Friday, July 30, 2010

Is some better then none???

I work 12 hour night shifts from 7pm to 730am and this week I work seven of them in a row! I still need to fit time in for running otherwise I get lazy and it's even hard to start back up on my days off.

I get off work this morning and I'm tired! Going for a run is the last thing on my mind. I just want to go to sleep!! Sleeeeeep! I'm suppose to do 3 miles today. I say to myself, 30 minutes, that's it! While sitting in my car deciding if I should change my clothes, get out and go for a jog or just drive straight home I was giving myself small motivational talks.... It's only 30 minutes, you will sleep better, you can do it, 30 minutes!!

So, I changed my clothes, put on my running shoes and head out to the park. I went to the park across the street from my work. It has a nice little trail that goes up and down but nothing too big. I start going, hey this isn't too bad. However, not even half way into the jog I have to go pee really bad. I think I drank too much last night at work. I make it almost a mile and can't go any more, so I stop and use the restroom. Of course there is a guy in there cleaning them while I'm outside doing the pee pee dance. But it was a nice break because I was all ready so tired.

I start up again and soon after I start I'm dying! I'm out of breath, tired and feel like I need to stop again, so I do. I walked for a little bit and started back up. I think to myself, just go even slower and you can make it. I go for a little bit longer but I'm coming up to where my car is and I just gave up! I stopped and went home.

On the way home I'm so tired I'm worried I'm going to fall asleep. I only made it 2.5 miles and it sure was a struggle. However, is some better then none?? I'm really not sure?

I didn't hate running today!

7/28

I didn't hate running today! I'm always so jealous of those people who say, "I love to run". Love to run??? Did I hear you right? How can anybody love to run? I definitely don't love to run...yet. But, I didn't hate it today so that was nice.

According to the plan I'm suppose to do 3.5 miles, easy. I said to myself this is just an easy run. It will be fine. Right when I started out my shin started to hurt and I thought to myself, "oh great! This is going to be a horrible run". However, after a few minutes of running the pain went away and I was feeling ok. I even passed mile one without having to stop! Then I passed mile two without stopping. There were even two hills between mile one and two that I made it up without stopping and continued on my way. Here comes mile three... It is a very long hill, which I knew I wouldn't make it up so I just walked it. After the hill was over I started up again and ended the jog with a real run pace. I always feel funny to say I went for a run when I'm so slow and it's more like a slow jog.

6 miles

7/26

Today was my long run, 6 miles. Last night when I got home from Oregon I rushed to Best Buy before they closed to buy my Garmin. I have been looking at them for sometime now and my Step-dad said he would help me buy one so I rushed there. We got stuck in traffic on the way home and I thought I wouldn't make it in time. We got home at 7:15 and they close at 8:00, I made! Got home and charged it so it would be ready to go tomorrow.

I mapped out my run and was starting to get excited for it. However, it was really hot out and I don't like running in the heat, it makes me feel so sluggish. Therefore, I decided to wait until later and would run when it cooled down. Well, 8:30pm rolls around and it is still 82 outside! So, it's time to run anyways.

It was time to get ready. I felt like a poser with all this equipment on and I’m not even good at running. I put on my heart rate strap, Garmin watch and my iPod. I had a running partner today, Luis.

This run was really hard for me. There were two hills right away, the first one pretty big and the second one not so bad but it was enough to make me have to walk after. All I could think was, I'm hot, I haven't even made it to the second mile and I'm all ready walking!! Not to mention I was having major equipment malfunctions. My stupid heart rate strap kept falling down, there was no keeping that thing up, it was all the way down to my belly button. My Garmin watch that I was so excited to wear doesn't really fit well because my wrists are pretty small, it was flopping around everywhere.

Where is the wind?? I was hot and just wanted some wind on my face; anything to cool me down would be nice. I don't have any of those fancy water bottler holders so I didn't bring any. I'm not sure what the rule is about drinking water but I think if it's over a hour you are suppose to have some water? I was hoping this run would only be a hour so I thought I would be ok.

I feel like I have to walk again and I’m not even half way! Not even three miles!! What the heck is wrong with me? I was not meant to be a runner! I started walking and Luis is not going to wait for me, off he goes ahead of me. Now it’s starting to get a little bit darker outside and pretty soon it is VERY dark outside. I can hardly see anything! I have no idea where Luis is and I’m starting to get worried.

Now there are no sidewalks and I can’t see anything, great! I’m almost home but I have to go down this curvy hill with no sidewalks and I’m afraid I’m going to get ran over. Every time a car came near I pretty much had to go in the bushes so I wouldn’t get hit. Not very good planning on my part.

It’s over! I made it, alive.

Winchester Bay

7/24

I went to Oregon with a bunch of friends to play in the sand dunes. I made sure to bring my running shoes and an outfit so I didn't slack all weekend. However, I was only able to get one run in. My good friend Pamela ran with me, we didn't go very far and I struggled in the beginning. I'm starting to have this issue with the first couple of miles, it's so hard for me and I have to stop and walk for a minute or so. I felt bad for Pam because she runs 10 miles all the time and way faster, she could probably walk as fast as I jog.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

If she can, I can!

I always hated running growing up. I can remember being in elementary school taking the fitness test and having to run what seemed like a million laps around the gym to equal one mile. I would get horrible stomach pains and would have to walk. During this test you had a partner who would cross the laps off as you passed by; I would always pick a friend to cross my laps off so every time I went by she could cross off two. Even with two a lap being crossed off I was still so slow!! Running was not for me!

Not too long ago a friend from my neighborhood would invite me to go on walks with her. She just had a baby and wanted to loose the extra baby weight. I didn't mind going for walks with her, I could walk all day. However, pretty soon she wanted to go on "jogs" with her. Oh man! All I could think about was back in PE and how bad I am at running. I didn't want to say no because I enjoyed time with her. But, I didn't want to say yes because I knew after 30 seconds I would be walking again.

I started jogging with my friend and just as I remember, I was horrible. She always said she didn't mind but I felt like I was holding her back. She is a stay at home mom and I work 12hr night shift so it was hard to meet up to jog and she would go without me. Pretty soon she was telling me that she went 2 miles, 3 miles and more! I wanted to be able to do that as well. I thought to myself if she can do it, so can I!! And this is how my running started.

I'm still very slow and find running to be so hard for me. I'm not even sure that I love it. Well, most of the time I don't. However, I'm hoping with time it will get easier and I will enjoy it more.

I completed the Tacoma City Marathon’s 5k with a bunch of friends from work and I did a lot better then I thought I would 28:49 so I signed up for the Sound to Narrows 12k. Before I completed the Sound I thought well I should sign up for the You Go Girl half to keep myself motivated and I wanted the cheaper price since it is so spendy. OH MY GOD! I thought the Sound to Narrows was going to kill me. I knew there would be some hills but I was not ready for that at all. I remember just wanted to give up so many times but then I thought crap I would still have to walk all the way back to where I started. I finished 1:26 which I was bummed about but better then not finishing at all! I was so sore the next day and after that run I haven’t really been running like I should. So here I am, a little late, starting to train for the half. We’ll see how it goes!