in 30 while walk/jogging.
I also used this as a chance to practice my positive brain talk. Today's main ones were - I can, I will, I am. And I'm benefiting from every step. Also, short strides give me strength. It was wonderful today. I saw someone I knew running on the track. I didn't know he was runner, so seeing him gave a boost. Then when he went around, waved and smiled, it was the energy boost I needed to propel me past the half way mark of my run. It was so nice to have that unexpected "coincidence"!
So, I made it through without any bathroom breaks. I got to hear "Don't Stop Believing" and "I will Survive", still two of my favorite songs. I slowed down for my cool off period, and felt tired but not exhausted. Then I stepped off my treadmill to get a towel to wipe down. Then I felt lightheaded. It was the first time that ever happened. I think it had to do with my food. I hadn't eaten since 1:30/2, and here it was 6:30pm. So, I should probably make sure I that I eat when I'm supposed to, because I don't want to have to worry about my blood sugar dropping like that again! I kept walking on the track after that, thinking that maybe I wasn't cooled down enough. But I just felt too tired. So I stretched and went straight home to eat.
I felt much better after eating. I also got a sign up form to be able to the Stow Firecracker 4 mile run on the Fourth of July. I'm looking forward to doing a mini-race. I feel pretty neutral about my run today. I was pretty tired from all my activities over the weekend, so maybe that had something to do with it. I will have another go at it on Wednesday.
I still was not pumped to be doing my walk/run today. I walked past the outdoor yoga class. I didn't even know they did yoga outside! That is exciting, I will have to remember this for the future. I warmed up, turned on my music, stretched and got on my treadmill (#1 is my favorite. It doesn't feel right when I have to be on any other treadmill.) I kept telling myself, it's only 30 min. I can do this. I've done it before. It's only 30 min. I was slower today than last Thursday, but I increased my speed a little bit. I probably shouldn't have increased it, because it made me slower with my walking time. My walking speed stayed the same, but I needed longer to catch my breathe with walking. Either way, I did 2 miles in 30 while walk/jogging.
I also used this as a chance to practice my positive brain talk. Today's main ones were - I can, I will, I am. And I'm benefiting from every step. Also, short strides give me strength. It was wonderful today. I saw someone I knew running on the track. I didn't know he was runner, so seeing him gave a boost. Then when he went around, waved and smiled, it was the energy boost I needed to propel me past the half way mark of my run. It was so nice to have that unexpected "coincidence"!
So, I made it through without any bathroom breaks. I got to hear "Don't Stop Believing" and "I will Survive", still two of my favorite songs. I slowed down for my cool off period, and felt tired but not exhausted. Then I stepped off my treadmill to get a towel to wipe down. Then I felt lightheaded. It was the first time that ever happened. I think it had to do with my food. I hadn't eaten since 1:30/2, and here it was 6:30pm. So, I should probably make sure I that I eat when I'm supposed to, because I don't want to have to worry about my blood sugar dropping like that again! I kept walking on the track after that, thinking that maybe I wasn't cooled down enough. But I just felt too tired. So I stretched and went straight home to eat.
I felt much better after eating. I also got a sign up form to be able to the Stow Firecracker 4 mile run on the Fourth of July. I'm looking forward to doing a mini-race. I feel pretty neutral about my run today. I was pretty tired from all my activities over the weekend, so maybe that had something to do with it. I will have another go at it on Wednesday.
Friday, June 10, 2011
The Dreaded Long Run
Last night I spent a lot of time freaking out being able to complete a 4 mile walk/run. I've only been doing 2 miles walk/running, how am I going to complete 4? How long will it take me? How am I ever going to survive walk/running for over an hour? What if I can't do it? These were some of the choice thoughts running through my head. Ha, ha. No pun intended. So, I did what I've been taught to do with other difficult things in my life. I made a phone call to get out of my head and let another person know about the craziness in my thoughts. Then, I talked about it with other people. Oh, and gave myself a pep talk; you aren't in tomorrow, all you have to do it right now. Right now you are driving, and you can totally handle that. 4 is ONLY double 2, that doesn't seem THAT difficult. Then I'd be able to think about something else after the pep talk.
Talking with people about my craziness resulted in one of my friends offering to come along for the walk/run. She must be just as crazy as I am to agree to a 4 mile walk/run at 7:15 am. And I welcomed it. Everything I've read suggests running with others, especially on long run days. Somehow it makes it easier. So, my brave and funny friend Allison agrees to this nonsense. And then I can breathe. I had someone else to brave the unknown with me.
We met at actually about 7:20 am. Neither of us are truly morning people, but she didn't glare at me while I was all awake and smiling AND saying hi to people on the trail. So it was great! We tied our car keys into our shoelaces, and braved it without taking bottles of water with us. I will have to post the photos/videos later, when I figure out how to do so.
It was quite cool this morning which was great! We made it through the first mile and a half pretty easily. Without being OCD about it, we tried to keep a 30 sec run/45 sec walk pace. Neither of us had a stop watch. Then the hills increased. This was definitely not a PG rated walk/run and hopefully the trail/dirt/hills weren't offended by our cursing them. But this gave me the opportunity to share some of the information I read with Allison. To remind her that Jeff(Galloway) says that it's about the mileage, not about the time. And that it's more important to stay together then to try and go at a higher pace then the person you are jogging with. (Is it weird that I still can't stand to leave prepostions at the end of a sentence? Either way, I'm still going to do it.)
I would dare say that I actually had fun on my walk/run today. We talked about all kinds of things, including a movie called Idiocracy. And we laughed. I never realized how much breathe you needed to laugh. It sort of complicates being able to breathe while jogging, but worth it. So, Jeff suggests using certain phrases to help the battle in your brain during your walk/running. I shared these phrases with Allison. You are supposed to choose the ones that relate the most to you, and he has a ton of them. Some may call them dirty little tricks, because they work. The one that stuck out the most to me was "Every step gives me benefits." It helps me stay in the present. Another one was "I'm gaining strength from endorphins." The one word that confused me was "glide." Apparently this is one of his favorites. So this became a joke the rest of the run. . .I'm gliiddinng said in a sing-songy voice. It's fun. You should try jogging and repeating. This conversation actually got us to our 2 mile marker where we could turn around.
Then some more hills. Those downhill spots are bea-u-ti-ful. The scenery also helped. It was a gorgeous morning, blue sky, clouds, sun, AND cool. The streams glistened, there were birds and chipmunks scurring around. The hills were probably the most challenging going back. My leg muscles started feeling heavy. That was when I reminded Allison that smaller strides apparently help and that we didn't have a time goal. And we made it up all those hills. Before I knew it, we were at the bathrooms. I'd had to go since we saw the 2 mile marker. Got a drink of water, and Allison pointed out the very thoughtful doggie drinking fountain. How great is that? A drinking fountain for dogs!
Guess what the great thing is about the bathrooms? The 3 mile marker was about 500 feet away. We made it and I feel like passing out. After a high-five, we jogged on up another hill. Insert choice words here. A conversation about the awkwardness of saying hi to people on the trail. It is sort of awkward. Some people are smiling, some people are jamming to their music and don't hear you. Some are covered in sweat and just trying to keep there body in motion. Those people usually don't even look at you. I think from now on that whenever I say "Hi" to people on the trail, I'm going to view it as saying "Namaste." Namaste is what is usually said at the end of a yoga practice. It has been described as meaning, the divine in me acknowledges the divine in you. I always like that part. Because I do believe that each of has a spirit, and it helps me remember that.
We started passing parking lots, there was no river in site, and we knew we were close to the end. It was amazing, we were almost finished with 4 miles. We jogged a little quicker and then walked our way to end. We made it! We did some walking to cool down and of course stretched. I am a huge fan of stretching. It lessens whatever soreness I may have after my workout. And I can tell when I don't stretch afterwards. Thankfully, Allison pointed out that with our warm-up and cool-down, we actually did 4.5 miles and next weeks long run of 5 miles is only .5 longer than that. And that actually helped my brain.
Leaving the park, I was so thrilled that I had completed the 4 mile walk/run. I will be able to check it off on my training schedule! And my brain was worried for nothing. This experience today has me questioning a lot of things that I worry about and think that I can't do them. I love it. Today is the reason why I wanted to run a half-marathon. (Please remind me of this when I have a 9 mile long run.) For today, I did it. And I am again shown that my higher power will carry me through. I'm very grateful.
Talking with people about my craziness resulted in one of my friends offering to come along for the walk/run. She must be just as crazy as I am to agree to a 4 mile walk/run at 7:15 am. And I welcomed it. Everything I've read suggests running with others, especially on long run days. Somehow it makes it easier. So, my brave and funny friend Allison agrees to this nonsense. And then I can breathe. I had someone else to brave the unknown with me.
We met at actually about 7:20 am. Neither of us are truly morning people, but she didn't glare at me while I was all awake and smiling AND saying hi to people on the trail. So it was great! We tied our car keys into our shoelaces, and braved it without taking bottles of water with us. I will have to post the photos/videos later, when I figure out how to do so.
It was quite cool this morning which was great! We made it through the first mile and a half pretty easily. Without being OCD about it, we tried to keep a 30 sec run/45 sec walk pace. Neither of us had a stop watch. Then the hills increased. This was definitely not a PG rated walk/run and hopefully the trail/dirt/hills weren't offended by our cursing them. But this gave me the opportunity to share some of the information I read with Allison. To remind her that Jeff(Galloway) says that it's about the mileage, not about the time. And that it's more important to stay together then to try and go at a higher pace then the person you are jogging with. (Is it weird that I still can't stand to leave prepostions at the end of a sentence? Either way, I'm still going to do it.)
I would dare say that I actually had fun on my walk/run today. We talked about all kinds of things, including a movie called Idiocracy. And we laughed. I never realized how much breathe you needed to laugh. It sort of complicates being able to breathe while jogging, but worth it. So, Jeff suggests using certain phrases to help the battle in your brain during your walk/running. I shared these phrases with Allison. You are supposed to choose the ones that relate the most to you, and he has a ton of them. Some may call them dirty little tricks, because they work. The one that stuck out the most to me was "Every step gives me benefits." It helps me stay in the present. Another one was "I'm gaining strength from endorphins." The one word that confused me was "glide." Apparently this is one of his favorites. So this became a joke the rest of the run. . .I'm gliiddinng said in a sing-songy voice. It's fun. You should try jogging and repeating. This conversation actually got us to our 2 mile marker where we could turn around.
Then some more hills. Those downhill spots are bea-u-ti-ful. The scenery also helped. It was a gorgeous morning, blue sky, clouds, sun, AND cool. The streams glistened, there were birds and chipmunks scurring around. The hills were probably the most challenging going back. My leg muscles started feeling heavy. That was when I reminded Allison that smaller strides apparently help and that we didn't have a time goal. And we made it up all those hills. Before I knew it, we were at the bathrooms. I'd had to go since we saw the 2 mile marker. Got a drink of water, and Allison pointed out the very thoughtful doggie drinking fountain. How great is that? A drinking fountain for dogs!
Guess what the great thing is about the bathrooms? The 3 mile marker was about 500 feet away. We made it and I feel like passing out. After a high-five, we jogged on up another hill. Insert choice words here. A conversation about the awkwardness of saying hi to people on the trail. It is sort of awkward. Some people are smiling, some people are jamming to their music and don't hear you. Some are covered in sweat and just trying to keep there body in motion. Those people usually don't even look at you. I think from now on that whenever I say "Hi" to people on the trail, I'm going to view it as saying "Namaste." Namaste is what is usually said at the end of a yoga practice. It has been described as meaning, the divine in me acknowledges the divine in you. I always like that part. Because I do believe that each of has a spirit, and it helps me remember that.
We started passing parking lots, there was no river in site, and we knew we were close to the end. It was amazing, we were almost finished with 4 miles. We jogged a little quicker and then walked our way to end. We made it! We did some walking to cool down and of course stretched. I am a huge fan of stretching. It lessens whatever soreness I may have after my workout. And I can tell when I don't stretch afterwards. Thankfully, Allison pointed out that with our warm-up and cool-down, we actually did 4.5 miles and next weeks long run of 5 miles is only .5 longer than that. And that actually helped my brain.
Leaving the park, I was so thrilled that I had completed the 4 mile walk/run. I will be able to check it off on my training schedule! And my brain was worried for nothing. This experience today has me questioning a lot of things that I worry about and think that I can't do them. I love it. Today is the reason why I wanted to run a half-marathon. (Please remind me of this when I have a 9 mile long run.) For today, I did it. And I am again shown that my higher power will carry me through. I'm very grateful.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Training Plan
In my obsessive-compulsive way, I successfully checked out several books about running marathons from my local library. I love books. I really do. The ones that have helped the most so far are Marathon: You Can Do It by Jeff Galloway and The Nonrunner's Marathon Guide for Women: Get Off Your Butt and On With Your Training by Dawn Dais. The book by Dawn Dais has had me laughing so loudly that I wonder if my upstairs neighbor can hear me! Her take on running is definitely from that of someone who doesn't do it for fun. I will have to share some quotes, as they are worth sharing! And Jeff Galloway, well, what can I say? I think the man is a running genius! Seriously, I'm pretty sure that he was the first person to implement the run/walk method. This is extremely important to me, because I want to run injury free. My body is very important to me. I like being active, I like being able to do downward dog, I like being able to do somersaults with my nieces, and I like to be able to walk. It is imperative to stay injury free.
I'm using the Galloway Run/Walk method to train, and my focus is to finish. It is difficult to listen to all of the experts, because I really want to be able to do a 10 minute mile today. Not in 3 or 4 months, today! So, I'm working on following the suggestions from those that have experience. One of those suggestions is that first timer's focus on finishing, not a time goal. With this said, I'm running, which is more of a jog right now than a run, at a pace that is pretty comfortable for me. I use comfortable loosely, since running doesn't necessarily feel comfortable.
I will try to catch you up to date without writing a novel. Last week I walked a few times on the treadmill and I organized a walk at Sand Run Park this past Saturday for a 3 mile hike. We ended up hiking for an hour and 35 min. I think we actually did 4 or 5 miles, but that's okay. It was great to have support with friends and have people to talk to. Let me also stress how great it was to be in the woods! We saw live chipmunks(unfortunately, dead ones too.)
The plan will be to do 30 min. run/walk - two times a week(Mon/Wed) and then do my long run on Saturday. According to Galloway, this is what I'm supposed to do. No more, no less! This is so hard for my over-acheiving and addict mind. I already had to talk myself out of running more than that on Monday. So this past Monday, I did a 10 min warm-up, stretched my major muscles, then completed my 30 min. I finished with a 20 min. walk to cool down. It's amazing how much one can sweat, and how hot I got. It went good. Nothing hurt while I was running, and I even did 10 min. of crunches when I was done. I also am listening to the info about making sure you are hydrated and eating properly. I don't think that I've had a diet soda in over 8 or 9 days. This is a record. For those of you who know me well, I heart diet soda. My heart may not heart diet soda, but I do.
I did go to my Free Akron Yoga class last night. It was wonderful to do yoga in a group and see all of my amazing yogi friends! What a great community! It was difficult because I have a wrist injury that makes Chataranga(Plank Pose) pretty close to impossible. And we are preparing for the 108 sun salutations that will be done at the Summer Solstice event in the CVNP that is in 13 days. But I modified and it still felt good. I love the positive energy and that people aren't afraid to laugh. Oh, and my wrist is surely not strong enough for crane pose. It is when you balance on both of your hands flat on the ground, and rest your knees on the back of your elbows. Apparently, Carrie has a book that says it's easy. Google it and you will see just how easy it looks! Anyways, it's nice to be able to notice how much strength I have, even though I haven't been practicing regularly. And where I have strength, I really do need to keep practicing to become more flexible again.
This morning, I got out of bed at 6:54 am. I had set my alarm for much earlier then that, but it never went off. It never went off because although I changed my alarm time, I didn't turn my alarm on! My higher power is pretty great, because I still woke up at 6:50. That is a very cool thing to me. I'm not typically a morning person. But the more healthy stuff I do for myself, the more I am a morning person. So, drank a glass of water, ate a tablespoon of almond butter, and drank about 1/2 cup of bolthouse green goodness juice, then I got dressed and walked over to the Natatorium. I did about 8 min. walking warm-up, stretch, then got on treadmill #1 for my 30 min. walk/run. I had to stop two times. Once, to go to the bathroom and then again to drink more water from fountain. Really, I am amazed by the sweating! I can't remember the last time I actually had sweat dripping from my face. Not counting the breaks, I did 2.1 miles. Monday, I did about 1.75 in my 30 min walk/run. I know it's not much of an increase, but it's something. And I will certainly take it. I did the same crunches routine that I did on Monday. I cut my cool-down walk to about 8 min. because I had to go to the bathroom again.
Today I realized two big things. One is that I really prefer music to Law and Order while running. I finally brought my iPod with me to the gym today. I don't have cable at my apartment, and I love Law and Order, so typically when walking it's great to be able to watch USA channel. But what a difference listening to music makes! P!nk, Journey, Sheryl Crow, it was the perfect line up. Plus, I don't think that crime shows actually improve or add anything to my life, let alone my exercising. The second thing that I learned today is that I think my body will be able to handle this. It's my mind that concerns me. It's scarey to say that about my body because I feel like I have beaten up my body so much. But my mind didn't want to keep going like it did on Monday. I was able to implement some of the positive sayings that Galloway suggests in his book. I think his book has at least 3 chapters alone on the mental aspects of the marathon. So, I may be re-reading those again. I could definitely use some positive brainwashing, as he calls it.
I also reminded myself today that I was only doing my run today. I kept re-directing my thinking from the half marathon to today. And for today, I have completed my training. I get a little stiff if I sit too long. But other than that, nothing in my body is on fire. Well, except for maybe my spirit. I haven't felt this alive and healthy for a while. I'm hoping to be able to do some stretching again before I go to bed to help with the soreness.
Stay tuned to see how my 4 miler goes on Friday.
I'm using the Galloway Run/Walk method to train, and my focus is to finish. It is difficult to listen to all of the experts, because I really want to be able to do a 10 minute mile today. Not in 3 or 4 months, today! So, I'm working on following the suggestions from those that have experience. One of those suggestions is that first timer's focus on finishing, not a time goal. With this said, I'm running, which is more of a jog right now than a run, at a pace that is pretty comfortable for me. I use comfortable loosely, since running doesn't necessarily feel comfortable.
I will try to catch you up to date without writing a novel. Last week I walked a few times on the treadmill and I organized a walk at Sand Run Park this past Saturday for a 3 mile hike. We ended up hiking for an hour and 35 min. I think we actually did 4 or 5 miles, but that's okay. It was great to have support with friends and have people to talk to. Let me also stress how great it was to be in the woods! We saw live chipmunks(unfortunately, dead ones too.)
The plan will be to do 30 min. run/walk - two times a week(Mon/Wed) and then do my long run on Saturday. According to Galloway, this is what I'm supposed to do. No more, no less! This is so hard for my over-acheiving and addict mind. I already had to talk myself out of running more than that on Monday. So this past Monday, I did a 10 min warm-up, stretched my major muscles, then completed my 30 min. I finished with a 20 min. walk to cool down. It's amazing how much one can sweat, and how hot I got. It went good. Nothing hurt while I was running, and I even did 10 min. of crunches when I was done. I also am listening to the info about making sure you are hydrated and eating properly. I don't think that I've had a diet soda in over 8 or 9 days. This is a record. For those of you who know me well, I heart diet soda. My heart may not heart diet soda, but I do.
I did go to my Free Akron Yoga class last night. It was wonderful to do yoga in a group and see all of my amazing yogi friends! What a great community! It was difficult because I have a wrist injury that makes Chataranga(Plank Pose) pretty close to impossible. And we are preparing for the 108 sun salutations that will be done at the Summer Solstice event in the CVNP that is in 13 days. But I modified and it still felt good. I love the positive energy and that people aren't afraid to laugh. Oh, and my wrist is surely not strong enough for crane pose. It is when you balance on both of your hands flat on the ground, and rest your knees on the back of your elbows. Apparently, Carrie has a book that says it's easy. Google it and you will see just how easy it looks! Anyways, it's nice to be able to notice how much strength I have, even though I haven't been practicing regularly. And where I have strength, I really do need to keep practicing to become more flexible again.
This morning, I got out of bed at 6:54 am. I had set my alarm for much earlier then that, but it never went off. It never went off because although I changed my alarm time, I didn't turn my alarm on! My higher power is pretty great, because I still woke up at 6:50. That is a very cool thing to me. I'm not typically a morning person. But the more healthy stuff I do for myself, the more I am a morning person. So, drank a glass of water, ate a tablespoon of almond butter, and drank about 1/2 cup of bolthouse green goodness juice, then I got dressed and walked over to the Natatorium. I did about 8 min. walking warm-up, stretch, then got on treadmill #1 for my 30 min. walk/run. I had to stop two times. Once, to go to the bathroom and then again to drink more water from fountain. Really, I am amazed by the sweating! I can't remember the last time I actually had sweat dripping from my face. Not counting the breaks, I did 2.1 miles. Monday, I did about 1.75 in my 30 min walk/run. I know it's not much of an increase, but it's something. And I will certainly take it. I did the same crunches routine that I did on Monday. I cut my cool-down walk to about 8 min. because I had to go to the bathroom again.
Today I realized two big things. One is that I really prefer music to Law and Order while running. I finally brought my iPod with me to the gym today. I don't have cable at my apartment, and I love Law and Order, so typically when walking it's great to be able to watch USA channel. But what a difference listening to music makes! P!nk, Journey, Sheryl Crow, it was the perfect line up. Plus, I don't think that crime shows actually improve or add anything to my life, let alone my exercising. The second thing that I learned today is that I think my body will be able to handle this. It's my mind that concerns me. It's scarey to say that about my body because I feel like I have beaten up my body so much. But my mind didn't want to keep going like it did on Monday. I was able to implement some of the positive sayings that Galloway suggests in his book. I think his book has at least 3 chapters alone on the mental aspects of the marathon. So, I may be re-reading those again. I could definitely use some positive brainwashing, as he calls it.
I also reminded myself today that I was only doing my run today. I kept re-directing my thinking from the half marathon to today. And for today, I have completed my training. I get a little stiff if I sit too long. But other than that, nothing in my body is on fire. Well, except for maybe my spirit. I haven't felt this alive and healthy for a while. I'm hoping to be able to do some stretching again before I go to bed to help with the soreness.
Stay tuned to see how my 4 miler goes on Friday.
and we run. . .
It has been QUITE some time since I've last posted. And now that I've started my training for my half-marathon at the Akron Roadrunner, I figured that I should keep track of this life changing experience. Well, at least I hope that it will be life changing. Even if it's not, it will be a major accomplishment. The big day will be on September 24, 2011 at 7:00 am!
As you can possibly guess, since my activity level on my blog went down so did my actual activity level! Earlier this year, I had set out to work on conditioning for my half, but never continued past February. I have still been doing some sporadic treadmill and walking, but I wouldn't say I was training. I've also been quite sporadic with my yoga practice in the last 6 months. Starting my training for the half, I am hoping to be able to practice more yoga. I think the stretching and asanas (poses) are quite complementary to running.
I know part of the battle has been to actually start training. So, what got my butt moving? Lots of things, but mainly that I had already registered for the event. And who wants to spend money on something they aren't going to do? Not me! This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. And I would say that running a marathon is on my bucket list. I need to run a half-marathon before I run a full marathon! I want to be able to prove that I can push myself and complete it. Even more, I want to prove to myself that you don't have to have 19% body fat to be able to complete a half, and that I can do it without getting injured or further injuring my body!
September 24, 2011 at 7 am, you will be able to see me line up for the Roadrunner and then complete the half-marathon! As long as, I live through the training!
As you can possibly guess, since my activity level on my blog went down so did my actual activity level! Earlier this year, I had set out to work on conditioning for my half, but never continued past February. I have still been doing some sporadic treadmill and walking, but I wouldn't say I was training. I've also been quite sporadic with my yoga practice in the last 6 months. Starting my training for the half, I am hoping to be able to practice more yoga. I think the stretching and asanas (poses) are quite complementary to running.
I know part of the battle has been to actually start training. So, what got my butt moving? Lots of things, but mainly that I had already registered for the event. And who wants to spend money on something they aren't going to do? Not me! This is something that I have wanted to do for a long time. And I would say that running a marathon is on my bucket list. I need to run a half-marathon before I run a full marathon! I want to be able to prove that I can push myself and complete it. Even more, I want to prove to myself that you don't have to have 19% body fat to be able to complete a half, and that I can do it without getting injured or further injuring my body!
September 24, 2011 at 7 am, you will be able to see me line up for the Roadrunner and then complete the half-marathon! As long as, I live through the training!
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