It's been a while

It's been a while since I posted last. It's been busy. I was laid up from running for a while because of bronchitis. It seemed to take forever to get over it and knocked me flat on my butt. I'm back up to basically where I was before I got sick now. I'm now trying out a training schedule to run a 5K race. I haven't actually picked a race yet but I figure I may as well start training now. The schedule looks like this:

	Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
Wk1	Rest	1.5 m run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	2 m run	30 min EZ
Wk2	Rest	2 m run	CT	1 m run (race pace)	Rest	2.5 m run	30 min EZ
Wk3	Rest	2 mi run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	2.5 m run	30 min EZ
Wk4	Rest	2.5 m run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	3 m run	35-40 min EZ
Wk5	Rest	3 m run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	3.5 m run	35-40 min EZ
Wk6	Rest	3.5 m run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	4 m run	35-40 min EZ
Wk7	Rest	3 m run	CT	1.5 m run (race pace)	Rest	4 m run	40 min EZ
Wk8	Rest	3 m run	CT or Rest	2 m run	Rest	Rest	5K Race!

I'm on week 1 right now. Today is cross training and I plan to do a little "boot camp" style workout. Lots of muscle building but going easy on the running muscles.

I do have a goal in mind though. I've decided that I want to run in the Ottawa 10K during the marathon weekend there next May. I was really torn between the 10K and doing the Half. Realistically though, I cant commit to the training it would take for the half right now. I mean that I need to work up to being able to run for 2 hours or so. Even if I physically could run for two hours straight right now, I simply don't have 2 hours in which to run. So I've set my sights on the 10K. I don't expect to win or even place, I just don't want to be last. I know, I know ... I'm shooting for the stars right?

My weight is up!

Eeek! I have to get a handle on this. Ever since I got back from PEI I've been stuck in this "screw it, I'm on vacation" line of thinking. The gain is totally fixable. It's 6 lbs. But I need to nip it in the bud before it spirals. What is wrong with me? I finally got to where I wanted to be. I'm active, I'm healthy and now I'm going to ruin it all by stuffing my face? Someone brought a bunch of full size chocolate bars into work today. I had to force myself to walk past them without taking one. So far, my eating is on track for today. That's all I can ask for. Let tomorrow take care of itself. I'm just so afraid that I will ruin everything I worked so hard for.

I'm going to go for either a monster walk tomorrow or a run. Whichever the weather allows. It's been super humid and hot lately and the only time I have for exercise during the week is right at noon. Either way, I'll get some form of movement in.

We're planning a little camping trip this weekend to a local place. I'm exited to get the kids out again before school starts.

I have seen 5K

I have seen it, I know what it looks like and it isn't as scary as I believed.

I was getting discouraged with my progress, or lack there of, and decided to find a running forum to get some advice. I seemed to be stuck in a 2.5 to 3K rut. The people there reassured me that the progress that I had made was pretty standard. So I didn't feel too bad. One of them suggested that I expand my distance and run it in 10 and 1's to build endurance. So that's what I've done. I mapped out a nice 5K route, through the ritzy part of my neighbourhood. I don't know what it is about running past houses that I will never afford in my lifetime, but I like it. For anyone who doesn't know what a 10 and 1 is, you run for 10 minutes and walk for 1 minute to rest your legs before picking up the run again for 10 minutes and so on. I have to admit that after my 2nd set, my 10 and 1's became more like 5 and 1's. But I made it through the whole 5K and I absolutely ran way more than I walked so I'm proud of that. Seeing the distance made me feel that I really can do it.

Taking the dog on a run is helpful. It never fails that she gives me a perfectly legit reason to stop about halfway through my run. I am a responsible dog owner after all! I do make her carry her own poop, I tie the baggy to the leash. Poor Bella, as soon as we got home she took a great big drink and flopped to the floor for about an hour nap. She's good company on my runs though and doesn't seem to mind much. I think it's funny that she's not a big dog (half Boston Terrier and half Shih Tzu - that's a whole other story) but I'm slow enough that she never has to break out of her little trot to keep up with me.

Pork and Beans by Weezer was good on this run. I listened to it a few times. It always makes me smile.

Insert whitty title here

PEI was beautiful. Impossibly so! I didn't get much running in I'm afraid. I spent six days in a car eating mostly fast food. Then camping was filled with steak and s'mores. I did manage to get out once and get some red dirt on my shoes. I don't know how far I went. It was probably at least 2.5K. I didn't want to come home. I feel like I've left part of myself there. I'm hoping we can go back again next summer.

I'm getting back on track with my running. I had basically had 3 weeks off with the trip and all the planning ect. I was surprised at how much conditioning I had lost! I could barely puff my way through 2K!

I'm back on track now though. I've been getting out at least 3 times a week. Today I expanded my route. It's 4K long. I still had to walk part of it but I'm thinking that the extra distance, whether walking or running is good. I want to be in condition to enter a 5K race and not be laughable by next spring. Which probably means that I need to join a gym so I can still run even through our brutal SW Ontario winters. I'm going to have to find out from some other local runners how they stay in shape through the winter.

I've dl'd some more music onto my mp3 player. I find singing along to the song really helps to take my mind off of how much my legs are burning. My favourite songs to run to right now are Uno Dos Tres Quatro ( I can't remember who it's by), Pork and Beans by Weezer and Disco Stick by Lady Gaga.

A Snag

I've hit a snag this week. Hubby is working nights again so my evening runs are out. I managed another 3K on Sunday then I went for a short and easy run with a co-worker who is just starting out on Tuesday but that's about it.

I'm now doing overtime this week during my lunch hours at work so that time slot is filled. We're leaving for vacation which involves an 18 hour drive so my weekend is spoken for. I guess I'm going to have to wait until we reach our destination before I get out again. We're going to Prince Edward Island so I'm sure I'll find lots of beautiful places by the ocean to run.

I can do some cardio crap at home I suppose. I used to love those DVDs but now I find them tedious. I don't mind the Leslie Sansone videos. You can get a decent workout in an hour or so.

Woo hoo!

I haven't written much because there really hasn't been much to write about.

I had a little laugh the other night while I was out. I had my mp3 player blasting in my ears. I was bobbing my head and mouthing the lyrics. I've found that angry music helps the most while I run. I don't know why. I think I frightened this nice family of four though. I can't imagine what they thought when this lady in a pink t-shirt came loping by them, bobbing her head and wheezing the lyrics to South Texas Deathride by Union Underground.

I reached a milestone today. I was able to jog a full 3K without walking. Woot! I actually felt like a runner today. My legs felt great and I could just keep going. I think it makes a difference whether I run during the morning or evening. In the morning I've found that I can go much farther and my legs feels much better. In the evening it's always been a struggle. Maybe I'm just tired out from the day by the time 8 o'clock rolls around. Unfortunately, I don't get much chance for morning runs during the week so I'll just have to make do with what I can do.

It felt really good to keep going today. I'm now inspired to map a 5K route now and start chipping away at it.

Slow down

After my monster run yesterday my legs were sore and I had no issue with taking a day off. Now, here I am on my off day feeling like all I want to do is get out there. Luckily, my husband has been called back into work. He works midnight shifts through a temp agency. This helps us avoid having to pay for daycare for our four kids. What it means though is I have absolutely no time to myself, other than my lunch hour at work. Well today at noon it was 28C, 38C with the humidex factor. Not really good for running I'd say. When am I supposed to fit this stuff in? I have my sister-in-law coming over one day this week and once next week to watch the kids while I go run but I don't feel right asking for more than that. I'm worried that I'm going to have to stop before I've even begun.