down time sucks

I'm getting totally anxious about this race. I'm no where near where I wanted to be. Taking 4 days off for a suspected injury did not help. I really don't want to be the LAST person to cross the finish line, but I'm really feeling like that might be the way it will happen.

details, details

On my last run (documented in the last post), I ran quite a ways. It was good. For the last block, I even had enough juice to sprint. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but I felt a pop in my foot. No problems at the time, but from Thursday to Sunday I had some sharp, stabbing pain in my foot in the same location as that pop.

I talked to a track coach about it, he thought it might be a strained/sprained ligament. That sucks.

Today I'm better. Tomorrow I will run. No more sprinting.

is the word for this plateau?

I can't do week 4. I did it once, on the first try even, and now I've tried it 6 times since and can't do it. Two weeks of utter frustration. Argh.

So, on Monday I tried just running without intervals. I did an 8 minute mile. Impressive time. Unfortunately, I didn't/couldn't run another step. No good when the race is only 2 1/2 short weeks away and I need over 3 miles of running to finish...

This morning I took Liz's suggestion and focused on going slowly. I ended up at about 2 miles (3 1/2K). Maybe this is the answer to my problem. I just used gmap-pedometer to figure out how far 5K is and I think I will start covering that distance everyday (it is actually only 2 1/2 blocks longer than my route this morning). Then my body will at least be accostomed to the amount of energy it takes to go that far. I can also get a better sense of my pace and speed.

a new page on cool running

Given my recent discussions with Amanda, I think we might need to make this page our new best friend.

Humidity sucks

Did you know humidity makes your sweat stop working? Generally, sweat cools you by evaporating, but when it is way humid, the sweat can't really go anywhere...so it sits on your skin and makes you feel sticky. And you don't cool down, so you are overheated and sticky.

No wonder running sucked this morning!!

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.

oh oh the joys of week 4

This is the first week I've really ran every other day. Most of the weeks it was like 5 or 6 times a week. This morning I woke up and taped my arches before running. I always have arch and heel pain, no matter what I do. It's really one of the reasons I stopped being an aquaguide at the aquarium. I thought I'd give this a try. The tape is a little uncomfortable at first but over time it does it's job well. My feet are so pain free right now. It also helped with my shin splints.

The problem: athletic tape is really expensive unless I buy it in bulk so I'm not sure I'll tape the arches every day. For now I'm thinking I'll tape them when I run for longer periods of time or longer distances. I am very happy that I have two more days of week four before moving on to week five of the couch potato plan.

Stretching

This morning I ran my second day on Week 3. Took a different route so I didn't go by the hydrant I usually use for stretching...thus I forgot to stretch. I was reminded quite quickly when my ankles, shins, and calves all started screaming at me. I stopped and did some quick stretches...WOW! It make a huge difference. At first I was worried it was because I ran two days in a row, but turns out that's not a problem. :)

Hyperactivity

I'm so full of it today. I could bounce off the walls. I ran this morning despite not "feeling" it, and now I'm sooooo "feeling" it. Fun. Days like today I wish I had a more physical job.

Want to place bets on how long it takes me to go officially nuts?