I keep learning new things

The other night I was sitting in a restaurant with Handsome Steve, his ex-wife and the three little ones….its how we roll :) Since the kids weren’t out numbering us and we were each able to just cover one kid, adult conversation could take place. Michelle brought up my running and said something along the lines of being impressed with how well I’ve stuck to it. I of course did that thing we all do and said “oh no, I haven’t stuck to it that well, I’ve missed some runs here and there….” And she said “no, I mean you’ve stuck to it, you’re still doing it.”

And she’s right.

I guess it is something we are all supposed to know. We all read it. It’s not just the race, but all the training we put into it before hand. This thing I’ve been doing is not about one day. Its about me becoming a runner. Its about all the times I’ve kept going when I wanted to go back home, and the times I’ve run in the rain. Its about all the icing of my shins and all the hobbling down the stairs first thing in the morning. – and for the latter, I swear that got better for a while, but I’m back to clutching the railing.

(I know what you are thinking, everyone needs to keep their boots on for just a little bit more)

I’ve stuck to this for 7 months. I have never stuck to ANYTHING longer than a week, maybe two before. But shuffling down the road? This I’ve been doing since March. And I didn’t even signup for the half marathon until August. I didn’t have someone showing up to my door everyday to run with me. I just kept putting on my shoes and hitting the bike path two doors down.

I don’t know why I didn’t quit. I can’t give some earth shattering bit of advice on how to keep at it. Maybe I just needed to finish something. Maybe my inner runner has been waiting to get out and get shuffling all along. Maybe I was just bored.

Ok, enough with the soul searching. Something else that has just clicked in my head that I’m sure everyone else already knew…the more water I drink in a given day, the better my run is that evening. If I only do coffee and diet coke at work, rest assured I will be contemplating laying down on the asphalt for a break or throwing myself in front of a car just so that they have to take me home. But if I tank bottle after bottle of water, I feel like a hundred bucks. I mentioned this to my sister yesterday and she said it is even better when she downs some Gatorade in the afternoon. I knew to hydrate during and after but before? All day? Who knew? And why didn’t you tell me?

New stuff

I hate to admit this, but I hate running with music. I guess it isn't really the music bothering me, it just doesn't do anything for me, so its more trouble than its worth. Maybe it is because I've always worked in an office with music (sometimes even good music of my choice) and I tune it out. Someone complains about how the radio station has played a particular song 4 times already, and I've don't even remember hearing the song once in my life.

So what can I do for the boredom? Its really never that bad, I have a lot of thoughts in my head at any given moment, plus we live in a very visually stimulating area. But I can still get a little sick of myself after a while. And since I run slow, my miles keep me out there much longer than if I was a speed demon.

I do love books....I love a good story....but I don't want to carry a big cd player either....hmmmm...what could I do????


That my friends is a little mp3 player that comes with an audio book loaded on it. I just order the one I want on my library's website, two days later they call to say they have it in, and I'm set for 11 (in this case) hours of listening enjoyment. Technology never ceases to amaze me!

Happy Rain

All day long at work I gazed out at the gray, cool sky and couldn't wait until I could get out and run. I'm sure a nice sunny day that is in the 60's would be just as nice, but it seems like this summer if it was sunny, then it was way to0 hot for me to be happy. I don't like to be hot. I feel icky, grimy, and slimy. I like it just a smidge on the cool side, and today was definitely that. I know come February when we haven't seen the sun for 4 months I'll read this and wonder what I was thinking, but today it was nice to not have the sun beating down on me.

Once I was able to head out around 7:30, things got even better, a nice cool rain was starting to drizzle. As I was walking down the driveway (to0 steep to happily skip down, you'll crack your head open) in the cool wet, but not humid air, I was smiling and making that "ahh" sound you make after a very crisp drink of Sprite. When I got to the path and started going, I think my excitement was making me run faster than I usually do. It wasn't even my typical shuffle, it was a solid run. As fun as it was, I forced myself to slow down to a pace that I knew I could keep up for a few miles. The rain felt so wonderful.

I ended up only doing 3; Handsome Steve had his heart set on watching monday night football with his friends and couldn't leave until I made it back. Apparently the mysterious "they" you always hear about frown on leaving small children home alone.

It was for the best though. By the time I was done with my 3, I could feel the faintest twinges in my shins. Nothing to be worried about I don't think. Earlier this summer when I was getting over the serious shin pain, the twinges would always be there at the end of my runs, so I may not have anything to really worry about. On the other hand, if Handsome Steve decided to run up to Meijer tomorrow and buy two family size bags of frozen peas, that wouldn't be the worst idea. Just sayin'....

On a family note, we picked up new shirts for the dirty little monkeys to wear to school pictures on Friday. We got Emma this adorable sweater vest with a white button up shirt.

Some people might not be able to pull off a sweater vest, but if anyone can, its definitely this little mug...

running, running, running

Last night was my first real run that didn't involve way too much walking in about 3 weeks. And it was AWESOME!! I put Simon and Emma on their bikes and told them they could go as far ahead as they wanted, as long as they stayed on the same loop I was on. They thought that was the coolest thing ever and raced each other all over the place.
I had the biggest smile stuck on my face. One older lady even thought I was just smiling at the the kids and told me the kids were cute. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was smiling at myself. She must have thought it was such a touching moment. oh well. It was great and I really realized what I was missing. I can't wait until I get out there tonight!
I didn't really set out for a planned distance, I just wanted to get out there. I ended up doing two miles, but with only two 30 second walks. I'm ok with that. I'm not really sure how fast I can ramp up to the distances I was doing 3 weeks ago. I don't want my ever present shin splints to get aggravated.....but I've got 8 weeks until the half marathon....ohh decisions. ok, I don't want to get silly..... how about 3 miles tonight, rest on Thursday, 2 miles on Friday, rest Saturday, and then 5 on Sunday. That sounds like an ok first week.

Update

When I started running in March, I was obsessed with all things running. I blogged about it, I read countless other running blogs, runnersworld.com discussions, books, magazines, you name it. I never found it boring, it never got old. And while I still love running, I think I overloaded on the extras. Throw in 3 weeks that went from hurt foot to sinus infections and strep throat to a hurt neck that wouldn't even let me comfortably walk, and I got a little depressed.

Right now the most important thing is to get back into my running routine. No more of the one or two mile jogs just to say I got out there.

The half marathon is in 8 weeks and as long as I start buckling down now, I should be able to enjoy the race. That is really my biggest goal. I want to have a good time and get a taste of what the marathon is going to be like.

I'm not beating myself up about falling off the wagon, for the most part it couldn't be avoided. But my foot doesn't snap and crackle anymore, I can breathe again, and no more piercing pain shooting from me neck, so its back to the trail. Stay tuned until tomorrow when I promise there will be a run report for run 1 of my homemade 8 week half marathon training plan.

WOO! Time to shuffle!! Cause that's what I do!!

Non running related side note: I'm gonna get hitched one year from yesterday. The venue I wanted can't be booked more than 365 days in advance and for summer Saturdays, it gets booked that first day you can. At least it made finally setting a date easy . Essentially, if I wanted to get married next summer, I had to buckle down and get it done.

I'm signed up!

Today I paid my dollars and am offically signed up for the half marathon. I guess that makes it real now, huh?

What do you think?

So it wouldn't kill me to lose a few pounds. This blog is never ever going to be called skinny girl running, but you know what I'm saying. And since this virtual running community has kept me going like I would never have been able to on my own, I joined a virtual weight loss community. The Daily Plate.com. One of my favorite friend Teresa has lost 46 pounds using it since January. There are forums to chit chat and ask questions on, and a log for everything you eat. You name it, they have it, including store brands. And you can pick your activities to log and based on your weight, they tell you how many calories you burned. So I pulled up running. There isn't just running, you also pick your pace. So look at the description for 10 minute miles (aka, miles I can't run)

Running - 6 mph:
Running at 6 miles per hour is considered by many to be at the low end of the fitness spectrum. A 6-mph running pace is equivalent to running a mile in 10 minutes. At this pace, it would take you over four and a half hours to finish a marathon.

LOW END?!?! Who writes this stuff?? I personally am pretty impressed with anyone that can bust out 10 a minute mile pace. Now I get that that pace isn't going to win any races, but its definitely something to be proud of.