Becoming a runner, 11 and 20 Sept

11 Sept
With Daddy out of town this weekend, I wasn't sure if I'd get out for my morning run. Well, I did!

My Garmin calculated the distance of my route at 3.85 miles. I did the 3/4 mile path 2x non-stop at a pretty good clip. In order to add distance to my route and work up toward a 10K, I'll weave differently through the neighborhood, or go past my house and wind back. We'll see. And next week, I am going to use the heart rate monitor on the Garmin.

I am really interested in starting a Girls On The Run location near me, but, the coaches have to be there for each practice and they happen right after school for an hour. Working won't allow me to do that. Craptastic. Will have to see what I can figure out. Apps for spring are due by Sept 30th, and they don't add new locations in fall, so I'll have to wait a whole year if I can't do it this year. That's OK, it gives me more time to devise a plan.

20 Sept
Wow, one week made a huge difference, but not a good one. Well, that's not exactly true. Let me preface this by saying, I must remember to go to the bathroom before I run, even if I don't feel the need at the time. That was one thing. Another thing was that my pace was much slower this week and I'm not entirely sure why.

I tried to focus a bit on my gait and stride, but not the whole time. Still, I think it did take my attention away from my pace and speed. That's OK, though. I need to remember, that's OK. I need to have good technique to improve, and I have to remember that. My competitive side is coming out like nobody's business, it's so strange.

Anyway, my pace was pretty steady the whole run, which is an improvement over the past. I didn't start quicker and slow down, nor the opposite. That was a very good thing. Now if I can do it steadily and faster, I'll be very happy!

I bought an arm band for my iPod Touch, and it was nice not having to hold it. A little odd feeling, but, overall a good one.

I ran the first 2.75 miles straight before feeling the need to slow/walk because I had to go to the bathroom. I knew that I needed to slow my body down before it was too late. I did make it all the way home, but I had to regain control of my body first. Not more than 1/4 mile, and I ran the entire rest of the way home. Not too bad.

So, for the first time that I've run that little of the 3.85 miles, my total time was 37 minutes and change. I was disappointed in the time, but when I saw that my pace was pretty even the whole time, it made me feel better.

My feet were fine the whole time, the bra isn't rubbing any more, and I'm getting used to where the new shorts ride on me when I'm running. The Garmin is, as always, amazing and cool.

Next 5k is October 2nd, and I am thinking of a Halloween one, too. Thought about a 10K in November, but will see how the October race goes before picking a race.

Becoming a runner, race #3

So, today was my third 5K of the season. I got my period last night, and had four kids and my husband with me (sitting for my girlfriend's 9 and 6). I hoped to break my 30 minutes, but thought perhaps I might miss the mark with my period on board. In the end, I timed in at about 29 minutes and change. I don't know exactly, but am hoping for the race times to post online soon since I didn't stick around to see them if they were posted at the race. Either way, I told myself that I wanted to break 30 minutes, then I'd work toward a 10K. We'll see how that goes!!

Race times posted, and I DID break 30 minutes!

Official time of 29:24


I got to the race and had an optical migraine. First one I've had in quite a long time. This one was c-shaped, in my right eye, open to the left side (so, a backward 'c'). I was worried when I got there that this might be a problem, but, by the time the race went off, the aura was gone from my field of vision entirely. It took about 15-20 minutes, but it did go away.

Becoming a runner, race #2

In 2010 I revived my love of running.  Beginning in July, I started a new routine of weekly runs, and have made investments to aid my progress.  I will start to add posts about this journey, one or two a day, until I'm caught up to current.  Enjoy.

22 August
I did my first 5K in years this July 4th, and decided to keep doing them. Despite how crazy I thought a friend was when they told me that they were doing a 5K each month, that's the track I'm on. I love it! Next year I'd like to try for a 10K.

So yesterday I did this one on the lakefront and it was awesome. It was hella humid, and the fog coming off the lake was kind of Phantom of the Opera, but, very pretty. I wasn't nervous 'til we got to the start line and I realized I was way up front for the start. I had just added a Black Eyed Peas song to my iPod Touch that I run with, and holy crap - between adrenaline and the Peas, I started out like a bat out of hell! LOL

Felt good the whole way. I need new shoes, though, b/c right around the 2.5 mile mark is when the ball of my foot (either foot) goes numb then hurts. I walked a bit at that point, but, not more than a few yards. Finished in pretty good time, too! I have a personal best in a 3.5 miler of 29 minutes and change (of course, before kids, but still). So I know I can do a 5K in less than that, and that's what I'm working toward. I just found my posted results from yesterday. It's my first race I've done with chip timing, and I have to say I love it. I estimated that I was doing 10 minute miles, and that's about right. I came in 4th in my age bracket (35-39), which I was totally surprised to see!
My next one is at a local festival Labor Day weekend. I am going to try and go get new shoes today, and yesterday I gave into impulse and ordered a Garmin Forerunner 305. I've seen it in action, and heard great things about it, and I couldn't resist. Now for shoes, new shorts, and a decent sports bra to replace my current one which is older than dirt.

After this next one, there's a couple in October I'm looking at, and then I'll pick a turkey trot, and after that I may do one in early December. I've never run like this in winter, so I'm anxious to see how it goes.

I'm glad I'm running again, it feels great. Now I have to work on going out more than once a week and keeping up with it in foul weather. Will find a track soon where I can use the indoor track for free, and see how that goes. I don't like track running, but it's better than not running at all.

Me time, where have you gone?

With the onset of summer and all the craziness of our schedules, I have let my Sunday morning me time go by the wayside.  I was alright for a while, but I can see today that I need that time back. 

I'm feeling out of my routine, not as well rested, and not as productive as I was earlier this year.  Perhaps unsettled is the word I'm really looking for.

I'm not sure that going out for coffee every week is really what I need.  Every so often that would be great, but I would really like to do something different.  I need to start running again.

I ran quite a bit in college.  I was never a competitive runner, but I ran almost every day while I was away at school.  A friend and I would just up and go, visiting other friends, running to different areas of town, just wherever our feet would take us.  One of our favourite things to do was to run up and down the steps inside the basketball arena, all the way around (the arena was a round facility, perfect for this kind of activity).  Sometimes we'd go two or three times around, and it was probably the best workout I ever had.

Sometimes we'd just do the steps at the football stadium.  Other times we'd try going all the way around campus and up the hill (small mountain to this flat-lander).  It was such a great feeling to just get up and run.

After college, my schedule and life's twists and turns took me off track.  Running wasn't a priority, nor a necessity.  It wasn't until several years later that I started to run again, and when I did, it was a great feeling all over again.

A friend and coworker and I would head down to the city's lake front, near where she lived, and we'd just run for miles along the lake.  Having someone to run with helped keep us both going, kept us both from slowing down, from stopping, from giving up.  Our reward was always waiting for us back at her place, too.  Once we finished up our run, we headed back to grill salmon burgers, and go sailing with The Captain.  Ah, a Captain and Coke never tasted so good. 

Today, with a husband, a house, two kids, a full time job, and little flexibility in my weekly schedule, it's much harder to just get up and go.  I'm at my best in the morning.  No, I'm not necessarily a morning person, but, I prefer exercise and activity in the morning to any other time of day.  I don't mind mid-day, but evenings are definitely not for me.  This eliminates weekdays as an option, as Daddy leaves for work before I do, and I already wake up at the crack of dawn to make sure I'm ready for work before getting the kids up and ready for day care.

Evenings are equally as poor an option because of our schedules.  Daddy gets home shortly before bed time, so I come home with the kids and make and serve dinner, then we have a short window before we herd everyone upstairs for the bed time routine.  Once the kids are down, it's either dark or I'm just too exhausted to even consider any form of exercise.

This leaves weekends.  Saturday and Sunday mornings are just about the only time I have for a good run.

So, Sunday, how about a couple hours to go running?  How 'bout it?  Shall we try?  I say, sure, why not!