Ahhh, there it is!

Ok, backstory, so I started getting back into the whole "running thing" end of January into February. A couple runs here and there. Got sick, took a weekish off, blah blah blah. Honestly, the only real thing that got me going again was the fact that I signed up for the Rock n' Sole Summerfest Half Marathon here in Milwaukee back in...???...well, what feels like ages ago and it was probably about time I start training for it. Yeek! Remember at the beginning of the year, my main focus became OTHERS for once? Well talk about a shot of happy juice! Focusing outward, rather than inward, was just what the doctor ordered! I was able to get out of my head and back into what inspired me to run in the first place: the journeys, goals, trials, tribulations, and SUCCESSES of others!

In any case, you already know this mumbo jumbo and I apologize for boring you with my waxing. I have a point! Up to this juncture of--well, I guess I'm calling it "re-training"...a word I never want to use again!--I've kind of been, let's say, mailing it in? Not that I'm blah about running, but basically I have miles I want to get in, days/hours I can do them in, AND I go to the gym. I mean running on a treadmill? That's about as auto-pilot as you can get! In addition to this mentality, I've also had really difficult runs. Like as in...all of them. No run has been easy or even mild. I always end my runs (and these are 2-4 miles ONLY) extremely winded, tired, and wanting to have stopped a mile or two previously. It just FEELS different than when I used to run. I mean duh, I'm nearly starting from scratch. But I keep on keepin' on and I increase the mph even though it's hard. Like real hard.

Well, my friends, I made it. Huh? Where? What now? Yesterday I ran four miles and it was difficult, but GREAT. It just felt, I don't know...RIGHT! I felt strong and my breath wasn't challenged and winded, but rather strong and...purposeful! I honestly said to myself: ahhhhh there it is. The feeling I had been waiting for, but too scared to chase after because of all the ego hoopla from before. I have this little person in my head that says, "guhhhhmyGOD it's JUST running, who cares?!?!" That same little person was putting me on auto pilot this whole time. Telling me just to DO it and check the emotion at the gym door. Well the bubble has done been busted because I tasted what it was like to be proud of myself again!

One of my last posts discussed mantras and because of Beth's jewelry giveaway, I started to wonder...can I adjust my new mantra "I have never finished a run and wished I hadn't done it" into one single word? I can.

Afterwards.

The highest high I ever feel (that's um, natural) is after I finish a run, especially an important one! Like a long distance trainer or a race. It is truly an emotion that transcends this world sometimes.

Afterwards. That's what will get stamped onto my trendy necklace tag if I ever snag one ;) I asked if you have a mantra...well here's a dooze: Do you have one SINGLE word that really speaks to you? (Take your time, I had to think about it!)

Week 10

So much to catch up on!! First of all, my knee is a lot better and Davie got me a brace thing to wear when I run and walk to work, so that VERY MUCH helps!!! Second, here are some runs for Week 10 (which has lasted over a week haha!)

Last Tuesday I hit a MAJOR milestone!!!! I ran my 44 minutes as dictated by Week 10, but I ran 4.4 miles!!!! This means I ran 10 minute miles. Which breaks my record by nearly 30 seconds. AMAZING!!! Unfortunately, it was a really hard run. My shins hurt pretty bad and my breathing was not on at ALL. I struggled the whole time. So when I found out how far I had run in the time allotted, I figured the struggle was just due to my too-quick pace. HOWEVER.......

....On Saturday I did the same thing, 4.4 miles in 44 minutes and it wasn't a struggle at ALL!!! It was another Perfect Run: no leg/knee pain, no breathing problems! SO that rocked!

In the middle there, I actually took a quick one mile run to see what my time would be. I think it was 9:16 or something? But it was quite a struggle to go "that fast"...not sure if it was due to the heat or what. I bet on a cooler day I could run much faster for just one mile.

So I have one more run to complete Week 10 which I'll probably do tonight. Look for my breakdown/summary of the last ten weeks sometime soon!

unofficial 5K!!

On Sunday I ran my first "full" 5K, as in NO walking breaks whatsoever! It took me just under 35 minutes total, which isn't all that bad. I'm sure I would've run faster had I known exactly where that 5K marker would've been and how to pace myself ;) Now this is also coming off my week long break, healing from my weird knee injury. And of course I sort of re-injured it during the run. Not as badly though, so I think I'm going to try to start Week 10 tonight after work. I just have to ice it immediately after post-run stretching. In any case, the 5K was quite a breeze really!! My shins hurt a little bit, but my breathing was great and I just genuinely enjoyed myself the entire time! I could've ran longer too, but didn't want to push it.

It's a bit of a pipe dream, but I'm going to try and get back into pilates. I think they'll really help avoid more injuries and of course strong core = better running. It's really difficult to get into pilates though because of the "boredom factor." The reason why I've been so into running is because of the variety: different scenery, people, weather, etc. So I just have to find a different motivation with pilates...when I was really into it a couple years ago, I thoroughly enjoyed the extra flexibility. And I did notice some major strengthening of my legs, especially quads which need the most work and will help my knees tremendously. So yeah, I'm going to try!

Week 9

I got a little behind on writing, so here's post #2 for the morning!

I'm pretty busy this week, so I had to convince myself to run in the morning instead of after work. I got up at 6:30 and did the whole "do I really HAVE to" song and dance, but my determination won in the end and I headed out into the damp barely 50 degrees. Luckily, the run was perfect! No cramps or stitches or anything...the only complaint was stiff legs, but that's pretty typical when you head out for a run immediately after waking up! I stretched midway through just in case. I'm only a quarter mile away from the 4 mile mark! That's pretty exciting! What I'm beginning to realize, however, is that it's starting to get tough to squeeze runs in now that they're longer. Week 9 is 40 minutes total...add on post-run stretching, plotting my route on Google, and sometimes writing up a blog post real quick, and you've got yourself an hour. Lots of stuff has been happening right after work now that summer is approaching, so I just have to stay dedicated. I've only ran maybe three times in the morning, but they've all been good ones, so I shouldn't be so afraid of just waking up and getting out there. I guess the only problem is cutting back on the up-till-4am nights ;)

THE PERFECT RUN

..at least as close to perfect as you can get!! 3 MILES IN 32 MINUTES!!! Omg it was GLORIOUS!! When I was walking home from work, I felt a twinge in my upper abs and was all super scared I was going to have another run like Wednesday's was. But I forged on and threw on my running clothes, not looking back. Right away I knew it was going to be good. I started slow per usual, but no stitches or cramps of any kind. My shins were a little tight, but I'm sure they were just worked from Wed and not running for a week and a half. ANYWAY! I picked up my pace pretty quickly and the rest is history! I got a little winded 3/4 of the way through, but caught my breath again during that final quarter. I KNEW I was hauling when I hit the spot I had stopped on Wednesday and still had OVER five minutes left on the 32 minutes!! So check it out:

Wednesday:
32 minute run
2.56 mi - 12:38 min miles

Friday:
32 minute run
3.03 mi - 10:33 min miles

HOLY HOTDOGS!!! I added an entire half mile and shaved two whole minutes off my time!!!

In any case, clearly I'm stoked! Too bad I probably won't have another run like this for awhile. But it definitely put a SKIP in my STEP! If I could possibly ever have an actual 5K work out like this run, I'd totally get in under 35 minutes which is a HUGE goal. Just gotta keep at it!! YAY FOR RUNNING!!!

ahhhhh

I LOVE RUNNING :)

That is all.

Week 2!

Real quick here, but I just had to mention that not only could I do the two minutes, but it was pretty easy!! And actually I think this morning's run was better than yesterday's and this one was on six hours of sleep. Not bad at all! ...I think I'm gonna like it here ;)

End of Week 1!

Week 1 Stats:
Walk 1 Min/Run 1 Min (14 mins total)
Total Distance: 4.74 mi
Ave Distance: 1.185 mi/day
Ave Time: ~11:50 min mi

Well I definitely made it and passed with flying colors I think! I mean granted the first week schedule is pretty easy, but hey, I wasn't a runner by any stretch prior to this week, so it definitely means a lot to me!!

My run today was gorgeous yet again! I felt great...the only thing is that I need to find my stride: the distance and timing of each step. In addition to simply building the endurance in my shins, I think finding the right stride and how I land with each step will help too.

I'm very ready for Week 2's 1 min walk/2 min run. In fact, during my last two runs I found myself looking repeatedly at my watch to see when it's time to start running, yet forgetting to look when it's time to start walking. It can even be a little frustrating when I hit a good pace and stride and I have to stop! So mos def a good sign!

First run of Week 2 is tomorrow right away, good stuff!

day one!

It's pretty close to perfect when your first run is a gorgeous 50 degree day in March! Mandsi came with me which was fab too! Not only was she the time keeper, but it was good to be able to do the "conversation test"...know that I was going at a good pace because I could speak without struggling. I am really diggin' the fact that I decided to start with this predetermined schedule. The walk 1 min, run 1 min is perfect to start with...it gave me a great energy boost without any exhaustion, which is exactly what a beginner wants. You don't want to get discouraged right off the bat! There is plenty of time to be exhausted, but I definitely don't mind putting that off until I'm deep in the heart of this activity...where there's no turning back! Running now feels so much less daunting. I'm actually looking forward to next week when I add another minute of running in between minute walks. Baby steps, but that's exactly what I need!

My next run has to be Tuesday morning because I have bowling right after work that day. That'll be an interesting test since I RARELY work out in the morning...just not a good time for me. BUT like it says over to the right, "can't" is no longer in my vocab ;)