Run more.

Run more and find less excuses. Another one of my resolutions for 2010.

I got pretty good at running. I got to the point where enjoyed running, sort of. I mean, it was still hard, but I enjoyed it. And then I got sick at the beginning of December - strep had me out for almost two weeks. And then I had a mole removed from my forehead and was told not to exercise until the stitches came out. And then the stitches came out and I ran again - and woah. It's almost as if I'm starting over again, but not really.

Anyway, I no longer prefer running on the treadmill. Especially since the people at the gym have the heat on so high - I swear I was dying last time I ran there - it was so hot in there! But I did start to like running outside.

And then it got cold. Very cold. Bitterly cold. And I didn't have any warm running gear.

I took care of that yesterday and also discovered just how un-sexy running leggings are. But that's okay - I got myself a pair of underarmour running pants, an ear band thingy, and gloves. I know I've got enough exercise-type jackets - so I'm pretty sure I'll be all set for my run on Wednesday.

My plan is to run Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. If I miss a run, then I'll run Sunday morning.

At least now I have the gear to get out in this weather. Also - if I find it's too cold - then no excuses - I'll drive my butt to the gym and sweat it out on a treadmill.

Stressed

I woke up this morning, after yet another funky dream, feeling nauseous, hot, cold, sore throat, headache, and just all around crappy.

I don't want to go into too much details, but I've found myself in the position to need to defend the preschool program I've taught for the past 8 years.

So, these feelings of mine all revolved around speaking in front of a school board, as well as a room full of community members. Some who clearly support what I would be saying and others who are just there to make sure their taxes don't go up any more than they need to (and trust me I don't blame them.).

I did my research and was armed with 2 full pages of notes. All proving that most districts are offering more in regards to providing preschool - not less.

Still, even with a very well written "speech" I was nervous. Speaking in front of parents? I love it! Speaking in front of a school board? And community of tax payers? Not so much.

But I did it. And it felt good to be over with.

And all those feelings I woke up with are gone.

Except now, my back and shoulders hurt. I totally blame the stress of it all.

I'm glad all the extra budget board meetings are over with. I've been away from my boys too many nights attending meetings, taking notes, and talking with community members. I've skipped too many nice running days because of this.

With all this stress, though, I am happy to report the things I am craving the most: running, yoga, and kickboxing. It used to be I would crave ice cream or bread - but something has happened to me in the past, oh I don't know how many, maybe five? years.

Now that I've done pretty much all I could, I'm really hoping these funky dreams, or rather, nightmares, are over with. They only started after the first budget meeting when I decided I would need to speak.

There are people who have much more stressful jobs than I do. Much more stressful lives. And I really do feel for them. Seriously, how do you all handle your stress?

Now excuse me, a very long child's pose is calling my name...

34 Minutes and some seconds...

Today wasn't how I imagined it. I imagined blue skies, beautiful leaves on the trees, my family there to see me start and finish, and then spending some time after the race doing some of the fun stuff they would have set up for the kiddos. It wasn't like that.

A cold, dreary, and rainy morning greeted me as I headed to my first 5K. I told Mike if he thought it was too cold and wet to take the boys, that's okay. Only crazy people go out in this weather by choice. And so I went...

I worked hard to get to this point. I did everything I needed to do to be ready. There were two things I couldn't control - the weather and the course.

As I drove to the starting location I actually found myself following the signs for the runners, for me, and noticed there were some hills - not huge hills, but more hills than I'm used to.

After registering, waiting, and checking out people's costumes (I did not dress up) - we were off.

As we finished the first mile - the girl at the water table was reading out times. 9:30something (I couldn't remember exactly). I looked at my brother-in-law, "I do NOT run a 10 minute mile." He told me we could slow down. (If anyone needs someone to run with them for their first race - I would nominate him. He did a great job - stayed by me but I never felt like he was pushing me to go faster.)

I don't remember what time the girl at the second mile water table said, but I remember thinking, "That's like an eleven minute mile. I do NOT run eleven minute miles."

I think it was between the 2nd and 3rd mile when it really started raining. Not a mist - but a rain. A cold, wet, rain. My shoes were wet and I couldn't decide if I should leave my sweatshirt on, zipped, opened, or off. I kept switching - on and zipped, unzipped, and then off and around my waist, back on, zipped up again, and then repeat. Well, only two or three times, but it was getting on my nerves. I've got to find something better to wear for my next one. I've also got to work on my pace. More running outside should help with that - it's easy to keep a nice and steady pace on a treadmill.

That's right. I'm already planning on running a 5K with my brother on Thanksgiving morning - want to join us?

And I may or may not have agreed to run a 10K with my brother-in-law in the very distant future.

Anyway...

As we crossed the finish line I could not believe that the clock said 34 minutes and some seconds (gosh my memory is great!). I have run 3 miles many times at the gym - and never under 36 minutes and usually between 37 and 39 minutes.

So - I grabbed a bagel, thanked my brother-in-law for planting the seed in my head to run a 5K and then for helping me follow through, and drove home.

Mike and the boys made a huge sign for me - "Good Job Mom!" and hung it on the front door - it's still there. Quinn wanted to know who won. How many people were in front of me. And how many people were behind me. Luckily, I can honestly say I wasn't first and I wasn't last. I think I have to wait a few days for them to post the results.

The Plan - The Final Week - Six

Aha - the final week. If I wasn't so tired I go into this whole long thing about how proud I am and what I've learned. But I'm tired. It's been a long day. Heck, it's been a long week.

I ran 3.5 miles today! Woot. It felt good - it felt especially good because I wanted to stop at 3.25, but I just kept on going - and finished. (then we rushed home, fed the kids, showered and headed to my favorite pumpkin patch/apple orchard!)

And on the 24th - The Big Day - I only have to run 3.1 miles - so I know I can finish.

The best part about running is this:

On Friday I found out that the program that I teach is on the cutting board. Meaning, all three plans of budget cuts that our superintendent proposed to the school board had my preschool program cut. Nothing is official yet, but hearing that was not the way I wanted to start my weekend. To top it off as I was pulling into the gym after work I sent Mike a quick message letting him know about what time I'd be home and he texted me back letting me know that our fridge didn't appear to be working. Right. So off I went into the gym. And I ran 3 miles. It never felt so good to run. All the thoughts of what I'd do next year without my "perfect" job and all the thoughts of "oh my god we just got a new dishwasher - seriously - now a new fridge" were gone. It was me, my music, and my run. (Of course I did sort of freak out a bit on my way home when I finally stopped to think about what may or may not happen. Which is silly.)

On Tuesday I woke up and Mike told me our dishwasher was broken. Seriously. The new one he just installed was leaking water all over. He went to work, my kitchen was once again torn apart, and I took Quinn to school and headed to the gym. The plan said run 3 miles; I told myself I would only have to do 2 miles, since, you know, I was having a bad day. But you know what? I got to that 2 mile marker and thought, "What good would stopping here do you?" And so I ran 3 miles and it was great.

So anyway... here's my plan for the week.

Week 6
Monday - Rest.
Tuesday - Run 3 miles easy.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy. You will begin to taper after this workout. A taper is a gradual decrease in mileage. The purpose of the taper is to be sure that your muscles are well rested before you compete in the race.
Thursday - Rest or cross train.
Friday - Run 2 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 1 mile easy.
Sunday - Race Day. Have Fun!!

If you completed the workouts in this program, you will be able to easily finish your 5K. Keep you pace easy in your first race. Do not worry about your time. You can work on improving you speed in later races. Run at the same pace you were training at or if you are feeling good, just a little faster. Avoid the temptation to start out a lot faster than you have trained for. If you start out too fast, you will have a hard time finishing. Most importantly - HAVE FUN. If you would like to improve your performance, move on to the more advanced training programs.

Of course I know you're all just dying to know what I'm going to do next week, right? Now that I'm done running - what am I going to do?

You'll just have to wait and see, my friends, wait and see...

The Plan - Week Five

Alright - here we go. Week Five of "Run Your First 5K." It's a little more exciting this week - I'll be running 3.5 miles in a week. So that's different, right?

Monday - Rest.
Tuesday - Run 3.25 miles easy. Another increase in mileage here. One more to go.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy.
Thursday - Rest or cross train.
Friday - Run 3 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 2 miles easy.
Sunday - Run 3.5 miles easy. This is the final mileage increase in this program. You are now running .4 mile farther than the 5K distance. This will give you the endurance to easily complete the 5K race and will increase your confidence.

Again, I'm switching up Thursday and Friday. And... here's the list of songs that it's my "run!" playlist. Before you read it - know this - I am horrible at remember names of songs and who's singing. So, if it's a song that I took from a mix CD my friend made years ago it's most likely not the title, but rather some lyrics from the song. If it's a song I purchased from itunes, then you're lucky and you get the song title and the artist.

1. Mary Janes Last Dance - Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers
2. I Like to Move It - Madagascar
3. I Will Survive - Cake *
4. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas *
5. "I just seen a face I can't forget the time or place..." *
6. Boom Boom Pow - Black Eyed Peas *
7. 'Till I Collapse - Eminem and Nate Dogg ****
8. Good Riddance - Green Day
9. All Summer Long - The Rock Heroes
10. "What you got in the bag? Tell me who's your housekeeper..." *
11. Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
12. "Bodyguard" *
13. "Bucket Seats" *
14. Overture/All That Jazz - from Chicago *

It does not take me 14 songs to run 3 miles - usually just about 6. So I skip some to get to my "good ones". I've marked my "good ones" with a *.

So - there you have it folks, my Week 5 Plan and my run! playlist.

Enjoy.

Running - Week Four

Right. I'm still running. I ran 3 miles this morning, as a matter of fact. The first half mile was hard (as always) and then the last half mile was hard - because my knee was killing me. But not killing me enough to stop, just killing me enough to remind me to stretch my IT band a little bit longer afterwards. Anyway, that was my longest run so far on this plan and it was okay. I will say - I need my music. I love my music. I am so very grateful for my music. Maybe soon I'll post my "run!" playlist for you all - cuz I know you're dying to know, right??

But for now - let's take a look at Week 4 of the Train for Your First 5K plan.

Week 4
Monday - Rest.
Tuesday - Run 3 miles easy.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy.
Thursday - Rest or cross train.
Friday - Run 3 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 2 miles easy.
Sunday - Run 3 miles easy.

*yawn* *yawn* boring, right? I need to switch it up and run on Thursday and rest on Friday. I tried following the plan this week - I rested on Thursday and then Friday came - and I rested again. Fridays always kick my butt. I never want to clean up the house at night, I don't want to think about dinner, I don't want to do anything - so there's no way I'm going to run 3 miles this Friday - I can tell you right now. The funny thing is - this past week I basically forced myself not to run on Thursday. I wanted to go, but figured I should just take the day off and go tomorrow. Didn't work. But that's okay, it just shows you all how "not perfect" I am, right??? I skipped a day!! And then I still got up and finished the week strong.

Oh wait. I have to tell you about my run on Saturday. I *loved* it. Two and a half miles and I was smiling. I actually almost had tears in my eyes because I couldn't believe what I was doing. When I first started this I used to just try to run for an entire song - and the song would end and I'd be so grateful it was over. Well, Saturday I was thinking about this as those songs came and went through my playlist and I just kept on running... (well, honestly, I run for a mile and walk for about 10 sec. while I get some water and then run another mile.... but you know...)

The Plan - Week Three

So, here it is. Week three of the boring running plan.

Week 3
Monday- Rest
Tuesday - Run 2.25 miles easy.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy.
Thursday - Rest or cross train.
Friday - Run 2 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 2.5 miles easy. You make a .25 mile increase today.
Sunday - Run 3 miles easy. You make another increase in mileage here. You are running almost a full 5K distance here. A 5K is 3.1 miles. Keep your pace nice and easy. You can work on speed in future races.

This last week was hard. I did two of my runs outside and it was humid. Holy Moly it is hard to run in humid weather. I was sweating, but not cooling off at all. And the breathing? I felt like I did when I first started this adventure. Then yesterday I ran at the gym - controlled temperature and controlled humidity is good.

Anyway - here we go some more...

The Plan - Week Two

So, week one was fun. Seriously. The one mile run I had to do on Tuesday was So Easy. I ran a mile and said it was easy - so obviously the previous plan on "learning how to run" worked, right? Then, the rest of the week it was two mile runs. I've been running more outside and enjoying the breeze... plus my husband got me an arm band for my ipod so I've got my music with me outside. Anyway - here's week two.


Monday - Rest. This program uses Monday as a rest day, because Sunday is your longest run of the week. You can adjust this to meet your needs, but take off the day after your longest weekly run.
Tuesday - Run 2.25 miles easy. You add a quarter mile to your previous longest run. You will make gradual increases in mileage throughout the program.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy.
Thursday - Rest or cross train.
Friday - Run 2.25 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 2 miles easy.
Sunday - Run 2.25 miles easy.

I think I'm going to flip-flop Thursday and Friday, because I'd rather have a rest day on Friday. Also - these plans are so much more boring than the plans that teach you how to run, but oh well... here we go...

The Plan - Week One (Also - This is NOT always easy.)

So, I feel like I owe it to you to let you in on a little secret. This plan of mine that I've been following. It's not always easy. There are days where it's physically hard for me to follow. There are days were it's mentally/emotionally hard for me to get out there and do it. This week - Thursday I tried to run outside while pushing Liam in a jogging stroller. Hard. Physically. So I stopped and told myself I'd go to the gym after work. And then I forgot to pack my sports bra and didn't go to the gym. I didn't follow the plan. And since I failed, getting myself ready for Saturday's 2 mile run was proving to be hard mentally. And well, since I went out Friday night for my birthday waking up and motivating myself to get to the gym to run two miles was hard. And, then, to top it off, I wanted to leave the boys at home because Liam has developed a tricky habit of pooping while in the child center so I need to go change his diaper - he manages to do this after I finish running a mile and it causes me to split my workout. And, well, Mike's been home with the boys a lot this week - Thursday night I had to work, Friday night I went out, and here I was Saturday morning leaving again. It's hard to leave them for something like this. I think to myself, "really? Shouldn't you be home with them? You're going to leave just to go run 2 miles?" (It's also hard for me to leave them and go out with friends, it is, but I still do it, because people swear that it's good for me to get out.) And then there's times I'm running and my legs are burning. Burning! But I have to keep going. I have to keep following it and I'm going to keep following it, but I want you all to know, it takes a lot of self-talk to get me there. To get me started. And to keep me going during my runs.

So anyway....

Yesterday I ran two miles! Actually, I ran 2.2 miles because of a good song and the guilt factor of not running 1.75 miles on Thursday. And today I took the boys to the gym, took a pilates class, changed a poopy diaper, and then ran one mile. The plan said I could pick - 2.25 or 1 mile - since I wanted to get some pilates in I choose a mile. (I feel so strong through the week when I do my Sunday pilates I knew it would be good for me to get some core strength work in.)

And so now I'm on Week One of Training for Your First 5K. WooHoo. The sad news - no more timed runs - it's all distance. And Tuesday's run is the last time I get to only run a mile. After that it's all 2 miles plus. But, you know, I'll do it.

Week 1
Monday - Rest. Rest is an important part of any training program. This program uses Monday as a rest day because Sunday is usually the longest run of the week. Adjust this to fit your specific schedule.
Tuesday - Run 1 mile easy. Run at an easy "conversational" pace. If you cannot talk clearly, you are running too hard.
Wednesday - Run 2 miles easy. Run at an easy pace.
Thursday - Rest or cross train Rest or engage in a non-running activity.
Friday - Run 2 miles easy.
Saturday - Run 2 miles easy. All of these easy runs are performed at the "conversational" pace.
Sunday - Run 2 miles easy.

And there you have it. It sort of makes me laugh that it says, "run 1 mile easy."

The Plan - Week 8

Well, I finished Week 7 without any problems. Sort of. On Friday I felt myself coming down with another cold - so my Saturday and Sunday runs were hard. Plus, on Saturday my ipod shuffle finally died. With .5 miles left for me to go on my second one mile run. Ugh. I managed to go .2 miles without any music, but then I could not do it anymore. Between the annoucements at the gym and the fact that it was hard to breathe in general, I stopped. No worries, though. Sunday morning I went again (with a new ipod nano - ha! see how that works?) and I did the complete run Sunday. Warm-up for 10 minutes, jog/run for 1.5 miles, cool-down for 10 minutes. That was the longest I've run continuous ever. And I did it with a nasty cold. Nasty nasty cold. So, I'm thinking since my nose seems to be clearing up today I'm hoping this week will be a synch. Well, as close to a synch as this can be -


Week 8
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Warm up by walking for 10 minutes. Jog 2 x 1 mile repeats. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.
Wednesday - Walk/Jog for 30 minutes. Walk for 30 seconds and jog for 5 minutes.
Thursday - Warm up by walking for 10 minutes. Jog for 1.75 miles. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.
Friday - Rest or cross train.
Saturday - You will do your longest run today. Warm up with 10 minutes of walking. Jog for 2 miles. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.
Sunday - Extend you run again today if you are feeling up to it. Warm up for 10 minutes. Jog for 2.25 miles. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking. If you are feeling fatigued from yesterdays run, just run 1 mile today.
You have done it! You should now be able to jog comfortably for 2 miles. What you do now is up to you. You can just maintain your new level of fitness by continuing your daily workouts or you can move up to the next level and train to complete a 5K race.

I'm just a little freaked out that I will actually be running for 2 straight miles Saturday without any walking breaks. Just a little. I'll let you know how it goes. I know, I know, you're all on the edge of your seats, right??

The Plan - Week 7

So I had a bad running week last week. Between the tight IT band being treated by my chiropractor and the fact that my legs were, just in general, killing me, oh! and the rain (the rain it never stopped) - I was losing motivation, desire, and anything else that would actually make me get out and run.

Luckily for me - I have a pretty good support system. An email from my brother-in-law with actual dates of 5Ks, some facebook comments, some comments on that last post, a chat with a semi-new, but oh so very motivating friend, my chiropractor, my family - there's just so many people - and talking about this running thing is making it easier.

But really - what's helped the most? Is that my semi-new, but not that new, but very motivating friend, told me I don't need to run every day. I've been running every day. And doing my own thing. I had my own plan. One mile in August. Two miles in September. And then three in October. Every day. Anyway, this semi-new, but not that new, but very motivating friend, said there are plenty of training programs online for running a 5K and none of them have you run every day. AND - she only runs 5 days a week (and she is like, you know, a true runner.)

Anyway - so I looked some up. This is the one I like the most. They provide a training program for people who don't run at all yet and also a training program for Your First 5K run. I started at the end of Week 6 of the "program for people who don't run at all yet" and then I'll be doing the program for "Your First 5K".

Saturday I ran 2.75 miles - 5 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking - but I covered that much ground. A 5K is like 3.1 miles.

So - here's my plan for the week.

Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Today you are going to try something different. Go to a school track or a trail in your area that you have measured. Warm up with vigorous walking for 10 minutes and then jog 2 x 1 mile repeats. Jog one mile and then walk for 5 minutes. Then jog another mile. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.
Wednesday -Walk/Jog for 30 minutes. Walk for 30 seconds and jog for 5 minutes.
Thursday - You will extend the distance of your workout today. After a 10-minute warm up, jog for 1.25 miles. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking. You can run almost anywhere. Through your neighborhood; in a park; on a school track; or on a treadmill.
Friday - Rest or cross train.
Saturday - Warm up for 10 minutes. Jog 2 x 1 mile repeats. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.
Sunday - You will extend your workout again today. Warm up by walking for 10 minutes. Jog for 1.5 miles. Cool down with 10 minutes of walking.

The best part about this plan? Every Monday is a rest day. Which makes it really easy to do exactly what I'm supposed to do on Monday morning. Awesome, right?

I like having a plan. Even better, I like having a plan that forces me to take rest days. Even better than that, I like having a plan that makes sense.

I Can Run

a mile.

I can run a mile.

I can run a mile without stopping or walking.

I can run a mile without feeling like I'm going to die.


I've done it five times. So I know I can do it again and again.

Then, I'll add another mile and then another mile.


I promised my brother-in-law I'd run a 5K with him.


This is totally doable.

Ahhh... The Run

So, this has been something I've been wanting to write about for awhile now. The elusive run.

It all seems so simple to me. I'm not in horrible shape - I can hold my own in any kickboxing, step, or dance class. I can spend a good hour on the treadmill - alternating running and walking at a steap incline - keeping my heartrate high, but not too high. I can squat-press almost my entire weight. I can hold a plank for a full minute. I'm not weak.

So why is something that seems so simple, and as Mandie put it, so organic, so frustratingly difficult for me to handle?

Running.

I've been trying it a bit more at the gym, on the treadmill. Instead of my usual run for 2 minutes walk for 2, I forced myself to run through an entire song - of course the songs I pick tend to be well over 5 minutes, but still, I can do it. I feel like I'm going to die at the end of the song, but I can manage. But what I can't imagine, is to continue running. Run for a total of 40 minutes? or even 20? I thought that by now I'd be able to.

After talking with two different friends, each at a different level of running, each saying that I just need to run outside. "Running on a treadmill is different. You can do it outside. You'll see."

So I tried that. I strapped on my heart rate monitor and ipod shuffle and took off.

Liars.

It's not that I want it to be easy. I get that exercise is not easy. It's just that I don't want to feel like I'm going to die. And my heartrate? Shoots way up there - real quick.

I want to enjoy it. It seems so natural - just go for a run... all you need is some shoes and you're set.

While I was running a good song came on the shuffle and you know what I wanted to do? I wanted to dance! Not run. Maybe running just isn't for me....

But I want it to work. I want to be one of those that enjoys a good run.

I used to hate yoga, but I stuck with it and now I enjoy it, I still find it difficult, because I'm not flexible, but I truly enjoy it. Maybe running will be like that?

Maybe.