Bump Off a Log

Transition

2012-01-28T07:29:00.000-08:00

Today I went for a short two mile run. Bekah came along with me on her bicycle.

Fun! I love my favorite daughter! Our route was on McNab Road. I felt guilty not to obey the civil law when we are on a very busy road so first we stopped at WalMart to get her a new helmet. Bekah was all smiles when we went to WalMart exclaiming, "Mommy, I can't stop smiling. This is the first time I got to go to WalMart on my bike." You see her big brothers go there on their bikes and she isn't allowed to go with them. :)

According to my Couch to 10K plan, I was supposed to run for 20 minutes. I can do it but I had to stop halfway thru to fix Bekah's helmet. My pace has increased from 12 minutes to 15 minutes. My asthma doctor doesn't think I need to use albuterol before running. My last two runs I have ran without using it so my pace is up to 15 minutes. Running without albuterol has increased my pace a lot.

I'm only supposed to use the albuterol if I start to have asthma symptoms.
Being the proud sinful person I am, I don't like this slow pace. I suppose that if I am patient it might decrease as time goes on.

Updates

2012-01-21T20:47:00.000-08:00

The November 2011 5K Turkey Trot was my worst race time. I hadn't prepared for it early enough.
Jimmy has done two races since that time. He ran a race in December and had a much better pace. Yay, Jimmy! He had another race today and didn't do as well. He started out wearing a jacket. I wish I'd noticed. He had a terrible time carrying the jacket once he realized he had forgotten to take it off. I wish he had just thrown it aside for I would have fetched it later.
Bruce ran his first 5K today.

I was so excited for him. He had that look of amazement in his eyes once he'd finished. I loved watching him speed up as he saw the finish line. Bruce stated that his chest hurt the entire race. I think that's just from lack of training as he is not a known asthmatic.
I worked until 6 AM today, having asked my supervisor if I could leave early to see the kids' races. I ended up running the one mile youth run with Rebekah, wanting to encourage her. It was her first one mile run. She smiled the entire time though she said her shins were hurting.
It was so exciting for me to see the racers approach the finish line. I've never seen a race, I've only participated in them.
We enjoyed the pancakes, sausages, bananas, bagels, and O.J. that were provided afterward the race.
I'm looking forward to my next race in March 2012, Lord willing.
Since my previous race in November 2010 I decided to switch from the Couch 25 K program to Couch 2 10K. My goal was to increase my endurance and decrease my pace. That strategy is working. This week I ran for seven minutes with 1 or 2 minute walk breaks. I reached a milestone of a five mile run this past Monday. My pace is down to a little over 12 minutes. Not bad for an older runner who commenced running just two years ago. :)
Besides running, I do other cardio activities two to three other days a week along with strength training three days a week. Fun, fun, fun!

Turkey Trot 2011

2011-10-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

I started training for a new race and it's not going well. Unfortunately, I'm having a lot of asthma symptoms. My asthma doctor doesn't like that I'm exercising much of the week at the neighborhood gym and premedicating with albuterol. I was following the instructions of one of his colleagues. Sigh. He says premedicating with albuterol before exercise is for people who only exercise once or twice a week. He wants me to use two other medications to prevent my lungs from being "remodeled". I guess I will go ahead and do that because the running is not going well. I don't like the sound of walking around with "remodeled" lungs.

My symptoms may simply mean I'm running too quickly. I am a slow runner so it's hard to think I could slow down any more. I think I will use the Couch 2 5K. It starts out very slow. I will start it today. I'm so impatient. I wonder if I will have the patience to start so slowly though. We'll see.

I won't complete the app's program before race day but perhaps I will have a more respectable time.

I am so excited to be running another race with Jimmy. I love running outside and I love 5Ks. It's been a long time since our last 5K.

Reflections After the Race

2010-12-21T06:47:00.000-08:00

I am truly glad I ran the North Creek Explorer Race on Saturday night.

I am more motivated to do more outside running and to do more challenging runs on the treadmill. I want to be able to keep up or at least see my BFL Tina and my son Jimmy if we run in a race again. :)

I am thrilled to report that I have had no knee pain since race day. Usually I work on legs at the gym on Mondays but I begged off. I wanted to be careful.

When my lungs cleared up a bit during the last mile, I probably should have worked a little harder to make up for the first two poorly run miles. I was so lonely though in the small race with its' small number of participants that I had little encouragement to kick it up a notch.

Bruce and my surrogate son Kianni seem to have the running bug now. They ran on Sunday and Monday and they'd like to sign up for the next race.

I think I will sign up for whatever race Tina does next. She's looking to run in February or March.

5K North Creek Explorer December 18. 2010

2010-12-18T21:31:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well. I've been having so much fun at the gym that I wasn't very interested in racing. I'd promised my friend Tina that I would run with her though and I like to keep promises, as best as I can. It's the biblical thing to do. God lent me His grace and I started to get excited about the race though and I'm glad I showed up and laced up.

There was a deluge of rain in our town today and I was so disappointed. I'd started running more at the gym and my knee pain returned so I went thru all kinds of emotions throughout the day. I was relieved on one hand to have an excuse to not show up but would have been disappointed not to actually run. I'm pretty sure that the knee pain is hardly anything to worry about though. The orthopedist said that didn't concern him at all. He says that it's completely normal for me to have some minor pain. I think the recent cold weather for FL aggravated it also. I don't stretch enough either. I keep forgetting!

So the humidity was terrible today after the rainy day. The humidity was 96% and it felt like 200% to me. I have asthma and it is very difficult for me to run in humidity. I was gasping for air five minutes into the race. It was terrible. It's hard to describe. It's somewhat akin to being in a sauna room in a gym with a bag over your head. Blah.

I waved Tina and Jimmy on and told them to keep running. I was so thrilled that they were running so well. I wanted to see just how well they would do.

It was a very small race though so that meant I got very lonely. 155 folks showed up for race day.

The previous races I have participated in have had an average of 1000 participants. I have always had a lot of company but there were many stretches in this race in which I was all alone. :( I'm a loner by nature and had no idea that I like running with a pack! There was a lady in her late 30s and her young daughter perhaps; they hung out with me here and there. I'd pass them and then they'd pass me. We went on and on like that for about 2 1/2 miles. Alas, I tried to outrun them in the end and failed. :(

IT CERTAINLY DIDN'T HELP FOR FIDO TO SHOW UP NEAR THE END OF THE RACE. I'm afraid of dogs and I had a run-in with a mean Doberman 37 years ago and an ugly dog in 2009. I ended up donning a baseball bat in 2009 and threatened the ugly thing with nasty words and promised him great harm. The ugly cowardly dog finally backed away. Fido was taller than the ugly dog though and I wasn't as confident. It's very daunting to run past a tall fierce looking dog. I yelled out for help from the police manning the race nearby but they couldn't hear me. I stopped running and timidly walked past Fido and all was well. Thank you, God!

Despite the smothering humidity, I was glad I laced up and showed up.

With all my troubles, I ended up running seven seconds slower than my last 5K on March 20, 2010. I finished number 7 of 12 in my age group. I'm disappointed but I shouldn't complain, being an older asthmatic runner of 43 years of age, who has only been running for 10 months. I couldn't run for four months, and had physical therapy. I just started running again four months ago. Fortunately, I've had no knee pain since race day.

I am so proud of our son Jimmy. He ran 38:54 on March 20, 2010 and yesterday he ran 34:25! How cool is that? He probably could have had a much better time but he stopped three times to re-tie his shoes. :)

My BFL, Tina, ran 33:55. This was her first race. I'm so proud of her. What a trooper!

I love God for giving us this fun hobby.

Gym Update

2010-12-18T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today was my fourth 5K. In my next entry, I will give the full race report. My previous race was on March 20, 2010. I had six months of running behind me and thought I should work on my speed. My speed work was the beginning of the end of running for a while for me. I started the speed work soon after my third race and the same day I started speed work I started having some nagging pain on the inside of my right knee.

I kept resting my knee, icing it, and compressing it without any success. Ibuprofen didn't give me much relief either.

I finally went to physical therapy after a few months and that helped a lot. I also learned to swim and that was a tremendous aid in my recovery.

My physical therapist Nita explained to me that my hamstrings and thigh muscles were weak and needed to be strengthened. I hated strength training back then and thought it so boring.

Nita and the orthopedist I visited thought that my knee itself was fine and that I'd strained my thigh muscles. After physical therapy and working out on the big machines I started to like the way my knee felt. It felt stronger and I liked that my muscles started to look more toned.

I decided to join a nearby gym to prevent re-injury. I didn't know how to use any of the equipment so I hired a trainer. Her name is Ildi McShae and I love her; she has helped me so much. Unfortunately though, I never have the time to run more than once or twice a week and it's usually on a treadmill.

Nevertheless, I have had great success at the gym. I love strength training. I used to be a hater (of strength training.) :)

I have made some minor changes in my diet upon Ildi's suggestions and my body fat has decreased from 27% to 16 %. I attribute that to aiming for 30 grams of protein per meal. One major factor, too, is that I consume a one egg/four egg white omelet six days a week, at the least. I throw in a little salt, freshly ground coarse pepper, onions, and yellow, green, orange, or red peppers. It is so filling, low in calories, and cheap. The other thing I've done is to decrease my sugar consumption. I don't crave it the way I used to now that I'm consuming more protein.

I also eat roasted chicken breast and a huge salad for dinner every night. I eat my heaviest meal at lunch and not at dinner. Additionally, I consume no carbs after 3 PM in general. Ildi explained to me that carbs are not needed after 3 PM and that "they just stick to your gut."

I've also lost an inch of my waist, dropped two dress sizes. The width of my hips has decrease as well as my brasserie size. TMI? Sorry. I'm a nurse.
:)

Race report to follow.

October 7, 2010 with Tina

2010-10-07T22:04:00.000-07:00

This morning I went for a short one mile run. It wasn't easy as my quadriceps and hamstrings were angry from yesterday's hack squat machine.
In the evening I visited Tina's huge 3 story gym. We had a great time. If not for our babysitters we would have stayed even longer. I worked on chest, shoulders, triceps and abs.

October 6, 2010

2010-10-07T22:00:00.000-07:00

I did some new very difficult exercises with Ildi today. The Hack squat machine (10 x 3 reps);reverse lunges while holding onto a bar, 3 reps; squats while holding onto a round 10 lb weight; leg press machine, 3 reps,:adductor, 3 sets with one set leaning forward; prone curls, 3 reps 30 lbs leg extensions; sit-ups 20 x 30 reps; lastly, 30 minute walk run intervals on treadmill. FUN.
This was all followed by a well deserved warm bath at home.

October 5, 2010, 7 A. M.

2010-10-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

Last week I spied a fellow at the gym with great running form and he runs fast! I asked him if I could talk to him before he left. I found out that he runs at a 9 or 10 m.p.h on the treadmill. He runs for fitness for about an hour. His name is Vinnie. He is 43 and has been running for 20 years.

I asked Vinnie his advice on how I could better prepare for a Turkey Trot 5K after coming back from an injury. I'm finding it difficult to prepare for that along with strength training, homeschooling, cooking, washing laundry, and working part time. :) He suggested that I run after or before my sessions with Ildi at the minimum.

I decided that I will add some cross training as well to increase my endurance. So today I did 30 minutes on the elliptical. I haven't been on the elliptical for a while so I stayed at level one and two throughout the half hour.

October 4, 2010, Monday with my trainer, Ildi

2010-10-04T18:18:00.000-07:00

One hour with Ildi McShae:

1. Pull Ups on Modified Pull Up Machine for lateral back muscles, holding bar wide. 15 lbs. X 2 reps
2. Pulls Ups on Modified Pull Up Machine for medial back muscles, holding bar close and inside. 15 lbs. X 1 rep
3. Seated Row: Lean forward and pull bar to stomach with chest stuck out, 40 lbs. X 3 reps
4. Lateral row, pull down bars 50 lbs. (super-set with Dual Axis Row/Rear Deltoid machine) X3 reps
5. Dual Axis Row/Rear Deltoid machine, 30 lbs. (Super-set with above)
6. Biceps macine, the heavier and harder machine, no weights, 15 X 3 reps
Seated decline biceps curls with 7 lbs. weights, 3 reps
7. Biceps curls on cable, 15 lbs. X 3 reps. Keep arms and elbows up.
8. Calf standup machine, 50 lbs.
9. Seated calf, level 4, 20 X 3 reps
10. Hyperextension on Roman chair, abs workout with 10 lb. weight, 20 X 3 reps
11. Abd cruch machine, lying down, no extra weight, 20 lbs. x 3 reps
Solo: Treadmill, 3 minutes running alternated with 1-2 minutes walking x 35 minutes, 4.8 miles per hour, no incline.

Stretching for ten minutes.

Progress

2010-09-18T19:31:00.000-07:00

I've made a lot of progress at the gym and that improves so many areas of my life. I'm more disciplined with keeping a schedule. My mood is more even. We are getting more school work done. My stamina has increased greatly.
On the nights I work 12 hour overnight shifts I have far more energy than I've had in the past when I reach home.
Ildi took some measurements of my body and measured my body fat, which was 29%. She will retake the measurements in one month. She would like me to get down to 23%. Ildi says that will take some time and first I will lose inches and gain some inches in certain areas. Once that occurs body fat starts to decrease. I'm not stressing over it at all.
Today I went for a swim for the first time in about three weeks. I am not a great swimmer and I feel more secure using a pool noodle. Regardless of my swimming skills I was able to swim for one half hour without feeling winded. I may as well have been sitting on the couch relaxing. That's just how great I felt.
I have a problem with one of my great toes. I hyper extended it a couple of weeks ago and it's a little sore. I picked up my orthotics this past Monday. They definitely give me more support. I started running at the gym on a treadmill about two weeks ago. I'm easing into it. My longest run has been fifteen minutes without walking. I may be able to go a lot farther if I do some walk/run intervals. I will give that a try if I can ever make it to the gym early enough.
Increasing my protein to 25 grams/meal has had a positive consequence. I no longer crave sweets. Yay! I limit them to the weekend.
I'm no longer able to drink fat free lactose free milk and that's sad. Unfortunately, it gives me chest pain about 20 minutes after I drink it. I purchased a plant protein powder drink with hemp, rice, peas, and Omega vitamins that I'm going to try soon. My kind sister gave me her barely used blender. I hope I like it. As long as it tastes different from soy I should be fine.
I'm looking forward to a Turkey Trot. I'm excited that my friend Tina plans to run with Jimmy and I. Bruce is even interested in running but I'm not sure he will follow through with that. :)

Transitions

2010-08-09T19:43:00.000-07:00

I completed Physical Therapy last week. I am very thankful for my physical therapist, Nita. I learned so much! I went on a couple of test runs that went well. Both runs were half a mile each. I had pain after the first run about four hours later. After the second run I had pain about 12 hours later. Truthfully though, I had no business up at 12 AM. I am not increasing the length of my runs nor am I going to run more than once or twice a week. I saw a podiatrist and I'm waiting for orthotics. I have been told quite a few times by varied health professionals over the years that I have flat feet and no arch. The podiatrist showed me the bones in my foot on an x-ray and indeed there is no arch. I don't think it is wise for me to run seriously until I have orthotics so I wait for them. I would like to run until I'm 70 or 80, Lord willing so I can wait for my orthotics.

In other news, I joined a gym. The gym has a relationship with my employer in which I pay $20/month for three months. My employer will reimburse me every three month the sum of $45. It's a great deal. I had my first one hour session today. It was awesome. My personal trainer, Ildi, guided me on upper arm, chest, and abdominal exercises. My favorite exercise was hanging at a 45 degree angle with my head toward the floor and then doing a crunch with my arms crossed in front of my chest.

I have to have my food ready to go after the gym. I had a banana right after the workout but had lunch too late. I felt as if I would chew my arm off and started to feel very ill.

Ildi wants me to have a minimum of 25 grams of protein three times a day. That is going to be challenging as I don't eat eggs or cheese. I was able to consume 79 grams today though. Ildi suggested that I have carbs in the daytime and not at dinnertime. Hmmmm?

I Won a Prize

2010-06-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts last week. It's called, "No Excuses to a Healthier You" with Jonathan Roche. I have been participating in a 12 week fitness challenge in which you log in the number of workouts you have done for the week. I was delighted to hear my name announced. I won a free six month subscription to Roche's forum. I love Jonathan Roche's heart for busy moms. He is very encouraging. Roche used to be overweight. Now he is now fit and has run 15 Boston marathons. One can call in his show weekly and get advice and tips on becoming more fit and healthy. Roche is affiliated with The Fly Lady. His shows are broadcast live on blogtalkradio and the archives are available on iTunes.

I'm delighted with my prize. Now I will have access to running plans for free and be able to get even more advice from Roche without having to call his show.

I'm looking forward to my doctor's appointment this week. I'm hoping that there is a good prognosis for my knee injury. I want to run again someday.

Until such time, I will continue to swim. On June 28th I will take a second swimming class. My goal is to improve my breathing technique and learn to float.

Test Run-Fail

2010-06-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

My last test run was a fail. It felt great to be running again until I woke up the next day. Ha.

I caved in and made an appointment to see a doctor at Cleveland Clinic. The sports medicine/orthopod I saw thinks I have torn my meniscus. The doctor seems very knowledgeable and he is affiliated with the FAU football team.

I am scheduled for an MRI on Monday. If the MRI shows anything I may or may not have something invasive done. Otherwise, I will start PT. "I just want to run again" I explained to the doctor. I definitely need to recover from the injury. I have difficulty carrying anything over 8-10 pounds. If I work two or more shifts at my job in a row the pain in my knee increases.

In other news, I am now a swimmer. Praise God for that. I'm also now a milk drinker. GASP. My calves were starting to hurt very badly. In the past the pain has disappeared if I have 1,200 mg of calcium pills per day. For some reason this was no longer helping me. I purchased some calcium fortified fat free lactose free milk. One eight oz. serving provides 50% of the intake of calcium recommended per day. It takes me quite a while but I am slowly able to gulp down 8 oz. I pretend it is medicine. Fortunately, I am not able to completely taste the full taste of the milk. Thankfully, my calves have ceased hurting so much. I like that I can add 16 more grams of protein to my diet for a mere total of 160 calories.

Test Run?

2010-06-01T18:09:00.000-07:00

I'm continuning to learn to swim. I'm able to swim from the 3 feet side of the pool to the four feet area. It's not pretty but I'm swimming. I spend most of my time kicking in the pool.

I do have pain in my thigh after my 12 hour shifts. After I swim the pain is eradicated.

I'm thinking about going for a test run tomorrow morning.

Stay tuned.

Learning to Swim

2010-05-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

In May I signed up for a two week swimming class. I've tossed the idea of learning to swim around for a few years. In the past I didn't have the courage. Running three 5Ks has given me courage and lessened my fear of the unknown. I mistakenly thought I could never be a runner or finish a race.
I don't know how to swim yet but hope to learn before the summer is over. Swimming is incredibly hard work.
I have a weak core so it took me an entire week to have the strength to get my legs above the water. I figured out that if I put my entire forearm against the wall I could get my legs up.
I'm getting stronger and now I can kick by just holding onto the wall.
At home two weeks ago I swam solo for a few feet. I give my two sons, 10 and 8 years old,for helping me get to that wall.
Yesterday, I finally made it to the wall alone as well. I haven't been successful besides those two times. I'm not discouraged though. It took all of my children a few years to become good swimmers.
In the meantime my leg pain is decreasing. My favorite part of the whole affair is that I am developing a mini six pack. Ha!
I plan to take another class in June or July. In the meantime I will keep kicking.

An Idea Sprouts Forth

2010-04-22T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have something called cubital tunnel syndrome in my right elbow. I ddin't get a lot of sleep last night. I had to take my daughter to the Emergency Room and didn't get home until 3 AM. I usually sleep with my right arm extended to prevent any pain in my forearm during the next day. Today I took a two hour nap. I tend to curl up my right hand when I'm very tired. I should have slept with my brace but I was too tired to retrieve it.
If I were still running I know I wouldn't be having this pain. Whatever.
I decided to do a Julian Michael Kickboxing video that I purchased at Ross for $4.99. I did it while seated. I'd had the idea a different day and my friend Crystal mentioned a similar idea. My heart did race and I worked up a sweat. It was fun. The pain in my forearm is now gone. I'm happy.

Recovery

2010-04-14T19:57:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Jonathan Roche today and last week from www.noexcusesworkouts.com. Roche is a certified personal training and he hosts No Excuses Workouts on blog talk radio every Wednesday. Last week he advised me that I needed to have a non exercise week. I didn't get it. Today the side of my inner leg hurt a lot during and after a 30 minute walk. After talking to him today I get it. Roche said that 30 minutes was too long. Next time I walk Roche suggested five minutes of walking and to add one minute per workout to that. I admit I was stunned. Roche believes that if I do not follow this advice my body will not recover and we will be having the same conversation in June & August.

April 14, 2010

2010-04-14T06:57:00.001-07:00

I miss running. I haven't been able to run since 3-21-10. :( A sports medicine doctor I visited recommended a regular bicycle instead of the stationary bicycle. FAIL. For now I will stick to free weights and walking. Boring. I'm grateful for that option though. Sadly, I will lose some cardio conditioning. At least I know what I am capable of doing. Perhaps I will take swimming lessons this summer?

April 4, 2010

2010-04-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

I saw a doctor with sports medicine knowledge this past Thursday. He recommended that I cease running and stay off the stationary bike for one more week. The doctor gave me an RX for a medication. I didn't fill it right away wanting the injury to heal naturally. I have a lot of allergies and hate taking new medicines. By Saturday, I decided to take the medication. I'd done a Leslie Sansone Power mile workout tape and the hip on the troubled leg hurt a lot and wasn't getting better with ice.

The medicine is helping a lot. It's in the same class of medications as Celebrex. It's not a narcotic. I no longer remember that I even have a leg. I'm looking forward to running again.

I received some terrible news Saturday morning while I was at work. I received one of those 3:30 AM calls that no one wants to receive. An uncle I was close to was killed on his bicycle by a hit and run driver. Today, I received some more bad news from a close family member. It is nothing that I can post on a blog. It was a terrible holiday for me. I spent a lot of time weeping. I am confident that I will see my uncle in heaven and I look forward to seeing him again.

1 Cor. 15:54, 55
54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”

Change in Routine

2010-03-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

I infected our computer with the Trojan virus. The wicked virus has been removed and I am glad to be back online with an update. We had to have our computer restored and had to buy another copy of Windows 7.
Sadly, I am not running right now. The flesh on the inside of my knee is sill inflammed. I refrained from running last week. The jury is still out on what I will do this week.
I have been walking; doing sit-ups; doing push-ups off the wall; lifting 3 and 5 pound dumbbells;riding on our stationary air recumbent bike; walking; doing water aerobics; and Sunday morning at 3:30 AM I shot some hoops from court to court at work on my 30 minute break. I ice my problem area as needed during this time of not running.
I love riding the stationary bike. I am able to ride about seven miles on it in 30 minutes and I can ride up to 21 miles an hour. I think that the use of the stationary bike on my non running days has been very good for my stamina. Perhaps that is why I unexpectedly shaved three minutes off my race time last week.
My troubled area does seem to hurt more when I get off the stationary bike though so I ice it before and afterward. My husband advised me to take it easy on the bike but that is so hard. I love cardio!
I don't know how to swim and I had a hard time trying to exercise in a jacuzzi. I thought the warm water would be good for my troubled area. I tried to kick off the side of the jacuzzi and it was very difficult for me. It felt like my thighs weighed a 1000 pounds. I'm thinking about taking swimming lessons this summer.
I purchased a basketball last night so I can keep shooting hoops this week without having to share my sons' basketball. I'm going to take the baseketball to work with me too. The basketballs at work all need air. Fortunately, we have a gym in the psychiatric hospital where I work and I can do something besides walking in the gym on my break at work. When you have months of running behind you it's a little boring to just walk around a gym. Ha.
I purchased some eight pound dummbells and a foam roller. I'm not sure but I think I have a tight IT band in my right leg. I'm planning to use the foam roller to relax that band and other areas of my body.
This week I plan to continue with weights, shooting hoops, and doing intervals on the stationary bike. Thereafter, I hope that I will be able to run again.

March 18, 2010, Friday

2010-03-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

I attempted to run two miles but was only to do one mile. I was up two nights in a row with my daughter during the early morning hours. She had an intractable cough.

Jimmy and I ran a 15 minute mile.

Another One Bites the Dust 3/20/10

2010-03-20T10:18:00.001-07:00

We received this carry keepsake bag/backpack before our race. The bag has a small hole on the front where you can put a cord through the bag from your ipod. Sweet. It's very light and would be great to take on long runs. We received four of them since both me and kids were running.
We had a great time at our race today.
We did something different before this race. We got up at 5 AM and we ate breakfast. I think that was a very good move. I ate too much of a breakfast. Even though the race started at 7:15 AM I got a side stitch about 2 1/2 miles into the race so next time I will eat a little less.
My son and I finished in 38:56 and our pace was 12:32. I never thought I would see numbers like that next to my name. At home, we have been running 15 minute miles.
Our last race results on January 9, 2010 were 41:55/13:30. We were very pleased with our score.
To my astonishment we had to go up a hill twice. Who knew there would be a hill in FL race? The hill was a bridge. We walked up the bridge most of the time on the first loop. On our second loop we ran up that some hill.
The temperature was about 70 degrees.
We took about 6-9 walk breaks. That included three stops at water stations.
The venue was spectacular. We ran thru beautiful a beautiful neighborhood downtown, passing yachts and exquisite cars.
There were quite a few dogs running too.
One of the highlights for me was the 5 mile racers who started 15 minutes ahead of us and were looping their way back to the finish line after 24 minutes.
Another highlight was a dad encouraging his one year toddler to make a few more steps across towards the finish line.
We stopped at a Publix booth after the race and also received very nice weekly activity logs and some great coupons. At Publix tonight, instead of $9 in coupons I had a total of $17 in coupons. It pays to be in shape, out and about at community events.
A lot of people were encouraging our 10 y/o. One lady explained to him that we would have finished more quickly but the Gator jacket I was wearing slowed me down. Ha. You see Jimmy got too hot and I donned his Gator jacket around my waist during one of our walk breaks.
Bruce and Bekah ran a 1/2 mile Kids' Fun Run. When Bruce realized that this Kid's Fun Run was more formal than the one he ran in January he became very frightened and said he didn't want to run. I had to pay for this Kids' Fun Run and told him to get ready because he WAS going to run. Bruce and Bekah did a great job and they both finished more quickly than I thought they would. Bruce was delighted that he went ahead and ran the race.
In the late afternoon at home I ran one mile to try and prevent stiff muscles.
Our 10 y/o and I mused that we both felt we could have continued running after the race. I reminded him that I'd tried to get him to sign up for the 5 mile race instead of the 5K race and he smiled.

Tendinitis?

2010-03-15T20:57:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, I ran five short miles. My eyes were stinging and burning after the run. I'm allergic to some flowers from trees all over our neighborhood and outside my bedroom window. The flowers also fell in my hair while I'm running.
I had to take Benadryl after my run and was so sick I went to bed short on calories for the day.

On Friday, March 12, 2010 I ran in barely noticeable drizzling rain. I ran a 15:30 minute pace which is a personal best for me. I ran two miles in 31 minutes.

I noticed on Friday or Saturday that the tissue next to one of my knees is tender and ever so slightly swollen. I used an interactice website called iVillage Health and all of my sypmptoms match up with tendinitis.

I did not run today as I wanted to rest my inflamed tissue for three days. I did rid my stationary air recumbent bike for 5.7 miles x one half hour, burning 349 calories. Isn't that a sweet number?

Being the lazy person I am I didn't bother to wear a knee brace I purchased last night nor did I take ibuprofen nor do I use heat or ice. My leg felt great until now so late in the game I am now icing it.

I had planned to run one mile one day this week and then two miles another day and then take off until race day. I'm wondering now if I should just take off altogether and just ride the stationary bike. Decisions, decision, decisions. I will watch and pray.

Five days until race day...

Fartleks

2010-03-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

Today was our first time doing fartleks. The first fartlek was difficult. I thought the other three were more bearable. Our 10 year old had a different opinion. He says the first, second, and third fartleks were equally difficult. The fourth fartlek was more bearable for him.
We ran an easy half mile. Next, we did four sets of fast 400 meters followed by 200 meter recovery runs. We finished off the fartleks with another easy half mile. Our ten year old did a great job. He skips some of his runs during the week so he isn't as conditioned as I am yet. I'm not bragging as I know that he will leave me far behind one day soon. I encouraged him to walk on the last two recovery runs. He loves running and I don't want him to hate it some day. We gave each other high fives, drank water, and had our lunch. It was a fun but hard and energizing exercise. I had a buzz for the remainder of the day.

Friday, March 5, 2010

2010-03-06T19:29:00.000-08:00

Today I ran my two scheduled miles. My pace was 17 1/2 minutes. I ran without walking and was full of energy the entire day. Jimmy wasn't able to run today. He told me his knee was hurting. On that note I went to the LRS to pick up his new shoes that I'd ordered. They look very cool. I will post a photo of them when I get a chance.
Jackie, the associate at the store is very kind. She's 20 years old and she has been running since she was 14. Jackie says she wishes that she had started at 10 like Jimmy. I thought that was a little funny. I guess I don't see much difference in four years. Now, of course, I wish I had started at 10 or 14 or 20 or even 30 years of age. Ha!
I reviewed my running schedule with Jackie and asked her how she thought I should plan my runs the week before the race. She is a very humble young lady and hesitantly gave me her opinion. I loved her suggestion. She suggested that what some do is to run one mile on my first running day of that week, two miles on the next run and then reserve the next run for race day. I think that makes sense and hadn't thought of it. She pointed out that everyone is different and that I should make a note of whatever schedule I decide to follow. If the schedule works out well she suggested that I follow the same schedule before my next race.
I bought some fun stickers that I'm going to stick outside our van. I'm going to put one next to our daughter's seat which reads, I Love Swimming. The one that I am going to place near our 10 y/o's seat reads, I Love Running. The one near my seat has a girl running and reads, Runner Girl. If there had been an appropriate sticker for our eight year old's seat it would have read, I Love Baseball. First, I need to clean the dirty van windows. :)

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

2010-03-03T19:37:00.000-08:00

Today was my long day. I was supposed to run eight miles. I was so proud of myself for getting up early enough to use my bronchodilator, have my cup of green tea, and head out on the road at 6:54 AM.
In the afternoon my sons asked me how many laps equaled the eight miles I ran. I hesitated and was taken aback. I realized that I had only ran 14 laps. Each lap is 1/2 mile and I was lacking two laps. I'd gotten mixed up with my run from last week which was 7 miles:14 laps.
Our 10 y/o hadn't gone out for his run yet so I told him to lace up and I would finish my run with him.
My error worked out for my good. My hips were stiff and the afternoon run tremendously loosened them up. In fact I think I will always save my last two laps on my long days for the afternoon.

Friday February 26, 2010

2010-02-26T09:19:00.000-08:00

Last night I did some push ups on the wall; some curls with dumbbells; and some triceps raises on a chair. This was an accomplishment for me. I dislike strength training but I know it will help me strengthen my core and improve my running form.
The temperature during today's run was 56 degrees. I ran my scheduled two miles.
My pace was 17 minutes.

I'm elated!

2010-02-24T18:36:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled. Yesterday I doubted I would be able to run at all today let alone complete my long run of seven miles today.
I did wake up during this morning at 0400 with some intractable asthmatic coughing. I took some guaifenesin and fell back to sleep at about 0500. I slept until 8:30 and felt so much better than I did yesterday.
I ran three and a half miles and a big downpour of rain started. There was thunder too so I went inside. I followed advice from another runner and didn't have my usual banana before my run. I wasn't sure how long the rain would continue and was starting to feel ill. I ate a tiny spinach salad with a small amount of chickpeas.
About 45 minutes later the rain had ceased. I gave the boys more school work to complete and then went back out to complete my seven miles.
I did have some minor discomfort from the salad but it was nothing to write home about.
The temperature was about 72 degrees. I drank 64 oz. of water that I kept in the van and a bottle of room temperature tap water in a big spray bottle. Every few laps I stopped for a drink of water and I sprayed my face and chest underneath my shirt with water. The water sprays were very refreshing.
My entire run/walk time was 2 hours and 27 minutes. My total running time was 49 minutes and my total walking time was 98 minutes. That's approximately 555 calories burned.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

2010-02-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

I ran for two miles per my schedule. I had a cold and some flu-like symptoms so it wasn't a stellar run. It was good to still be in the game though. I wasn't able to run without walking here and there.
Today it's cloudy. It rained this morning. Rain induces my asthma symptoms so I'm glad I ran yesterday.
My next run is supposed to be a seven miler. Hopefully, I will be much better by then.

Friday, February 19, 2010

2010-02-19T08:31:00.000-08:00

I felt unusually energized this morning despite a very bad post-nasal drip and sneezing. My allergies are really bad this morning.
The temperature was 52 degrees. It felt colder than that though. It was cloudy and damp outside. I think I might need a long sleeved wicking shirt rather than my 3/4 sleeve shirt.
I decided to run without walking today as I felt so awake and alive. I was also inspired by my friend Barbaranne, who is going to do the 20 minute run in her C25K schedule soon.
It took me 34 minutes to run my scheduled two miles. It wasn't very difficult. I may have to stop having a banana before I run though. I had a slight side stitch the last 1/2 mile. Towards the end I ran fast for 20 seconds at a time. I think the experience of running six miles on Wednesday made my easy day incredibly easy. Sometimes I chew gum when I run. I find that my mouth is a lot less dry and it's so fun. Ha! What a refreshing run!

Wednesday, Feburary 17, 2010

2010-02-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

I reached a milestone today. I ran six miles, folks. I ran a 10K. It took me two hours. I had some stomach pain for the first 35 minutes. I have no idea what the stomach pain was related to. I had my usual banana before my run. The last 1.5 miles of the run were grueling. My left thigh ached a lot. I had a runner's high for about 40 minutes after my run then the pain in my left thigh returned. I ended up taking Tylenol while I was running errands. I also was able to take a 15 minute nap later in the day. I really needed that 15 minute break.

I'm considering joining a running group or working with a coach to get help with my speed. Next month I will start working on increasing my speed.

I love one of our local running stores. I went there to buy our 10 year old a new pair of running shoes. His old shoes are starting to look worn and I want him to be prepared for our race next month. I asked the sales lady helping us if she knew anything about my Timex Ladies Ironman watch. She didn't and referred me to a very nice man who was very patient with me. He told me he would be willing to show me over and over and over again until I got it. Apparently, he does this all of the time for customers. He says he is the Timex man and another gentleman there is the Garmin man. The Timex man set up intervals for me on my watch. He said he would be happy to reset the intervals if I need to change them and can't figure it out.

I read an article in our local running newspaper here about Augie Leone. Mr. Leone is 80 yrs old. He picked up running when he was 70 years old. He has run in 29 marathons, 12 half marathons, and various other distance races. He says that things really turned around for him in the last decade. He ran the Boston Marathon in 2003 and qualified for a time of 4:29:24. Isn't that fantastic? Maybe there is hope for me increasing my speed, after all.

Monday, February 15, 2010

2010-02-15T19:19:00.000-08:00

Whew! Have you heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (S.A.D)? Well, yesterday and this morning I was suffering from Night-Shift S.A.D. I was exhausted and woke up this morning not feeling well. Moreover, I had pizza yesterday and didn't take any lactase enzyme pills. I was too lazy or tired or whatever to ask my husband to bring me the pills upstairs last night.

I ran two miles this morning. I was exhausted emotionally and physically from my night shift work this weekend. I work every Friday night and every other week I work 12 hours on Fridays and Saturdays. This was my Friday/Saturday week. My stomach was still unhappy. Due to stomach pains, I was really dragging and had to do 30 second run/walk intervals.

A man in a home improvement truck was working on a home nearby. As he was leaving the area in his truck he stopped to ask me how many laps I'd done. He imagined that I was doing many laps. I told him I was only doing two miles today and he looked impressed. I'm looking forward to Wednesday's run which will be 12 laps, a six miler. I'm looking forward to the day when I can run away from lapping and run to Publix or to the park. For now I must stay close to home to be near my three blessings.

Near the end of my run I had my second confrontation with an ugly dog. This dog was much smaller and I was not afraid this time. I shouted, "Go home! Leave me alone! Don't mess with me!" with my thumb on the button of my MACE for Dogs." The dog cowered away. Joy!

I crashed at 6:30 PM due to not eating enough protein and carbs for lunch. From 1 PM to 5:30 PM I had not food whatsoever. I can't do that, especially on a running day. A friend of mine was here and I was distracted. I ate at 5 30 PM but that wasn't soon enough. I prepared dinner for my husband and our children and collapsed into bed for two hours.

Next time if I'm visiting with a friend, I will snack on almonds or cranberries or a little tuna to avoid crashing.

I've been snacking since I woke up a couple of hours ago. Thankfully, God is giving me the self control to snack on healthy foods and not resort to my old stand-by of Ben & Jerry's or Klondike bars.

It's been a rough couple of days. Tomorrow's a new day.

God's mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-24)

Friday, February 12, 2010

2010-02-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

Today I ran for one mile. It took me 16 minutes. I didn't drink enough water yesterday. I think this is why I had to walk near the end of the mile. The temperature was about 60 degrees.
My weight is down 3 1/2 pounds and I'm happy about that. It's interesting that it would go down during a week in which I've decreased mileage.
Next week I will go back to my regular schedule which will include a six miler.

Wednesday, Feburary 10, 2010

2010-02-10T12:16:00.000-08:00

Today I'm one day shy of having five months of running experience.

I was scheduled to run one mile this morning. I am pleased to report that I ran the mile in sixteen minutes. That is slow for many runners but excellent for me, a new runner with asthma. With no previous history of regular exercise I am happy with my progress.

The temperature was 62 degrees and the wind was blowing at 14 mph. The wind made some parts of the run difficult. I took no walk breaks as I was timing how long it would take me to run one mile. I'm going to time myself every three weeks when I'm scheduled for a mileage decrease.

We have an recumbent exercise bike now and I used it for 45 minutes Sunday night. I plan to use it on my non running days. Above is a photo of our 5 y/o working out on it.

I'm signing our 10 y/o and I up for our third 5K today. The organizer is having a special today: $10 off for each registration in honor of the 10th annual race. The race is next month. We're looking forward to it. This will be our last race for a few months as the weather is going to get very ghetto here for a few months. There is no way I'm running a race here in the summertime.

Monday, February 8, 2010

2010-02-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

This week is a week of decreasing mileage by 30%. The purpose of the decrease is to allow my body to rest the older cells and give it an opportunity to create new cells. It is difficult to not keep running but I must have self control and follow the schedule I've created.
Today I ran three miles. I don't recall my pace.

Friday February 5, 2010

2010-02-05T11:12:00.000-08:00

Last night my husband and I had two ounces of champagne to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. I felt terrible this morning. I was sluggish and found it difficult to wake up. I didn't want to miss today's run as I missed Monday's run due to a cold.
I ran three miles today. There was a slight drizzle. The temperature was 74 degrees. Our 10 year old ran with me for a mile. Our other two children rode their scooter and bicycle for a half a mile.
I started out doing 3 minute intervals but didn't feel well. I switched to 30 second intervals after a mile and felt much better.

Five Miles!

2010-02-03T20:38:00.000-08:00

This morning I ran five miles. To date, that is my longest run. I felt every bit of the last mile. My right hip ached a little but I pressed on to the end. After the run I made made a point of eating within 15 minutes. Frequently, I don't eat for 45-60 minutes after running, which is unwise. After eating, I applied an ice pack to my right hip. The ice felt so soothing that I kept it on for 35 minutes.

It took me sixty-four minutes to run five miles. That's a long time. I stopped a few times for water. I have a cold and I'm taking Sudafed and an antihistamine; thus, I was very thirsty.

My albuterol inhaler expired in January 2010. It doesn't seem to be helping as much so I discarded it tonight. We'll see if the next inhalation from a newer inhaler proves to be more effective.

Next week I'm going to follow Jeff Galloway's suggestion of decreasing my runs by 30%. I would like my body to recover from the long runs I've added. Being an older runner I don't want to get hurt.

I am exhausted and drowsy tonight. Usually, I reach for sugar for such a time as this. Instead, I'm going to drink some water, travel the road less traveled and go to bed.

Feb. 1-2, 2010

2010-02-02T09:21:00.000-08:00

I missed my run on Monday due to a cold & general malaise. Besides that, it rained from 6 AM to 4 PM. I didn't feel well and I pretty much collasped from fatigue after we went to the boys' piano lesson.

I can't taste anything due to my cold but I keep eating. It's emotional eating and I've gained two pounds from snacking on junk. Yuck.

Last night I found a 20 minute strength training video and I did that. I'm reading a very good book by Jeff & Barbara Galloway called Running and Fat Burning for Women. Galloway explains that if you walk for 45 minutes or longer that's when you really start to burn fat. I believe it! This summer I walked for one hour a day from May to September and my body completely changed. I never knew one's arms could get so toned from simply walking. I'm going to start walking more on my non-running days.

This morning I walked for one hour. For the next 2 1/2 hours I chopped down a massive plant jungle on the side of our house. There were so many leaves that they filled up our practically empty dumpster 2/3 of the way. Our boys and daughter helped me carry all the leaves to the dumpster. My right thigh is a little store. It was a good workout!

Friday January 29,2009

2010-01-31T21:40:00.001-08:00

I don't recall my run but I ran two easy miles. The children ran with me part of the time. I did 3:1 run/walk intervals.

January 27.2010 Wednesday

2010-01-28T19:06:00.000-08:00

Temperature: 56 degrees
Distance: 4 miles
I'm using a training plan that was created for me at http://www.runnersworld.com/. I clicked on easy as the moderate plan looked too difficult for me.
Throughout the day I had to keep shoes on my feet. I usually always walk barefooted but I couldn't yesterday. I wouldn't say my feet hurt but they were not comfortable without shoes on my feet. Most days, I don't think about my feet. That was not the case yesterday.
I suppose my feet have to adjust to the long runs.
The run went well but by the last ten minutes I was annoyed and wanting it to be over already.

Monday January 25, 2010

2010-01-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

Today I ran 2 1/2 miles. I did run/walk intervals of 3:1. I ran for a total of 30 minutes and walked for a total of 30 minutes. The temperature was 78 to 80 degrees and the sweat was pouring off me. I had a cup of green tea before I ran and failed to have water. I had to stop halfway to get and drink two cups of water. I also got a towel to wipe my face dry. I have no idea what my pace was as I also had to stop to walk Bekah home.

Long Run

2010-01-25T06:07:00.000-08:00

Saturday, January 23, 2010

This was my first long run wearing my second pair of running shoes. The temperature was from 78-80 degrees. At some point there was a misty rain and a cool breeze.

I started a little late. When dusk came James & Rebekah followed me in the van.

I did interval running.

I ran four miles. The day afterward I needed a long nap. As I woke up, I felt very old during my nap and wondered if this was how it might feel to be 60 years old.

Documentation to compare with my next long run- 69:00 17:25

New Shoes

2010-01-21T18:20:00.000-08:00

I headed to the running shoe store on Tuesday wearing my four month old running shoes. The associate first commented on the way I tie my shoes. Apparently, she thinks I tie them too loosely. Apparently, she doesn't know how tough it is to get out of the house when you're homeschooling and you've got to get breakfast and lunch into little ones and then run errands.
She had me take off my shoes and schooled me on how to tell if they are worn out or not. She had the same pair on sale and my feet felt like a million dollars in the new pair. The old ones felt very loose and misshapen. The new shoes were on sale at 25% off. :)

I was somewhat incredulous that my shoes only lasted four months. I did run thru rain in them twice. I don't know if that made a difference. The associate claimed that most running shoes last five months.

I canceled my appointment with the Cleveland Clinic foot specialist which was a relief. It was scheduled for 8 AM. I would have had a difficult time making it there on time.

Unfortunately, I didn't take another pair of shoes with me on Tuesday. As I walked around town running errands my right foot started to ache. I wish I had thought to buy a pair of $1 flip flops. I was too much of a scrooge to walk around in running shoes around town.The next day my right hip hurt badly as well. I was afraid to run. Instead I walked for one half hour in walking shoes, of course.

Today I ran in the new shoes and had no pain in my foot nor my hip.

I'm a happy camper and glad to be pounding the pavement again.

I'm always analyzing things though and now I'm wondering if I should have perhaps tried another brand of shoes. Perhaps another brand will last at least five months.

*Note to self: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9
10.5 Width D

My Right Foot is Failing Me

2010-01-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

My updates are tardy due to a contrary and ornery computer. We got our computer back from the doctor today.
Wednesday I ran wearing a foot supportive brace.
Friday I had pain in my foot and I walked for one hour.
Today I tried to run with the brace and was unsuccessful. I was able to run with the brace on but my foot felt a little weird.
I thought it was a problem with my ankle but I think it is really my arch.
I made an appointment this coming Wednesday with a foot specialist at Cleveland Clinic. The sports medicine doctor was all booked up. The receptionist suggested that I see a foot specialist.
I'm going to visit a running store and ask them what they think about my running shoes. They are fairly new but I'm wondering if I need a better insole. Hmmm...

Recovery Fail

2010-01-12T07:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went out for my regularly scheduled run as I do every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. About 1/4 mile into the run I had great difficulty breathing and my right ankle hurt badly. At that point I remembered reading somewhere that you should take off one day per every mile ran in a race. Stupidly, I thought, well I've run before with aches and they just go away. I will just do one easy mile. That was a bad decision. I shouldn't have ran until today. Since my run yesterday, my right ankle has continued to ache. I also had some temporary pain in my right thigh. Frown.

This morning I'm having low back discomfort. I added some magnesium and zinc to my daily dose of calcium intake this morning as well as two extra strength Tylenol. This afternoon I think I will need to buy something to support my ankle.

Race Day

2010-01-09T15:22:00.000-08:00

This morning our son and I ran our second 5K.

I got more sleep before this race. I went to bed at 10 but woke up at 4 AM. I was unable to get back to sleep until 6 AM. Unfortunately, my alarm was set for 6 AM. :(

The weather was unexpectedly terrible. We were expecting a temperature somewhere between 55 and 59 degrees. Instead it was cold and raining and 43 degrees. We are asthmatics and we don't run well in the rain. We had a hard time breathing but we pressed on to the end.
Unfortunately, I forgot my watch in the hustle to get out early with three children, one who was being grouchy and uncooperative. Being a slower runner and at the tail end of the crowd, I imagined that we were running much slower than our previous race.
We were stunned to see the time on the clock as we approached the finish line. We finished 1.61 minutes faster than our first 5K two months ago.
I grabbed my son's hand and we held up our hands high up into the air as we crossed the finish line.

No Walking Today

2010-01-06T19:21:00.001-08:00

I made an executive decision today and decided to run instead of doing run/walk intervals. The temperature was 38 degrees. I will admit that the temperature influenced my decision not to walk.

For the first ten minutes my lungs burned. Thereafter, the discomfort ceased.

I ran with a big, long, and jagged stick in one hand and MACE for dogs in the other hand. I didn't see the unfriendly canine today.

My pace was 14 minutes.

I will take off from running until race day which is Saturday. I'm really glad I ran in the cool air this morning. If it's the same temperature on Saturday I can look back on today's run with some confidence.

The Dog or Me

2010-01-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

Today was my long run in prep for our second 5K this Saturday. I ran for distance instead of time today. Initially, I ran 3 and 3/4 miles. It was 51 degrees outside. I experienced quite a few things. I had some head pain, postnasal drip, a fleeting side stitch, and chest tightness for about 15 or 20 minutes. Whatever. I just kept running. I ran all sorts of intervals but mostly stuck to 2:1 run/walk intervals.

I have no idea what my pace was. As usual, I overdressed and had to stop and take off some of my clothing. I also had to return home to stuff my pocket full of Kleenex tissues.

I did have to keep my gloves on for the entire run.

After mile three I went inside for a water break. I also rolled up some dough and prepared it for a second rise.

I ended up running for about one hour. After 3 3/4 miles of running a big ugly bad red collared dog came at me twice. He was mean, threatening, and vicious. I didn't know quite what to do upon our first meeting. I knew not to run. I thought about jumping on a car but figured he would just jump right on the car with me. Unfortunately, I saw no sticks or rocks around anywhere. I just backed away from him and circled the car then retreated into the grass and disappeared into the inner courtyard.

I borrowed one of my son's bat and returned outside to complete the last 1/4 of my run. A kind neighbor asked me if I was OK when he saw me armed with a bat. He knew of the dog I had met and told me the dog had come after his 2 y/o son recently. That ticked me off even more.

Before I could complete my last 1/4 mile run, the dog appeared again out of nowhere in a completely different part of the circle. I was ready for this ugly canine this time. With my bat pointing towards his ugly face, I shouted at him, took a step towards him, and told him completely off. He challenged me for 5 seconds, retreated, and walked away like a coward.

Still I was nervous walking home. I kept looking over my shoulder. I called 911. A very kind officer came by. We had a nice chat and he gave the children mints. Officer Vinnie advised me to kick the dog under the mouth if he comes at me again. I asked him if I could purchase some kind of spray and he recommended Mace. I bought some tonight at a local Army/Navy store. I will be ready for that feisty dog if he messes with me on my brisk walk tomorrow. I'm going hunting for a humongous stick tomorrow too.

Tonight our son had soccer practice and I ran with his team for about 1/2 mile because I can. :)

Galloway- Week Three Day Three

2010-01-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Walked two hours at the mall yesterday to find new walking shoes. I have a big and wide foot. Shopping for shoes is a chore for me.

Ran one mile today. It took me forever-18 minutes. It I stopped a few times to allow Jimmy catch up with me. We ran 3:1 intervals. The temperature was 80 degrees but it felt a little more hot to me. I think I'm also running slowly because I walked a lot this week. This is the week I'm supposed to decrease my running by 50% anyway.

My next running day is Monday. I'm planning to run four miles but I will break it up into two runs. Galloway recommends two separate runs for the older novice runner who wants to do a long run.

Week Three Day Two

2009-12-30T19:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I did a lot of errands. I walked so much that my feet started to hurt. My walking shoes are ancient. I have contrary big wide feet and I avoid shopping for shoes as much as possible. I'm going to have to buy some soon though. I need some decent walking shoes.

After today's run I started to have some shin pain. I haven't had that for about two months. I'm sure it's related to the bad walking shoes. It's bad enough that I caved in and took two Tylenol.

I ran 4:1 intervals today instead of 3:1 intervals. That was a mistake. I have no idea how much walking I did yesterday but by the end of the day I could barely walk due to extreme pain in my right foot. I felt fine when I woke up so I thought I could handle 4:1 intervals.

I will make this an easy week. Friday I will redeem myself by being kind to my body. I will do 3:1 intervals. I am only going to run one mile. I will walk for the remainder of my exercise time.

Next Saturday is race day so I think I will do a long run of four miles with 3:1 intervals on Monday.

Wednesday I will do a 30 minute run of 3:1 intervals. Then, I will take off Friday and drink 6 oz of water every hour.

That's the plan...

Galloway- Week Three Day One

2009-12-28T09:16:00.000-08:00

Our 5 y/o daughter donned her running shoes this morning. She joined me and ran for about 1/8 of a mile and then hopped on her bicycle. I ran intervals this morning. I did intervals of 5:1; 3:1; 6:1 and two 8:1 intervals.

The weather was a pleasant 58 degrees. Midway thru the run the sun started kickin'.

I'm unsure of my pace this time as I had to stop to get our daughter's bicycle for her and then drop her back home. My run was about 37 minutes long.

One of my favorite parts of my run is when I feel like I can take off and fly. It feels as if an impermeable brick wall is removed. My friend Carloyn says that's my "second wind." To me it feels like a first wind because the first part of the run is a little challenging.

Week Two Day Three

2009-12-25T18:46:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas!

I ran a practice 5K today. I did 3:1 run/walk intervals. It was fun to run while listening to the Original soundtrack of "A Charlie Brown Christmas.".

To my surprise I've shaved six minutes off my 5K time. This is after following Galloway's suggestions for only two weeks. I was able to run 3.1 miles in 37 minutes. In comparison, on Thanksgiving Day I ran 3.1 miles in 43:16 seconds. I was really pleased that I didn't feel wiped out afterward.

The temperature was 80 and the humidity was over 80%.

Save Now

Galloway Week Two Day Two

2009-12-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I mailed our registration forms for our next 5K. The funds will help to take care of children in an African orphanage.
Today I got off work at 0730. I ran some errands then slept from 1100 to 1500. I rested until 1600. I prepped for my run. My prep includes one cup of green tea 30 minutes to one hour before my run plus two puffs of my bronchodilator 1/2 hour before my run. The green tea has caffeine which helps to dilate the bronchioles in my lungs. Popular thought claims that green tea helps to increase metabolism of fat too. Mu ha ha!
My 10 y/o son ran with me for 15 minutes. We did 3:1 run/walk intervals.
After approximately 27 minutes of running I picked up the pace and ran very quickly. I felt like an airplane about to take off. :)
After one to two minutes of picking up the pace, I felt a little wheezy. I tried a tip I read from a member on http://www.sparkspeople.com/. I cupped one hand around my mouth and nose and breathed in the warm humid air. It seemed to help.
My next scheduled running day is on Christmas. I think I will run as scheduled. If not, I will delay my next run until the day after Christmas.
I was surprised to learn that after weeks of being stuck at 132 lbs. I am down to 130 lbs. It's funny because last week I decreased my running by 30% and I had about 1,000 calories of buttered popcorn and Coke at the movies on Thursday.

Galloway Week Two

2009-12-23T19:35:00.001-08:00

This past Monday was a day of firsts. It was a my first time running in cool FL air. The temperature was a pleasant 52 degrees. My son had no interest in running with me in the cooler air. My lungs were not happy. Today was also my first time running with our new ipod nano. I placed it in an armband. I felt very carefree and less weighted down than when I run with my iphone in it's heavy Otter Box.
I stopped to talk to a neightbor who expressed some interest in joining me for my runs. I told her about Couch 25K. I don't know if she's serious. She promised to check out the training schedule at http://www.coolrunning.com/.
I had some encouragment from a couple of cheerleaders during my run. A landscaping worker was trimming bushes, flashed his gold teeth at me and told me to "Save some for tomorrow!" Another neighbor shook her fists in the air and said, "Keep it up. Exercise. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout."
After my run I had the energy to help our daughter do a deep cleaning of her room. I think that the run/walk intervals are working out well.

Galloway Week One

2009-12-23T19:28:00.000-08:00

December 14-18, 2009

The last few weeks of Couch 25K were grueling. I felt very fatigued. My body was starting to shut down. On my running days and the next day I was longing for lengthy naps.
After reading Galloways' Book on Running I decided to follow some of his suggestions. Firstly, I decreased my running by 30%. Secondly, I decided to run intervals as he suggests for the older novice runner from age 40-60. I've also increased by water intake up from 64 oz. per day. Thirdly, I started running 3:1 run/walk intervals. I felt much more energized after decreasing my total mileage this week from 6 miles to 4 miles.

Bump Off a Log

2009-12-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

This is a running blog and it serves as my running log.

I am a former bump on a log. Now I'm off the log and I'm running three days a week.

I started running on 9/11/09 using Couch 25K. I completed that program on 12/14/09.

I'm working on running a 5K with better timing.

My 10 y/o son and I ran our first 5K on Thanksgiving Day. Our time was 43:16 and our pace was 13:56.

We are running our second 5K on January 9, 2009.

We are following Jeff Galloway's suggestions and training for a better 5K by doing run walk intervals of 3 minutes of running to 1 minute of walking for 30 minutes.