questions for runners

Here are a couple of questions to ponder. Really I'm just trying to work out a routine that makes since for me.

• Do you run before or after you eat breakfast? I have been experimenting with eating and then running later. I can't tell if the food helps because I think any positive effects of the food are counteracted by the negative effects of how hot it is when I finally do run.
• What are good songs listen to while running? I'm just going to ask ahead of time that no one write "Eye of the Tiger".
  

Another running quote...

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up and knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion, or it will be caught. Every morning a lion wakes up and knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle, or it will starve. It matters not whether you are a lion or a gazelle, when the sun comes up, you had better be running.” --African parable

Long time...

So, moving put me out of commission for a while. I am back on the wagon though. Or maybe it is that I'm off the wagon...running behind it...I'm not sure where to go with that metaphor...

Anyway, I ran on Saturday, Monday, and today. I keep doing extra week 3 sessions to get up to speed. My body slacked off a little too much. Although, as of today, I can do the week 3 workout straight through without wimping out.

Here is an inspiring quote I found:

“Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired. When you were younger the mind could make you dance all night, and the body was never tired…You’ve always got to make the mind take over and keep going.” ~ General George S. Patton, Jr., U.S. Army General and 1912 Olympian

I wonder how I'll feel tomorrow

I didn't think I would run today. (I was sick Friday and worked all night last night.) Somehow walking around Lake Nokomis and seeing all of the other runners I was inspired. So I ran 2 miles, took a break for 1/4 mile and then ran another 1/4 mile up hill.

I love the Google Maps Pedometer. It tells me that the bulk of my run is up a small incline. I am a wuss and took the big hill out of the run for the forseeable future.

skipped the hill today

I am a wuss and skipped the big hill today. I ran 2.3 miles. Has anyone else used the Google Maps pedometer? It's great. It tells me how far I run each day, and how much elevation or lack thereof I have to deal with in my run.

I skipped the big hill and ran through McRae park instead. Running on the grass seems to strengthen a part of my legs I don't normally use.

waking up early

I nearly threw my alarm clock out the window this morning. I'm glad I didn't because my window was closed... Once I woke up and convinced myself that I should run, I ran a little over 2 miles. I sort of discovered a new running route with a few more inclines and one hill. I want to be clear, most of what's going on in my neighborhood are inclines. I recognize them as hills when I'm running but at no other time. This one thing is a hill. It comes at the end of my run and I go up it very slowly. I am learning to make peace with it though. I can always feel it in my abs when I do hills so I'm trying to convince myself running hills is a good thing.

my running update

I was actually better at running on vacation than I expected to be. I think I'm officially off the couch potato plan and now just trying to see how long I can stay running for. That's what the end of that plan really is anyways right?

Over the weekend I ran with my cousin Courtney who I never get to see so that was a totally nice visit. It's cool to talk to her because she lived in Zimbabwe, which is not Malawi but there are lots of things she understands about Africa without me having to say it. Also she and another one of my cousins live in California so it's nice to catch up on them.

Then I rode a jet ski on Sunday with another cousin who was determined that I should be riding balls to the wall the whole way around the lake. The problem: the lake was bumpy as hell. Anyone ever been bruised by a jet ski? Also, my legs are arms were really sore afterwords from hanging on and maintaining balance. It hurt to move yesterday. And then I burned myself with my hairdryer. Needless to say, I did not run.

This morning may have been the first morning in a while that I made it two miles. I am back to my slow pace. Courtney, who is in a triathalon and runs equally slow, helped me love my slow pace. I'm thinking at this rate I may have actually run 3.2 miles in a row before the Milk Run.

Off the radar.

Moving has officially taken over my life for the last two weeks. I have run a couple times, but it is so hard to find time for.

I miss it though. That's a good sign, I do like it and have felt benefits (like being chipper and energetic during my moving day).

Right now I'm struggling with my sleep pattern. Between long weekends, staying up late un/packing, big-change related anxiety, and getting used to the noises of a new building I am super sleep deprived. Until that works itself out, I really can't commit to running. If I'm not back on track by next week, I will try running to see if it will help me sleep. Exhaustion trumps anxiety 9 times out of 10.

another idea

As Amanda knows, I really want to find a second 5k sometime in the fall to run because I think the hardest part of running for me will be to continue running once school starts again. I need to have a goal in mind so I stay in the habit. So I found the Historic Riverfront 5k Run-Walk in October. It's $15 if you register before 7 August. Just something to keep in mind, although I may want to wait and see how the first 5k goes. I had a bit of a rough time when I ran this morning.

Making peace with week 5

I think I may have made peace with week 5. We'll see how tomorrow goes, or if I can run at all over the weekend...

However, on Tuesday (the 4th of July) I was supposed to run 8, walk 5, run 8 minutes. But after the first eight minutes I was having such a good time I just kept running. About 16 minutes total. I was quite surpised.

Wednesday I didn't run. I was still tired from both the big run on Tuesday and walking home from the Taste of Minnesota and fireworks Tuesday night.

Today (Thursday) I ran 19-20 minutes without stopping. I remember what this felt like the last time I was able to do that. It's good to be back, even if it's only for today.

week 5

I did day one of week five on the couch potato plan. I actually liked it because I got to run longer. I find the longer I run the easier of a groove I can get into. However, I may actually just stick with day one of week 5 for a while. Is it wrong that days 2 and 3 scare me?

things I discovered while running

I discovered many things while running this morning and they all have to do with Amanda being right.

1. Yes, it is cooler at 7:30am than 9:30am. Noticeably.
2. A second reason to run at 7:30 is because that's when the Milk Run begins so the more I run at that time every day, the more my body will be used to it.
3. As I was running, I heard one lady say to another that when she runs distances, the first two miles always hurt but after that everything feels good. This is how I used to feel when I ran. I wonder if it would still be true now, even though I can barely run two miles and I can't run two miles without stopping.
   

I did not tape my arches today. We'll see if I live to regret that or not.