Week 6, Day1 - Movin' right along

Week 6, Day 1
Monday, March 30, 2009

Brisk 5 minute warm up followed by:
Jog 5 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 8 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 5 min


Theory...

My theory about jumping back to small runs, building up to one long run on Friday is two-fold. The first part of my theory is that the short runs is equivilant to doing less reps with heavier weights. I heard a long time ago that when lifting weights, you could do a LOT of reps with less weight and get leaner muscles more inclined to endurance. But if you did LESS reps with heavier weights, you would get bigger more defined muscles inclined to more strenghth, but less endurance.
I think this is where the program is headed. Since we only have 9 weeks to complete the program, I think the small runs are designed to give us more strength. The endurance is worked on during those last few long runs, but the strength is being built up through the first six weeks. Since I've determined that it's always harder the first few minutes, I think the program (today for example) is making you rest a little between runs to get your heart rate back down, only to get it back up again. Kind of like reps.
The second part of my theory is just to give you more rest between the first long runs. Friday was the first time I have been a little sore after (more stiff than sore) the run. But it's the first time I've felt like I had an actual workout the day after.

Looking Ahead...
I see that if every thing goes as planned for the next 19 days, I will have cut 4 days out of my plan.
When I ran 20 min and 1.5 miles that equates to about a 13.5 minute mile. At that pace I would be at right over 40 minutes for the 5K. Keep in mind the plan only goes to running 30 minutes (That would only be about 2.25 miles for me).
If I go as scheduled, I'll be up to 28 minutes in my plan. So I need to figure out to find a way to make this gap smaller.
I can include my 5 minute warm-up walk into the actual race. That will give me a little less running time, and since my body is used to that, it would be a good thing to do.
But that would probably only knock about 2 minutes off my running, leaving me with 20 minutes that I'm not prepared for.
Option #2:
Accelerate the plan. I have 8 workouts left. I could do this:
1) Jog 22 minutes
2) Jog 25 minutes
3) Jog 28 minutes
4) Jog 30 minutes
5) Jog 32 minutes
6) Jog 35 minutes
7) Jog 38 minutes
8) Jog 40 minutes

That's looking pretty good to me. I could still do my 5 minute walk at the beginning of the race, to ensure I'm properly warmed up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Update: I only ran 15 minutes yesterday, followed by 4 min walking, followed by one more lap (1.5 min)

I don't know if it was the heat, or the track. But I was bummed.

Even my blueberries are cheering me on...

Week 5, Day THREEEEEEE

AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's the dreaded actual workout workout. This is it, this is trial by fire.

The TWENTY MINUTE jog. Can I do it? Will I survive? Or will I end up a crumpled pile at 0.8 miles????

I'm laughing at E -- he's living vicariously through my blog. Hahahahahaaaaa - Oh to be able to jog that coveted 0.7 miles! I do hope you get well soon -- I now know how much it STINKS to be benched because of an illness.

Well, I'm waiting on Donald to walk through the door so I can go out it. We have a party tonight, so I have to get out the door, do it, and back in and cleaned and ready in, well, less time than I actually have to do all that.

If I can get through those first 5 minutes, I'm just going to go until I can't go anymore. I will take my phone in case I need a mid-neighborhood scraping off of the pavement by Donald.

Wish me luck -- it's GO TIME.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And GO, I did. I went ONE and ONE HALF MILES. 20 minutes straight. YEAH!

I can do this after all! I'm 1/2 way to 5K

At this point, there's not much else to say. My victory speaks for itself.
(and I went up my biggest hill yet! woooooooo hooooooooooooooooo!)

Week 5, Day 2

Week 5, Day 2
Wednesday, March 25, 2009

I'm pretty sure you can deduce how I felt before the run -- very apprehensive, and well aware of the rain and cold that crept back in. (Although, I still contend that cold drizzle is the absolute BEST to run in. I haven't enjoyed warm weather runs nearly as much as cold weather runs).

So here was the schedule:

5 minute warm-up walk followed by:
Jog 8 min
Walk 5 min
Jog 8 min
Walk 5 min

After the Run:
Well, as usual, I stuck to the roads since it was raining. I figured I was done for -- finished -- defeated.

I started out up the big hill for my warm up, and nearing the top I decided I'd go out on the main road and down a parallel street to ours, and through the back roads to our neighborhood (I was mentally picturing less hills). So that is what I did -- running some in grass, and dodging cars. There was a hill that was a little steeper than I remembered, but not too long in distance. I went back afterwards and checked the distance in my car -- 0.7 miles in 8 minutes.

Yup, that's right. I jogged eight minutes. I am a MACHINE. I still haven't reached a mile, but c'mon. EIGHT MINUTES. As usual, right around the third minute I was thinking how UN-fun running is. It always gets me right around the start. But once I got into it, and at the end of the first 8 minute run I felt like I could have kept going.

The second 8 minute jog was typical too of my previous days -- around the last 1 - 1.5 minutes I have to dig -- I focus on the ground and just pull all I have out of me. But when it was all said and done, I felt fantastic. I actually felt fantastic through the whole run. But I kept thinking, this must be the one in five Erich was talking about.

What can I say, I couldn't stop smiling for about 15 minutes after I got home. I think my lungs are finally clearing up from the crud, and I'm back on my way.

But 20 minutes..... ????????

(Oh, merely having the nerve to leave my neighborhood actually showed confidence that I could get back home in decent shape. And when I walked up our driveway, today was the first time my legs didn't hurt when I got to the top wooooo hoooo!)

Week 5, Day 1 again

Week 5, Day 1

Monday, March 23rd

Brisk 5 minute warmup walk followed by:

Jog 5 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 5 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 5 min

Today's Challenges:
It's ALL a challenge these days. My lungs are still not up to what they were pre-sickness. And I barely made it through last week. I see other runners on the track that just run forever and aren't the least bit out of breath.

Before the Run:
It's warm today, so the heat will be a factor. I am going to try to make it through this. Wednesday will go to an 8 minute run, and by Friday I'm supposed to be able to run 20 minutes straight. I have to say... I lack confidence in myself. My schedule got ruined, and I just don't think I'm going to make 5k by April 18. I might have to check into that walk/run plan for a 5k, seeing as I'm already one week behind, and don't have much hope for completing this week on schedule either. But at least I'm still out there trying, right?!

After the Run:
It's the next day. I did complete this "run". It was hard, and I was huffing and puffing. It's a good thing I'm wearing earphones these days, because I'd probably be horribly embarrassed if I could hear myself!
All I could think about is "how the heck am I going to run for more than 5 minutes, much less 20". I just think that's an unreasonable goal to go from 5 to 8 to 20 in one week.

I'm not going to stop trying, but I just think it may take much longer for me to reach the 5K than just the original 9 weeks.

Just to get an idea of how fast I could theoretically run a mile: I can run 2.5 laps in 5 minutes.
6 laps = 1 mile
1 lap = 2 min
6 laps = 12 min

So, I'm doing about a 12 minute mile.

I think that Wed will be a stretch with 8 minute runs. But after Wed, if I can do it, then I may make my goal to run AT LEAST one mile if I can't do the whole 20 minutes.

I've got four weeks before OI5K - If I can run at least one mile, I could run 1, walk 1, run 1. But let's see how the next four weeks go....

Week What, Day Who?

Week What, Day Who?

I'm not sure. I did week four:

warm-up 5 min
Jog 3 min
Walk 90 sec
Jog 5 min
Walk 2.5 min
Jog 3 min
Walk 90 sec
Jog 5 minutes

It was painfully obvious to me how much ground I lost. But I did make it through. Barely. I did raise the roof and praise Jesus when I was finished.

I'm just one week behind. If I can do week four again on Sunday when I get back from my laaaadies retreat, then I can begin week five on Tuesday next week.

Does it ever get any easier? Will there ever be a time when running a mile seems like a piece of cake? Because I was dyin' out there today.

Back at it...

You can ignore my Week 5, Day 1 post. I'm not there yet.

I got back to it today with some apprehension, because I'm still having a lot of trouble with my asthma from the cold. I planned on doing Week 5, day 1, but ended up with this schedule:

Warmup
Jog 5 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 2 min
Walk 3 min
Jog 2 min

My back and hip were hurting and my legs were weak. My breathing was not as good as it has been, but it was not the big issue. It was mostly the weakness. I think that is coming from having been sick.

I think I will treat Friday's run as Week 4, day 3 and hope my strength has improved by then.
And I don't care what anyone says. Running in the cold beats the heat any day. Today was not all that hot, but with the setting sun directly on me it was just HOT.

I do feel tons better, but I am set back one week. I may have to walk part of the 5k, but I'm going to keep at it until it gets here.

Week 5, Day 1

Week 5, Day 1

Brisk 5 minute warm up walk followed by:

Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 3 minutes
Jog 5 minutes

Notes:
I am aware that I didn't technically finish week for, or even do two whole days in week four. And I've also got a lot of stuff left in my lungs. I think I'm over the sickeness though, I've just got the lingering crap that will cause me to hack for weeks to come. Seems to me that it would be okay to run anyway. And since this schedule doesn't seem all that daunting to me (maybe I'm just really tired) I might just try this. My asthma has really kicked in since yesterday though (maybe running in the rain while I'm sick isn't such a good idea after all?)

I found a really cool website that has podcasts tailor made for this running program. Someone who is a bigger nerd than I am took the time to put together music and timed it to each week's program. So you get music, and the guy talks to you and tells you what to do next. It saves you from having to keep looking at a watch. Brilliant.
I've finally overcome the need to listen to my feet hitting the ground to be able to breathe properly, so I love the idea.

I hope I continue to enjoy running for a long time. I honestly look forward to it, and am really excited when the day comes when I can get out and just run a mile or three.

Mid-way Pictures

Well, I had a miraculous recovery this afternoon. I just suddenly started feeling a lot better. Somebody must have been praying for me. I went out and did half of my week four work out. I decided not to push it. Although I felt pretty fine, and am even breathing much better now that I'm done. I did:

5 minute warm up

Jog 3 minutes

Walk 90 seconds

Jog 5 minutes

Walk 5 minutes

I took mid-way pictures. The angles are bit different as Donald took the first set, and I had to use the timer to take these of myself (I also had to crop Donald passed out on the couch out of them).

I see a small difference. Mostly just a little trimmer through the hips. Not as much as I would have hoped, but progress is progress no matter how small. I did weigh four pounds less at the doctor yesterday than I did back in November.

Fishy Sock - pictures

I've got two socks pictured below. The first sock you see is the one I've finished for Lorelai. This is a remake. I'm going to make another one the same as this for her (except the fishie will be facing the other way, so they can talk to each other). The second sock was my first attempt, and is modeled by Jordan. She wanted to be like sissy and wear a sock and have her picture made. I have to say, the sock looks better in pictures than it does in person, and it actually fits Jordan better than it did Lorelai. I may make Jordan another one to match. But the "waves" at the top didn't turn out very pretty. I think the wave pattern is meant to be used on a flat item that is bigger so you can appreciate the big waves (I even shorted the wave length to try to make it fit better).

I remade it the first time because I wasn't sure I loved the first one. Now I'm not sure I love the second one either, but Lorelai does, so that's all that matters.

Here they are:

LORELAI:

JORDAN:

Sick

Woe, woe is me. I can't believe I've gotten an infection in my lungs. I've gone SEVERAL years now without any kind of chest cold (that I can remember). I've had sinus infections, strep throat (for the first time in my life), and regular old colds. But each time I was fortunate to avoid it getting in my lungs, and triggering my asthma. And every time I thanked God, because I know for me and my asthma it could mean a trip to the e.r. But now, here I am exercising and taking my Advair faithfully, and it gets me.

Of course, I can still thank God, because without the running and Advair, I would probably be in the hospital by now.

If I weren't on a schedule, and only 4 weeks into this, I wouldn't worry so much. But I'm so afraid when I'm well again, I'll be back where I started.

I'm on day 2 of my antibiotic, so I am hoping that if not tonight (because I'm still pretty congested), then by tomorrow I should feel better. It's the prolonged coughing crap up that I'm worried about.

I'm a little perturbed at the whole situation, but there's no one to direct my perturbed-ness at, so I'm basically just sitting around crying because it's the only way to release my anger.

Knitting News

I did not make the fishy socks. Not for entry in the contest anyway. I am making fishy socks for Lorelai out of different yarn though, and I'll put pictures up when I get one done.

I haven't heard back from knitty.com yet, which is actually encouraging, because they said if you don't hear it means you're in the queue. BUT I'm not getting too excited because it's only 10 days after the deadline, and the issue doesn't come out until June 1. I'm sure they have tons of entries to look through, and I didn't get mine in until the last minute. So I'm not going to hold my breath.

My carpal tunnel is acting up, and my left hand feels numb a lot. Erich diagnosed me, and said he was surprised I didn't get it before now. But I have had a trouble with that hand on and off for years. Before now, it's mostly been pain. The tingling has only happened once before a few years back.

I have a feeling my knitting might be put on hold for the summer while I tend to my garden. I also have another project underway, but I'm not ready to reveal it yet.

Samantha knows, and, oh great, I know how well she keeps secrets! ;o)

But when I know more about it, I'll share it!

Week 4, Day 2

Week 4, Day 2
Wednesday, March 11

ON HOLD

I have a cold, and a cough. And from my experience with my asthma, I can tell by the way the cough feels there's a bit of upper respiratory infection going on. I am also pretty certain I'm running a fever, so another sign of infection.

Hard headed as I am, I would normally run anyway, but I found this info on coolrunning.com:

"Exercise definitely affects the immune system which is fighting whatever viral infection you have. High intensity exercise has been linked with suppressing the immune system1. Which means that if you workout at a high intensity you may actually be making things worse!

If the symptoms you have are 'below the neck' such as aching muscles and a hacking cough, or chest congestion DO NOT workout that day and rest up. Working out places stress on the lungs and heart. If the heart and lungs are already under stress through an infection then exercise will just stress the body more and may actually lengthen the time it takes to recover from that cold."

So, I will sit out my running for today. If my chest congestion is gone tomorrow I will run then.

I'm distressed about missing a day, but I don't want to make myself sicker.

Pray for me to get well soon, so I don't lose my 4 weeks of training so far!

Week 4, Day 1

Week FOUR, Day 1
Monday, March 9, 2009

Brisk five minute warm-up walk followed by:

Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 5 minutes
Walk 2.5 minutes
Jog 3 minutes
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 5 minutes

Okay, I've just completely foregone the format of this blog. I need to write BEFORE I go, and then again AFTER. I promise to do better.

Wow. Did you read that itenerary? That's 16 minutes of jogging with only 5.5 minutes of walking.

And ya know what? I did it, I did it, I really really really diiiiid it. (Sung to the tune of the "I'm naked" song by Lorelai).

I went back to the track, but after having been wet and walked on it was like running on huge rocks. It was littered with footprints and holes. And I don't mean once in a while, it was solidly bumpy. Yes, solidly bumpy.

And my ankle hurts. I'm sure that's what it's from. Ibuprofen, here cometh I.

But ya know what? I did it, I did it, I really really really diiiiiid it.

Did it almost kill me? Yes.
Did I want to quit? Yes.
Did I quit. NOOOOOOO. I am TIRED of being a quitter.

And I just looked forward to Friday, and all the sudden quitting doesn't seem all that bad, really. :o)

But tonight there were (and I counted) 15 people on the track, and several more standing by. All people who could ridicule and judge. As a matter of fact, I ran past one Hispanic couple on my second lap, and I heard the lady say "two" and something in spanish that sounded like "circle". I knew she was talking about the fact that I ran past them twice. I think they must have had a bet, because she sounded genuinely surprised. And to let you know I'm not just paranoid that everyone is talking about me, she went on to say (and you must insert your own ghetto-ish inflection here) "I'm not tryin' to run". And the man said something to the effect of "Run!" or "Go!". Then I heard them arguing over the fact that he said something to me. "I only said run!"

Okay, that was a completely unnecessary story, but I told it to make the point that people were NOT riduculing me, they were JEAL-OUS. Get some.

I'm going to take my Advil now.

Week 3, Day 3

Thank you Samantha and Erich for supporting me. I love you guys for loving me enough to care.


Week 3, Day 3


Friday, March 6, 2009





Brisk five minute warm-up walk followed by two repetitions of the following:





Run 90 seconds


Walk 90 seconds


Run 3 minutes


Walk 3 minutes





Today's Challenges:


Donald was late getting home, and it was almost dark when I got finished





Today's Motivations:


It's been three whole weeks, and my clothes are starting to fit like they used to





After the run:


I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I miss the cold weather. I already think it's much nicer in which to run.


I ran past the mysterious "lake" that's supposed to be hidden back in our neighborhood and it sounded like a million singing somethings -- tree frogs, insects, who knows. But it was beautiful. It did make me look even more forward to spring. I'm just not looking forward to the heat.





Otherwise, nothing new to report. Same old story for tonight. Next week..... uuuuuuuhhhhhh..... will I survive? I am really really really hoping to get back onto flat land for next week.





Here's my wall chart: 9 down, 18 to go -- I'm 1/3 of the way through (almost done with page one!)
I think at 4.5 weeks I'm going to take pictures of myself again to see if I can see a difference.

Week 3, Day 2

Week 3, Day 2

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Brisk five-minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

Jog 90 seconds

Walk 90 seconds

Jog 3 minutes

Walk 3 minutes

Again, I'm dispensing with the challenges and motivations, because today's post is after the fact. I'm slipping, I need to get back on my game.

Since the park is likely still muddy from the melting snow and slush, I again ran in the neighborhood. Which reminds me, I need to write a follow-up letter.

Dear Hills,

I kicked your ASS tonight. Huh? Get some!

Yours Truly,

Carla

I ate those hills like they were breakfast with extra breakfast.

I rocked it yesterday evening. Normally when I'm running, I'm calculating in my head which direction I need to go to avoid running up the hills. It's a complicated process. But yesterday I took the hills head on. For my warm-up walk, I walked all the way up our road, which is a very steep hill. On one particular turn-off in our neighborhood that dead-ends into some trees, I normally go only to a certain mailbox that begins the steep climb, but yesterday I went all the way to the end.

I did all my segments. I nearly died on the last jogging one, but it was uphill (small hill). And now that I'm over my bloated-ness I feel quite, and almost fit this morning. I feel better than I have in years. When I get up from a sitting or standing position, my legs don't cry out for mercy. They're actually quite accomodating now.

And as of Friday, it will be three weeks. And, as Sam says, three weeks makes a habit.

I meant to look in the storm drain yesterday to see if my inhaler was still there, but it was during that last push, and I was concentrating on just putting one foot in front of the other, so as I went by it just looked like a blur. Not because of my speed, mind you, because I could barely see straight.

Another good thing I noticed last night. Before I started all this, I would lie in bed some nights and my heart would just pound, and it would feel like it was shaking my whole body. Last night I could feel my heart beating, and it was this nice, steady, strong feeling as opposed to feeling like I was minutes away from cardiac arrest.

8 down, 19 to go. I AM a RUNNER.

P.S. I made a healthy dinner for myself last night. Black beans and rice with chow-chow. YUMMY. I took a picture of it because at the time it looked very beautiful to me.

Week 3, Day 1 - Early

Week 3, Day 1 - Early
Sunday, March 1, 2009

Brisk five minute warmup walk, then do two repetitions of the following:

Jog 90 seconds
Walk 90 seconds
Jog 3 minutes
Walk 3 minutes

I'm going to skip today's motivations and challenges, because today was an impromptu run. There is a big winter storm "comin' rait forus". And there is expected to be anywhere from 1-3 inches of snow on the ground tomorrow. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing snow is not the best thing to run on, especially since there's likely to be ice mixed in.

SO - despite my husband's wild-eyed "your psycho" looks, I got suited up and headed out the door in the cold March rain.

I've eaten more than my share of oreos in the past two days, and don't even talk about what else I've eaten. I seriously need to get that under control. I promise myself I'm going to work on that beginning NOW.

Okay, so cold, rain, winter weather warning. I'll be honest. I didn't do it all. The rain for some odd and crazy reason makes you run faster. Which, in turn, put me off my rhythm, which in turn ruined my breathing, etc. Also with the rain coat on, as my arms swooshed against my sides, and with a toboggan and hood on, it sounded like 100 birds singing right in my ear.

Speaking of 100 birds, there were at least that many in my back yard this morning stuffing their little bellies because they know the snow is coming. It made me wish I had a bird feeder.

Another funny story -- I had my inhaler in my coat pocket. It stayed there nicely until I ran past a storm drain when, "plop" it fell right out of my pocket in to the drain. Seriously?! It's like it jumped right out! On my way back by, I looked down and there it was. Although there was so much water rushing over it I had to study it for a minute to be sure that was really it.

So, I only ran one minute of my last segment, which means I only ran 6 minutes in all. But I will still call it a sucess. Until I get pneumonia of course.

I just want to stay up to speed. And I'm going to judge next week, hopefully I can run Wed and Fri and then decide if I need to repeat a day next weekend. If not, I'll get back to my normal schedule next week.

Oh, and when I got home, Donald was standing on the front porch with a towel in his hands shaking his head. I'm not sure if it's because he loves me and is proud of me, or because he didn't want me to bring my wet clothes inside. :o)