Where have I been??

So, that is the million dollar question that I have been asking myself over and over the past few week. I took a break from running...I don't know why.. I loved it, I missed it, I craved it..but I needed a break. And, well it's a good thing I did. I have had a monster head cold for it seems like decades! I can't sleep, I can't breathe, I can't run! Crap! I am miserable. On a good note, I did sign up for my first 5K!! I know can you believe it?!?! Me either, I am scared to death, especially since I am no where close to being ready. I just hope they don't mind that I am planning on walking a great deal of the course...Oh well!

So I am totally feeling blah lately. I have a serious case of the grumps and can’t figure out why. I hadn't run in about a week and really had lost all my motivation to. I think the tough time I had with week 4 of the program really got to me more than I realized. So, I decided yesterday to get off the treadmill and move outside. It was great to be outside! I went and ran in the cemetery which is pretty much shady and cool. I kept with my week 3 regimen, and boy oh boy did it kick my butt! I am thinking I should start fresh at week 1 to run outside! I was thinking that I might have some sore shins, because it was tough to run on the pavement, but I am feeling alright this morning. My knees did ache all night, but no problems so far today. So I am going to start fresh at week 1 and keep it up outside, since when I run my first 5k it is going to be outside, not on a treadmill.

Lost...

I've lost my motivation to run..I don't know what is going on. I was doing really well and really enjoying it...but this week I suck. My alarm goes off to get up and I reset it for later...I was doing really good but I think it might be time to move outside. Maybe that will being my motivation back...I am depressed today, I feel lost, yucky and blah!

So today I really didn’t want to get out of bed… you have those mornings too…right?! But I did. Yep I fought back the urge to reset the alarm for 45 minutes later and I got to it. I kept it pretty easy today by keeping the speeds pretty low. I walked at 3.0 mph and jogged at 4.0 mph. I didn't get winded and other than the burning in my calves, it felt really good..

I have noticed that when I run, I tend to scrunch up my toes on my right foot. Its weird… I know, so I have to really think about letting them relax and use the room in the toes of my shoes. Also, I noticed that I am not heel striking when I run. I used to… but I am not now… Hmmmm…weird I know. I used to be a pretty hard heel striker, I think that is what caused a lot of my leg problems (shin splints, stress fractures etc). SO I think I am getting better. Albeit, slowly… :o)

Yep…I know its been a while! The start of week #4 really took its toll on me and my body. I got some nice bruises, which mean some minor torn muscles. So I laid off the running for a few days, and decided to start back with week 3.

I started week 3 again yesterday, and really could feel the effect of taking 3 days off. I got a bit winded near the end of the run, and had to keep my speeds pretty much the same as they have been.

I am not hurting today! Which is a big bonus for me, and I haven’t noticed any more bruising, which means no more torn muscles!! I haven’t lost a ton of weight, but I am noticing a loss of inches! I had my measurements taken on April 28 and again on May 27, and have pretty much lost 1 inch all over my body! I am getting excited!

I was so excited that I went out and bought myself a pair of skimpy running shorts. Then I ran in them Monday. Okay, so I decided that I need to loose a few more inches around my legs before I can really run in them… But they looked pretty cute!

Wish me luck tomorrow morning! I am going again on day 2 of week 3!

Run #10! The start of Week 4!!

So this week has been a tough week. I am still battling a very sore knee from working out With my trainer last Friday! And top that Off with a busy schedule…this week Has been crappy!! I was supposed to start week 4 of the program yesterday, but when my alarm went off, I was simply too tired to even think about getting out of bed!! I truly felt guilty all day for the extra 30 minutes of sleep!

Then I planned on running before I went to bed..but again life Crapped out on my and I had to teach YW first aid, and didn’t plan on Brinley still being awake when I got home @9pm!! So instead of running, I put her to bed, then *gasp* had 2 Homemade chocolate chip cookies for dinner and watched the finale of the Biggest Loser, then crashed.

But boy oh boy this morning was different. I actually Started waking up around 4am wondering if It were time to get up to run! How odd! I think I actually dreamed about running… hmmm I can’t figure that out. I think that I am actually jonsing for the run.

The run was tough! I won’t lie to you. The running segments seemed to take F-O-R-E-V-E-R!! Near the end of them I actually started to poop out and slow the speed down. I ran for the Most part @ 4.3mph! My legs felt great! No pain in my knees, but my Wind/endurance sure was put to the test today. On the final Run segment, I actually had to slow it down to a fast walk, I was Pooped!! But I made it through it! And now I can look Forward to 2 more days of this program then I am officially 1/2 way through!

Here are my stats for today:

Walk speed 3.2

Run speed 4.3 then 4.0

1 1/2 mile time 24:30 (whoot whoot)

Total time: 31:00

Total miles: 1.925 (over the 1/2 of the 5K)

Run #9

This run was a bit tough… I worked out with my

trainer on Friday and have been battling

with sore knees and legs for the

whole weekend. Although I didn’t

want to get on the treadmill, I told myself that

it was just for 29 minutes and if I needed to, I could

go slow.

But I did it, and I even knocked some time off of my 1 ½ time!! Go me!! My muscles were protesting for the first

Few minutes until I was all nice and warmed up, then they

Seemed to enjoy the workout.

This run was #9 in the series, which is the last run on week 3. Tomorrow I am onto week 4…which scares me. Maybe I will stay with this workout for a few more days.

My knee has been hurting since the run, but I think that it is more from the trainer than from the run!

Run #8

Today was tough! Not really so tough physically..

But tough mentally.

I didn't want to get out of bed...I woke up 10 minutes before

the alarm (and I hate that). It was cold in my house,

and my bed was WARM!

But....

I did it! I got out of my warm bed, 10 minutes

before my alarm and went down into the

cold basement and did training run

#8!

It took me several minutes to find my groove and to

get all warmed up and loose.

My calves were on Fire today for pretty much the whole time!

I am not sure what is up with that but hey at least I know

I am using those muscles, Right?!

The longest stretch of jogging today was 3 minutes!!

Wow! 2 weeks ago I couldn't run 30 seconds without

getting winded and quitting.

Now I am up to 3 minutes straight!

Here are my stats:

Walking speed 3.2

Jogging speed 4.2

1.5 Mile time 25:15

Total Miles 1.740

Total Time 29:30

Did I Forget???

I know I mentioned it in my first post, but did I forget to put down the link to get Podrunner Intervals?? I think I did...silly me. If you have an iPod, just go to the iTunes store, go to podcasts and search for Podrunner Intervals. If you don't have an iPod, Click HERE to get it direct from their website. From there you will be able to put it on any mp3 player. For those of you who don't know what it is, let me tell you.

This is a Podcast, which incorporates the Couch to 5k running program. This program is pretty much interval training, which you start out walking then gradually mix in some jogging with it. I am in love with it.

Speaking of things I am currently in love with, I want one of these!!

It is called Nike+. Pretty much it is a little sensor that you hook onto your shoes, and it logs your milage, pace, time..all sorts of good things. You can either hook it up to your iPod touch or Nano or you can buy one of these...

They also have shoes to put the sensor in, but I don't like Nike shoes...and quite frankly Nike shoes don't love me either. Anyway...I digress...I want one...like yesterday, but I want to make sure I am going to really get into this run thing, so I am going to wait to get one until I finish my first 5K.

Run #7

So today started out really early..Miss B woke me up at 5:30 am because she couldn't find her stuffed tiger in her bed. So after finding the mislaid tiger and tucking her back into bed, I only had 10 minutes left until my alarm was supposed to go off...Crap! I hate it when mornings start out like this! Anyway, although I was wanting to climb back into bed and forget the run this morning, I forced myself to get dressed and downstairs.

Today is the 1st run of week 3 on the program. I am not usually a big fan of the 1st run of the new week, because I don't know what is coming at me. Today wasn't too bad. The music was 2 bpm faster than the last 2 weeks, so I bumped up my speeds my .2 and went at it. I felt pretty good, and really noticed that I am getting stronger. Near the last running interval I was really feeling the burn in my calves and shins. I hope the pain in my shins isn't going to turn into shin splints, but right now they are feeling good.

I was having a hard time near the end of the run, and kept telling myself to "get stronger with every step!" It seemed to help me make it through, and I think I might have to write that above the screen of my treadmill.

Here are my stats for today!

Walking pace 3.2 mph

Jogging Pace 4.2 mph

1.5 mile time 25:23 (take that 26:50!!)

Total miles 1.7 in 29:26

Onward and upward!!

Runs 5 & 6

Howdy do there!! I am moving along quite well on the program! I am enjoying running quite a bit! I did run #5 while on vay-cay in St. George! Let me tell you this run absolutely sucked for me!! The hotel I was staying at had 2 treadmills. The super duper fancy one was in use when I got to the gym, so I had to use the crappy falling apart one! That was no fun what so ever. The mechanism that held the belt in place was broken and so every time you took a step the belt slipped. I managed about 1/2 of my run on that crappy thing, then the other one was available. I thought this one would be great, but I was wrong. The speeds were all messed up, I put it on 3.0 to walk, and it felt like I was at a 2.0! I put it on 4.0 to run and felt like it was on 5.0! Totally not an enjoyable run that day!! But... I made it throught!

Run #6 was back at home, on my own treadmill! I think I actually professed my undying love for my treadmill on this run! The workout itself was good, calves were burning up a storm and a few times I got winded, but, all in all I was happy! One the last interval I got my speed up to 4.3 which was great! Here are my stats!!

Walking speed 3.0

Jogging speed 4.0

1.5 mile time 26:44

Total time 29:00

Total Distance 1.6 miles!

Run #4

Today was actually a great day. I woke up at 6 and got right into my running gear!! I slipped on an old (from POST) pair of running shorts and *gasp* they were quite loose!! Yea! I started week 2 of the program, which increases the amount of time running and is keeping the amount of time walking the same.

I loved loved loved it today! Near the end of my first interval, my calves were on FiRe! I am beginning to love that feeling! I am really starting to think that I might actually get rid of my cankles! Whoot whoot!

Ok so here are my stats:

Walking Speed: 3.0

Running Speed: 4.0

1.5 Mile Time: 26:50 (29 seconds faster than last week)

Total Miles Today: 1.6

Total Time Today: 28:10

I am not sore at all! Which is really surprising me, because every other time I have tried to start running, by the 2nd run I am sore and have shin splints! My legs are feeling great! Back is feeling even better! The end of this week should be interesting. I am going out of town, and will be relying on whatever treadmill I can find to do the runs. I am determined to make it!!