It's hot here. Really really hot. I'd forgotten how hot it gets, and how early it turns that way. I've been needing to start my run earlier and earlier as the weeks pass, but it turns out now I need to start at 5am if I don't want to puke. Oh well, every run has an end, so you only have to deal with the heat for a short period of time.
Today was a long run day, 10 miles. I wanted Sam to come with me, so I had him ride his bike alongside me. He was a champ and agreed to do it. We woke up at 6, but had to set up our water stations and adjust his bike seat, so we didn't get started on our run until almost 7. It was already so so so so hot. But it was good. It was a good run and it was so much fun to run with Sam right there with me. I really enjoyed it. He made me laugh and he kept telling me I was a "warrior" which was silly, but kept me motivated. The route I had picked was a hard one. Really really tough. But it was good. It was a mile downhill, 8 miles up, and a mile down. It was rough on the joints, but it was fun. One of the hills in the middle of the run was a steep two mile stretch. We were halfway up, and Sam looks at me and said, "So..........your plan is just to bang out all these hills? Do we ever get to go down?" It made me laugh. He told me I should have thought my route out a little more. Ha ha ha. That's where the nickname "warrior" first started.
I came home hot, sticky, sore, underarms chaffed (I forgot to wear any glide.......Dang it!) and blisters on my heels the size on Montana, but it was my favorite run to date. It was really fun to be out doing something like that with Samby. He's a pretty good guy.
June 4, 2011
June 1, 2011
Lord of the Run - plus my random ramblings
I'm in the groove now. I am finally being consistent with my running and it's getting a lot easier. Here's my drill:
I run 4 miles every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday I have a long run, anywhere between 6 - 10 miles. Sunday is a recovery day - the point of these being that you give your body enough rest after doing a long run that it can recuperate, but give it enough exercise that your muscles don't build up a ton of lactic acid and get stiff. On these days I just walk home from church.
The four mile route I do is becoming second nature to me. It's an out and back, which I like because it makes it just feel like a 2 mile route. I run 2 miles to the post office and two miles back home. When I get to the one mile mark, I tell myself I'm halfway there (even though I still have to come back). By the time I reach the post office, I feel I've reached the end, and the rest of the run is just going back home. It's a nice psychological trick that really works for me, so I stick with it.
My six mile route is my very favorite. Sometimes I do that one instead of my four miler just because I like it. It's 5 miles uphill, and then one mile down. That last mile feels amazing!
My shin splints are raging, but I've discovered if you just run through them, by about the half mile mark, you are numb to the pain. I just ice ice ice ice ice after every run and every night before I go to bed. It's been working well.
I ran in the pool the other day. It was really hard. I did 3 miles but it was much harder than even my longest run so far. The resistance of the water really adds something extra! I think I could train that way if my shins start getting too sore to run with impact. So I've got some contingency plans in the works.
I have a 10 mile run this Saturday - I'm nervous. It's a really hard route. I mean REALLY hard. I've never done anything like it. But I like to push myself, so I am going to try it and see how it goes.
I usually run to upbeat music, but lately I've been running to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. I don't know what it is about that music, but it is so inspiring. It's no secret that LOTR is my absolute favorite movie, trilogy, series of movies, what have you. I've seen each one (extended version) more times than I can count. The soundtrack is absolutely magical. I can tell you what is happening in the movie for each song. So running to the soundtrack puts me right in the middle of the magic of Middle Earth, all its creatures, the fight against good and evil, and the perseverance of an unlikely underdog fighting against something much bigger than himself. As nerdy as I know it is, it's truly inspirational to me and I've enjoyed getting wrapped up in the fantasy and pushing myself to defy the odds and emerge victorious!!!!! Ha ha ha. Yes, I can laugh at myself. I'm a huge nerd. Anyway, that's all that's been going on in my world of fitness. More to come, I'm sure.
I run 4 miles every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Saturday I have a long run, anywhere between 6 - 10 miles. Sunday is a recovery day - the point of these being that you give your body enough rest after doing a long run that it can recuperate, but give it enough exercise that your muscles don't build up a ton of lactic acid and get stiff. On these days I just walk home from church.
The four mile route I do is becoming second nature to me. It's an out and back, which I like because it makes it just feel like a 2 mile route. I run 2 miles to the post office and two miles back home. When I get to the one mile mark, I tell myself I'm halfway there (even though I still have to come back). By the time I reach the post office, I feel I've reached the end, and the rest of the run is just going back home. It's a nice psychological trick that really works for me, so I stick with it.
My six mile route is my very favorite. Sometimes I do that one instead of my four miler just because I like it. It's 5 miles uphill, and then one mile down. That last mile feels amazing!
My shin splints are raging, but I've discovered if you just run through them, by about the half mile mark, you are numb to the pain. I just ice ice ice ice ice after every run and every night before I go to bed. It's been working well.
I ran in the pool the other day. It was really hard. I did 3 miles but it was much harder than even my longest run so far. The resistance of the water really adds something extra! I think I could train that way if my shins start getting too sore to run with impact. So I've got some contingency plans in the works.
I have a 10 mile run this Saturday - I'm nervous. It's a really hard route. I mean REALLY hard. I've never done anything like it. But I like to push myself, so I am going to try it and see how it goes.
I usually run to upbeat music, but lately I've been running to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. I don't know what it is about that music, but it is so inspiring. It's no secret that LOTR is my absolute favorite movie, trilogy, series of movies, what have you. I've seen each one (extended version) more times than I can count. The soundtrack is absolutely magical. I can tell you what is happening in the movie for each song. So running to the soundtrack puts me right in the middle of the magic of Middle Earth, all its creatures, the fight against good and evil, and the perseverance of an unlikely underdog fighting against something much bigger than himself. As nerdy as I know it is, it's truly inspirational to me and I've enjoyed getting wrapped up in the fantasy and pushing myself to defy the odds and emerge victorious!!!!! Ha ha ha. Yes, I can laugh at myself. I'm a huge nerd. Anyway, that's all that's been going on in my world of fitness. More to come, I'm sure.
May 17, 2011
In love
I had completely forgotten how much I love running. It has been such a pain this year that I thought I was done with it for good. But then everything just suddenly clicked and, like Forest Gump, I. Was. Run-ning. It's weird and beautiful when that happens. It's like a hurdle you just have to get over and then once you do, running is fun again!
I've been running 4 miles every day. I haven't had to use my inhaler at all which is quite a feat for me. I don't think I've run without an inhaler in, well, ever. Not ever in my entire life. In fact, I remember one time in high school I was running the track for our strength and conditioning training during cheer practice, and I had such a bad asthma attack I threw up all over the track in front of the entire Varsity Football team. I wanted to die. And I figured that my asthma would always hold me back and cause me massive embarrassment. That has been true many times over in my life. I think it was this latest move from Heber to Tucson that did it for me. I'm not allergic to anything here, and my asthma is highly allergy induced. That's my theory anyway.
Saturday I ran 7 miles and it was my best run yet. It just felt good. Every last mile felt good. I wasn't really ready to stop at the end, and that rarely happens to me. I've been able to keep my shin splints under control and I feel like this is becoming a little more natural again. I'm not super fast yet. I know I'm at a 10 minute mile. I'm completely okay with that.
I feel like my rapid weight gain is finally under control and I'm not eating everything in sight. My pants are fitting me again. I don't have constant muffin top. I'm still heavier than I'd like to be, but I'm happy with where I am now. The weather here is beautiful. Every day there is a cool breeze and I just sit on the patio and watch my boys run around the backyard for about an hour after I come home from running. Life is good. And my motivation is running high!
I've been running 4 miles every day. I haven't had to use my inhaler at all which is quite a feat for me. I don't think I've run without an inhaler in, well, ever. Not ever in my entire life. In fact, I remember one time in high school I was running the track for our strength and conditioning training during cheer practice, and I had such a bad asthma attack I threw up all over the track in front of the entire Varsity Football team. I wanted to die. And I figured that my asthma would always hold me back and cause me massive embarrassment. That has been true many times over in my life. I think it was this latest move from Heber to Tucson that did it for me. I'm not allergic to anything here, and my asthma is highly allergy induced. That's my theory anyway.
Saturday I ran 7 miles and it was my best run yet. It just felt good. Every last mile felt good. I wasn't really ready to stop at the end, and that rarely happens to me. I've been able to keep my shin splints under control and I feel like this is becoming a little more natural again. I'm not super fast yet. I know I'm at a 10 minute mile. I'm completely okay with that.
I feel like my rapid weight gain is finally under control and I'm not eating everything in sight. My pants are fitting me again. I don't have constant muffin top. I'm still heavier than I'd like to be, but I'm happy with where I am now. The weather here is beautiful. Every day there is a cool breeze and I just sit on the patio and watch my boys run around the backyard for about an hour after I come home from running. Life is good. And my motivation is running high!
May 12, 2011
Bryce Canyon, Revisited
Anyone catch the reference in the title? Hint: it's a movie title.
Anyone (besides Jenna) see that movie in all its homoerotic glory? No? Okay then, moving on.
I have signed up to do the Bryce Canyon half marathon again. We'll see if it happens this year. I mean, I'm planning on it, but my body doesn't seem as capable this year as it was last year. I feel like I'm one bad hill run away from another round of stress fractures, and it's making me a little frustrated. But it's pointless to dwell on things beyond my control, so let's talk about what I've been up to.
Today I ran 4 miles. It's hard in Tucson to find any routes that aren't FULL of very steep hills the entire way. I found a running trail I actually really like, but it makes me really nervous to run it by myself because the last time I ran it, I was not alone. No it wasn't the snakes and lizards that bothered me, but the bobcat. I won't be doing that trail again until I've got some pepper spray I can take along with me.
So I've found a route that's exactly four miles and it's right next to the house. It's what I've been running more often than not. Sometimes I run it just fine, and other times I walk at least a mile of it (I've noticed it has everything to do with heat). Today I was able to run the entire thing, but I did need to stop and stretch my calves a couple times. I also forgot a water bottle so the last mile and a half were pretty brutal. But it made me happy that I didn't have to walk at all. I'll choose to focus on that.
The thing that has me the most down is my shin pain. It's not stress fractures, but it's pretty bad shin splints. I don't mind them, and I don't care about running through the pain. I'm just so nervous I'm going to re injure myself because of what happened last year. That was a pretty big blow. That fear keeps me from really pushing myself. In a way that's good, but in a lot of ways it is keeping me from reaching my running goals.
The Bryce race is in July, so I've got the next two months to train and I'm sure I'll get there. Wish me luck!
*I have no idea how long I took, so I have no stats. But now that I'm back to blogging, I'll start taking note of distance and time. Also, I've gained about 12 pounds since the musical I was in ended, so maybe I'll even track my weight and measurements like I did last year. We'll see...........
Anyone (besides Jenna) see that movie in all its homoerotic glory? No? Okay then, moving on.
I have signed up to do the Bryce Canyon half marathon again. We'll see if it happens this year. I mean, I'm planning on it, but my body doesn't seem as capable this year as it was last year. I feel like I'm one bad hill run away from another round of stress fractures, and it's making me a little frustrated. But it's pointless to dwell on things beyond my control, so let's talk about what I've been up to.
Today I ran 4 miles. It's hard in Tucson to find any routes that aren't FULL of very steep hills the entire way. I found a running trail I actually really like, but it makes me really nervous to run it by myself because the last time I ran it, I was not alone. No it wasn't the snakes and lizards that bothered me, but the bobcat. I won't be doing that trail again until I've got some pepper spray I can take along with me.
So I've found a route that's exactly four miles and it's right next to the house. It's what I've been running more often than not. Sometimes I run it just fine, and other times I walk at least a mile of it (I've noticed it has everything to do with heat). Today I was able to run the entire thing, but I did need to stop and stretch my calves a couple times. I also forgot a water bottle so the last mile and a half were pretty brutal. But it made me happy that I didn't have to walk at all. I'll choose to focus on that.
The thing that has me the most down is my shin pain. It's not stress fractures, but it's pretty bad shin splints. I don't mind them, and I don't care about running through the pain. I'm just so nervous I'm going to re injure myself because of what happened last year. That was a pretty big blow. That fear keeps me from really pushing myself. In a way that's good, but in a lot of ways it is keeping me from reaching my running goals.
The Bryce race is in July, so I've got the next two months to train and I'm sure I'll get there. Wish me luck!
*I have no idea how long I took, so I have no stats. But now that I'm back to blogging, I'll start taking note of distance and time. Also, I've gained about 12 pounds since the musical I was in ended, so maybe I'll even track my weight and measurements like I did last year. We'll see...........
New Year, New Race, New Blog Post
I haven't written anything on either of my blogs for a very long time. Truth be told, I'm just not interested. Don't get me wrong, I like reading other people's blogs, but writing my own is simply not interesting to me. At all. In fact, I kind of abhor it.
I did however have a conversation the other day with my girlfriend that lives overseas and she brought up some very good points about the blog being a great way to keep others apprised of your goings on that they wouldn't otherwise be privy to. And she's right. I vowed I would muster up some form of motivation to post something. While the family blog is still sitting, lonely and abandoned, this one is receiving a little love and attention (although I think the family blog might get some attention again soon).
The thing I love about this blog is that it is a great tracker. I like going back and reading my entries about my training last year so I can see how I've grown and what I was and wasn't capable of. Now that I've reached a point in my training that is frustrating and disappointing, I figured I would start documenting again so when I'm still frustrated in a few weeks I can look on here and see how far I've (hopefully) come.
So here it goes: running season number two - who's with me?!?!?!?!
I did however have a conversation the other day with my girlfriend that lives overseas and she brought up some very good points about the blog being a great way to keep others apprised of your goings on that they wouldn't otherwise be privy to. And she's right. I vowed I would muster up some form of motivation to post something. While the family blog is still sitting, lonely and abandoned, this one is receiving a little love and attention (although I think the family blog might get some attention again soon).
The thing I love about this blog is that it is a great tracker. I like going back and reading my entries about my training last year so I can see how I've grown and what I was and wasn't capable of. Now that I've reached a point in my training that is frustrating and disappointing, I figured I would start documenting again so when I'm still frustrated in a few weeks I can look on here and see how far I've (hopefully) come.
So here it goes: running season number two - who's with me?!?!?!?!
July 5, 2010
Update - it's about time!
I've been really lame with blogging lately. I just hate it. I really really hate blogging. But then again, I have so many friends and family that I don't get to see very often that all ask the same questions and I know it's very convenient to update everyone in this manner. So I love blogging for that reason. But I have a hard time being motivated. Anyway, this is going to be a super boring post, but I just wanted to update my progress so I could I could look back at it later and see how far I've come.
I've been running.
A lot.
To be honest it's been hard on me. Emotionally and mentally more than physically. The smallest things make me doubt myself. And I get discouraged easily. But I'm not quitter. So I power through.
The past 3 weeks have been really difficult. I have a half marathon coming up in 2 weeks, and I haven't felt ready. I run on my own every day. It gets boring and lonely and it's hard to go it alone sometimes. But my new shoes rock and the weather's nice, so that's always good.
2 weeks ago I hit a wall. I had an 11 mile run. My in laws were all visiting so we were going to run together! We got about 6 miles in and I had a horrible allergic reaction to something we had passed. At about mile 7 my allergies triggered a horrible asthma attack. I ran one more mile and knew instantly I was spent. I went home discouraged after cutting our run short by 3 miles. After that every short training run I went on I would have an asthma attack. I finally went to my doctor and he gave me some really great prescriptions, and I am pleased to say they are working very well!
This weekend we came down to St. George to have a birthday party for my Trevor baby, and we all woke up at 4:30 to run 12 miles (my first long run since the bad run). It was AWESOME!!!! The combination of being at a lower elevation, having an inhaler, and running with a group of people did wonders for me, and I broke my 10 minute mile record - I ran at a 9.5 minute mile pace!!! Woooooooooo hooooooooooo! We finished the 12 miles in about 2 hours. It felt amazing and I now feel ready for the Bryce Canyon half.
I ran four miles today - a lot of hills. It was harder than the 12 but I know it was good for training. In summation: 12 miles = good. Nimbus gels = awesome. Running with family and friends = rockin. Me = kick butt.
Thanks for listening!
I've been running.
A lot.
To be honest it's been hard on me. Emotionally and mentally more than physically. The smallest things make me doubt myself. And I get discouraged easily. But I'm not quitter. So I power through.
The past 3 weeks have been really difficult. I have a half marathon coming up in 2 weeks, and I haven't felt ready. I run on my own every day. It gets boring and lonely and it's hard to go it alone sometimes. But my new shoes rock and the weather's nice, so that's always good.
2 weeks ago I hit a wall. I had an 11 mile run. My in laws were all visiting so we were going to run together! We got about 6 miles in and I had a horrible allergic reaction to something we had passed. At about mile 7 my allergies triggered a horrible asthma attack. I ran one more mile and knew instantly I was spent. I went home discouraged after cutting our run short by 3 miles. After that every short training run I went on I would have an asthma attack. I finally went to my doctor and he gave me some really great prescriptions, and I am pleased to say they are working very well!
This weekend we came down to St. George to have a birthday party for my Trevor baby, and we all woke up at 4:30 to run 12 miles (my first long run since the bad run). It was AWESOME!!!! The combination of being at a lower elevation, having an inhaler, and running with a group of people did wonders for me, and I broke my 10 minute mile record - I ran at a 9.5 minute mile pace!!! Woooooooooo hooooooooooo! We finished the 12 miles in about 2 hours. It felt amazing and I now feel ready for the Bryce Canyon half.
I ran four miles today - a lot of hills. It was harder than the 12 but I know it was good for training. In summation: 12 miles = good. Nimbus gels = awesome. Running with family and friends = rockin. Me = kick butt.
Thanks for listening!
June 8, 2010
Hey Harry Potter Fans!
Alright y'all, I don't want to make anyone jealous, but I just got my own Nimbus. For real. No, not a Nimbus 2000. A Nimbus 12. Gel.
Okay okay, it's not a flying broomstick, but you better believe I'll be flying when I'm wearing these babies!!!! What? Too nerdy? Should I dial it down a notch? Fine. But I'd like YOU to find a better cure for jellylegs (okay, that was the last one).
Back to the shoes. I love them already. I've been having some pain a particular bone in both my feet lately, and then started getting some pain in my knees. I decided to take it easy for a couple of days, which helped. But I didn't want to start running again until I had new shoes because I figured that was a main contributing factor to my pain. I went in and did the gait test to see how I ran and what shoe I needed, and apparently I need a neutral shoe because I run with my foot exactly perpendicular to the ground, and the shoes I had were not neutral. I thought I was over-pronating when I ran because of where my pain was, but apparently it was the shoe!
So hopefully these babies will correct the problem and I will love them! They're super comfortable and actually have 600 miles of life in them as opposed to the normal 400 of most running shoes. So I should only have to buy one other pair before the marathon. Awesome.
Running's going good. Had my 9 mile on Saturday and apart from a killer sunburn, I returned in one piece. Can't wait to try out my Nimbus, Nimbuses, Nimbusi, whatever the plural is, tomorrow. I have my first hill run tomorrow - wish me luck!
Okay okay, it's not a flying broomstick, but you better believe I'll be flying when I'm wearing these babies!!!! What? Too nerdy? Should I dial it down a notch? Fine. But I'd like YOU to find a better cure for jellylegs (okay, that was the last one).
Back to the shoes. I love them already. I've been having some pain a particular bone in both my feet lately, and then started getting some pain in my knees. I decided to take it easy for a couple of days, which helped. But I didn't want to start running again until I had new shoes because I figured that was a main contributing factor to my pain. I went in and did the gait test to see how I ran and what shoe I needed, and apparently I need a neutral shoe because I run with my foot exactly perpendicular to the ground, and the shoes I had were not neutral. I thought I was over-pronating when I ran because of where my pain was, but apparently it was the shoe!
So hopefully these babies will correct the problem and I will love them! They're super comfortable and actually have 600 miles of life in them as opposed to the normal 400 of most running shoes. So I should only have to buy one other pair before the marathon. Awesome.
Running's going good. Had my 9 mile on Saturday and apart from a killer sunburn, I returned in one piece. Can't wait to try out my Nimbus, Nimbuses, Nimbusi, whatever the plural is, tomorrow. I have my first hill run tomorrow - wish me luck!
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