cheryl

I'm slowly working my way back into running.  I got on the treadmill for 65 minutes, walking mainly, but throwing in some running along the way.  I ran comfortably without pain at 5.0mph and 2% incline for quite a while.  I tried to get faster, and by the time I hit 6.0mph I was feeling pain in the hamstrings.  It just feels like they need to be able to stretch out more and then there wouldn't be pain.  So I have to keep working at getting them more flexible.  So for the time being, I may be slow, but at least I'm running again, which feels good.

I think I'll just put down 3 miles every day.  It doesn't really matter what I put, I'm not doing a whole lot of running but I am cross-training a lot, so whatever.  I did manage to get on the treadmill and walk/run.  Every day I try a little faster.  I'm really trying to work on form, trying to relaxxxxxxx.  Everytime i think "relax" I seem to get more tense.  I think that may be the root of my problem, I'm too stiff and tight.  So the key word is "relax," run at whatever speed I can stay "relaxxxed."  I guess that's my word for today.  RELAX everyone.

Another walk/run day on the treadmill.  My hamstrings feel just a little tight and sore, not too bad.  I'm actually thinking I may be able to return to the group soon.  One or two more weeks of easy running, then I may venture back with them.

I did another treadmill walk/run workout.  This is getting kind of boring, isn't it.  Boring for anyone reading my blog, but actually fun for me because it's just great to be running again.  I did some faster running also, that was the best.  Hopefully things will keep feeling ok.  I also went to the Rec Center and spent 20 minutes on the stairmaster.  That is the best workout of all.  I always say I'll keep it easy just to get me to get on it, then I always have to push it at the end, to where my legs are wobbling when I finish.  Always glad when it's done.

I went to Lisa's class at the Rec Center and we worked on lower body strengthening.  It was fun.  It's always fun, I'm always glad when I go, it's just sometimes hard to get there at 5:30am.  Then I lifted weights upstairs with Peggy and Debbie for a few minutes after that.  Later I did another treadmill run/walk thing.  I'm slowly starting to run more than I walk, I think.  I'm still working on "relaxing."

It was a busy day for me.  First, my 9-year old had his championship football game today.  They had a great season, only losing one game, and they avenged that loss last week, playing a great game.  We all had high hopes they would win the championship, but alas, they came up short, losing 7-0.  What does it take to win a championship?  I've now been there three times with my two boys, but they've lost everytime.   Maybe I'm the jinx.  Maybe next time I'll just stay home.  Anyway, that took up most of the morning.  Then I of course had to watch the BYU game, which helped take some of my pain away, but not entirely.  I then felt I had to do some yard work or I'd feel terribly guilty, so I did that.  Finally, I got on the treadmill and got in a pretty good run, 26 minutes non-stop, and then a few minutes more after taking a walking break.  I would say I had minimal hamstring pain during the run.  I may just have to learn to live with always having a little pain, I can't see being totally pain free anytime soon.  I can deal with a little pain.  So we'll see how next week goes, and then decide if I can return to the group.  I haven't run outside in so long because I hate the cold, so I wonder how I'll handle it.

I first went at 5:30 to the Rec Center and did Lisa's circuit training class.  I really like her classes because she mixes things up and it just seems like you get a good workout and I'm sure many of the things she has us do helps with running also.  All I know is in 2007 when I attended her classes regularly, I ran injury free and had some PRs also.  So I'm trying it again.  Then I went upstairs and lifted a few weights.  Peggy and Debbie were there also (Debbie had attended the class also.)  I finished with about 12 minutes on the stairmaster.

Later, I got on the treadmill and ran/walked for 30 minutes, then did some faster one minute intervals.  The emphasis was on staying relaxed, which I think I achieved.  It was fun.

I started out at the Rec Center at 9:00 to do the yoga class there.  I need the stretching and everything else it offers (especially breathing and relaxation.)  I then took my dog to the canal road and ran easy for almost 30 minutes.  I felt a little tight in my hamstrings, but felt no pain, so I thought that was good.  I finished up later with 20 minutes on the stairmaster.  I did the stairmaster because everything else I had done today wasn't too aerobic, so I needed an exercise that really got me working hard, which the stairmaster is good at.

I've been rereading Chi Running, one of my favorite running books.  In it the author (Danny Dreyer) says that running does not hurt your body, it's the way you run that does the damage and causes pain.  He thinks stress and tension cause most running injuries, and if we could just learn to relax and run like little children, running would become much easier, you'd be able to run faster and without injuries and it would just be much more enjoyable.  So my main goal now is to run relaxed with no tension.  Hopefully it will become easier to do the more I practice it, my natural way is to run with lots of tension, which is obviously not good.

I really didn't do well last week on blogging.  My resolution is to do better.  I think I'm doing so much run/walking type stuff that it's hard to determine how many miles I've run, so I just don't even try to guess and avoid posting a blog.  I did run with the group last Thursday, and was happy to be back with everyone, even though I really didn't talk to anyone for too long, except for Alan.  Then on Saturday I ran with Cheris, Michelle,  Debbie, Dean and Kris.  That was fun, we had fun talking.  I've missed all those guys!!

Today--I took my dog to the canal road about noon and had a great run, nice warm weather, no wind, it was great.  I spent 30 minutes there, walking some, mostly running.  My goal is to avoid pain in the hamstrings and to run loose and relaxed.  I didn't feel any pain and tried my best to be relaxed.  Then I got on the treadmill and ran some faster one minute "sprints" I guess you'd call them, even though they weren't overly fast.  I felt just a little pain in my hamstrings doing that.  It was an enjoyable run.  Now to run with the group again tomorrow.

I met with the running group at 5:45.  The plan for today was to try and keep the group somewhat together, at least for part of the run.  I think it worked fine, we were able to talk to a lot of different people and it just felt more like a group run.  I don't know if everyone wants to do it that way everytime, but I enjoyed it.  Last Thursday I felt a little in "no man's land," knowing the group was out there somewhere in the mist ahead of me, but not really being able to see or talk to anyone besides who I was running right next to.   What do the rest of you guys think, what do you prefer?  Do you like staying with the group more or do you prefer running your pace for the distance and not having to worry about regrouping?  

In any event, it was great being back with my group, I was on a type of runner's high all morning just enjoying being back out running again with the fun group!

I did go to yoga at the Rec Center at 9:00.  I've decided I have to do yoga if I want to continue to be a runner.   I need all the stretching and strengthening.  It's rough getting older, you seem to need more maintenance.  I enjoy yoga too, the teacher is calm and relaxing, just what I need, and I get to visit with some neighbors I don't normally talk to very often.  All in all, a fun morning.

I went to Costco yesterday and bought a Garmin 305!!  So I will no longer have to ask everyone I'm running next to what our pace is and how far we've gone.  I'm sure everyone in the group is happy to hear that!  I tested it out today on the canal road.  I kept looking at my pace, hoping I'd be faster.  I need to just run comfortably and not worry too much about pace.  Anyway, it was a great day to run, warm, no wind.  We'd better enjoy it because I don't think it will last.  I later got on the treadmill and ran about 3 miles more, alternating pace.  Fun, fun.

I met with the BBK group at Cheris' house at 5:45.  It's hard to describe the run, suffice it to say there were lots of hills, and we all love hills!!  Thank you Cheris for planning that workout.  And since this was my first run with the group where I've used a garmin, I need to write down the vital info:  6.27 miles in 58:37, 9:21 average, with a 7:03 best.  I like that 7:03 best, I probably just held that for about a second.  It was fun being with everyone in the group.

At 9:00 I went to the Rec Center for yoga class, which I enjoyed as always.  I then did 15 minutes on the stairmaster; I can't seem to leave that stairmaster alone, I love it and hate it at the same time.  And then for good measure I went home and ran a little more on the treadmill, once again concentrating on form and trying to be totally relaxed.  It's difficult to change form after a certain way has become ingrained, but I'm trying!

After yesterday, I just wanted an easy day, so I went to the Rec Center around 11:00 and did the stairmaster for 10 minutes, then did some core work, then went to the canal road with my dog and ran easy for about 30 minutes.  It was a nice day, a little cooler, but still nice to be outside running.

I woke up early, too early, thinking about the Bingham-Alta game, and also about the BYU-Utah game.  Am I obsessed with football, or what?  It would have been nice for Bingham to win so we Bingham Butt-Kickers could revel in their glory, because their glory is our glory, right?  Oh well, maybe next year.  And now to see if BYU can pull off an upset.

Anyway, back to running.  I couldn't face the dark and cold, so I talked myself out of meeting some members of the BBK for a long ran, and I just ran on my treadmill instead.  After a nice long warm-up, I got to the meat of the workout which was a fast 5K.  I managed to run it in 23:17, with no incline.  I'd like to work up to around 22 minutes at a 2% incline.  That's what I was able to do when I was running pretty well, so hopefully I can do that again sometime in the not too distant future.  I also plan to get in some core work later on, maybe during the big game.

I first got up and made it to the Rec Center at 5:30 to do Lisa's class.  We worked on upper body strength.  I then spent a few minutes on my own working on core exercises.  Later, I ran on the treadmill, and again did a fast 5K.  I probably should just be running slow and easy, but I enjoy doing those 5Ks.  This time I managed 22:45 at no incline.  Now again, that's a treadmill time and I could not run that fast on the roads.  Eric and Kelli, I think you could run faster on a treadmill than the roads because on the treadmill there are no hills and no wind resistance, so it's easier going.  Give it a try, I bet you could set an all time record for a 5K on the treadmill.

I met with the group at Bingham High at 5:45.  We ran the approximately 6.5 mile route I had picked out last summer.  I tried to make the speedies start behind us so they would have to catch us and no one would get left too far behind.  However, it didn't seem to work, because they caught us early on.  I need to ask them to wait about 10 minutes before coming after us.  I ran the entire time with Lisa Hardy.  We had a nice time talking.  The only problem is that I went just a little faster than I wanted to go.  I kept thinking I needed to tell her I wanted to slow down, but you know how it goes, a little pride gets in the way and you just think you need to keep going fast.  We ran (literally) into Michelle, Cheris and Debbie who said the speedies took a wrong street, so we bagged the last little bit of the run and just finished thru Prospector.  I was more than happy to skip the last uphill street, although Prospector had its uphill also.  Cheris and Michelle were talking about running Boston.  Makes me think maybe I should go.  That's something to think about.  Anyway, it was a good run and I'm glad we got in almost 7 miles.

My legs felt a little tight and sore today, so I figured I should take it easy.  I ended up going to the canal road and walking/running for 30 minutes.  I think I got in two miles of running.   A kind of uneventful running day.

I met with the BBK's at 7:00 for our Thanksgiving run around Parkway Palisades.  I kind of headed up the workout and had us do a couple of 2 mile repeats.  The first had a competitive element where one group started a couple of minutes ahead of the other, and then we saw who finished first.  I kind of pushed it and ran the first 2 mile repeat in 16:08.  The second was a little slower, 16:30.  Then we ran the main road once and it was tough.  It took 9:20.  I ran with Michelle and Cheris, that was fun as always.  Eric was looking strong today.  But I feel out of practice on those hills, I think we need to start doing them somewhat regularly, what do the rest of you think?

After yesterday, I needed an easier day.  So all I did was run pretty easily on the treadmill for 3 miles.  Actually, I put in some faster minutes, but then took good recoveries so it never got too painful.

Another easy day.  Not even a long, easy day.  My husband had a remodeling project he wanted to work on, so I felt I couldn't spend much time running.  I'll just consider this my easy week and pick it up next week.