Running is better at the beach

I took a break. I hadn't planned to, but PA got blasted with 95+ degree weather for weeks and it was just too hot to move, let alone run. This week it cooled off finally, and after I got through some cluster migraines earlier in the week I was ready to get back out there. I start meetings for school on Monday, so this was my last chance to get to the beach before school gets under way. As I was packing for a quick two-day trip, I threw in my sneakers and then my running clothes. I was a little surprised after I did it, but I thought, well, at least this way I'll have them if I decide to go out.

Yesterday was a beautiful day on the beach and I stayed late and decided that running in the morning would be my best bet. I woke up and kept talking myself into the run. I finally got dressed, plugged in my headphones and headed out the door. There is something about running the boardwalk that inspires me. I did my Week 1 Day 3 run and it went well. By the end I was winded and appreciated that I had run out further than I needed for my 30 minutes and had a nice half mile cool down. Overall, my pace was just under what it was last run, but just by a hair. I thought it might have been faster considering how hot it was last time, but I've been pretty lazy for two weeks, so that might explain things. I guess I should be glad that my pace was about the same and not slower. Baby steps! There was a nice breeze and many other runners out, which even as they passed me over and over again, I found reassuring.

My next week bumps things up a bit and I think I am ready for it. It's a small change and I'll see how it goes. I'm not aiming for a particular date to run a 5K by, so I have the gift of time. I want it to be enjoyable and to make progress.

On another note, I have a really yucky bruise/blister on my big toe. I'm keeping an eye on it, but it may need a doctor. It doesn't actually hurt unless I bump it into something, but it looks pretty bad. I banged it on the beach today which I think made it worse and looking at it made me want to pass out. I had to distract myself with Amy Poehler's audio book. Luckily it worked and I've felt okay for the rest of the day. Screw you, pain preception reactors. I don't know if that's a real term, but I know whenever I see something that looks like it hurts I get faint. Empathy, even for myself, at it's finest.

Anyway, tomorrow is a rest day-I hope to take a walk, and then on to Week 2 Saturday morning.

Week 1 Day 2- Why is Summer So Hot?

I had every intention of running yesterday, but somehow I never got moving. Today I had just enough time squeeze in run between tutoring, renewing library books, and lunch with a friend.

When I got back from Day 1 on Saturday and checked out the free CT5K app I was using I discovered it doesn't track distance or pace, both of which were things that interested me, so I drove my route with my car this morning and got a pretty good idea of my distance at least.

Today I didn't feel like running in my neighborhood so I took a little drive to a local park with a paved loop that's just under a mile. I actually felt pretty good for the first half of my workout. I even made it till the 5th running interval before I checked my time during the running part. This felt like an achievement! By the end I was really over-heated and wished I were somewhere with more shade. I am starting to wonder if I should bring a water bottle with me while I'm running...  We'll see!

Anyway, overall it felt like a good workout. I went .12 miles further than I did Saturday in the same amount of time, so that was encouraging. My hope is to go again either Thursday or Friday before I'm away for the weekend. I like having a day of recovery from the running piece but am trying to find a balance and be sure I'm still walking or active on my "off" day. My real goal is routine building, so that seems important!

Till next time, stay cool!

Back at it...

I don't think anyone reads this blog, but I revisited yesterday when I started up another round of CT5K.  I know I ended up deciding that running wasn't really for me, but for some reason recently I've been wanting to give it another go.

I did some nice long walks on the beach last week and while I also enjoy walking along the shore, walking in general doesn't really do it for me. I get bored. So, as I walked I decided when I got home I would give CT5K a try (again).

Yesterday I got dressed, put on my sneakers and walked out the door around noon to a wall of heat and humidity. I think more than the actual "running," I'm most proud of the fact that I didn't just slink back into the cool comfort of my air conditioned home.

I did Week 1 Day 1 and aside from the oppressive weather, I felt pretty good. I'm really out of shape, but deciding that I really just want to build a routine that I can keep up more long term. I'm not out to run races, I just want to stay moving.

Tomorrow I'll do Day 2. Here's hoping it's not so hot and it feels a little easier!

another year to love running?

Well, because it was a random, beautiful, warm, sunny day in February, I thought it was as good a time as any to get back outside and see how the running thing was going. I had spent the early part of winter hibernating, but around Christmas, I got back to the gym and started getting myself moving again. I found a Zumba class I enjoy and have been using the Eliptical, but had found myself sort of avoiding the whole "running" thing. So today I decided I would be prepared for a jog, but planned to just take a nice walk and see how things went. I walked for .8 of a mile, jogged the last .2 and then walked another quarter. It felt pretty good, but my feet hurt. I'm wondering if it's time for new shoes?

So, here's the thing. I took a year to "try on" running and I think I left the year with mixed feelings. When I'm running consistently, I definitely have days when I find it enjoyable. However, I think I could safely say that when I'm not consistent, and it gets hard, then I don't want to do it at all because it's not fun. So I think heading into the winter I felt pretty done with running, maybe for good. But today, for as little as I did, it was kinda nice. While I was outside, walking/jogging my neighborhood loop, I thought about running, and I thought about Zumba and Yoga, and the gym and I think that this year, the goal is consistency, balance and fun. If it's not fun, I'm going to mix it up. I just have to keep moving!

What do you do when you get bored with your routine, or when you break your routine and it gets hard again?

The magic of a change of scenery

I went for a run today even though it was really hard to get myself to put on my sneaks. On days when running feels hard, I visualize myself running in all the locations I know and then pick according to which feels like that day's best fit. Today that was Norristown Farm Park. Despite some tough hills, ultimately it's a really nice paved 2 mile loop, some through fields and partially through the trees.
Today it was just right. I set a goal to have my average pace be faster than Friday. What I didn't expect was to be able to run so much more of my total distance in bigger chunks than last week. After walking my first .25, I wad able to run the next 1.25! I probably could have gone further too, but I hot a wall (well, it felt like a wall, but looked like a killer hill;) so I walked it out for a little and then finished up the last half mile strong(ish) with a stead jog. So really I ran way more than half and it felt great! I love days like today! Now off to the dentist :p

Oh, and BTW... here is a link to my donation page for the Lupus Loop. Please feel free to support my run! http://www.active.com/donate/lupusloop2011/Lbeth120

you go, girl!

I went for a run yesterday and did the same double loop of my neighborhood that I did earlier this week. It felt a little bit better and I was able to go a little bit faster this time. As I was jogging along, I began to count how many weeks I have until my race and I was relieved and excited to discover that on top of the week I just completed, I had four more! I don't know what I was thinking before, but I had a slight panic that I only had 3 weeks! This realization helped me relax and enjoy my run that much more.

This idea of found time made me think about how, in my limited experience with running, that time has become really important. I dropped my first race because I didn't feel ready, but never dropped running, I just rescheduled for two weeks later. As I prepared for my 7 mile race this summer, I could feel that I wouldn't be ready, and I wasn't. I have struggled with the idea of quitting, but what I have come to realize is, that it doesn't feel like quitting if I am following what I know in my heart and what my body tells me it is capable of AT THAT TIME. Actually, it's funny that the title of this blog is "a year to love running" because when I started it, that seemed almost funny. But now, almost a year in, training for another 5K, something I never thought I could do, I find that while I'm not sure I could say I "love" running yet, I certainly do enjoy it! (Well, most days, anyway...)

Running is hard. If it weren't hard, everyone would do it. I tell myself this a lot these days, particularly when I know for some people it comes more easily. I am not one of those people. I work hard for progress, and the progress is small. But it is progress and I celebrate it. I have a friend who doesn't really understand why I wouldn't be comfortable running in an event when I didn't feel totally prepared. They would say, "Just go for it! No one cares but you!" But for me, that's not comfortable or enjoyable, and they are right, no one cares but me. But who else am I doing this for but me? It makes me feel bad about my performance and like I have failed myself because I just wasn't ready. It doesn't mean I will never run again, but it does mean I know I have to work harder and for a longer period of time than some people. There are some things I pick up quickly and would take a risk doing, cooking, pottery, board games, teaching, but then there is running. I have always hated running, so just the fact that I'm trying makes me feel pretty good. The fact that I didn't quit after my first 5K, makes me feel really good. I am not a person who sets goals like, if I do this, I will get myself this. Or if I finish this, I'll do this for myself. I do it just to have done it. I get a great deal of satisfaction from the process itself and the running is the goal, not the other way around. At least, for me, anyway.

Ok, this was a very different post than I had in mind when I started. I will leave with one parting thought. On my run Friday evening, a woman walking her dog shouted at me, "you go, girl!" as I struggled with the last stretch of my run. It was reminiscent of when the dude ran with me on the boardwalk. It felt good to struggle and for someone's encouragement to push me to finish just a little bit stronger. So if you are a struggling runner, or thinking about becoming one, just remember, "you go, girl!" And if you see a runner, a little word of encouragement never hurts!

What keeps you going?

bet you thought I quit!

well, you are mostly right. I did. A few times, but ultimately I have found myself thinking more about running and remembering what it feels like after a great run and how when I'm consistently running how good it feels. So this blog post is about memory.

My last post was a positive, uplifting memory of feeling like I was going to be ready for the Falmouth Road Race. It didn't last. I think I ran a few more times after that one, then it got wicked hot, I got bored on the treadmill and couldn't even walk outside, let alone run and I decided not to run the race. My friend, H, had decided not to run either and we were going to just cheer on my BFF, A, during his first running race, and I relaxed and started sleeping again. Then, after a relaxing day on a beautiful beach in Cape Cod and spaghetti dinner (sympathy carb loading with A) H decided we were going to run too. I resisted for a long time, cried a little and finally agreed to go buy a new sports bra since I hadn't even packed mine, and at least give the race a try.

I was a wreck the night before, but by the morning of the race I had relaxed. I wasn't prepared, mentally, emotional or physically, so I just decided to go with it and see what happened. Well, what happened was, H ran with me, slowly, but I could tell I was holding her back, despite some physical foot problems she had been suffering from, she felt pretty good. Feeling guilty for keeping her, I told her to go on. She hadn't brought a phone and was anxious about completing the race too, so because her parents live two miles in to the course I told her to take mine and I would bail out at their house.

So, on she went with my phone and as soon as she ran off ahead I felt relieved. Running with someone had really stressed me out and I started to think, maybe I can do this.... But when the time came and I arrived upon her parents cheering at the end of their road, I got nervous. Now I'm without a line of communication and what if I get 5 miles in and can't finish or contact anyone to come find me. That, combined with my lack of confidence in my ability to run the race the way I wanted to, caused me to quit.

I quit and I was so mad about it. I was a little mad that I ran the race even though I wasn't ready. I was mad that I didn't finish what I started. I was even mad that I was mad. Once I got over being mad, I decided that I was actually really proud of myself for at least trying. I know what the race is like, I know the worst of the course (the beginning!) and I know that if I work hard, I could do it again, and finish it.

Despite feeling like it was something I could, and wanted to do, I came home and hadn't run again until today. My friends and I do the Lupus Loop in Philly every year and I usually walk it. I had been hoping to run it this year, but each day I would say, I should really start running again and then I wouldn't. So now that that school is back underway and I am in a routine, I decided that today was the day to start.

So here is where the idea of memory comes back into play. I think that muscle, and maybe even what I might call physical memory is an amazing thing! I haven't run in almost two months, and that was just once for the race, before that it was probably another month. So I didn't know what would happen when I went back out there. I can't say it was sunshine and rainbows. Actually, it was humid and cloudy, but that's not really what I mean. I did just shy of 2.5 miles and ran almost half of that, in intervals. It was slow, and it hurt, sometimes a lot, but it certainly didn't feel like when I first started the couch to 5k plan 9 months ago. I remembered. I could recall what it felt like to run two miles, both emotionally and also physically. My muscles remembered too, and I find this pretty amazing.

Maybe even amazing enough to remember this feeling on Thursday and to go back out there and run some more!