Running for two--or, mostly walking

Where's Stacy, you say?  What happened to Stacy?  Where's she been for two days.  We miss her so much.  We must have more of Stacy.  Okay guys, that's a little much don't you think?  I mean, I'm pretty great, but it was only two days.  Anyway, where have I been?  I worked ten hour days Thursday and Friday, so no lunch break and no energy to go workout in the evening.  I think I'm done with the long days, though, at least for now.

So, today I slept in really late and then realized that I needed a refill on my prescription, so I decided to run my errands today.  3 miles to and from Fred Meyer.  It was cold, but I'm pretty sure it was above freezing, so it wasn't too bad.  The worst part was that on the way home my belly was starting to go numb, so my shirt rubbing on it was really irritating.  Had a good time with my friends Caedmon's Call and had a good stretch with my 100 lb dog trying to lay in my lap.

Paul tells me that I should stick around 12:00/mile on the treadmill for the next month.  That's probably a good idea.  It means that I won't get too lazy and just go with what's comfortable, but I also won't push myself too hard and get injured.  I'm thinking that I'll probably try to find a New Year's Eve 5k somewhere.  Paul knows of a few.  He told me that one of them starts at 11:30 so you can ring in the New Year.  I told him that that would be great if I could finish a 5k in 30:00, but it will probably be more like 35:00 (I'm counting on some race day magic).  It still kind of sounds fun.  We'll see how the next month goes.

OH, by the way, Paul told me that I need to change my mileage on my treadmill running days, so I'm doing that momentarily.  Fun times. 

Another ten hour day.  My problem with working long days isn't lack of energy.  It's lack of motivation.  I go to work and it's dark, I come home and it's dark, I still want to get a workout in and make dinner and do some housework.  It all just seems too overwhelming.  Anyway, when I knew that I wasn't going to get my lunch break again today I called Paul and told him I was going to forego making dinner in order to get a workout in.  He was okay with that (luckily we both like leftovers), so I settled on going to the gym after work.  Well, when it was dark after work I started to feel like I wasn't really up to going to the gym.  So, when Paul called at 6:00 to say that he wouldn't be able to make dinner either (again, thank God for leftovers) and that I should just go to the gym, I decided he was probably right and I went.  I really, really didn't want to, but I went anyway because I know that what I need right now is consistency.  

1.5 miles on the treadmill.  Blah.  The music was okay today, but not great, so I was really dragging.  I tried to maintain 12:00/mile pace, but was only able to maintain it for 1 mile (I still think that 12:00 pace is a bit fast for me), which is a lot longer than I could maintain 10:00 pace, so I can't complain too much.  I'm thinking that tomorrow will be another long day and then I'll be back to my regular schedule.  Hopefully I can get out tomorrow, but it isn't looking very promising.  At least I get paid for overtime.  I'm sure I've said this before, but I am really looking forward to the day that I don't have to go to work anymore. 

Had a chiro appointment today after my 10 hour day (the last one for a while).  I didn't realize how badly my neck hurt until he adjusted it.  Wow.  The best word I can use to describe the noise that my neck made is "crackle."  That plus some Biofreeze left me feeling pretty good.  I had a headache because I had my headset on for 10 hours with only one bathroom break and one break to eat my apple (don't tell anybody, but I can eat most of my lunch while I'm actually on the phone...I know it's rude, but I'm hungry...nobody ever knows that I'm eating, though, so I'm pretty sure they aren't offended).

Paul dropped me off at the gym after the chiro and I could only bring myself to do about 15 minutes on the elliptical.  I ran home after that and was pretty much done for the day.

 So, maybe somebody can give me some input into this phenomenon:  I am getting fat.  Okay, fat is a stretch, but I'll explain.  I'm not talking about getting heavier.  I am getting heavier, but I recognize that at least some of that is due to the muscle gain from running consistently.  No, I'm talking about how I am exercising more, and more regularly, than I ever have in my life and I am getting more and more fat all over my body (well, not my legs, they just have the regular amount of fat that I usually have).  Why am I gaining fat when I should be losing fat?  I'm not saying that I think I'm actually fat or that I need to lose weight.  I'm just wondering if anybody can explain this to me.
 

Today my co-worker needed me to cover him while he was gone for a luncheon, so I told him that was fine if he would come in early so that I wouldn't have to work another 10 hour day.  So, I actually got to go to the gym in the morning, which wasn't really as much fun as some people make it out to be.  I'm not really a morning person (I'm not a night person, either...I'm more of an afternoon person), so I slept in because I could and ran to the gym.  1.5 miles on the treadmill at around 13:00 pace (I know Paul thinks that I should be doing 12:00 pace, but it's kind of the upper limit of what I can maintain for a mile or more), then I ran home.  Blah.  I felt pretty good on my run home, but it is hard for me to keep running when I'm at the gym because it's just so hot.  I always have to take water breaks about every half mile to a mile because I'm so hot.

So, on an unrelated subject: I walk the dog most days after work.  Just a half mile or so.  Tonight I got winded on our half mile walk.  I'm supposed to be getting into better shape, right?  Argh. 

The best word I can think of to describe my workout today is craptacular.  It was such a beautiful day outside that I decided to just run outside, rather than going to the gym.  I wish I hadn't, not because I like running on the treadmill more, but because my run ended up being terrible.  Paul came home from his track workout right as I was getting ready to run, which was nice because I usually don't get to see him during the day.  Well, as we were leaving Paul and I realized we were both going the same way (probably with the same run in mind), so Paul generously ran with me for the first .75.  So, since I was running with Paul I went at a pace that was much faster than I would normally have gone (or at least it felt like it) and I was wiped after that first .75, so I turned around and ran/mostly walked home.  I felt really discouraged for most of the rest of the afternoon, but now as I'm writing this, I think I'm going to look for the silver lining.

1.  I am slow.  I like being slow.  I like that when we go hiking I get to enjoy more of the scenery because I'm passing it slower than those I'm with.  I like who I am and this is part of it, at least for now.  Maybe I'll never get any faster, and that's okay with me.

2.  If my goal is to glorify God, then I can do that at any pace, if I mean to. 

3.  For the first time in my life I am enjoying exercising, I am enjoying spending time by myself, I am enjoying running.  Usually I'm pretty sedentary, so the fact that running is enjoyable and I am doing it consistently is a big deal.  I like running with Bethany and Marci, but I like running with me, too. I'm especially enjoying listening to praise music and just being present with God during that time.

Anyway, just some random thoughts.  So, for most of the day my run was craptacular, but from this point on it was pretty good.

Took yesterday off because I worked a long day again.  I want to be more consistent than that, but being mentally tired is harder for me than being physically tired.  I just look at every hour of over time as getting me that much closer to not working anymore.

 Ran with Bethany today for the first time in a while.  I love her, and not how I love ice cream, either.  She is always so encouraging and never allows me to be hard on myself when my runs with her don't go as planned.  Today it was kind of flurrying during our run, but it wasn't too cold so it was fun.  We did the Planet Walk, as usual, and it had been a while since I had done that run, so it was refreshing.  I'm still pretty much a baby, so when I got a side stitch I had to stop and walk, but, like I said, Bethany was so encouraging it was hard to feel bad about it.  She's such a good running partner.  I wish I could be as encouraging to her as she is to me.  I spend too much time complaining to be encouraging, though.  Sorry Bethany.

My plan for next week:  I'm really concerned about my ability to run consecutive miles lately because of the way my workouts have been laid out (run .75 to the gym, 1.5 on the treadmill, .75 home from the gym).  I'm running 3 miles a day, but never more than 1.5 at a time.  So, my plan this week is to just drive to the gym and do 3 miles on the treadmill instead of having the breaks.  The only issue I see with that is that I get so hot/thirsty at the gym, but if I'm driving there I can bring a water bottle so I don't have to stop to go to the drinking fountain.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Not running related:  I love a good sit.  By that I mean that I love to just hang out and talk with people, especially my hubby.  So, when we went to Angie's today and sat for about 3 hours at the counter eating lunch, it was pretty nice.  Lately all we talk about is running, but that's okay because we're both doing it now.  I just can't wait to see what Paul is capable of now that he's in the best shape he has been since we've been married and he has coaching and...well, now is just a really good time for his running.  It's exciting.  Anyway, if any Logan locals want to get together for a good sit, I always have time for that.
 

Okay, so the new plan, I think it's going to work for a while.  It'll probably work until I get up to higher mileage, or if I get faster, because there is a time constraint when I work out during my lunch break.  Anyway, 3 miles on the treadmill today.  I won't embarrass myself by telling you the time.  Suffice it to say that I ran at a pace that I was pretty much sure I could maintain for 3 miles.  I think I'll try to pick it up tomorrow because I still had some in me when I got done, but I didn't have any more time.

I'm still trying to get my co-worker, Brian, to join the blog.  He's trying to train for St. George this fall, but he's only up to 4 or 4.5 miles a day right now and it is all on the treadmill.  Not that I think he can't do it, nor do I think there is anything wrong with training on a treadmill, I just think he could use some encouragement.  Anyway, the more the merrier, right?

Another 3 on the treadmill.  Blah.  3 minutes faster than yesterday, so that's 1 minute per mile faster (in case you couldn't do the mental math).  Here's the worst thing about my workout today: I realized when I got to the gym that I had forgotten my MP3 player.  I'm sure that running 3 miles for most people doesn't take long enough for them to get bored, but it takes me quite a long time, so I was pretty much bored from the start.  I made it, though, and promised myself that I wouldn't do that again.

I'm kind of regretting telling Paul that I wanted to do a New Year's Eve 5k because I think he's going to hold me to it.  Also, we've recruited some others, so there will be more witnesses.  Oh well, at least it's something to do.  We haven't really done anything for New Year's Eve in a while.  It'll be fun, despite being cold. I guess I should probably try to get some more outdoor running in before then so that it isn't too much of a shock.

Blah, blah, blah.  3 miles on the treadmill.  Blah.  I remembered my music today and was rocking out to tobyMac.  1 minute faster per mile, again.  I guess I should be running faster if I'm able to shave off 2 minutes per mile in as many days.  We'll see what tomorrow holds.

So, I just can't help myself when I'm at the gym.  I have to see what pace the people around me are doing.  The guy next to me today was doing  10:30 miles, but I think the guy on the other side of me was doing a similar pace to mine (he was actually one down, so I couldn't really see).  Yesterday there was a girl in the row ahead of me who was doing 10:00 miles and today there was a girl on the end of the row who was walking at my slowest running pace (if you tried real hard you could probably guess it).  I just find it interesting to see all of the different people and all of the different bodies.  It's a nice reminder of God's infinite creativity.  Each one is unique.  I'm not going to lie, I do compare myself, but not in a, "they are better than me" kind of way.  I just like to see what everybody else is doing.  Of course, sometimes there's a Paul or somebody like him, and mostly I just think of how loud they are (the faster you run on a treadmill, the louder your foot strike is...I'm pretty sure there is a direct correlation). 

Blah. 1.25 miles on the treadmill. Today was not a good running experience, but sometimes you need those bad days in order to appreciate the good ones. So, here's how it went down. I woke up late this morning, so I didn't eat breakfast (well, I ate a granola bar). So, when I came home for my gym break, I decided to eat my breakfast then, rather than getting changed to go to the gym. So, I ate and ended up leaving for the gym about 30 minutes later than usual. It was fine because I have 2 hours and I was planning on running faster again today anyway. Well, I got to the gym and went to choose my torture. I usually try to get one of the treadmills that is directly under a ceiling fan or one that has fans built into the console. It gets so hot at the gym that I really need the moving air to keep me going. Well, all of the ideal candidates were taken, so I had to take one of the ones that was just near a ceiling fan. This did not work out. I averaged :30 per mile faster than yesterday (2:30 faster than Monday), but I only made it one mile. At one mile I was dripping sweat (normal) and was so hot I was having trouble breathing (not normal). I tried to drink some water to cool myself, but I just choked on it, you know, because of the whole having trouble breathing thing. So, I just took it as a sign, walked .25 to cool down, and called it a day.  I've had a lot of good days lately, so I figured I was due.  Tomorrow will be better, so it's no big deal.

Pretty much the same as yesterday.  Blah.  I threw in a little time on the elliptical, but was feeling so beat that I quit that, too.  Maybe I just need a little break.  I've been struggling to stay awake at work, so it could just be that I'm tired.  I'm sure tomorrow will be better after two easy days.

2 miles with Bethany and Marci on the Planet Walk.  Thanks for slowing down a little for me you two.  Anyway, I felt really good during my run and was glad to have the company.  It was a little slick in places, but the trees down there really shield you from the cold.  The puppy was a little sad that I didn't take him for a long run today, since I promised him that I would, but I went home after we ran and took the dog for another mile of stop-and-go running (I'm sure some dogs are good for running, but mine, not so much) and he was satisfied with that.

Tons of errands to run today, most of them for Paul because he can't do them himself, being sick and all.  Luckily my boring errands were interrupted by cocoa with Bethany.  I'm not that comfortable around women in general, but Bethany and Marci make me feel really comfortable being myself, so I was glad to have the girl time today.  Thanks again, guys. 

Argh.  Remember how Paul was sick all weekend?  I think I'm getting it now, too.  I did a short, easy, immune-system-boosting 2 miler on the treadmill.  Hopefully this kicks the pending cold to the curb.  Mostly it's just a little scratch at the back of my throat, so maybe I won't really get sick.  We'll see.

Well, that scratch in the back of my throat turned into a full-fledged sore throat, and a cough to boot.  I took a nap at lunch time instead of going to the gym.  I'm hoping this doesn't get too serious.  I really hate missing work (despite the fact that I don't love work).

That cold I was trying to avoid, it finally caught up with me.  I went to work today, but I came home after two hours.  I spent the rest of the day sleeping and watching movies.  I'm not sure, but I don't think I've eaten very much today.  I'm just not hungry.  Hoping this passes quickly so I can get back to running.  And I was doing so well.

Oh my goodness!  Today I felt so much better!  The sore throat is pretty much history and the cough, while still there, is deeper and less persistent (read: frequent) than it was yesterday.  I guess four hour naps and Hitchcock movies will cure just about anything.

On a totally unrelated note (that is, to get back to running), when I went back to work after my lunch break (which I used to finish Paul's Christmas present rather than going to the gym) it was beautiful and about 40 degrees.  However, when I left work four hours later, there were several inches of snow on the ground and there were huge flakes coming down.  It was like a wonderful, beautiful dream.  So, of course, I couldn't resist and had to get a run, albeit a short one, in while it was perfect snow running weather.  My first snow run of the year and it couldn't have gone better.  Okay, maybe if I had had some company it could have been better, but it was still pretty good.  I could still feel the cold in my lungs a little while I was running, but I didn't cough until I got home.  Winter is finally here.  Now when is it going to be over? 

I'm not sure why I tried to go for a distance PR while I was still recovering from this nasty cough, but it was just so tempting. Needless to say, I wasn't able to run the entire way because I haven't acquired the ever-impressive skill of running while hacking up a lung, but I ran about 3 miles of the 3.5, so I still feel pretty good about it. Hopefully I'll be able to get some good miles in next week, since I think I'm pretty much done with this cold (plus I'm okay with walking while I'm hacking since I'm a beginner runner).

So, about my run, it was pretty uneventful. It's a good thing that I'm not concerned about speed because, with the sidewalks covered with ice, I'm pretty sure that I was going faster when I took those coughing/walking breaks than when I was running. What ever happened to the age old tradition of shoveling your sidewalk? There must have been ice that was three inches thick in some parts, which is pretty impressive considering that we got our first snow two days ago. I'm pretty sure that there's a city ordinance about shoveling your sidewalk that says something like if you don't shovel your sidewalk then the city council is allowed to drag you out into the street and make you do a one man parade with your pants around your ankles. I could be wrong about that, but I think people would definitely rather shovel their sidewalks than show off their skivvies. I could be wrong about that, too.

I almost forgot.  I heard my new favorite song on my run today.  It's by Sixpence None the Richer and it goes like this:  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, lean not on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.  Don't worry about tomorrow, He's got it under control.  Just trust in the Lord with all of your heart and He will carry you through.  I love songs that are based on Scripture. 

 

Cross country skiing with the hubby.  Really nice time down on the golf course.  I took it pretty easy and Paul enjoyed the hills.  Perfect Christmas day.  Mostly we just laid around all day, so it was good to get out and do some physical activity.  I didn't get a run in yesterday because I think that cold I assumed I had kicked is still kicking me.  Hopefully I'll feel better later in the week.

Not a spectacular run I have to admit.  I only really ran half of it.  Slow.  I don't know why I'm so tired, but I get going and then reach a point where I can barely lift my legs.  I'm just going to chalk it up to still being sick (my head hurts now when I bend over, which is really inconvenient) and hope that I'm feeling better in time to actually run the 5k on Monday.

Pretty much the same as yesterday.  I hope I can get some more energy soon.  On a brighter note, I have been sleeping really well, so I can't complain too much.

Same as the last 2 days.  I'm getting really sick of this, feeling a little depressed and disappointed with myself, and wondering how I'm going to run Moab.  I know, it's only 5 miles and it's still a couple months away, but it's still on my mind.  Hopefully tomorrow's run, being outside and all, will be a little better and a little more encouraging.  If not, there's always more Veronica Mars to lift my spirits (not because it's uplifting, but because I love it).

Did I mention that I've been sleeping well. Last night I slept like a rock and for a long time, too. In fact, I slept in so late that Paul finally came in and said he was going to run errands. I said I would go with him and he said, "No, I'm going right now." So, needless to say, I rolled back over and stayed in bed a little longer. I know that sleeping in won't cure my sleepiness, but my bed is just so comfortable.

Anyway, my run pretty much mirrored the rest of my runs this week, except that it was really cold because it was outside and I did more miles. I did the same run that I did last Saturday, but ran far less of it. Not really sure what is going to happen Monday, but since I'm not out to win any awards anyway, I'll just be glad that I got out there and did it, even if it does take me 45 minutes to run a 5k in the dark and cold. Here's to hoping I don't finish in last place.

Oh, and have I mentioned the dizziness?  It seems like about a mile into my run, or when my heartrate gets over 150 (I've worn a monitor a couple times this week) I start getting slightly dizzy.  So, that, coupled with the tired adds up to needing to walk to bring my heart rate down just so I don't fall on my face.  The longer I run, the dizzier/more tired I get.  Oddly enough, I usually have more energy after my run than I do during it, for a little while anyway.  

I'm trying to be grateful for the good things in my life.  My wonderful husband, family, and friends.  Job security.  Financial security.  All of the blessings that God pours out on me every day.  It seems like I forget sometimes that my life is really blessed and I start getting depressed and then I start to despair.  Often I just need a reminder to get me back on the right track.  Paul gave me that last night.  Once again, grateful for the hubby. 

This is now my third attempt to write an entry about my first ever 5k. It seems that hitting the "save entry" button doesn't really save anything for me except the info in the header. I just might give up if it doesn't work this time and call it a day.

My first ever 5k. Whoopee! I was pretty bummed that Paul couldn't run today, but I was more glad that he was feeling better after his adjustment. Hopefully he can run tomorrow. I definitely have to preface this race report with a shout out to my support crew: the Drapers. Bethany got me through this race and Cody came and pushed the pace on the final straightaway. I can't say enough good things about the Drapers, especially Bethany without whom I would have quit before halfway.

The race started at an arbitrary point on the road, which seemed to bother some (Cody), but didn't bother me, since that might have made the race oh-so-slightly shorter. Also, I'm not out to win any awards or break any records, so starting lines really don't concern me. We started right behind this guy who was running with his Golden and got passed early on by a woman pushing a jogging stroller. This is my idea of fun. Running in the dark at 15 degrees in downtown Ogden. I'm sure complaining a lot for a race that was my idea.

So, one block of slight uphill followed by one block of steep uphill pretty much kicked my butt. I tried to convince Bethany to go on without me, but she insisted that she wanted to run with me. Have I mentioned how great she is? She could have gotten a PR today, but she chose to run with me instead. I never would have even finished without her. When I got to the top of that hill I could barely lift my legs, but somehow she got me through that. I will admit that the uphill section of the race (the first half) pretty much destroyed me, but the downhill section was a lot more fun.

When we got to the part of the course where the loop joins back up with the straightaway we saw Cody run around the corner and gave him a little team spirit. He, of course, returned the favor and went on to take 2nd overall. Nice comeback, Cody. We turned onto the loop part of the course, saw some interesting (read: tacky) Christmas decorations and started on the downhill. So much easier to run downhill. I need to stick to the downhill races. I'm just not conditioned for the uphill stuff.

With I'd say about a mile to go Cody met back up with us and ran us in to the finish. I appreciate him pushing the pace a little because I was kind of just on cruise control and Bethany was just sticking with me. Anyway, I guess we were pretty hilarious, or at least that's the report I got from Paul who said that Cody told him how funny we were. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, it's the comedy stylings of Draper and Petersen. We'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waitress.

When it came to the actual finish I tried to get Bethany to take it and she tried to get me to take it, but we ended up pretty much crossing together (I ended up letting her take it by stepping behind her). Then I went back to my coat rack (Paul) and we hit the Rock part of the Rock and Run. Dinner was good and we met some interesting people (John and Cindy Patterson, who seemed to know everybody there), who tried to convince us to move to Ogden and in turn we tried to convince them to join the blog. We'll see how that works out.

So, about my goals. I think that, despite being cold and complaining a little (read: a lot), I do think that just getting out there and doing it and actually enjoying it is pretty good. I hope that God was glorified in the fact that I just finished, which, again, I owe to Bethany. You know, I'm not really a racer. I'm not really a runner, either. I am trying to take care of my sanctuary, though, and I'm pretty sure that counts for something.

I hope everybody had a good 2007! I know I did. I can't wait to see what 2008 holds! Hopefully more running and more blogging. Two things I can't get enough of.