Week 2: Run 2

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

I fully expected as I set out for my run to have nothing to say about it this morning. I write these entries as I'm running sometimes. Thinking about how to cleverly tell you that I had cramps that made me want to crap my pants is a good way to forget that those cramps are real and that I might actually crap my pants.

I had 4 miles to run last night, and was planning on doing it all on the track. On my drive home when I hit Vermont, I saw my mileage thing tick over. My tripometer doesn't work, so I can't see tenths of a mile. I watched it my odometer until it went to another mile, which conveniently happened right in front of my house. So as I rounded lap 7 on the track I started to think if I did my second 2 miles on the street it might ease some of the boredom. All of lap 8 I was freaked out about leaving the track, which is when I decided that I needed a little push out of my comfort zone and onto the street. The rest of the run was nice, it felt good to run through my neighborhood. My only problem was the stop lights. I'm not comfortable with jogging in place, especially at big intersections. I feel like everyone is watching me. So, I just stand there. And then I think everyone's judging me for not running in place. The inside of my head is very tormented. I don't really know what to do about it, except try to not think about all the cars and all the people in the cars, especially since when I run the marathon there will be a lot of people specifically standing on the side of the road to watch me (and thousands of other people) run.

Yesterday was my 4 week anniversary of quitting smoking. Yay me!

Week 2: Run 1

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3

This is what goes on in my head on my way home from work, and then when I'm actually home, and then when I'm getting dressed for my run, and then as I'm procrastinating by fooling around with the TiVo.

You could just run tomorrow, it's super cold. But it will be cold tomorrow. And you hate waking up. You could run tomorrow night. But then you'll have to run three days in a row and you won't enjoy tonight like you will tomorrow when you don't have to run. Who are you to tell me that I won't enjoy not running? But you'll feel so superior and smug if you just run tonight. I'm not running TONIGHT! I am eating. I will eat tonight. Eat and watch tv and catch up with myself. I should go for a run though. It will be so much better if I just run in the morning. It will be brisk. It will be freezing. But the street lights are out again tonight and it is dark. And it is cold. I will run tomorrow. Or just get dressed and see how I feel. I will put on these bandaids and then I will have to run. But it sure is looking dark and cold. Tomorrow morning will be dark and colder and you know how you feel about waking up.

And on. And on. And on. Until I'm finally on the track, running. Freezing. But feeling very smug for convincing myself to just get it over with. I hope this gets easier. Or it warms up. Or someone gives me some awesome running gear for Christmas.

Week 1 (ACTUAL): Run 4

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 3-4

Beautiful day on Saturday. Clear, crisp and brisk. My run was good. My iPod was almost thrown into the lake from frustration. And I almost punched a dumb smoker standing on the sidewalk who purposely wouldn't get out of my way, causing me to have to dart off the sidewalk and almost twist my ankle. I gave her the finger.

This week I have 3, 4, 3, 6 miles to run.

Week 1 (ACTUAL): Run 3

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3

I wore three sports bras last night. THREE! And the run was fine. It's been pretty cold outside at night, but I'm trying to deal with it.

Week 1 (ACTUAL): Run 2

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 4-5

Last nights run totally killed me. I had the wrong sports bra combination on and it was so painful to run. On the last three laps I was actually holding the boobs up. My form was a mess. My knees were killing me and it was very unpleasant. We've been moving and I am sore from that, so added with the bra sitch I was in hell. Hopefully tonights run will feel better.

Louie was a doll and gave me a massage. Love that man.

Tonights run: 3 miles.

Week 1 (ACTUAL): Run 1

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3

I ran completely without my iPod on this day. It was so weird hearing my own breathing. My form felt funky, but I really worked on it and my breathing and the miles flew by.

Week 1 (Part 3): Run 4

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 4

I ran on Saturday morning. The day was gorgeous. Clear sky, beautiful views of the mountains, crisp breeze. I ran with my iPod, but dropped it off at my house on the way by. Brought water with me (which is totally doable and am glad I did because it made my run so much more pleasant). I felt so good after this run that I started thinking ahead to the marathon, and knowing that I can probably do it. I will survive it.

Week 1 (Part 3): Run 3

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3-4

There is nothing more satisfying than running Thanksgiving morning. You feel so self righteous. It was a gorgeous day, the sun was shining, but there was a chilly breeze. I ran with my iPod, but it was the beginning of the end of that I think. As these runs get longer I might feel badly about giving it up. But during my daylight runs, it seems a shame to miss out on the sounds of the morning.

Etc.: How I am doing this

JQ asked in the comments below if I'm reading any kind of book to train. And, the answer is yes. I'm reading "The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer." It's a 16 week training program designed not to increase your speed or make you a super athlete, but to take the average non-runner and make them a marathoner.

The training is mostly about distance you need to run, but it also gives invaluable information on how to achieve those distances.

I have a 4 mile run tonight, and while I'm kind of dreading it, because it's my Friday, I'm also glad that I have this small bit of structure in my life right now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Week 1 (Part 3): Run 2

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

I don't remember much about this run, it's been so long ago, but I think it was pretty decent.

Week 1 (Part 3): Run 1

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3-4

Running on the track is kind of awesome and kind of the worst thing ever. But let me start at the beginning.

I got home last night starving. I think my stomach stretched a bit from all the eating I did this weekend and I couldn't wait to snarf down leftover chicken, stuffing, potatoes and corn casserole. Then I put on my pajamas and made like I was not going to run. "Fuck it," I thought to myself. I don't have to do anything. I'll run when I want to. I got under the covers and watched Desperate Housewives and Related. Which is when I decided to get up and go for a run.

Now, running on the track has its goods and its bads. Goods, flat terrain, soft surface, easy run. Bads, sometimes I forget which lap I'm on (twice it happened last night), sometimes there are people hovering behind me, pacing me (I'm super slow, I don't know why anyone would want to pace me) and sometimes it's super boring. That aside, I do like the track. I like having other runners around. It makes me feel more safe. And I like that it's close to my house. I can run 3 miles without having to run 3 miles away from home. Last night for some reason I could not keep track of which lap I was on. I was working on my breathing and my form and every time I'd round the start bend I'd think, "Was that 7 or 8? Shit." So, I ran until I'd run 32 minutes because I wasn't sure if I was really counting right and when I finished three miles in under 30, I was sure I'd screwed up. I have no idea what my point was.

Also I ate a shit load of Peanut M&Ms yesterday. I felt really guilty about it. Hopefully the cravings for food are going to settle soon.

Week 1 (Part 2): Run 4

Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 5

I had a really tough time on this run. Cramping around mile 1.5 (again. I must be pushing too hard in that first mile...) and then I started to feel really thirsty (It was 90 degrees out. In NOVEMBER!) and then I got the chills. Which, I'm no doctor, but know that's not the best thing to be happening to your body when you're exercising in the heat. So I slowed way down, still running, and instead of going into the park I went up Riverside along the I-5 (not recommended).

I survived, but honestly, I was beat. My feet were tore up and I wanted to quit. I have to figure out how to keep my feet from shredding every long run, and also how to carry a water bottle with out wanting to fling it away from me at the first sign of trouble.

Week 1 (Part 2): Run 3

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 3-4

I ate before I ran. That was a mistake. Also, I'm out of bandaids so my feet kind of bothered me.

Five mile run on Saturday! Woo!

Week 1 (Part 2): Run 2

Scheduled: 4
Actual: 4
RPE: 3

This wasn't a tough run. I think my lungs are finally starting to feel the effects of not smoking and it's affecting my run in a positive way. (I have no idea how to use 'effect' and 'affect'.)

I worked on my breathing and my arm form, still very confused about what they're supposed to do, but it's coming along. They feel best, oddly enough, when I drop my arms completely and then slightly bend them at the elbow. So basically I look like a girl I used to watch at the track who I thought ran weird. I would think terrible thoughts about her Seinfeld-esque arms. Like she was some sort of freak. Now, I am the freak.

My iPod continues to plague me. Last night the power died at mile 1.5. I had nothing to keep me from going crazy while running like a hamster on a wheel around that track. The book says I'm supposed to try and be more positive about shit like that. Like if my legs start to hurt, I'm supposed to think, "Hello pain, come run with me." But when my iPod dies, all I can think is, "Goddammit! COME RUN WITH ME BITCH! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU!??" And that doesn't seem very positive.

Run tonight: 3 miles

Week 1 (Part 2): Run 1

Scheduled: 3 miles
Actual: 3 miles
RPE: 3

I had a pretty easy run last night. I worked on my form (which I've been reading about) and my breathing. The arm form is the one I'm confused about. Basically, I used to run like a girl, but I once read this millitary training book and got into the habit of running like a marine. Now I'm hearing that I will tire more easily if I run like that, so they're sort of suggesting I return to running more 'loosely' which means now, I'm running like a girl again.

No run tonight.

Week 1: Run 4

11/12/05
Scheduled: 5
Actual: 5
RPE: 4

Louie was so sweet this weekend.

The end.

Just kidding.

Not about him being sweet. Oh, nevermind.

My car's tripometer is broken. So I can't really get a good idea of how far things are while driving in my car. I can round up or down, but not be exact. And I am all about being exact for this running thing. God forbid I run an extra tenth of a mile, or even worse run less than I'm supposed to. (Actual, let's be honest running more, way worse than running less.) So I told Louie he had to drive me around and help me find a 5 mile running route. Which he did. Sweetly. Even when I started yelling about THE LIST OF THINGS HE'S NOT ALLOWED TO DO! (It appears in all caps in my brain. Quitting smoking has been so AWESOME!) Louie gets the gold star this week.

There was a point on my run that I got cramps so badly I thought I was going to crap my pants. Thankfully, I did not.

Tonight: 3 miles. Cursed track.

Week 1: Run 3

Scheduled: 3
Actual: 3
RPE: 4

I think I've reached the point at which I'm sufficiently sick of running on the track. I tried to switch it up last night by running two miles the normal way, and the third mile the other way around. But that didn't help much.

I'm going out with Louie to find some routes around the neighborhood.

Saturday's run: 5 miles.

Week 1: Run 2

It was raining. I was tired. I now have a brand new blood-blister on my right big toe that looks like a fat tick. Of course, I wore flip-flops today to work. Everyone should see the glory of my tick-toe.

Scheduled distance: 4
Actual distance: 4
RPE: 4-5

A couple of you wondered what RPE stands for, it's from the book I'm using to train, it's Rate of Perceived Exertion. It goes from 0-10 with 0 being no exertion and 10 being Maximal Exertion. I really need to get a heart rate monitor, but I'm hoping Santa might come through on that one for me.

Today I have to run 3 miles.

Etc.: Um. HA!

Quitting smoking, I don't know, gave me ADD.

I was just reading something, and I opened a new browser window because I was sure I needed to look at something else. But...couldn't remember what that was. A fraction of a second had gone by and I had no idea why I was looking at a new browser window.

Also. I just went down to the gross candy dispenser in the copy machine room. It's one of those put a quarter in, turn the knobby thing, and flip up the metal doo-hickey to retrieve your candy type-machines And snarfed down two handfulls of Peanut M&M's that I'm pretty sure are circa 1922. But! I didn't smoke a cigarette.

So... lack of focus, check.
Inability to remember things, what?
Rotten candy, check.

Week 1: Run 1

So, I officially started the marathon training last night.

Scheduled Distance: 3 miles
Actual Distance: 3 miles
RPE: 4

(those stats are for me)

I had a long talk with Allie about the LA Marathon (she ran it 2 or 3 years ago) and she gave me a little boost, saying, "You could totally do it. Not that it's easy, but if you're training, you could totally do it." So, yesterday I started. I ran 3 miles and thought I was going to die. The pack a day habit is over. Starting.... NOW! I didn't have my usual 3-4 cigarettes on the way to work. I thought about that 4-5 times. So that wasn't so bad. Louie is in for a treat! I might be cranky, but I won't taste like cigarettes!

Tonight I will be running 4 miles.