well the title about says it all. I have been lacking a bit of motivation since moving to Virginia. I don't feel comfortable running in the dark and 5pm is a little humid and hot for running. Tonight it rained on my commute home so I thought I wasn't going to get a chance to run but it stopped right as we got home. I hemmed and hawed...ate some dinner and decided that instead of having seconds for dinner I would run. Halfway through my run it started sprinkling...I just kept thinking ran or don't but this halfway crap is doing nothing but getting my glasses wet and it's annoying. Then it started a steady slow rain and I immediately thought...shit, sprinkling isn't so bad. It did make for a beautiful rainbow on my last leg home though.
I am trying to get myself ready for a half marathon in September in NH, but I am not sure if I will be ready. I am totally committed to the December Half, but the September seems a tad close when I haven't run a step over 4 miles EVER. I think I am scared of 5 miles :( and that means I am terrified of 13.1. Baby steps to the finish line...and lately all my runs have been baby steps, so I guess I am getting closer.
The scenery here is beautiful, it's green, lush and even smells pretty, especially after a good rain. I still like it more than Florida, but I am ready to fall into a routine and have my training weeks fly by and be running up the double digits like it's natural.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Conquered
So I have been in VA for two weeks, and when I went for my first run I couldn't even run the whole mile to the end of the road...HILLLLLLLSSSSSS were killing me, Kissimmee was really flat and it almost felt like I was starting over. I hadn't been running in about three weeks and I apparently lost some stamina during that time. This morning I got dressed and set out, I am not sure what my speed was, but I only walked twice in the 3.30 miles... I RAN ALL THE HILLS. It's a funny thing, I didnt walk any of the hills, I walked twice on the flat area...this made me realize that I get really bored when the terrain isn't changing, flats make me want to quit, slight inclines and declines keep life interesting. I am also more concentrated on the running when I don't have any technology with me. Having my GPS with me makes me want to check it when I get bored or distracted....that just makes my run feel sooooo long. Today all I had to occupy me were my thoughts...Keep breathing, look at the pretty house...oh a bunny and shit girl pick up your feet. When I get tired I stub my toes, which really hurts in VFFs.
till my next run....
till my next run....
Thursday, June 23, 2011
commuting, summer and a landlord
I have kind of been lazy about cross training. And I have only managed one run so far this week, I am going to running tomorrow night. Then the long run on Sunday. This wont put me too far behind, I won't have missed any runs this week only the cross training.
Next week I will be more situated in my work environment, I am going to start going to the pool to swim laps for my cross training. I think K~ and I are going to start commuting in together, that will give me plenty of time to take a long lunch and work out. I am hoping that this will just become habit over time. Unfortunately, where I work the pool is 5 miles from my office so I think I may just drive the truck to work and park it for the week. Then drive it home on Friday night. Running 5 miles then swimming is a little out of my league right now...maybe someday soon.
Tonight I was going to go for a 3er...but my landlord is here and he is fixing some random stuff around the house. 2 of our toilets run, the sprayer in the sink leaks, the dining room light needed replaced and also a window won't stay in the track. So now instead of running I am drinking beer and and watching the Daily Show while he fixes things before they become our responsibility... yeah for leases.
Tomorrow is Friday!!! YAY one week of work DONE!!! And so far I don't hate it, in fact it kind of rocks!
OH and it got kinda hot here! Almost Florida HOT,
Next week I will be more situated in my work environment, I am going to start going to the pool to swim laps for my cross training. I think K~ and I are going to start commuting in together, that will give me plenty of time to take a long lunch and work out. I am hoping that this will just become habit over time. Unfortunately, where I work the pool is 5 miles from my office so I think I may just drive the truck to work and park it for the week. Then drive it home on Friday night. Running 5 miles then swimming is a little out of my league right now...maybe someday soon.
Tonight I was going to go for a 3er...but my landlord is here and he is fixing some random stuff around the house. 2 of our toilets run, the sprayer in the sink leaks, the dining room light needed replaced and also a window won't stay in the track. So now instead of running I am drinking beer and and watching the Daily Show while he fixes things before they become our responsibility... yeah for leases.
Tomorrow is Friday!!! YAY one week of work DONE!!! And so far I don't hate it, in fact it kind of rocks!
OH and it got kinda hot here! Almost Florida HOT,
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Disappearing posts.
So I started typing a post and it disappeared... Don't know how that happened but it did, glad I only wrote two sentences and not paragraphs.
I am finally in Virginia and getting settled quite nicely. I was supposed it officially start my half marathon training on Monday but I was so exhausted that I didn't manage to get out and run until today. I ran three miles, given that there were hills through my whole run I don't feel too badly, but I have definitely lost some stamina and fitness since my last run. K~ thinks that the next few months are going to be really busy for him work wise, maybe lots of travel. I hope that will give me time to train the way I am supposed to.
So now that I am getting down to training seriously I am going to start keeping track of my food intake. One of my secondary goals is to lose the 30 lbs or so I need to. As of this morning I am 180. My ultimate goal would be 140, but I am not sure if that is realistic or not. So I will aim for 150 then reevaluate.
My new job has a pool, so I am going to cross train in the pool and do laps. I found a 0-1600 meters training program that I may attempt if I can manage to get into the pool 3 times a week. I don't really think it will be an issue, but we are still working out the commute situation. K~'s job has him traveling to another work location, which may be inconvenient for carpooling, but we will see.
Tomorrow I am going to attempt another 2 miles. For now relaxing and figuring out that I need to do to get a car registered here in VA...and I suppose I may need a drivers license as well.
I am finally in Virginia and getting settled quite nicely. I was supposed it officially start my half marathon training on Monday but I was so exhausted that I didn't manage to get out and run until today. I ran three miles, given that there were hills through my whole run I don't feel too badly, but I have definitely lost some stamina and fitness since my last run. K~ thinks that the next few months are going to be really busy for him work wise, maybe lots of travel. I hope that will give me time to train the way I am supposed to.
So now that I am getting down to training seriously I am going to start keeping track of my food intake. One of my secondary goals is to lose the 30 lbs or so I need to. As of this morning I am 180. My ultimate goal would be 140, but I am not sure if that is realistic or not. So I will aim for 150 then reevaluate.
My new job has a pool, so I am going to cross train in the pool and do laps. I found a 0-1600 meters training program that I may attempt if I can manage to get into the pool 3 times a week. I don't really think it will be an issue, but we are still working out the commute situation. K~'s job has him traveling to another work location, which may be inconvenient for carpooling, but we will see.
Tomorrow I am going to attempt another 2 miles. For now relaxing and figuring out that I need to do to get a car registered here in VA...and I suppose I may need a drivers license as well.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Schedule Insanity
I have learned that having a lot of time on my hands to look at calendars and count weeks leads to only one thing. SCHEDULE OVERLOAD… I really need some work to keep me from forming these elaborate plans in my head.
Today’s plan: Step 1. Collect underwear …Step 3 profit! ok so maybe that plan was lifted from the underwear gnomes, but I feel like the plan I made makes about as much sense. Maybe it is because I haven’t eaten yet, so I am delirious with hunger and it’s causing me to hallucinate the ability my body has to carry me for 13.1 miles and the time frame I need to do that, but what the fuck I am going to go with the gut here and run 2 half marathons this year… WHAT WHAT WHAT (no really that’s the plan, you’ll discover its genius as you read further)
One of my good friends W~ is getting married on Labor Day Weekend and I will be in NH for that event. That also just happens to be the weekend of the covered bridge half marathon in NH. I love September in NH… I love covered bridges. There are 12-weeks between my move to VA and the Covered Bridge Half Marathon… my sister and I were looking for a race to run that weekend that wasn’t on Monday when I will be driving back to VA or Saturday (wedding day). Covered bridge is on a Sunday!!
Who’s sensing a theme? I AM
I wanted to be able to get through Hal’s training plans 2 times before the December half…so I needed to start training diligently 24 weeks before December 11, 2011.
It turns out with all my backwards planning (starting at the Blue and Gray Half and working through the training schedule back to now) I have time to train for both these events with a recovery week * in between. I also think that I need more races to look forward to, in the back of my mind I know that it only takes 12 weeks to train for a half marathon. With the Blue and Gray so far away, I was having trouble buckling down and training the way I should.
Problem solved. I am now running five 6 races between now and December 11, 2011. There is a 5K, a 5- miler, a 10K, a 10-miler (this one comes with BEER) and 2 half marathons.
This plan also gives me the ability to not feel guilty for sloughing off on my running between now and my move to Virginia. I am packing and I have a house guest… saying “sorry dude I know you are here for the first time in 16 years but I gotta go, be back in an hour, and then you can watch me pack boxes until I go to sleep” seem rude. And I am not usually a rude person, not intentionally anyway.
Here’s my training plans…for both Halfs (I am sure that isn’t a word but I don’t think halves is right in this case). I hope my sister will train for this with me, I know it is an aggressive plan but I know we can do it.
*or 2 depending on my ability to walk after my first half
Today’s plan: Step 1. Collect underwear …Step 3 profit! ok so maybe that plan was lifted from the underwear gnomes, but I feel like the plan I made makes about as much sense. Maybe it is because I haven’t eaten yet, so I am delirious with hunger and it’s causing me to hallucinate the ability my body has to carry me for 13.1 miles and the time frame I need to do that, but what the fuck I am going to go with the gut here and run 2 half marathons this year… WHAT WHAT WHAT (no really that’s the plan, you’ll discover its genius as you read further)
One of my good friends W~ is getting married on Labor Day Weekend and I will be in NH for that event. That also just happens to be the weekend of the covered bridge half marathon in NH. I love September in NH… I love covered bridges. There are 12-weeks between my move to VA and the Covered Bridge Half Marathon… my sister and I were looking for a race to run that weekend that wasn’t on Monday when I will be driving back to VA or Saturday (wedding day). Covered bridge is on a Sunday!!
Who’s sensing a theme? I AM
I wanted to be able to get through Hal’s training plans 2 times before the December half…so I needed to start training diligently 24 weeks before December 11, 2011.
It turns out with all my backwards planning (starting at the Blue and Gray Half and working through the training schedule back to now) I have time to train for both these events with a recovery week * in between. I also think that I need more races to look forward to, in the back of my mind I know that it only takes 12 weeks to train for a half marathon. With the Blue and Gray so far away, I was having trouble buckling down and training the way I should.
Problem solved. I am now running five 6 races between now and December 11, 2011. There is a 5K, a 5- miler, a 10K, a 10-miler (this one comes with BEER) and 2 half marathons.
This plan also gives me the ability to not feel guilty for sloughing off on my running between now and my move to Virginia. I am packing and I have a house guest… saying “sorry dude I know you are here for the first time in 16 years but I gotta go, be back in an hour, and then you can watch me pack boxes until I go to sleep” seem rude. And I am not usually a rude person, not intentionally anyway.
Here’s my training plans…for both Halfs (I am sure that isn’t a word but I don’t think halves is right in this case). I hope my sister will train for this with me, I know it is an aggressive plan but I know we can do it.
*or 2 depending on my ability to walk after my first half
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Legs!
Today was an early day, up at three to take K~ to the airport. By 5:15 I was sitting in my truck trying to nap until it was a respectable time to go to work. I was barely awake and Starbucks wasn’t even open… so much for the much needed energy boost.
I was already contemplating my excuses for not running tonight, it’s hot (of couse it is FLORIDA weather sucks), I am tired (duh, 3 hours of sleep will do that to you), I have to pack (no shit you are MOVING in 2 weeks and a few days). I have excuses like nobody else.
But as I was formulating my best excuse and surfing Facebook (there really isn’t much else to do at 5am in a parking lot, and sleeping wasn’t working) I messaged a friend regarding her post, I could tell from the tone something was wrong. I was right… her fiancé stepped on an IED yesterday. He is now down one leg and part of a hand (I am flippant because that’s how I handle bad news). Reading that was like a shot in the gut, S~ is a young, fun, energetic crazy ass, and he deserves to all his appendages.
So now I am sitting at work, my mind racing and I feel like a long run or a really short all out sprint will help quell the voices fighting for air and release some of the stress that is building as I sit here unable to help in any way.
I was definitely looking for motivation for my run tonight, but I was thinking more along the lines of being chased by a dog, or needing to get out of the house because the kid was driving me nuts, not this. I think that every time I try to shrug off a run I am going to remember that I am lucky to have all my parts, and that they are all in great working order, if only we could all be so lucky…
I was already contemplating my excuses for not running tonight, it’s hot (of couse it is FLORIDA weather sucks), I am tired (duh, 3 hours of sleep will do that to you), I have to pack (no shit you are MOVING in 2 weeks and a few days). I have excuses like nobody else.
But as I was formulating my best excuse and surfing Facebook (there really isn’t much else to do at 5am in a parking lot, and sleeping wasn’t working) I messaged a friend regarding her post, I could tell from the tone something was wrong. I was right… her fiancé stepped on an IED yesterday. He is now down one leg and part of a hand (I am flippant because that’s how I handle bad news). Reading that was like a shot in the gut, S~ is a young, fun, energetic crazy ass, and he deserves to all his appendages.
So now I am sitting at work, my mind racing and I feel like a long run or a really short all out sprint will help quell the voices fighting for air and release some of the stress that is building as I sit here unable to help in any way.
I was definitely looking for motivation for my run tonight, but I was thinking more along the lines of being chased by a dog, or needing to get out of the house because the kid was driving me nuts, not this. I think that every time I try to shrug off a run I am going to remember that I am lucky to have all my parts, and that they are all in great working order, if only we could all be so lucky…
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Pussy foot
So lately I have had an issue with my left foot falling asleep and getting tingly while I run. I have been running exclusively in my VFF Bikilas and around mile 2 lefty gets tingly and then eventually it feels like I am running on a stump. Not so great for my form or for my feet. On Thursday I ran about 2.3 miles before my foot went to sleep. Then I took off my shoes and jogged barefoot all the way home after a bit of feeling came back into my foot. So today, my 4 miler day I decided to do an experiment. I laced up my New Balances with arch support insoles and set out on my merry way. I was feeling pretty good, running my little hiney (ok big hiney) around the neighborhood and low and behold at mile 2.6 my righty went to sleep. Lefty was wide awake and ready to kill the last bit of pavement. At this point I know it is my shoes, I stop stretch, walk a little and begin again, but righty is STUBBORN and won't wake the fuck up. So after running .9 miles feeling only half my feet I decided to take off my shoes and walk a little barefoot, as the feeing comes back I run the last .6 miles home.
So now, please tell me what is the answer to this dilemma. Obviously something about these shoes (both pairs) are causing my feet to fall asleep. And I don't know what it is... But I guess the upside is it isn't my feet causing my feet to fall asleep.
Maybe I need to upgrade to the new Bikila LS, with the adjustable speed lace. I do have pretty thick feet, and the I could barely put on the VFF's when I first bought them. And this is the longest and farthest I have worn them. All I know is this is irritating me.
So now, please tell me what is the answer to this dilemma. Obviously something about these shoes (both pairs) are causing my feet to fall asleep. And I don't know what it is... But I guess the upside is it isn't my feet causing my feet to fall asleep.
Maybe I need to upgrade to the new Bikila LS, with the adjustable speed lace. I do have pretty thick feet, and the I could barely put on the VFF's when I first bought them. And this is the longest and farthest I have worn them. All I know is this is irritating me.
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