Distance: 3.24 miles
Duration: 37:11
Avg Pace: 11:27 min/mile
Route: MapMyRun
It was a cold and drizzly day. and I went for a run anyhow. I hated the run; I hated being out there today, but I needed it for my sanity. Does running in the drizzly rain make me crazy, obsessed, stupid, or hardcore?
I got a side stitch in the first half mile. I ran through it and by the second mile, I had forgotten about it.
I thought about blogging a lot while I was on this run. Then I also thought about how I keep meaning to call my mom about the forsythias (which I always called for-cynthia's). I thought about Twitter, too. And how much I hate the last half mile (it's SO boring). and how my heart rate would go up at the exact same points of my run. oooh, and how when I start running on a cool day, I hide my hands inside the sleeves of my sweatshirt, but by about the first .75 mile, my hands are plenty warm and I pop them out. Every time. And how I'm going to convince a friend to run outside with me just one time so he can see how awesome it is. I also thought about how my pants felt like they were going to fall off. Did I mention there's another really boring part of my run? It's from about 1.5-2 miles.
Aaaaaaaand my mind was just blank a lot of the time, too - just concentrating on my breathing.
See? Running is my meditation.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
I'm an opportunist when I brush my teeth.
I don't know if I'll be up for a run today. Why? That rain I was whining about yesterday? Yeah, well, it's here today instead.
It actually held off any precipitation until after my run would have been concluded yesterday -- but no matter, I had something else really important to do during my lunch break (get my stuff ready for Dani's Duds - a giant consignment sale at the Dulles Expo Center this weekend).
I'll just run today. Right? It's rainy and cold. So we'll see.
Today, I'll share something else, in case I don't get to run. I'm trying to find ways to incorporate strength training exercises into my every day life -- finding time is nearly impossible with a full time job, 2 kids, and a hubby who works late a lot.
So I have started small. Every night, when I brush my teeth with my awesome toothbrush, I take the opportunity to use that time to multitask. And I do a wall squat. I'm very nearly able to do the full 2 minutes (my toothbrush has a timer built in!!!) after only about a week of doing this!
Tonight, while playing with the kids, I will try to do some push ups and maybe some other core exercises (esp. for my back!)
I wonder where else I can add in strength exercises. Maybe while doing dishes, I can bounce up and down on my tippy toes, or work on the shin-splints muscles by tapping my toes like I learned in Mommy Bootcamp from my favorite butt-kicking fierce bootcamp instructor, Jen. (also my prenatal pilates instructor).
I think incorporating this kind of stuff into every day moments will really help me in the long run, since I can't dedicate an hour or two every other day to just strength training exercises.
Any other ideas out there or tricks you use to add more exercises when you're doing your every day stuff? I'd love to hear them!
It actually held off any precipitation until after my run would have been concluded yesterday -- but no matter, I had something else really important to do during my lunch break (get my stuff ready for Dani's Duds - a giant consignment sale at the Dulles Expo Center this weekend).
I'll just run today. Right? It's rainy and cold. So we'll see.
Today, I'll share something else, in case I don't get to run. I'm trying to find ways to incorporate strength training exercises into my every day life -- finding time is nearly impossible with a full time job, 2 kids, and a hubby who works late a lot.
So I have started small. Every night, when I brush my teeth with my awesome toothbrush, I take the opportunity to use that time to multitask. And I do a wall squat. I'm very nearly able to do the full 2 minutes (my toothbrush has a timer built in!!!) after only about a week of doing this!
Tonight, while playing with the kids, I will try to do some push ups and maybe some other core exercises (esp. for my back!)
I wonder where else I can add in strength exercises. Maybe while doing dishes, I can bounce up and down on my tippy toes, or work on the shin-splints muscles by tapping my toes like I learned in Mommy Bootcamp from my favorite butt-kicking fierce bootcamp instructor, Jen. (also my prenatal pilates instructor).
I think incorporating this kind of stuff into every day moments will really help me in the long run, since I can't dedicate an hour or two every other day to just strength training exercises.
Any other ideas out there or tricks you use to add more exercises when you're doing your every day stuff? I'd love to hear them!
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Here comes the rain again....
I really want to run Monday, Wednesday, Friday/weekend. With my Monday and Wednesday being my shorter runs. Life and Nature hasn't allowed that really since I started running again. Something always comes up. I get sick, I hurt my back, there's no time, or the weather.
Today's delay is brought to you by the crappy weather.
It's supposed to be cold and rainy starting late morning until tomorrow morning. I don't mind running in cold weather (28 is about my lower limit), and I don't mind running on cloudy days. I don't even mind running races when it's drizzly (I did an 8K in November 2009 in Richmond and it was drizzly).
But I draw the line at a possible wintry mix.
So once again, my plan is derailed. I don't have enough time during my lunchbreak to get dressed, hit the gym, run 3-4 miles, then come home. So I will adjust the plan.
I'll run tomorrow. and then try to fit a run in on the weekend (which never works out - weekend is family time).
I actually get sad when I realize I'm not going to get to run. So today I'm a little sad. Tomorrow will be a better day, right? Cuz I will get to run. And running is my meditation.
Today's delay is brought to you by the crappy weather.
It's supposed to be cold and rainy starting late morning until tomorrow morning. I don't mind running in cold weather (28 is about my lower limit), and I don't mind running on cloudy days. I don't even mind running races when it's drizzly (I did an 8K in November 2009 in Richmond and it was drizzly).
But I draw the line at a possible wintry mix.
So once again, my plan is derailed. I don't have enough time during my lunchbreak to get dressed, hit the gym, run 3-4 miles, then come home. So I will adjust the plan.
I'll run tomorrow. and then try to fit a run in on the weekend (which never works out - weekend is family time).
I actually get sad when I realize I'm not going to get to run. So today I'm a little sad. Tomorrow will be a better day, right? Cuz I will get to run. And running is my meditation.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
My Run on 3/28/2011
Yesterday's run was 3.38 miles. It lasted 37:05 minutes. The pace was 10:57 min/mile.
MapMyRun
It felt good. The first half mile ALWAYS sucks. I usually think I'm just going to turn the corner and head home. But I normally just turn and run farther away from home and tell myself "just a few more minutes, it's not so bad." It was cold yesterday. The wind was biting.
During the run, I thought I was going faster than the past few runs, but still kept my heart rate in my "zone." I use a polar heart rate monitor (in pink! of course!) and it's really helped me train. Instead of running until I can't run anymore, then walking, I've been running, then when my heart rate gets too high, the monitor beeps non stop at me until I slow my heart rate down. I slow it down by slowing down my pace and concentrating on my breathing. Since I started training this way, the first day was the only day I had to start walking to slow my heart rate all the way down. I've learned to pace myself and when I am trying to go too hard or fast, I have really learned how to slow down and get myself in check. Consequently, I'm running slightly faster and slightly further with each run.
Funny to think that just a few weeks ago, the thought of running 3 miles in a row seemed impossible. Yesterday was my "easy run" and it was 3.38 miles, which didn't seem bad at all. I was trying to make the run similar to my run from last Thursday, only faster (See here) but when I got to a certain point, I suddenly decided to try a new path. Only this path was about to go through the woods and I saw that it was swampy. So I said "No thanks" and had to back track a little. That's where I got the extra .7 miles in, by mistake.
So at the end of the run, if I didn't have time constraints (during the week I run during my lunch break, which means I have an hour to get ready, then run, then stretch out after. Forget the shower - I have to sit in my sweat the rest of my work day. ew), so if i didn't have time constraints, I probably was good for at least another half mile or more!
Let's see what Wednesday brings us! I'm hoping that it's less swampy where I want to run (but doubt it) because that's the end of my run and the last mile has now become incredibly boring to me.
MapMyRun
It felt good. The first half mile ALWAYS sucks. I usually think I'm just going to turn the corner and head home. But I normally just turn and run farther away from home and tell myself "just a few more minutes, it's not so bad." It was cold yesterday. The wind was biting.
During the run, I thought I was going faster than the past few runs, but still kept my heart rate in my "zone." I use a polar heart rate monitor (in pink! of course!) and it's really helped me train. Instead of running until I can't run anymore, then walking, I've been running, then when my heart rate gets too high, the monitor beeps non stop at me until I slow my heart rate down. I slow it down by slowing down my pace and concentrating on my breathing. Since I started training this way, the first day was the only day I had to start walking to slow my heart rate all the way down. I've learned to pace myself and when I am trying to go too hard or fast, I have really learned how to slow down and get myself in check. Consequently, I'm running slightly faster and slightly further with each run.
Funny to think that just a few weeks ago, the thought of running 3 miles in a row seemed impossible. Yesterday was my "easy run" and it was 3.38 miles, which didn't seem bad at all. I was trying to make the run similar to my run from last Thursday, only faster (See here) but when I got to a certain point, I suddenly decided to try a new path. Only this path was about to go through the woods and I saw that it was swampy. So I said "No thanks" and had to back track a little. That's where I got the extra .7 miles in, by mistake.
So at the end of the run, if I didn't have time constraints (during the week I run during my lunch break, which means I have an hour to get ready, then run, then stretch out after. Forget the shower - I have to sit in my sweat the rest of my work day. ew), so if i didn't have time constraints, I probably was good for at least another half mile or more!
Let's see what Wednesday brings us! I'm hoping that it's less swampy where I want to run (but doubt it) because that's the end of my run and the last mile has now become incredibly boring to me.
Monday, March 28, 2011
What it's all about...
I've been thinking about this for a few days now and finally asked a friend what she thought of it. We're friends in that "I can be brutally honest with you and know we'll still be friends after" way. It's nice and refreshing. Anyhow, here's our IM conversation (edited slightly to protect the innocent)
ME
So since we're in brutally honest phase right now
what do you think of this idea?
I want to start a blog about my running.
not that I think anyone will even read it
HER
i think that's a great idea
ME
neat
k
brutally honest: think I'l actually do it or just talk about it
HER
brutally honest - does it matter? i think you'll do it for a while, ignore it for a bit, and go back to it
this is for you
ME
<3
once again, dawn overthinks something
HER
and if nothing else, i think you would love looking back and seeing how the running has changed for you
ME
that is exactly what I want
HER
like your email today - how 3.8(?) miles is now an easy run
ME
YES!
=D
So there it is. It's all about me, learning how my running has changed...
ME
So since we're in brutally honest phase right now
what do you think of this idea?
I want to start a blog about my running.
not that I think anyone will even read it
HER
i think that's a great idea
ME
neat
k
brutally honest: think I'l actually do it or just talk about it
HER
brutally honest - does it matter? i think you'll do it for a while, ignore it for a bit, and go back to it
this is for you
ME
<3
once again, dawn overthinks something
HER
and if nothing else, i think you would love looking back and seeing how the running has changed for you
ME
that is exactly what I want
HER
like your email today - how 3.8(?) miles is now an easy run
ME
YES!
=D
So there it is. It's all about me, learning how my running has changed...
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