Great Days

Yesterday was one of the best running days I've had in a while. After a few days...yeah, I said DAYS...of out-of-sorts eating and little moving around, I was quite surprised that I felt like running as I did. I had the most wonderful weekend with new friends, fun food and making cards. But I'd gotten so out of the habit of eating like this that it was quite hard to get out and run as well as I'd gotten use to.

Actually, the run on the treadmill started out quite different. Being a little sluggish, I thought I'd just run as comfortable as I felt. Even at a mile and a half I was still not excited about this. But then "it" kicked in. I don't know what "it" is, but there is something that controls how well you workout and how much you enjoy it. Maybe it's adrenalin or maybe it's change of mind but whatever "it" is, I'm glad "it" happens. Then 3 miles turned into 5 happy ones, then 6, then before I knew it I was closing in on a solid 8 miles ecstatically. Is that a word?

The first 3 miles I ran comfortably at a 10:00 minute pace then I moved up the final 5 to a 9:40 pace. I felt great and had no idea how far I felt like going...much less whether I could do eight or not. It's been a long time since I've run that far.

So, today, I thought I'd just put in 3-4 slow miles to not overwork my legs. This time it was the first 3 miles that were pretty good keeping a 9:07 pace. This was followed by a mile of walking, then ending with a mile of slow jogging making a total of 5 miles for the day. Running after walking is almost impossible for me, especially of any distance like a mile. But not worrying, I wanted to do something non-stressful after a hard, long run yesterday.

Now, set your goal and Run 4 It!!

Woo-Hoo

I'm so excited about my run this morning. I ran outside on a fantastic bike-path. It wound through a wooded area and was wide enough to welcome runners and bikers easily. This is the first time I've run outside since July 1st. Where we have to run is totally in the open with lots of sunshine (another nice word for dreaded heat). This is a killer this time of year. But we had an opportunity to run on a very nice bike-path early this morning. I told Kent before we got out of the truck that I wasn't sure how long I was going to run since I'd not been outside in quite a while. But as I got going, my base mileage of 5 miles became a sure thing. I passed many people, some by themselves and some with others and some on bikes. It was so pleasant. I loved not knowing what each little turn in the path would reveal and where it would take me.

When I started out running, it felt sooooo good to be outside again and the shade was so welcoming! It boosted me tremendously. Before I knew it, I was on a steady pace of fast and faster. [Remember, this "fast" is for ME...not someone else.] I looked at my Garmin several times because I was excited with the readings it was picking up. Many times it was recording paces in the mid 7:00 minute range. I couldn't believe it! And I wasn't even huffing...at all! When I finished and downloaded my info, I found many recordings in the upper 7 minute pace as well as even a couple in the high 6 minutes. I'm sure the elevation played a part in my run but if you know how I run you'd understand that I try to keep a steady pace or foot strike whether I'm going up hills or down them. Therefore, this was cause for excitement. The only thing that played havoc with my overall pace was that there were a couple of times I had to come to a complete halt for traffic crossing but I'm still very excited! My average pace was 9:13 and I'm happy with that.

One "issue" I had to deal with: a large snake!! It was a rattler and must have been a minimum of 1.5 feet long. He saw me before I realized he was there and raised up as I approached him. Thankfully he had already crossed most of the path (though he was in my lane) and I could get around by going behind him. Ooooo...I'll have to say this scared me. All in all the run was kinda adventurous and I look forward do doing it again if time allows while we're here. Oh, I miss being outside!

A Week in Review

This week's workouts have been outstanding for me! I can't believe I did it...31 miles!! I surpassed my weekly goal of 25-30 miles per week. I never thought I'd get up that high unless I was preparing for a marathon or something! Now, seriously, my initial goal was to "try" to reach 25 miles. To even think about putting 30 miles in there seemed ridiculous to me when I first decided to set this one.

For the next couple of weeks, my "real" goal will be to reach the 25 miles. There will be a couple of times that I will be inside 2-3 days solid, close to midnight, with no opportunity to get out or have a treadmill available. But I will NOT give up and consider this a temporary time to get through (as far as running goes).

Let me be clear here. This is will be a fun time that will require me to sit for hours. I will be going to a Scrapping Crop for 3 days starting early in the morning going until midnight. As far as running goes, plans are to run as much as I possibly can knowing that this is not a lifestyle but a temporary break from running. If I meet the 25 miles, this will be a plus. So with a day's rest (today), I will begin another week's work tomorrow.

Here are my totals for last week:
Run/Walk.....31 miles 307:26 min
Bike.....11 miles 58:20 min
Wts/Core.....3 times

Let me leave this with you. Set your goals a little higher than you think you can achieve and go for it. Have a healthy, happy week!

Great Workout Day

I wasn't sure how today was going to go with a 7 mile run yesterday, but it was one of the best I've had in a long time. Kent is always trying to get me to slow my pace down and this is the hardest thing - besides walking - I've ever done. Don't know if I need someone to be with me to do this or if I just don't do a good job at it period.

My workout today consisted of:
5 easy miles on the TM
Hand weights for upper body
Ab and Core workout

My run seemed so easy but I didn't want to overdo my legs from yesterday's run. After all, I do want to run tomorrow, and Saturday, and Sunday. Oh, well, you get the idea.

I've discovered a new friend. No, it doesn't breathe. While I was on the TM, I looked around and saw this item I've not noticed before. It's an incline bench! Okay, I'm not a body builder NOR am I a workout-at-a-gym kinda girl; so this was new to me. I LOVED it! It is great for abs and I will seek this little item out every time I go now. Wanting to get to more and different ab/core muscles worked out, I added sit-ups on the floor and some planks to my w/o before leaving. It turned out to be the best I've done and I was able to go the longest I've gone, too.

I felt great today. And to top it off, I lost 2 pounds since last weighing in! So, WOO-HOO for a great workout, feel good kinda morning!! The rest of the day will now be a breeze..........

First Long Run in a While

This week has been pretty good so far. Though my runs have been on the treadmill at BodyWorks, I have been running. Because of going there, I've been doing a little biking, too. I don't think I'm a biker, but I've used that to cool down from my running and I feel that anything different from running is a plus.

Today I got in a long run. I've been getting a little antsy to get back outside so we were out and on the road a little after 7 a.m. We went to the Sportsplex (also where BodyWorks is located). The air was cooler but you could still "feel" the humidity. After getting in 5 miles, I decided to finish with 2 miles on the treadmill. I am pleased with the run, even if it was broken up with a 5 minute transition from outside to inside. And, boy, did I pour on the sweat inside. The difference from outside to inside really made my body react. But I felt good and really wanted to get in a 7 miler this week. Nothing was pressing time-wise and all-in-all it was a good run. Now for a HHOOOOOTTTT shower!!

A Boost For Me!

After running in the heat a few days last week, we cemented the fact that a gym was the best place to beat the heat and humidity for the rest of the summer and continue to get a good workout. Check out this horrible picture to understand why...


This was taken between 6:30 and 7:00 in the morning. Just look how drenched I was! Thankfully I usually wear black or dark shorts because these were soaking wet, too. And for those who think "so what" let me add here, I DON'T sweat much at all. Even my shirt gathered in the middle and made me look pudgey...yuk!!! (This is not belly btw.) I stay drained after a measely 3 mile run...and that's about all I can do. All our running seems to be in places where there is NO shade, such as parking lots, pavement and seawalls. These kind of places keep the ground underneath very hot as well as the air around us. But not even a breeze has even been blowing lately. So this has been a hard year for me so far.


Here is Kent trying to cool off on his bike. Though he looks "cool" I'll add that he stays wet from morning til night. Here he's already run and taken a dip in the pool and STILL trying to keep cool. He wears his hair back when he's hot and trying to cool down. Now, he IS a sweat-er so this year has been very hard on him.

Now, Back To The Future...
Let me just say that I have really kinda dreaded joining a gym for the summer thinking it would be a waste of money. But after going this morning for the first time I've got to say it was a real pleasure. I started out running on the treadmill (after all, I'm a runner and that's the main reason for joining-to get out of the heat and humidity). Starting with a somewhat hesitant mindset, I hopped on the TM and almost immediately loved it! Hey, I'm NOT a TM girl at all. But I'm wondering (and have been) if ours was callibrated right. Now, I can say - NOPE, it's not! It is tough doing a 10-minute mile on ours but within one minute of running on theirs, I was running a 9:18. This was so exciting. Then I got to wondering if I would give out sooner than what I had planned to do; then thought if I could make 3 miles at this pace, I'd be happy. Well, the 3 miles came and went pretty fast. Next thing I knew I was up to 4.5 pretty easy. I just couldn't believe it! Thinking about doing some speedwork since I was really finished with what I wanted to do, a decision was made to pop up the speed to an 8:15 pace. I did 3-400's with a 9:18 pace interval; then the last half mile or so I sped it up to a 7:52 pace at 2 (or 3 I forgot)-800's. This ended me with 6.25 miles total. Boy was I stoked!! This was NOT hard and it really gave me a boost (hence the title today).

My running was followed by 3 miles on their bike, floor work, weights and ab and core workouts. If I could have thought of something else to do, I believe I'd have done it...although Kent was kinda pacing by then to leave. Can't wait for tomorrow!! See you then...