Guess who just dowloaded the Bridge to 10K app. Yeaaahhh ... me.
I'm not technically finished with Couch to 5K yet, but I only have to add 5 minutes to my run and I'll be ready to roll.
So, what is Bridge to 10K? It's the next step in the Couch to ___ program. Instead of taking you from a stagnant couch potato state to running form, it assumes you've finished C25K and picks up where you left off.
That means Week 1, Day 1 of B210K is no walk in the park. It goes like this:
Warm up 5 minutes, run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute, repeat 4 times, cool down 5 minutes.
That's 53 minutes for those of you who are counting. Up from an average of 30 minutes on C25K.
Well, if you can't tell by now, I'm really starting to panic about the Thanksgiving Day 10K coming up. 6.2 miles. That's a long way. That's longer than I've ever gone. Do you think one of the 34,000+ participants would carry me to the finish line if I didn't make it? Hmmm ...
Most importantly, I need to decide if I can justify buying the race tshirt. It is, by the way, the only reason I do these runs. And fess up, it's the only reason anyone does these things. Hello, trophy!
Showing posts with label progress. Show all posts
Showing posts with label progress. Show all posts
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
A Huge Step Up
Yay!
Yay!
Yay!
I just got back from my evening run--which happens to mark my third day in a row of running--and it was HUGE!
I just completed Week 5, Day 2 of Couch to 5K! (And I finished it without dying. That's important.)
Week 5, Day 2:
5-minute warm-up
Run for 8 minutes
Walk for 5 minutes
Run for 8 minutes
Cool down for 5 minutes
I ran for 8 minutes. Twice. Wheee! I knew I could do it after last Tuesday's "test" at the end of my 5-minute run. I went for a total of 8 minutes then and I knew I could do more.
I'm starting to understand why Week 5 makes such huge step-ups (from 5-minute runs to 8 minutes to 20 minutes). It's like once you've hit a certain number of minutes running, a little (or a lot) more doesn't really matter all that much. Nothing is going to hurt worse, your breathing isn't going to get more strained ... you're just going to get tired. Frankly, I can stay un-tired for 30 minutes and I think anyone can, really. (Assuming you're on a flat running path, at least.)
I still can't fathom being able to run for 20 or 30 minutes straight, though. I know I said it about Week 5, Day 1, but I think I'll be sitting on this Day for a long time before I get brave enough to try 20-minute intervals. I so wish there was an in-between. I'm afraid that I'll get impatient and wander off the plan again. Maybe I'll sit on this day until the Thanksgiving Day race and see what I want to do next.
Meh, too far in the future.
So, a quick review of this weekend ...
As I said, today was my third day in a row of running. I skipped a weekday workout last week to celebrate my "first 29th birthday," as my mother calls it. I figure it was a valid reason. Anyway, this weekend's weather was so nice and I had a big fat nothing planned, so I ran.
I joined Caitlin for another run at Miami Meadows on Saturday afternoon. This time, Caitlin brought her 11-month-old daughter and a side-by-side running stroller with her. This was Caitlin's first time out with the stroller and certainly my first encounter with trying to run with one. I volunteered to share the burden and we stuck with a Week 4 workout, considering the extra weight of the stroller and the horror stories I've heard about running with those things.
That was a smart move.
Those things are heavy! I can't even begin to imagine how people manage with two toddlers and/or young children strapped in. Whoa. Props to you who do it (John), you crazy people! Needless to say, we both got a good workout.
Sunday I tried a new running path at a park from my childhood. Short Park in Newtown (second one on the website) used to be a lot smaller than it is now. I played there when I was little, as did my mom and her friends. Now it's about twice the size and includes a 0.55-mile walk/run path.
The pictures on the website don't do it justice ... and I mean that in a bad way. It looks like a sad little abandoned park. Not the scary inner-city ones--just a sad one. There's a broken slide with caution tape wrapped around it, a sand volleyball court with no net and waist-high weeds, holey soccer nets, playground equipment from when I was little (or older), and a pretty nice set of basketball courts. Just sad.
I tried to take pictures, and totally thought I was, until I got home and realized that I forgot to take the running armband off my iPhone before snapping away. 1) It was really bright outside and you can't really see the screen that well anyway (since my brightness is turned down) and 2) I forgot the armband doesn't have a hole for the camera. I ended up with 6 pictures of blackness. Yeah. I'd promise some from next time I run there, but I don't think it will happen.
I ran well there, though. The path is flat with one short, steep uphill and a countering short, steep downhill to account for the elevation change.
So that's all for now. Super excited about my Week 5, Day 2 accomplishment. Wheee! Now it's time for dinner. Goodnight!
By the way, the front of my hips (hip flexors?) hurt. What's with that?
Yay!
Yay!
I just got back from my evening run--which happens to mark my third day in a row of running--and it was HUGE!
I just completed Week 5, Day 2 of Couch to 5K! (And I finished it without dying. That's important.)
Week 5, Day 2:
5-minute warm-up
Run for 8 minutes
Walk for 5 minutes
Run for 8 minutes
Cool down for 5 minutes
I ran for 8 minutes. Twice. Wheee! I knew I could do it after last Tuesday's "test" at the end of my 5-minute run. I went for a total of 8 minutes then and I knew I could do more.
I'm starting to understand why Week 5 makes such huge step-ups (from 5-minute runs to 8 minutes to 20 minutes). It's like once you've hit a certain number of minutes running, a little (or a lot) more doesn't really matter all that much. Nothing is going to hurt worse, your breathing isn't going to get more strained ... you're just going to get tired. Frankly, I can stay un-tired for 30 minutes and I think anyone can, really. (Assuming you're on a flat running path, at least.)
I still can't fathom being able to run for 20 or 30 minutes straight, though. I know I said it about Week 5, Day 1, but I think I'll be sitting on this Day for a long time before I get brave enough to try 20-minute intervals. I so wish there was an in-between. I'm afraid that I'll get impatient and wander off the plan again. Maybe I'll sit on this day until the Thanksgiving Day race and see what I want to do next.
Meh, too far in the future.
So, a quick review of this weekend ...
As I said, today was my third day in a row of running. I skipped a weekday workout last week to celebrate my "first 29th birthday," as my mother calls it. I figure it was a valid reason. Anyway, this weekend's weather was so nice and I had a big fat nothing planned, so I ran.
I joined Caitlin for another run at Miami Meadows on Saturday afternoon. This time, Caitlin brought her 11-month-old daughter and a side-by-side running stroller with her. This was Caitlin's first time out with the stroller and certainly my first encounter with trying to run with one. I volunteered to share the burden and we stuck with a Week 4 workout, considering the extra weight of the stroller and the horror stories I've heard about running with those things.
That was a smart move.
Those things are heavy! I can't even begin to imagine how people manage with two toddlers and/or young children strapped in. Whoa. Props to you who do it (John), you crazy people! Needless to say, we both got a good workout.
Sunday I tried a new running path at a park from my childhood. Short Park in Newtown (second one on the website) used to be a lot smaller than it is now. I played there when I was little, as did my mom and her friends. Now it's about twice the size and includes a 0.55-mile walk/run path.
The pictures on the website don't do it justice ... and I mean that in a bad way. It looks like a sad little abandoned park. Not the scary inner-city ones--just a sad one. There's a broken slide with caution tape wrapped around it, a sand volleyball court with no net and waist-high weeds, holey soccer nets, playground equipment from when I was little (or older), and a pretty nice set of basketball courts. Just sad.
I tried to take pictures, and totally thought I was, until I got home and realized that I forgot to take the running armband off my iPhone before snapping away. 1) It was really bright outside and you can't really see the screen that well anyway (since my brightness is turned down) and 2) I forgot the armband doesn't have a hole for the camera. I ended up with 6 pictures of blackness. Yeah. I'd promise some from next time I run there, but I don't think it will happen.
I ran well there, though. The path is flat with one short, steep uphill and a countering short, steep downhill to account for the elevation change.
So that's all for now. Super excited about my Week 5, Day 2 accomplishment. Wheee! Now it's time for dinner. Goodnight!
By the way, the front of my hips (hip flexors?) hurt. What's with that?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
8 Minutes At Miami Meadows
- I ran at a new park on Tuesday. I love it.
- I joined my pal, Caitlin, for the run at that new park.
- It's getting dark earlier. Sad.
- I totally ran for 8 minutes at the end of my workout.
Miami Meadows is a big stinkin' park in Milford (on the east side of Cincinnati). It took me about 20 minutes to get there, which translated to a rather dark ending to our little weeknight workout since it was about 6:40 (or 6:39) before I got there. I love Fall, but I hate that it's getting dark earlier. Booo!
It's a FAAAAH-bulous park! Click here to check out the park map (PDF). It's nice and flat. It's big. The running path is 1.3 miles around so it's easier to log some extra distance. It has a lake/pond, which means there are ducks, which I love (hate birds but love ducks).
Pictures of Miami Meadows I stole from my pal, Jesse (Caitlin's husband):
OH! Speaking of birds ... we saw huge bird just standing in the lake. It looked like a cross between a giraffe and a pterodactyl. Ideas? Crane? In Ohio?
Giraffe
Pterodactyl
So, aside from frightening birds and impending darkness, it was a great run. We did a Week 4 run (run 3 minutes, walk 1.5, run 5, walk 2.5, lather, rinse, repeat). On the last running interval, I broke away from Caitlin and decided to see how long I could go. Since I went for 6.5 minutes during my last experiment, and since I felt pretty good that night, I knew I could do better. I even had hopes of maybe reaching 10 minutes. Well, I didn't get to 10 minutes, but I did get to 8 minutes.
8 minutes of running without stopping! Wheee!
I will be returning to that park (probably on weekends though) and I will continue to run extra at the end of my last running interval. I'm officially hopeful of moving up to Week 5, Day 2 in the near future (it includes a few 8 minute running intervals). It certainly doesn't seem impossible anymore.
In conclusion, I am still really happy with my decision to stick to the C25K plan instead of my indecisive and impatient "let's try this" method. It's really nice to see and feel progress like this.
I'm also still really grateful to have people I can run with and talk to about the shared experience of running. I read something today about how surrounding yourself with positive people is not only good for your mental health, but it's good for your efforts to workout and get healthy. I don't think I'd still be doing this crazy running thing if it weren't for all of you who read and comment and talk to me about your experiences and let me vent about mine. So thanks, and keep it up!
Talk it out. Hug it out. Get healthy. Watch out for Pterodactyl-giraffe birds.
Ha!
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Sticking To The Plan
First, I want to say a big congratulations to Zach for completing his half-marathon this weekend! I'll let him post his numbers in the comments if he wants to, but he did very well in my eyes. I'm jealous. It actually makes me think of the half Pig "commitment" that I made a few months ago and how I'm wavering on that goal. Meh, this is not the time for that.
Congrats Zach!
On to the topic at hand. I'm finding some peace and some success with my plan to stick to the plan. What? The plan ... the Couch t0 5K (C25K) plan, that is. I've been distracted since before I started boot camp back in June, drifting away from the gradual stepping up of C25K's intervals and focusing on things like minutes/mile pace and making up my own intervals. But after a dip in my confidence and the onset of burn-out after not seeing progress for so long, I decided to commit to sticking with my man, Mr. C25K.
This week I revisited Week 4 twice before stepping up to Week 5, Day 1 again this morning. It's going well. Really well. It's exhausting me and pushing me to my limits, but I also feel myself getting better. I feel like I can move up to Week 5 Day 2's 8-minute intervals in the not-too-distant future. I'm so confident in my decision to rekindle my relationship with Mr. C25K* that I may or may not have told him I love him this morning. This probably has something to do with him piping up and telling me to "walk now" as I started my jog up a daunting mini-hill. He loves me back, clearly.
*I forgot that some people may be reading this that haven't been reading from the beginning. Mr. C25K is the friendly voice of the dude that tells me when to run and walk on my Couch to 5K app on my iPhone. He's a nice guy. I recommend getting to know him.
It's also helping immensely that my friend, Caitlin, is progressing through C25K as well, but is kicking major butt and is already at Week 4. Considering how recently she started, this is huge. Hopefully we can do Week 4 together soon.
I'll end today's post with that thought. But I'll be posting later this week about cold weather running. Please be prepared to let me know what your cold weather running tactics are and what equipment/apparel you swear by. Okay? Thanks!
Congrats Zach!
On to the topic at hand. I'm finding some peace and some success with my plan to stick to the plan. What? The plan ... the Couch t0 5K (C25K) plan, that is. I've been distracted since before I started boot camp back in June, drifting away from the gradual stepping up of C25K's intervals and focusing on things like minutes/mile pace and making up my own intervals. But after a dip in my confidence and the onset of burn-out after not seeing progress for so long, I decided to commit to sticking with my man, Mr. C25K.
This week I revisited Week 4 twice before stepping up to Week 5, Day 1 again this morning. It's going well. Really well. It's exhausting me and pushing me to my limits, but I also feel myself getting better. I feel like I can move up to Week 5 Day 2's 8-minute intervals in the not-too-distant future. I'm so confident in my decision to rekindle my relationship with Mr. C25K* that I may or may not have told him I love him this morning. This probably has something to do with him piping up and telling me to "walk now" as I started my jog up a daunting mini-hill. He loves me back, clearly.
*I forgot that some people may be reading this that haven't been reading from the beginning. Mr. C25K is the friendly voice of the dude that tells me when to run and walk on my Couch to 5K app on my iPhone. He's a nice guy. I recommend getting to know him.
It's also helping immensely that my friend, Caitlin, is progressing through C25K as well, but is kicking major butt and is already at Week 4. Considering how recently she started, this is huge. Hopefully we can do Week 4 together soon.
I'll end today's post with that thought. But I'll be posting later this week about cold weather running. Please be prepared to let me know what your cold weather running tactics are and what equipment/apparel you swear by. Okay? Thanks!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
One More Day!
I'm almost going to miss 4:40 a.m. Almost.
Tomorrow is my last day at Adventure Boot Camp and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm glad that I made it through. I'm proud of my improvement. I'm in disbelief that I returned after the terrible experience I gave myself on the first day. I'm sad that I can't dish out the dough for more and more and more sessions. I'm worried that I won't keep up the workout routine (outside of running). I'm happy that I can sleep in a little later if I want to. I'm already nostalgic about not seeing the ducks in the morning anymore. I'm so very thankful to ABC Linda for being an awesome trainer and for putting up with my whining and for encouraging me to come back after the first day. I'm going to miss boot camp. There, I said it.
Here's what I'm not going to miss:
planks, skinned elbows and knees (from doing modified planks), the hilly running "track," being soaked through before getting into the shower (sweat), the extra laundry from the profuse amount of sweaty t-shirts I went through, my stinky weight lifting gloves, carrying my weights to base camp every morning, carrying my weights back to my car after boot camp every morning, watching my sweat drip from my face to the ground while doing anything bent over, goose/duck poop, planks (yeah, it needs to be said twice), partner exercises, mountain climbers, and trying to digest juice or food so soon after waking up.
But, despite the length of that list, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Each of those crappy things also made me pretty happy in certain ways. Except planks. Okay maybe planks too, since they got a little easier when I figured out how to deal with my crappo knees and learned how to modify them.
So, let's have three cheers for my last day of getting up at 4:40 a.m. Hip hip!
But, getting up early hasn't been as hard as I anticipated. In fact, it was easier to get up for boot camp at an extra early hour than it is to get up for work at a regular hour.
One more thing! Today I ran 4 laps around the running track without stopping. That's 4/5 (0.8) of a mile! I'm sooooo close to a mile I can taste it! I've never EVER ran that far without stopping. EVER. Not even when I was a wee one. YIPPEE!
I'll see you all on the flip side. Please send thoughts of happy leg muscles and oxygenated lungs my way tomorrow morning or tonight before bed!
Coming soon ... Beckey returns to running!
Tomorrow is my last day at Adventure Boot Camp and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm glad that I made it through. I'm proud of my improvement. I'm in disbelief that I returned after the terrible experience I gave myself on the first day. I'm sad that I can't dish out the dough for more and more and more sessions. I'm worried that I won't keep up the workout routine (outside of running). I'm happy that I can sleep in a little later if I want to. I'm already nostalgic about not seeing the ducks in the morning anymore. I'm so very thankful to ABC Linda for being an awesome trainer and for putting up with my whining and for encouraging me to come back after the first day. I'm going to miss boot camp. There, I said it.
Here's what I'm not going to miss:
planks, skinned elbows and knees (from doing modified planks), the hilly running "track," being soaked through before getting into the shower (sweat), the extra laundry from the profuse amount of sweaty t-shirts I went through, my stinky weight lifting gloves, carrying my weights to base camp every morning, carrying my weights back to my car after boot camp every morning, watching my sweat drip from my face to the ground while doing anything bent over, goose/duck poop, planks (yeah, it needs to be said twice), partner exercises, mountain climbers, and trying to digest juice or food so soon after waking up.
But, despite the length of that list, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Each of those crappy things also made me pretty happy in certain ways. Except planks. Okay maybe planks too, since they got a little easier when I figured out how to deal with my crappo knees and learned how to modify them.
So, let's have three cheers for my last day of getting up at 4:40 a.m. Hip hip!
But, getting up early hasn't been as hard as I anticipated. In fact, it was easier to get up for boot camp at an extra early hour than it is to get up for work at a regular hour.
- Workout clothes are more comfortable than work clothes
- Gym shoes are better than ANY shoes (even flip flops)
- Boot camp time delayed work time
- I had much more time to wake up before work
- 5 a.m. = no traffic whatsoever
One more thing! Today I ran 4 laps around the running track without stopping. That's 4/5 (0.8) of a mile! I'm sooooo close to a mile I can taste it! I've never EVER ran that far without stopping. EVER. Not even when I was a wee one. YIPPEE!
I'll see you all on the flip side. Please send thoughts of happy leg muscles and oxygenated lungs my way tomorrow morning or tonight before bed!
Coming soon ... Beckey returns to running!
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Otto Armleder Park ... And Girly Talk
Welcome to my advertisement for a new Cincinnati-area park. The only compensation I get for my advertising efforts is a free, sweaty run around the park's wonderfully flat bike/walk/run path.
I saw a few signs saying that the area was being reclaimed as a bird habitat, and they weren't kidding! I saw birds I've never seen before. (Side note: I'm hideously afraid of birds, butterflies, and pretty much all winged creatures, but I still think they're among the most beautiful creatures ever. Just keep your flipping, flapping wings away from me. Simple as that.) There were a few photographers and/or bird watchers around too, so the "habitat" must be doing pretty well. Here's one of the birdhouses along the way.
The birds were perched on top of them, like they were standing guard or something.
It also seems to be a popular place for cyclists. There were quite a few on the short path today; guess they can't handle the length or traffic at the very nearby Lunken Airport Bike Path (5 miles). No worries, though. The wide paths left plenty of room for runners and walkers. Unlike the super skinny path at Veterans Memorial Park.
A guy on a bike. Ooooh ... aaaaah!
It's also a nice, meandering path, so it doesn't feel sterile like a standard running track or anything. Always a plus. Also a plus are the sweet distance markers. 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 ... the path is marked at every two-tenths of a mile. Very helpful.
Now, let's talk about the actual run. I'm still baffled by my abilities lately! I got out of my car, found the "0-0" on the ground, and took off running. Again, ran for a good 3:30 before I stopped to take a picture of the river. I think next time I'm going to just try to keep running. I have a feeling it'd be less shock to my body than I initially thought. If you have advice on that, please share!
On to the girly stuff. Guys, feel free to end here.
What on EARTH do you gals do about cramps and running? Do you press through or do you call it a loss? Right around the 1-mile mark, I practically gave up.
Not comfortable.
I did keep walking, of course, and eventually, after my lengthy photography sessions, I felt better and started running again. I finished 2 miles in a half-hour, so clearly I didn't let it get to me too badly, but still ... I want to know how you deal.
So, the run went well enough today that I'm considering going tomorrow. This would be the first time I attempt two days in a row. Scary! But, gotta get ready to run some 5Ks baby! WOOHOO!
Also, has anyone run the File Mile Trail? Thoughts? How hilly is it?
I'll leave you with an amazingly red, sweaty, triple-chinned, gasping photo of me, mid-run.
Mmm ... attractive.
I'm posting this as proof that I really do fill the credentials of a More-to-Love Runner.
So, as you might have gathered, I tried a new running path today. Otto Armelder Park is a relatively new park on the east side of Cincy. (The website is terribly un-useful.) A family friend of mine (Hi Debbie G.!) pointed me here, claiming it was flat and a convenient 2-mile loop. She forgot to mention that it's beautiful! Well, as beautiful as a flat plot of ground next to the Little Miami River can be, I suppose. Yeah, the river was a total surprise, by the way. There I am, jogging along, and whoa, the river is right there. It's a scenic river, too, so it was a pleasure to stumble across, unlike the Ohio. Yucko. So, I sacrificed my running time to take photos along the way.
The Little Miami River
The Little Miami RiverI saw a few signs saying that the area was being reclaimed as a bird habitat, and they weren't kidding! I saw birds I've never seen before. (Side note: I'm hideously afraid of birds, butterflies, and pretty much all winged creatures, but I still think they're among the most beautiful creatures ever. Just keep your flipping, flapping wings away from me. Simple as that.) There were a few photographers and/or bird watchers around too, so the "habitat" must be doing pretty well. Here's one of the birdhouses along the way.
The birds were perched on top of them, like they were standing guard or something.It also seems to be a popular place for cyclists. There were quite a few on the short path today; guess they can't handle the length or traffic at the very nearby Lunken Airport Bike Path (5 miles). No worries, though. The wide paths left plenty of room for runners and walkers. Unlike the super skinny path at Veterans Memorial Park.
A guy on a bike. Ooooh ... aaaaah!It's also a nice, meandering path, so it doesn't feel sterile like a standard running track or anything. Always a plus. Also a plus are the sweet distance markers. 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 ... the path is marked at every two-tenths of a mile. Very helpful.
Now, let's talk about the actual run. I'm still baffled by my abilities lately! I got out of my car, found the "0-0" on the ground, and took off running. Again, ran for a good 3:30 before I stopped to take a picture of the river. I think next time I'm going to just try to keep running. I have a feeling it'd be less shock to my body than I initially thought. If you have advice on that, please share!
On to the girly stuff. Guys, feel free to end here.
What on EARTH do you gals do about cramps and running? Do you press through or do you call it a loss? Right around the 1-mile mark, I practically gave up.
Not comfortable.
I did keep walking, of course, and eventually, after my lengthy photography sessions, I felt better and started running again. I finished 2 miles in a half-hour, so clearly I didn't let it get to me too badly, but still ... I want to know how you deal.
So, the run went well enough today that I'm considering going tomorrow. This would be the first time I attempt two days in a row. Scary! But, gotta get ready to run some 5Ks baby! WOOHOO!
Also, has anyone run the File Mile Trail? Thoughts? How hilly is it?
I'll leave you with an amazingly red, sweaty, triple-chinned, gasping photo of me, mid-run.
Mmm ... attractive. I'm posting this as proof that I really do fill the credentials of a More-to-Love Runner.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
External Motivation
I didn't want to run yesterday. Well, I wanted to run but I didn't feel like running. I wanted to sit on my couch. Does that make sense?
The weather was perfect for running, my body was ready for it, and I wanted to be otuside, but I wasn't mentally present. And the results made that clear. I ran at Juilfs and didn't make any changes in path or interval times. But my legs started hurting right away (maybe I started too quickly) and all I could think about whas how I'd rather be somewhere else. It's kind of hard to keep a positive attitude when that happens. I did a lot of internal yelling at myself instead of the usual internal coaxing and encouraging.
Needless to say, I finished a little behind my last two successful runs, but I'm still under my initial goal. I finished two miles in 27:30 and I didn't cut any running intervals short. I actually was still able to convince myself to run a few meters over on about half the runs, which is good. But Week 3 still seems so far away. I'm struggling to see how I'll ever be able to move on from Week 2.
So, how do I stay motivated to keep running after iffy workouts like that? There are several motivators, but today I'm going to focus on the external motivators. This blog follows this week's trip to Atlanta for work, which included two plane rides (there and back).
Let me tell you, you don't know uncomfortable until you've been a tall, fat girl wedged into an airplane seat for even the shortest flight. In fact, this unfortunate fat-girl situation is one of my top external motivators, along with not fitting on amusement park rides, and exceeding weight limits on anything intended for normal adults (e.g., trampolines). This humiliation is unbearable. Really, weight-related embarrassment is pretty much the only kind of embarrassment that gets me down. To top it all off, these three "I don't fit" situations usually happen with some sort of audience.
Now, I would never suggest that roller coaster manufacturers re-design their seats to meet the needs of the obese. (Airplanes are a different story and I address that below.) For those of you who don't know, I spent three summers working at Kings Island, a Cincinnati amusement park, and one fabulous summer at Coney Island, it's little-yet-older sister. I spent many moments explaining to guests why they couldn't ride if the "bar" didn't click, even if they thought they could hold on throughout the ride and not fall out. (Morons.) "Why can't they just make the seats bigger?" they might ask. Well, because then kids and people of a healthy weight might fall out and there's no reason to risk someone else's safety so fat people can ride.
Tall people, different story -- you didn't chose that. Weight is a choice, unless affected by some sort of extreme health ailment, in which case you shouldn't be riding rides at all. (First PKI-er to name the 5 safety restrictions in the comments wins!) I know, controversial topic, but I am both tall and fat and feel I can speak openly about this because of my experiences. But I'm open to hearing your thoughts.
Back to planes -- is anyone comfortable in an airplane seat? Really, I want to know. If no one is comfortable, then I can stop my ranting and move on. But what's the harm in creating, I don't know, two rows of seats tht have higher arm rests and deeper and wider seats, especially if you charge those people just a little more? I'm not talking about first class seats here. I don't want extra service or squishier seats or my own private bathroom for $200 extra. I want butt, hip, and knee space for $50 extra. You could even make me check my bag if you wanted to. Just a thought.
So, sorry for the rant. It's not like the seat situation is the only thing about flying that makes me uncomfortable. My ears pop constantly, I get ill on the descent (fortunately just the decent), and I'm in constant fear of how my body will react. You see, I'm not afraid of flying like most people are. There comes a point when you just have to realize that if your plane crashes, you're likely going to die. Worrying about it is not going to help. Just relax.
I, on the other hand, get motion sick in cars and some amusement rides at the drop of a hat. Literally, that fast. The smell of a car and its airflow, even when it's sitting still, will ruin my day. Right Sarah? Mom? You've both experienced this first-hand. So, every flight since my first, which was just in February 2008, I've been petrified of uncontrollable vomiting and what have you. But, so far so good. Either my body doesn't react to plane rides that way, or my ritual cranberry-vodka OR Dramamine really helps (not both at once, I promise). Praise be to Dramamine.
So, on that note, a few slightly unrelated photos:
Here's a picture of me waiting for departure at the Atlanta airport from a previous trip.
Atlanta airport, again from a previous trip.
Okay, so what have I learned. I've learned that my exercise efforts between Februrary 2009 (my last flight) and this past week's flight have not made airplane seats any more comfortable. In fact, I should have known that because I haven't lost more about 8 pounds in the last year's worth of working out. Tell me how it's possible, at my weight, to go from stagnant to working out and not see any results? I'll most definitely address this in a later post. Oh, and running when you don't want to is not fun and I'm not likely to get results when doing so.
So yes, I'm ending on a negative note. Boohoo. Please come again! =)
The weather was perfect for running, my body was ready for it, and I wanted to be otuside, but I wasn't mentally present. And the results made that clear. I ran at Juilfs and didn't make any changes in path or interval times. But my legs started hurting right away (maybe I started too quickly) and all I could think about whas how I'd rather be somewhere else. It's kind of hard to keep a positive attitude when that happens. I did a lot of internal yelling at myself instead of the usual internal coaxing and encouraging.
Needless to say, I finished a little behind my last two successful runs, but I'm still under my initial goal. I finished two miles in 27:30 and I didn't cut any running intervals short. I actually was still able to convince myself to run a few meters over on about half the runs, which is good. But Week 3 still seems so far away. I'm struggling to see how I'll ever be able to move on from Week 2.
So, how do I stay motivated to keep running after iffy workouts like that? There are several motivators, but today I'm going to focus on the external motivators. This blog follows this week's trip to Atlanta for work, which included two plane rides (there and back).
Let me tell you, you don't know uncomfortable until you've been a tall, fat girl wedged into an airplane seat for even the shortest flight. In fact, this unfortunate fat-girl situation is one of my top external motivators, along with not fitting on amusement park rides, and exceeding weight limits on anything intended for normal adults (e.g., trampolines). This humiliation is unbearable. Really, weight-related embarrassment is pretty much the only kind of embarrassment that gets me down. To top it all off, these three "I don't fit" situations usually happen with some sort of audience.
Now, I would never suggest that roller coaster manufacturers re-design their seats to meet the needs of the obese. (Airplanes are a different story and I address that below.) For those of you who don't know, I spent three summers working at Kings Island, a Cincinnati amusement park, and one fabulous summer at Coney Island, it's little-yet-older sister. I spent many moments explaining to guests why they couldn't ride if the "bar" didn't click, even if they thought they could hold on throughout the ride and not fall out. (Morons.) "Why can't they just make the seats bigger?" they might ask. Well, because then kids and people of a healthy weight might fall out and there's no reason to risk someone else's safety so fat people can ride.
Tall people, different story -- you didn't chose that. Weight is a choice, unless affected by some sort of extreme health ailment, in which case you shouldn't be riding rides at all. (First PKI-er to name the 5 safety restrictions in the comments wins!) I know, controversial topic, but I am both tall and fat and feel I can speak openly about this because of my experiences. But I'm open to hearing your thoughts.
Back to planes -- is anyone comfortable in an airplane seat? Really, I want to know. If no one is comfortable, then I can stop my ranting and move on. But what's the harm in creating, I don't know, two rows of seats tht have higher arm rests and deeper and wider seats, especially if you charge those people just a little more? I'm not talking about first class seats here. I don't want extra service or squishier seats or my own private bathroom for $200 extra. I want butt, hip, and knee space for $50 extra. You could even make me check my bag if you wanted to. Just a thought.
So, sorry for the rant. It's not like the seat situation is the only thing about flying that makes me uncomfortable. My ears pop constantly, I get ill on the descent (fortunately just the decent), and I'm in constant fear of how my body will react. You see, I'm not afraid of flying like most people are. There comes a point when you just have to realize that if your plane crashes, you're likely going to die. Worrying about it is not going to help. Just relax.
I, on the other hand, get motion sick in cars and some amusement rides at the drop of a hat. Literally, that fast. The smell of a car and its airflow, even when it's sitting still, will ruin my day. Right Sarah? Mom? You've both experienced this first-hand. So, every flight since my first, which was just in February 2008, I've been petrified of uncontrollable vomiting and what have you. But, so far so good. Either my body doesn't react to plane rides that way, or my ritual cranberry-vodka OR Dramamine really helps (not both at once, I promise). Praise be to Dramamine.
So, on that note, a few slightly unrelated photos:
Here's a picture of me waiting for departure at the Atlanta airport from a previous trip.
My fearful expression is a dramatic reinactment of my first ever flight.
Oh, and this was from my trip to DC to see New Kids on the Block, October 2008.
Be jealous.
Oh, and this was from my trip to DC to see New Kids on the Block, October 2008.
Be jealous.
Atlanta airport, again from a previous trip.
Okay, so what have I learned. I've learned that my exercise efforts between Februrary 2009 (my last flight) and this past week's flight have not made airplane seats any more comfortable. In fact, I should have known that because I haven't lost more about 8 pounds in the last year's worth of working out. Tell me how it's possible, at my weight, to go from stagnant to working out and not see any results? I'll most definitely address this in a later post. Oh, and running when you don't want to is not fun and I'm not likely to get results when doing so.
So yes, I'm ending on a negative note. Boohoo. Please come again! =)
Monday, May 10, 2010
Keeping It Short
Let's see if I am actually capable of a short post. My money is on no.
I ran today. It was fun. The weather was nice and I felt good. Heck, for a hot minute I even thought that I might try to bump up to Week 3, just for giggles. I even got as far as to look at what Week 3 involved ... and that's when I decided against it.
HOLY COW! What a huge jump in workout intervals! Week 2 is run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes. Week 3 reads as follows
Uhhh ... a minute-and-a-half to THREE MINUTES?! That's a bit ridic, no? I might ask my friend Jeff (Jeff, pay attention) to make me a timed music mix with his amazing music editing skills. I'm thinking of doing a 2-minute run followed by a 90-second walk -- that'll help me bridge to Week 2, right? So yeah, Jeff, if you're feeling adventerous, have at it. No musicals please. =)
Well, I did run Week 2 today and did smashingly, again. Finished with 3:10 on the clock and walked a little more of the track. I now have a new finishing goal: get to the next entrance before Mr. C25K says, "Workout complete."
Okay, that's all! I'll try to run Thursday. I'm traveling for work Tuesday and Wednesday, but if I get back in time on Wednesday, I may try it then. But, eh. We'll see. The good news is I still miss getting to workout if I have to skip it. That's all that matters at this point.
Do you workout while traveling? I know a lot of people do, but I think that requires experience with a treadmill, which I don't have yet.
I ran today. It was fun. The weather was nice and I felt good. Heck, for a hot minute I even thought that I might try to bump up to Week 3, just for giggles. I even got as far as to look at what Week 3 involved ... and that's when I decided against it.
HOLY COW! What a huge jump in workout intervals! Week 2 is run 90 seconds, walk 2 minutes. Week 3 reads as follows
5-minute warmup, then do this twice: job 90 seconds, walk 90 seconds, job 3 minutes, walk 3 minutes
Uhhh ... a minute-and-a-half to THREE MINUTES?! That's a bit ridic, no? I might ask my friend Jeff (Jeff, pay attention) to make me a timed music mix with his amazing music editing skills. I'm thinking of doing a 2-minute run followed by a 90-second walk -- that'll help me bridge to Week 2, right? So yeah, Jeff, if you're feeling adventerous, have at it. No musicals please. =)
Well, I did run Week 2 today and did smashingly, again. Finished with 3:10 on the clock and walked a little more of the track. I now have a new finishing goal: get to the next entrance before Mr. C25K says, "Workout complete."
Okay, that's all! I'll try to run Thursday. I'm traveling for work Tuesday and Wednesday, but if I get back in time on Wednesday, I may try it then. But, eh. We'll see. The good news is I still miss getting to workout if I have to skip it. That's all that matters at this point.
Do you workout while traveling? I know a lot of people do, but I think that requires experience with a treadmill, which I don't have yet.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Another Positive Post ... And A Few Pics
Are you totally sick of my gushy positive posts yet? Well kiss it, because this is another one.
I had another GREAT run today and I'm feeling so hopeful about this whole "project" of mine.
Tuesday's run at Veterans felt good, but I didn't have a way to really measure my progress. Today I returned to Juilfs to see how I'm doing. Well, I finished my normal two laps (one mile each) with 3:10 left on the clock.
For the win!
My last run at Juilfs was last Tuesday and I finished with 2:36 on the clock. So, whoa, big improvement in a short period of time, I'd say. I think I need to up my target of 2 minutes left. Seems a bit weak now, right?
I've been trying to run a little bit -- a really litte bit -- faster, and also continue running for about, oh, 3 to 5 seconds after the walk alarm goes off. That adds up I guess. Oh, and the running down hill thing is way fun. =)
Anyway, I'm not going to drag this out today, but I do have some pictures from Juilfs. I'm continually impressed with the quality photos I can take with my iPhone!
The best playground ever!
From the top of Beast Hill. I generally run coming toward the camera.
This is where I start running. Look how pretty the sky was tonight!
AHHHHH! GIANT SHADOW MONSTER!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
I had another GREAT run today and I'm feeling so hopeful about this whole "project" of mine.
Tuesday's run at Veterans felt good, but I didn't have a way to really measure my progress. Today I returned to Juilfs to see how I'm doing. Well, I finished my normal two laps (one mile each) with 3:10 left on the clock.
For the win!
My last run at Juilfs was last Tuesday and I finished with 2:36 on the clock. So, whoa, big improvement in a short period of time, I'd say. I think I need to up my target of 2 minutes left. Seems a bit weak now, right?
I've been trying to run a little bit -- a really litte bit -- faster, and also continue running for about, oh, 3 to 5 seconds after the walk alarm goes off. That adds up I guess. Oh, and the running down hill thing is way fun. =)
Anyway, I'm not going to drag this out today, but I do have some pictures from Juilfs. I'm continually impressed with the quality photos I can take with my iPhone!
The best playground ever!
From the top of Beast Hill. I generally run coming toward the camera. 
This is where I start running. Look how pretty the sky was tonight!
AHHHHH! GIANT SHADOW MONSTER!
BOOM BOOM BOOM!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Wedgie Picker
Hey, hey, hey! So, I had a FANTASTIC run today and I'm so friggin' excited! What a pleasant follow-up to Sunday's monster run, right?
The weather was perfect: cold, sunny, no/very little humidity.
I was feeling good, too, and was definitely ready to stretch my legs out.
The scenery was beautiful: green and springy, and I followed a very fast-walking wedgie picker for the second mile. I swear he picked his wedgie at least twice on that lap and played with his underwear in between picks. No, he wasn't beautiful scenery, but he made me laugh out loud every time he did it. (Don't worry, my mid-workout laughs sound like dry heaves, so he was clueless.)
Anyway, I was worried at first because I started walking at a quicker pace than I usually do, and my shins started cramping pretty much right away. Never good. Then, I caught a peek of an old softball teammate (HI MICHELLE!) and that just made me happy.
Ahhh, then the best part: I ran full throttle down Beast Hill's sister, Loch Ness Monster Hill.
Weeeee!
My tactic until today had been to run down that hill on my toes to help stretch out my shins. But today I felt like running fast, so I let gravity do the work and let it loose. Way. Fun.
Oh, and one more thing. Seeing as how my last two runs haven't been exactly fun, and those last two runs were "backwards" runs at Juilfs, I turned my path back around and went the "right" way.
I'm never going backwards again.
I'm happy to discover that the backwards tactic could have been the reason for my poopy exercises, and not just my lack of progress. Whew!
Lastly and most importantly, I finished the two miles with 2:36 on the clock!!! That's 36 seconds faster than my personal best so far.
WOOOOHOOOO!
If my math's correct, that brings me to a 13:42 pace.
I feel victorious today. I'm fired up. I'm going to celebrate by wrapping up my third pass at Week 2 -- and starting Week 2 again next time I run. Ha! Yeah, I still feel like I'm going to die when I'm at the end of my 90-second run, so I'll do this week a few more times until that feeling passes. I will say that I think I could do with shorter walking/recovery intervals. I'm catching my breath a lot quicker now. Another victory! Yippee!
Okay, I need to get off here, so let's see ... next run? I'd love to say Thursday, but I don't want to commit because I'm in the home stretch of moving out of the old apartment. If I'm in a crunch on Thursday, I'll pass up running. If I'm in good shape, I'm all over it.
The weather was perfect: cold, sunny, no/very little humidity.
I was feeling good, too, and was definitely ready to stretch my legs out.
The scenery was beautiful: green and springy, and I followed a very fast-walking wedgie picker for the second mile. I swear he picked his wedgie at least twice on that lap and played with his underwear in between picks. No, he wasn't beautiful scenery, but he made me laugh out loud every time he did it. (Don't worry, my mid-workout laughs sound like dry heaves, so he was clueless.)
Anyway, I was worried at first because I started walking at a quicker pace than I usually do, and my shins started cramping pretty much right away. Never good. Then, I caught a peek of an old softball teammate (HI MICHELLE!) and that just made me happy.
Ahhh, then the best part: I ran full throttle down Beast Hill's sister, Loch Ness Monster Hill.
Weeeee!
My tactic until today had been to run down that hill on my toes to help stretch out my shins. But today I felt like running fast, so I let gravity do the work and let it loose. Way. Fun.
Oh, and one more thing. Seeing as how my last two runs haven't been exactly fun, and those last two runs were "backwards" runs at Juilfs, I turned my path back around and went the "right" way.
I'm never going backwards again.
I'm happy to discover that the backwards tactic could have been the reason for my poopy exercises, and not just my lack of progress. Whew!
Lastly and most importantly, I finished the two miles with 2:36 on the clock!!! That's 36 seconds faster than my personal best so far.
WOOOOHOOOO!
If my math's correct, that brings me to a 13:42 pace.
I feel victorious today. I'm fired up. I'm going to celebrate by wrapping up my third pass at Week 2 -- and starting Week 2 again next time I run. Ha! Yeah, I still feel like I'm going to die when I'm at the end of my 90-second run, so I'll do this week a few more times until that feeling passes. I will say that I think I could do with shorter walking/recovery intervals. I'm catching my breath a lot quicker now. Another victory! Yippee!
Okay, I need to get off here, so let's see ... next run? I'd love to say Thursday, but I don't want to commit because I'm in the home stretch of moving out of the old apartment. If I'm in a crunch on Thursday, I'll pass up running. If I'm in good shape, I'm all over it.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Moving Backwards?
Don't worry. The title of this post doesn't mean I'm regressing in my running abilities. In fact, I ran at Juilfs today and finished my two miles with precisely two minutes left of C25K Week 2; I am still holding steady at a 14-minute mile pace.
Give me a moment -- it still blows my mind that I can actually "run" two miles. Clearly the founders of my athletic self-esteem -- my elementary and high school gym teachers -- were "you can do whatever you set your mind to" kind of guys. Thank you, Mr. B and Mr. Jamoke (alias).
*I do want to explore how to and how not to encourage children to physically push themselves and to stay fit. I'll tell you now that letting them get away with whining, walking instead of running, and sitting out of gym class is not effective. Prime example, right here.*
Anyway, while I didn't lose any ground in my progress today, I didn't move forward, and that's frustrating to me. I like to see improvements. That's the best motivator, right there. Unfortunately improvements take work, and work takes motivation, and motivation takes improvements.
Poop.
So, my first set of questions: How do you stay motivated? Do you exercise simply for the joy of it? How do you get through those days or weeks of zero progress? What about setbacks?
Back to the backwards thing. Like I said, I ran at Juilfs today, my tried-and-true favorite childhood park. But, to test things out a bit and to shake up a routine, I ran it backwards.
Now isn't that a fun mental image? I'll let you sit with it for a while before ruining it. Fat girl ... breathing like a freight train ... red, red face ... stumbling backwards down a hill. Go ahead and laugh. I would!
Okay, time to focus again. Today, I ran the opposite direction on the path. I figured the Beast Hill is a long, slow incline and it's counterpart is a steeper, shorter incline. Why not run/walk down the long one and run/walk up the short one? Well folks, it was nice. It didn't improve my time at all (again, discouraging), and it didn't make the 90 second run feel any easier, but it kept me from trying to drag my butt up Beast Hill. And I got to run downhill, which is way fun -- kind of like Phoebe running on Friends.
I don't know the moral of today's experience. I changed my path to avoid a challenge and finished in the same time anyway.
Question set #2: Do you avoid challenging courses or do you take them head on? How's that working out for you?
Next run should be Thursday. Venue undecided. Let me know if you'd like to join!
Give me a moment -- it still blows my mind that I can actually "run" two miles. Clearly the founders of my athletic self-esteem -- my elementary and high school gym teachers -- were "you can do whatever you set your mind to" kind of guys. Thank you, Mr. B and Mr. Jamoke (alias).
*I do want to explore how to and how not to encourage children to physically push themselves and to stay fit. I'll tell you now that letting them get away with whining, walking instead of running, and sitting out of gym class is not effective. Prime example, right here.*
Anyway, while I didn't lose any ground in my progress today, I didn't move forward, and that's frustrating to me. I like to see improvements. That's the best motivator, right there. Unfortunately improvements take work, and work takes motivation, and motivation takes improvements.
Poop.
So, my first set of questions: How do you stay motivated? Do you exercise simply for the joy of it? How do you get through those days or weeks of zero progress? What about setbacks?
Back to the backwards thing. Like I said, I ran at Juilfs today, my tried-and-true favorite childhood park. But, to test things out a bit and to shake up a routine, I ran it backwards.
Now isn't that a fun mental image? I'll let you sit with it for a while before ruining it. Fat girl ... breathing like a freight train ... red, red face ... stumbling backwards down a hill. Go ahead and laugh. I would!
Okay, time to focus again. Today, I ran the opposite direction on the path. I figured the Beast Hill is a long, slow incline and it's counterpart is a steeper, shorter incline. Why not run/walk down the long one and run/walk up the short one? Well folks, it was nice. It didn't improve my time at all (again, discouraging), and it didn't make the 90 second run feel any easier, but it kept me from trying to drag my butt up Beast Hill. And I got to run downhill, which is way fun -- kind of like Phoebe running on Friends.
I don't know the moral of today's experience. I changed my path to avoid a challenge and finished in the same time anyway.
Question set #2: Do you avoid challenging courses or do you take them head on? How's that working out for you?
Next run should be Thursday. Venue undecided. Let me know if you'd like to join!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Quick Update: A Setback in Week 2
Good afternoon.
Yes, that's right, it's a Thursday afternoon and I'm blogging ... because I'm not at work. I took two days off to move. Yes, that's right, still moving. Yuu-uu-uuck. I just took a brief lunch break and thought I'd take a few moments to ensure you all that I did run this morning as planned.
An interesting thing happened, and I'm not entirely sure why. I finished with a full minute on the clock, whereas last time I ran this workout (Week 2), I had a full two minutes on the clock. The difference between these two occurrences? I started the workout walking with someone else -- my mom.
Now, she's a slow walker, even by my standards (which is slow), but she walked quickly with me for the five-minute warm-up. I guess it wasn't quick enough and I didn't even realize that I might have been walking slower than usual. But, I'm thinking that's the main cause for my slowness. In fact, for a few of the running portions, I thought I was going quite fast.
Eh, whatever. It was gorgeous at the park today, so it was worth it.
One last thing. 'Tis the season for 5Ks, and I know I've brought it up before, but I need to decide if and when I can try one. Many of you offered great feedback on the kinds of runs I should try, and I defintely agree. I appreciate the advice too; I would never have thought to distinguish between a serious 5K and a fun one. But now that you've mentioned it, I know exactly what you all mean.
There's a 5K run/walk happening in my neighborhood, literally a baseball's throw away from where I live now -- okay a really LONG baseball's throw. It's at the end of May and the route is quite hilly, so I'm a little reluctant. There are also a few throughout Cincinnati that I'd like to take a shot at: the Reggae Run (organized by one of my professors), the Reds 5K, and the Hyde Park Blast. Basically, anything with a party at the end is going to be a safe bet, I'm guessing.
Okay, I must get back to packing and moving. Forgive the short and icky post; I'll do better next time. Check back soon for my feature on BBW* exercise.
*See the asterisk at the end of my last post.
Yes, that's right, it's a Thursday afternoon and I'm blogging ... because I'm not at work. I took two days off to move. Yes, that's right, still moving. Yuu-uu-uuck. I just took a brief lunch break and thought I'd take a few moments to ensure you all that I did run this morning as planned.
An interesting thing happened, and I'm not entirely sure why. I finished with a full minute on the clock, whereas last time I ran this workout (Week 2), I had a full two minutes on the clock. The difference between these two occurrences? I started the workout walking with someone else -- my mom.
Now, she's a slow walker, even by my standards (which is slow), but she walked quickly with me for the five-minute warm-up. I guess it wasn't quick enough and I didn't even realize that I might have been walking slower than usual. But, I'm thinking that's the main cause for my slowness. In fact, for a few of the running portions, I thought I was going quite fast.
Eh, whatever. It was gorgeous at the park today, so it was worth it.
One last thing. 'Tis the season for 5Ks, and I know I've brought it up before, but I need to decide if and when I can try one. Many of you offered great feedback on the kinds of runs I should try, and I defintely agree. I appreciate the advice too; I would never have thought to distinguish between a serious 5K and a fun one. But now that you've mentioned it, I know exactly what you all mean.
There's a 5K run/walk happening in my neighborhood, literally a baseball's throw away from where I live now -- okay a really LONG baseball's throw. It's at the end of May and the route is quite hilly, so I'm a little reluctant. There are also a few throughout Cincinnati that I'd like to take a shot at: the Reggae Run (organized by one of my professors), the Reds 5K, and the Hyde Park Blast. Basically, anything with a party at the end is going to be a safe bet, I'm guessing.
Okay, I must get back to packing and moving. Forgive the short and icky post; I'll do better next time. Check back soon for my feature on BBW* exercise.
*See the asterisk at the end of my last post.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Repetition is Good. So are Running Buddies.
There is some value to repeating the same intervals and venturing down the same path every time you run. I've learned that over the last few workouts. One, it's easy to see how your stamina changes -- how out of breath was I today compared to yesterday? Two, it's quite gratifying to notice yourself finishing laps quicker than you did before. That,to me, is the best motivation.
Holy crap! I'm actually getting better?!
I took it easy on my run today. I'm happy with that decision. Coming off a weekend full of nasty back pain, stepping back to Week 1 intervals felt like a safe, cushiony rest. That being said ... wow! The Week 1 workout was EASY! I barely broke a sweat! I cannot believe it. I even picked up my pace at one point to run briefly up and down a hill/dip. YAY!
Me? Running faster? Eh? Confused.
"Running" wasn't even part of my vocabulary until recently, let alone "faster."
Excuse me while I pat myself on the back (a tough feat for a BBW*). Sigh.
On that note, I would like to take a minute to thank my running buddy for today. This was a new experience to me. You see, my history of running with anyone else stopped when I graduated from high school. Something about spending 13 years being the fat girl in class who can't run with the rest of her classmates, and who was often left on the track as the rest of the kids made their way back to the gymnasium, and then being teased about it later, leaves a deep scar. Bullies suck, y'all!
Anyway, boohoo, it's over and past. Now I read and hear constantly about how running and working out with a buddy is beneficial. And I got to experience just a taste of that when I joined a gym with my co-workers. The accountability is one thing, but the chance to talk about the experience before and after the workout is another added perk. (And, of course, being able to make fun of the crazies in your step class is even better.)
Pardon the tangent. As I was saying, I ran with a buddy today. My buddy seemed to experience some of the same challenges I had two months ago when this whole running nonsense started. To her I say, speaking from recent experience, it gets worse. Ha! Not what you expect to hear, right? What I mean is the first run is the hardest, which might make you feel like stopping, but don't. Finish. Press on. Realize that you're not as bad as you think you are. You and I are already doing more than so, so many people do, and that counts for a lot.
Aside from keeping myself on track and counting on my readers to call me out on any signs of slacking, I hope that this blog can serve as encouragement for people like me. I hear it a lot, but it's true in this case: If I can do it, anyone can!
And with that, I have officially lost my writing mojo for the night. Hmm.
OH! One other thing. I've been thinking about running a 5K and I'd like your feedback on the topic. When should I try one? If I can comfortably do two miles of walk/run, can I manage the third? The thought of unexpected hills and bumpy streets is scary to me. Should I give it a try first? How will I know I'm okay to try the race? Again, your expertise is appreciated.
Well, I'll be running again on Thursday morning (two vacation days to move) so check back to make sure I did it. Okay? Thanks!
Comment, people. What are your experiences with running or just working out with a buddy?
* For those of you unfamiliar with this term, to me, BBW is "big-breasted woman." I will be exploring the challenges of being a BBW and being active at a later date.
Holy crap! I'm actually getting better?!
I took it easy on my run today. I'm happy with that decision. Coming off a weekend full of nasty back pain, stepping back to Week 1 intervals felt like a safe, cushiony rest. That being said ... wow! The Week 1 workout was EASY! I barely broke a sweat! I cannot believe it. I even picked up my pace at one point to run briefly up and down a hill/dip. YAY!
Me? Running faster? Eh? Confused.
"Running" wasn't even part of my vocabulary until recently, let alone "faster."
Excuse me while I pat myself on the back (a tough feat for a BBW*). Sigh.
On that note, I would like to take a minute to thank my running buddy for today. This was a new experience to me. You see, my history of running with anyone else stopped when I graduated from high school. Something about spending 13 years being the fat girl in class who can't run with the rest of her classmates, and who was often left on the track as the rest of the kids made their way back to the gymnasium, and then being teased about it later, leaves a deep scar. Bullies suck, y'all!
Anyway, boohoo, it's over and past. Now I read and hear constantly about how running and working out with a buddy is beneficial. And I got to experience just a taste of that when I joined a gym with my co-workers. The accountability is one thing, but the chance to talk about the experience before and after the workout is another added perk. (And, of course, being able to make fun of the crazies in your step class is even better.)
Pardon the tangent. As I was saying, I ran with a buddy today. My buddy seemed to experience some of the same challenges I had two months ago when this whole running nonsense started. To her I say, speaking from recent experience, it gets worse. Ha! Not what you expect to hear, right? What I mean is the first run is the hardest, which might make you feel like stopping, but don't. Finish. Press on. Realize that you're not as bad as you think you are. You and I are already doing more than so, so many people do, and that counts for a lot.
Aside from keeping myself on track and counting on my readers to call me out on any signs of slacking, I hope that this blog can serve as encouragement for people like me. I hear it a lot, but it's true in this case: If I can do it, anyone can!
And with that, I have officially lost my writing mojo for the night. Hmm.
OH! One other thing. I've been thinking about running a 5K and I'd like your feedback on the topic. When should I try one? If I can comfortably do two miles of walk/run, can I manage the third? The thought of unexpected hills and bumpy streets is scary to me. Should I give it a try first? How will I know I'm okay to try the race? Again, your expertise is appreciated.
Well, I'll be running again on Thursday morning (two vacation days to move) so check back to make sure I did it. Okay? Thanks!
Comment, people. What are your experiences with running or just working out with a buddy?
* For those of you unfamiliar with this term, to me, BBW is "big-breasted woman." I will be exploring the challenges of being a BBW and being active at a later date.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Unexpected Developments
Well, friends, I've done it. I was a bit over-ambitious yesterday in my physical activities and now I have the back pain to show for it. Or feel. Whatever.
After my post yesterday morning, I headed out for my second try at Week 2 Day 1 of C25K. The great news is that I found a place to start that keeps me from running up the beastly hill twice. WOOHOO! Oh, and I shaved some more time off the two-mile run. Since I ended my last running interval before Beast Hill (that's it, I've now named it), I was able to jog to the finish line.
New progress milestone: 2 miles in 28 minutes -- a 14-minute mile pace. WOOHOO!
Anyway, I completed my run, doused myself in a cold shower, and moved some crap into my new apartment. Unfortunately, somewhere between my run and leaving the new digs, I did something to rip my lower back to shreds. It's strange because I don't even remember straining it, or kicking any boxes (which usually does me in in a snap). Needless to say, that put a damper on my moving activities for the rest of what was supposed to be a productive Saturday.
Wah waaaaaah!
Kind of messed with my Sunday, too. I could have run this morning. I could have taken two loads of stuff to the new place. But, I settled for one minor load. At least it's something, right?
Why am I telling you this? Because I'm making an excuse, that's why. And what are you supposed to do when I make an excuse? All together now ... "SHOOT HER DOWN!"
[ducks and covers]
I'll let you be the judge of my legitimacy. I will, once again, be spending the night cuddled up with my dream man, Ben Gay. Hopefully he gets rid of this kink so I can get something done this week, whether it be running, moving, or both.
After my post yesterday morning, I headed out for my second try at Week 2 Day 1 of C25K. The great news is that I found a place to start that keeps me from running up the beastly hill twice. WOOHOO! Oh, and I shaved some more time off the two-mile run. Since I ended my last running interval before Beast Hill (that's it, I've now named it), I was able to jog to the finish line.
New progress milestone: 2 miles in 28 minutes -- a 14-minute mile pace. WOOHOO!
Anyway, I completed my run, doused myself in a cold shower, and moved some crap into my new apartment. Unfortunately, somewhere between my run and leaving the new digs, I did something to rip my lower back to shreds. It's strange because I don't even remember straining it, or kicking any boxes (which usually does me in in a snap). Needless to say, that put a damper on my moving activities for the rest of what was supposed to be a productive Saturday.
Wah waaaaaah!
Kind of messed with my Sunday, too. I could have run this morning. I could have taken two loads of stuff to the new place. But, I settled for one minor load. At least it's something, right?
Why am I telling you this? Because I'm making an excuse, that's why. And what are you supposed to do when I make an excuse? All together now ... "SHOOT HER DOWN!"
[ducks and covers]
I'll let you be the judge of my legitimacy. I will, once again, be spending the night cuddled up with my dream man, Ben Gay. Hopefully he gets rid of this kink so I can get something done this week, whether it be running, moving, or both.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Excuses, Excuses ... and Meet My Park
Happy Saturday morning, readers!
First, I’d like to apologize for my poor showing so far. As I’m sure happens with many ambitious bloggers, I started with a bang, full of hope for my little plot of websphere, and quickly fizzled out. Well, I have an excuse: I’m moving this month – more specifically next weekend – and I’m a bit preoccupied. I got the keys to my new place this week and I just can’t keep myself away. I love the new place so much that my poor little running habit has been packed away in one of the moving boxes and I’ve had some trouble finding it. Well, I found it this morning; it was packed in the same box as my grasp on reality and the cat nip. Wouldn’t you know it, my blogging commitment was also in there. Geesh.
Anyway, this is the perfect opportunity for me to share a little more about myself:
I’m a rationalizer, an excuse maker, and an abandoner.
Usually these nasty character traits only rear their heads when I’m dreading something. For example, there was a time (most of my life, actually) when I didn’t like to exercise. Shocker! I’d rationalize not going to the gym by saying, “It’s not like the gym is helping me at all,” or “Skipping step aerobics isn’t going to make me gain weight.” I’d skip a workout with excuses like sore muscles, menstrual cramps, lack of sleep, a broken fingernail, or a happy hour with friends. Then I’d get frustrated at all my excuses and lose hope of getting back on track because of all my skipped workouts, and finally, I’d give up. A perfect example: I once signed a three-year contract for a gym and only used about 9 months worth. I’ll get into that more later.
Here’s the difference this time around: I’m enjoying running. The excuses I make now just make me sad and more eager to lace up and hit the pavement next time. I actually encountered this phenomenon with my step class; I liked the workout, I liked the cheesy ‘80s music, I liked my classmates and I hated missing class. (I’ll talk more about step class in later entries. Bottom line is it’s fun and a great workout.)
There is a significant problem with skipping a few running workouts that I didn’t experience with step aerobics. Missing a run really sets me back in my progress: I feel like I have to go backwards to continue moving forward. Skipping a step class meant I didn’t get better, but I certainly didn’t lose progress by missing one workout. Skipping a run means it'll be all the more difficult to complete the same interval next time, let alone increase intensity, as dictated by C25K.
Speaking of C25K, I finished my first round of Week 2. (Week 2: 5-minute warm-up walk, then alternate 90 seconds of jogging with 2 minutes of walking for 20 minutes, then cool down walk for 5 minutes.) This one kicked my butt, and I’m already planning on at least another two bouts with this “week.” It’s hard. I struggle to finish the 90 seconds of jogging, especially since it always seems to happen on a hill.
I’m running at a local park. I basically grew up at this park. I played softball there for 10 years, skinned my knees on its sidewalks, got the wind knocked out of me by falling off the jungle gym, got sand in my shoes and hair and eyes, received electro-shock therapy from the static generated by the friction of the slides, flew kites in its muddy fields, pretended to play tennis on its courts, and sweated all over every blade of grass within its fences. Ah, the memories…. Truly, I do love it there. It’s home, and what better place to embarrass myself as I learn to run?
Anyway, the run/walk/bike path is a mile long, which allows for convenient distance measurements, and it meanders up and down a seemingly slight hill. Somehow, no matter where I start running, the C25K dude being piped through my iPhone headphones always manages to tell me to run up the same friggin’ hill. It’s a gradual incline and lasts for approximately 90 seconds of my running speed. Perfect. Geesh.
The beastly hill at Juilfs Park
At least I’ve made it every time so far, mostly because my ability to talk myself into things is quite strong. (Unfortunately it’s not a strong as my ability to talk myself out of things, but it’s still strong, nonetheless.) I purposefully quicken my breath and start leaning forward as I approach the hill. That seems to help a bit. It doesn’t help the craaaazy shin splints that I can’t seem to escape, but it helps with momentum and breath control. (Shin splints will be a recurring theme and, again, I’ll talk about them later.)
Go ahead and throw 100 – 150 extra pounds of weight on your shoulders and see how your legs and lungs feel after running uphill for 90 seconds. Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ha!
So back to what I was saying: I’ll be repeating Week 2 a few times, I’m sure. I just need to stay on track with my workouts. It’s going to become increasingly important that I stick to a three-times-a-week regimen as the weather gets warmer, too. Ugh, even thinking about running during a Cincinnati summer brings flashbacks to high school gym class and that one dreadful year of “summer gym.” I can feel my chest clogging with humidity now. Gack! Cough! Heave!
Excuse me. Ahem.
So, huge blog. Sorry. I just have so much to fill you in on, and I will. I must learn to balance background information with current affairs. Oh, and since you’ve been introduced to my excuse-making habits, please, please, please call me out on it. If you see me drifting toward rationalization and abandonment, don’t let me get away with it. Please and thank you.
Progress report: I'm finishing 2 miles in about 28:40 (1:20 left on my 30-minute workout when I finish the second mile). So that's a 14:20 1-mile pace, right? Hmm, better than high school. Interesting.
First, I’d like to apologize for my poor showing so far. As I’m sure happens with many ambitious bloggers, I started with a bang, full of hope for my little plot of websphere, and quickly fizzled out. Well, I have an excuse: I’m moving this month – more specifically next weekend – and I’m a bit preoccupied. I got the keys to my new place this week and I just can’t keep myself away. I love the new place so much that my poor little running habit has been packed away in one of the moving boxes and I’ve had some trouble finding it. Well, I found it this morning; it was packed in the same box as my grasp on reality and the cat nip. Wouldn’t you know it, my blogging commitment was also in there. Geesh.
Anyway, this is the perfect opportunity for me to share a little more about myself:
I’m a rationalizer, an excuse maker, and an abandoner.
Usually these nasty character traits only rear their heads when I’m dreading something. For example, there was a time (most of my life, actually) when I didn’t like to exercise. Shocker! I’d rationalize not going to the gym by saying, “It’s not like the gym is helping me at all,” or “Skipping step aerobics isn’t going to make me gain weight.” I’d skip a workout with excuses like sore muscles, menstrual cramps, lack of sleep, a broken fingernail, or a happy hour with friends. Then I’d get frustrated at all my excuses and lose hope of getting back on track because of all my skipped workouts, and finally, I’d give up. A perfect example: I once signed a three-year contract for a gym and only used about 9 months worth. I’ll get into that more later.
Here’s the difference this time around: I’m enjoying running. The excuses I make now just make me sad and more eager to lace up and hit the pavement next time. I actually encountered this phenomenon with my step class; I liked the workout, I liked the cheesy ‘80s music, I liked my classmates and I hated missing class. (I’ll talk more about step class in later entries. Bottom line is it’s fun and a great workout.)
There is a significant problem with skipping a few running workouts that I didn’t experience with step aerobics. Missing a run really sets me back in my progress: I feel like I have to go backwards to continue moving forward. Skipping a step class meant I didn’t get better, but I certainly didn’t lose progress by missing one workout. Skipping a run means it'll be all the more difficult to complete the same interval next time, let alone increase intensity, as dictated by C25K.
Speaking of C25K, I finished my first round of Week 2. (Week 2: 5-minute warm-up walk, then alternate 90 seconds of jogging with 2 minutes of walking for 20 minutes, then cool down walk for 5 minutes.) This one kicked my butt, and I’m already planning on at least another two bouts with this “week.” It’s hard. I struggle to finish the 90 seconds of jogging, especially since it always seems to happen on a hill.
I’m running at a local park. I basically grew up at this park. I played softball there for 10 years, skinned my knees on its sidewalks, got the wind knocked out of me by falling off the jungle gym, got sand in my shoes and hair and eyes, received electro-shock therapy from the static generated by the friction of the slides, flew kites in its muddy fields, pretended to play tennis on its courts, and sweated all over every blade of grass within its fences. Ah, the memories…. Truly, I do love it there. It’s home, and what better place to embarrass myself as I learn to run?
Anyway, the run/walk/bike path is a mile long, which allows for convenient distance measurements, and it meanders up and down a seemingly slight hill. Somehow, no matter where I start running, the C25K dude being piped through my iPhone headphones always manages to tell me to run up the same friggin’ hill. It’s a gradual incline and lasts for approximately 90 seconds of my running speed. Perfect. Geesh.
The beastly hill at Juilfs ParkAt least I’ve made it every time so far, mostly because my ability to talk myself into things is quite strong. (Unfortunately it’s not a strong as my ability to talk myself out of things, but it’s still strong, nonetheless.) I purposefully quicken my breath and start leaning forward as I approach the hill. That seems to help a bit. It doesn’t help the craaaazy shin splints that I can’t seem to escape, but it helps with momentum and breath control. (Shin splints will be a recurring theme and, again, I’ll talk about them later.)
Go ahead and throw 100 – 150 extra pounds of weight on your shoulders and see how your legs and lungs feel after running uphill for 90 seconds. Yeah, that’s what I thought. Ha!
So back to what I was saying: I’ll be repeating Week 2 a few times, I’m sure. I just need to stay on track with my workouts. It’s going to become increasingly important that I stick to a three-times-a-week regimen as the weather gets warmer, too. Ugh, even thinking about running during a Cincinnati summer brings flashbacks to high school gym class and that one dreadful year of “summer gym.” I can feel my chest clogging with humidity now. Gack! Cough! Heave!
Excuse me. Ahem.
So, huge blog. Sorry. I just have so much to fill you in on, and I will. I must learn to balance background information with current affairs. Oh, and since you’ve been introduced to my excuse-making habits, please, please, please call me out on it. If you see me drifting toward rationalization and abandonment, don’t let me get away with it. Please and thank you.
Progress report: I'm finishing 2 miles in about 28:40 (1:20 left on my 30-minute workout when I finish the second mile). So that's a 14:20 1-mile pace, right? Hmm, better than high school. Interesting.
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