Respect the Run: There is nothing that 5.0 hard miles won’t temporarily fix

Posted: 2012/07/09 | Author: | Filed under: Running | Tags: , , , , | 2 Comments

My  running buddy girlfriend ( I’ve got to  come up with a nickname for her)  and I completed 5.0 hard miles tonight. It was awesome, amazing, cleansing, renewing, freeing, sweaty hard work and it felt  fantabulous.  I’ve been feeling  broken lately, unhinged with stress and worries.  I picked the  training back up a few weeks ago, but haven’t really had a great run.   There were lots of things contributing to this.  Some I was in control of choosing to change, quitting all smoking of any kind, stopping a prescription drug that was helping me lose weight but wrecking havoc on my system and mood, starting a new prescription drug to assist with the smoking cessation, cravings and my general ability to focus and be productive.  Some not in my control, like the overwhelming heat and occasional humidity.   No matter how hard I tried I  just could not get a run going for any length of time, my pace was just awful.  My  legs were fine, it was my heart and breath.  Which led to lots of walking, and if you have ever done any running of any kind you know that walking only begets more walking.   It is best to slow your run pace down to a crawl, rather than walk, if your goal is to keep run vs walk.  My fast walk is  at the pace of  both Babu and running buddies slow run, but once I start it gets harder and harder to make my  body return to a run stance.

Running buddy is faster than me and I always feel bad when I don’t think I’m taking it as seriously as I should or performing as well as I could,  because someone is slowing down to stay with me and I feel like I owe them my best effort.   I end up over apologizing and  if I’m not careful it becomes a thing.  We worked through that, she is grateful for the partner and the safety and I’ve accepted that she doesn’t care I’m slower.   This has allowed us to get into a rhythm where she can push me and I like it that way.

Tonight we started at 8:30  and ran until after the sun set.  The temp was cooler, there was a breeze and we found that we both were feeling pretty good. So we did one loop without stopping,  in the middle of loop two we decided to go for broke and complete 3 loops.   There was only walking between loops 2 and 3 for a water break. At the end of loop 3 we were about .55 miles away from hitting 5.0 so she pushed us and I agreed to go for the 5.0.  I’ve never wanted  to get to any mile as badly as I did that 5.00.   Suddenly it meant everything to me.   One single triumph in several weeks of stress, failure, doubt, anger, sadness.   I was so excited I was actually doing it, running the whole thing, no stops just like  I knew I was capable of. We got to the end of the football field and we still weren’t there 4.76, so we kept running further along the path before we turned around then we were at 4.95, 96, 99 5.0!!!!   Not only that but we were keeping a roughly 12:30 pace for 5 whole miles.  I’m more than pretty darn stoked!

That 5.o miles is in my top 3  ” I love this run” runs.  Number one still being the 15k  from the training of the last half marathon.    All of my stresses are still around but suddenly they don’t seem to matter as much as they did even earlier in the day.  Running is good for your body AND your mind.

I am roughly 8 weeks from  my next half and I think with the added cross training and weight training it just might end up being my best race ever.  Only time and work and prayers for no more injuries will tell, but I’m off to a great start!

Running after a break, time to train harder and smarter

Posted: 2011/10/12 | Author: | Filed under: Running | Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medal #2

The last time I wrote about running was right after finishing my 2nd half marathon.   I had plans for a third in 4 weeks , but that is probably not going to happen.  I have run approximately 3x in the last 6 weeks.  The list of excuses is long. School is in full swing and 3rd grade home work is plentiful. Work has picked up and I am currently running 3 of the largest projects in out company, all program and  2 with regulatory deadlines.   At first I was just resting on my laurels, then  the time just kind of snuck up on me and I started noticing this week especially that my body ( I’m sure the out until 4:30 am Saturday night shenanigans had nothing to do with this)  and energy levels  (I’m sure the lack of water and huge amount of Diet Mt Dew had nothing to do with this) were jacked up, my loose jeans were getting better fitting and my skinny jeans were getting unwearable.   Time to hit the pavement.  So this afternoon I stole some time from work to make up for the lunch I didn’t get to eat and I strapped on the brooks and went out for a 3 mile run.   This was very spur of the moment as I’ve been beating myself up for days that I need to run.  I was properly fueled nutrition wise, but  the only liquid I have consumed before sitting down to bang this out , was a giant 44oz of  Dt. Mountain Dew. The weather here right now is fabulous and has been for the last 10 days or so.  The leaves are on the path already and as I started my run/walk/run pattern i got to enjoy the crunch and the cadence of my pace.  I was pleased to find that pacing wise I am still about where I was 6 weeks ago.  I was dismayed but not surprised to discover that my body had to work much harder than it should of to make this a happen.  The phone call I had to take in the middle of the run didn’t help matters much but at least I can  cross one more to do from my list.  I’m crossing “lunch” off right now with and apple and a string cheese and some water.

Hood running buddy has already signed up for the Half  in 4 weeks, but I had not.  She hasn’t been training either and no one has been keeping the other accountable.  Earlier this week I finally just decided that I am juggling right now another race in 4 weeks is probably not feasible. BUT, that doesn’t  mean continued slacking.   The days are much shorter here right now than they were last summer so I am going to have to set some  hard goals and get to it.  I’m still working through the details of the master plan but it looks something like this.  get back out on the pavement or treadmill and add in 2 times a week of cross training and  at least one strength training.  This is going to allow me to strengthen my core some more (adding back in yopi), build up some more muscle and tone and if I am crazy enough allow me to re-learn my swim stroke in the hopes of adding tri-athalons at some point in this journey.  So I need to sit down with the Y schedule and map out my spinning and turbo kick classes, sign-up for that awesome yopi class I grumble all the way through and then wow at the results I get and negotiate with The Husband on who gets to run and when.   I’m glad I’m doing this now because the Holidays are coming and I want to get ahead of the,  another 20 pounds weight loss goal.   BookBitch and I are making plans to meet and run  a  Half , we wanted to to do Disney Tinkerbell or Princess Half. Tinkerbell is sold out and The Husband says I can’t go to Disney without MiniMe and The Destroyer. So we will have to pick a state in between us and make it a girls weekend. Shorty has also shown some interest in running halfs as well.  This would be awesome because we could plan our long runs together to get alone and girl time, she would get much needed away from the kids time and then I’d have another running buddy for races.  I love it when my getting off my butt and moving to manage my grief and anger, and then keeping it up past the initial burst of fuck you,  gives rise to not only things I can be proud of, but also motivates others to tackle running as well.  I mean it when I say anyone can do this.  trust me, if I can, you can too.

Even though today’s run was a bit stilted and rough it felt amazing to be back out there on a such a sunny beautiful day with a smile on my huffing and puffing red sweaty face.   My ass look amazing in these jeans therapy has once again commenced.

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