Running for two--or, mostly walking

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.