Another work week has passed and once again I got out for 3 days of running during the week. I've been telling my students about my running and healthy habits, which is nice, as I feel like I'm getting to set a good example for them. What's sort of fun/exciting is that my colleagues are noticing my new habits. Yesterday a fellow teacher asked me if I was going to be running after class and today my Principal asked me how the running was going.
I like that I'm building up a 'reputation' as it were of a healthy active person. It makes it easier to keep it up :)
I've been running a little less this week, with 30 minutes Tuesday and Wednesday and 40 minutes yesterday. My legs have been feeling tired after last week, and I figure that I'd better not push it. What has been helping me a lot is a mind shift. Instead of worrying that running will make my leg worse, I'm convincing myself that running will make it stronger and, eventually, better. I have been feeling stronger this week. My breathing is now relatively normal during my runs, and I've been finding a kick in my step at the end of the runs. My legs seem to be getting stronger, too. They're still the weakest part of me though, and I'm hoping that eventually they'll feel like 3 miles is easy.
As an added bonus, I've now lost 11.2 lbs :). Again, I'm trying out a shift in mindset with this as well. Instead of looking at it as not being able to eat things (like the chocolate that is constantly present at my staff meetings) I'm looking at it as making the healthiest choices that will make me feel the best. I'm also focusing on making this a manageable change, which means that I'm still allowing myself to enjoy a glass of wine with dinner most nights. Ed has been wonderfully supportive, and I think he is enjoying the new found confidence that comes with being healthier. That, and all the new recipes we've been trying.
So, life is going great. My younger sister is coming to visit this weekend, Ed's birthday is next weekend, and Thanksgiving is coming up soon!
Lovely Fall :)
Friday, November 06, 2009
Sunday, November 01, 2009
Twenty Miles
Running has been going great! It's hard and the leg is still hurting, but I really do feel like I'm getting stronger. I ran 50 minutes on Tuesday, 32 on Wednesday, 40 on Thursday, 44 on Saturday (Trails), and 50 today. I'm estimating that to be about 20 miles.
The trails are definitely harder, but I was so proud of myself for running the whole way. It was gradually sloped, with uphill the whole way back, but I kept going without walking. It helped that Ed was with me. I had him run behind me so that he wouldn't speed me up too much, but it was great to have the company. Today's 50 minutes definitely took it out of me, though. I ended up feeling pretty zapped of energy afterwards and got a bad headache, despite bringing water with me and, I thought, hydrating well. Still, it felt great to be moving for that long.
My current plan, despite my desire to start training for something, is to just keep doing what I'm doing. I've been saying for years that if I could only run 3 miles a few days a week, I'd be happy. Now I'm doing more than that, so I need to feel content with what I'm able to do. I'm going to keep doing my mixture of 30 - 50 minutes of running 4-5 days a week until it gets comfortable. Right now, it's better, but not comfortable.
I do think I might have my first 'goal' race to put on the calendar. Ed is doing the Big Sur marathon in April, and I think I might sign up for the 10.6 mile option. The only downside is no technical shirt, but otherwise, it seems like a good option. Of course, part of me wants to sign up for the 21 mile option, but that definitely would be too ambitious, especially if I want to keep from getting even more injured. It would be a beautiful run, and it would be fun to run the last 10 miles of this great marathon course.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm looking forward to giving the leg a rest. I hope that next week is as good as this one :)
The trails are definitely harder, but I was so proud of myself for running the whole way. It was gradually sloped, with uphill the whole way back, but I kept going without walking. It helped that Ed was with me. I had him run behind me so that he wouldn't speed me up too much, but it was great to have the company. Today's 50 minutes definitely took it out of me, though. I ended up feeling pretty zapped of energy afterwards and got a bad headache, despite bringing water with me and, I thought, hydrating well. Still, it felt great to be moving for that long.
My current plan, despite my desire to start training for something, is to just keep doing what I'm doing. I've been saying for years that if I could only run 3 miles a few days a week, I'd be happy. Now I'm doing more than that, so I need to feel content with what I'm able to do. I'm going to keep doing my mixture of 30 - 50 minutes of running 4-5 days a week until it gets comfortable. Right now, it's better, but not comfortable.
I do think I might have my first 'goal' race to put on the calendar. Ed is doing the Big Sur marathon in April, and I think I might sign up for the 10.6 mile option. The only downside is no technical shirt, but otherwise, it seems like a good option. Of course, part of me wants to sign up for the 21 mile option, but that definitely would be too ambitious, especially if I want to keep from getting even more injured. It would be a beautiful run, and it would be fun to run the last 10 miles of this great marathon course.
Tomorrow is a day off, and I'm looking forward to giving the leg a rest. I hope that next week is as good as this one :)
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Trying it out
I feel somewhat hesitant to post about this, since it always seems that I get overly excited and then things don't work, but I finally have to reveal this secret.
I've been running.
It started about a week and a half ago, when I bored at the end of one of my walks (and it was getting dark). I decided to start jogging a little. I jogged maybe 7 or 8 minutes that day, but the seed was planted.
The next time I went out, Ed and I headed to the trail I talked about in the last post (my new favorite) and this time I ran a lot more! I felt so accomplished.
The next morning I went out with Ed and we walked/ran a half hour out and the I ran most of the way back. It was great.
So...now I'm sort of exclusively 'running'. I have run 3 times this week, each time over 3 miles. My foot is bothering me, but my leg doesn't seem worse, and I am feeling a lot stronger!
I ran about 3 1/2 miles with Ed today, and while it isn't easy, it does feel good. Afterwards, we went and registered for wedding presents (very fun :) ) and then went to pick up Ed's bib for his marathon. Dean Karnazes is hosting his race and was speaking there, and we timed it so Ed could hear him speak. I was wondering what I would think of him, since the last time I heard him, at the expo of my first marathon, I'd never heard of ultras and thought he was amazing. I had been somewhat disappointed then, but was wondering if he had gotten better at all this. Verdict: not really. I had heard all the stories the last time, and he ended on an odd and sexist note: reminding first time marathon running women to make sure someone met them at the 25 mile marker to give them some lipstick so they could preen before the finish line photo. Because of course a woman needs makeup after running 26 miles so she can be proud of her finishing photo.
Anyways, that nonwithstanding, its fun to be getting ready for Ed's first road marathon. The race goes within a mile our our house, so I'll be running down to the course to cheer on racers for a bit. Ed's okay with not having anyone to greet him at the finish, so this will be my chance to see him racing tomorrow. He's feeling pretty confident, despite having done an amazing job at Golden Hills Marathon two weeks ago. I hope that he has a great race.
And, I hope that I can keep up with this running :)
I've been running.
It started about a week and a half ago, when I bored at the end of one of my walks (and it was getting dark). I decided to start jogging a little. I jogged maybe 7 or 8 minutes that day, but the seed was planted.
The next time I went out, Ed and I headed to the trail I talked about in the last post (my new favorite) and this time I ran a lot more! I felt so accomplished.
The next morning I went out with Ed and we walked/ran a half hour out and the I ran most of the way back. It was great.
So...now I'm sort of exclusively 'running'. I have run 3 times this week, each time over 3 miles. My foot is bothering me, but my leg doesn't seem worse, and I am feeling a lot stronger!
I ran about 3 1/2 miles with Ed today, and while it isn't easy, it does feel good. Afterwards, we went and registered for wedding presents (very fun :) ) and then went to pick up Ed's bib for his marathon. Dean Karnazes is hosting his race and was speaking there, and we timed it so Ed could hear him speak. I was wondering what I would think of him, since the last time I heard him, at the expo of my first marathon, I'd never heard of ultras and thought he was amazing. I had been somewhat disappointed then, but was wondering if he had gotten better at all this. Verdict: not really. I had heard all the stories the last time, and he ended on an odd and sexist note: reminding first time marathon running women to make sure someone met them at the 25 mile marker to give them some lipstick so they could preen before the finish line photo. Because of course a woman needs makeup after running 26 miles so she can be proud of her finishing photo.
Anyways, that nonwithstanding, its fun to be getting ready for Ed's first road marathon. The race goes within a mile our our house, so I'll be running down to the course to cheer on racers for a bit. Ed's okay with not having anyone to greet him at the finish, so this will be my chance to see him racing tomorrow. He's feeling pretty confident, despite having done an amazing job at Golden Hills Marathon two weeks ago. I hope that he has a great race.
And, I hope that I can keep up with this running :)
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