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September 29, 2010
WiW: Week 27
Weight: 146.2
Waist: 30.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5
Ahh, I feel like I can finally relax a little! I think two races in two weeks was too much. It was hard to figure out when to train and how much and how to hit the sprinklers and giving blood wasn't the brightest idea, either.
I wasn't sure how I would feel on Monday. I'd been feeling sort of overdone, but I ran a fairly fast 30 minutes (at least I think it was fast, the stupid iPod kept time but stopped recording distance partway through).
Today started out with a trip to IKEA, where I bought a couch in two giant boxes that I got to load into the van by myself. When I got home, I got to unload them by myself, too, and then assemble the sucker. Then a PTA function for which Rex and I got to make and wrap 120 hot dogs and then help serve them. That alone will make me sore tomorrow. I considered pushing my run til tomorrow, but I got off my ass and did a short run tonight instead. And I totally rocked the pace! I also did the whole run taking three steps per breath (I usually move quickly to two per breath).
Mostly, I'm just happy that I've finally broken the weight curse of Weigh-in Wednesday.
Posted by me at 10:37 PM | Comments (0)
September 25, 2010
Murphy Maize Days 5k
Ugh.
That's all I have to say about that.
Oh, wait, this is a blog all about me, by me. You have to hear me whine. Ha!
My goal going into this race was to run the whole thing, and hopefully finish as well as I did last week.
The day started out great: 72 degrees, light drizzle. My kind of weather. I actually slept some last night. I had friends racing, friends and family along the course cheering, and no major pains or discomforts.
Which is why I'm so pissed that I had to slow to a walk. THREE TIMES.
Yeah, yeah, I finished, yada yada yada. Go me. And I didn't walk a lot, maybe a half mile total, maybe less. And my time wasn't terrible, 32:54. (Race results here.)
Still, I'm not considering this a success. And now I'm left with the dilemma: do I try another race in the hopes of meeting my goals, or admit that I dislike racing even more than I dislike running and let it go?
Posted by me at 10:57 AM | Comments (1)
September 22, 2010
WiW: Week 26
Weight: 148.0
Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5
Today is the 6 month mark of starting Weigh in Wednesday. Which makes it quite a kick in my (big, squishy) tushie that after several weeks of (slightly) lower weights, today I am back up to where I started.
Meh.
I've had an off and on headache since Sunday's 5k. Giving blood today, when I was already feeling a bit wonky and trying to get ready for another race on Saturday might not have been the best idea. The wonky increased after they took my blood. I'm not usually affected. I really don't know if this is all in my head, if something else is going on, or if this is just one more reminder that I'm getting old and old sucks.
Meh.
I ran on Monday, even though I had done the 5k Sunday morning, mostly because I didn't want to shift my runs and miss my sprinklers. Yeah, I love them that much. I just did a short run, and then a fast walk. I was planning to do a 4 miler tonight, but after the blood donation, I pulled that back to a short run with the option to walk. Which I did, a bit.
So now I'm terrified that I'm not going to be able to pull it out for Saturday. And while I'm fairly sure I shouldn't be doing any hard training the night before the race, I may have to do something just to prove that I can.
Meh.
Posted by me at 9:17 PM | Comments (0)
September 19, 2010
Test run
I was planning to break my race cherry next weekend at our town's annual celebration of corn. Instead, I unofficially ran a 5k in Richardson's Corporate Challenge in order to earn a participation point for The Man's company. Sadly, we didn't sign up soon enough to be on the roster, so I didn't have a chip to get a real time. On the up side, Rex walked with the kids, and they walked the whole course and still had enough energy to run across the finish line. I'm so much more proud of them than I am of me! Their time was about 1:01:00.
About the run: I started toward the back of the herd, and it was at least a minute or so before after the first people crossed the chip reader before I did. I assume the clock started when the first person started the race, so I'm guessing I can subtract a little time off what the clock said when I crossed the finish line. I had planned to take my own time using the iPod, but I had an issue getting it started at the right time, and then I forgot to stop it when I crossed the finish line for at least a minute or so. Because of the information the Nike+ records, and what it doesn't, I can't even calculate my overall pace reliably. In any case, the clock read 30:46 when I crossed the line, which puts me at better than a 10 minute mile. Take off a minute or so for the slow start, and I'm guessing the reason this distance was so hard today was because I was going at a really fast pace (for me). And there were hills. Did I mention the hills? They weren't big, but it seemed like the entire distance was going up or down, but never truly flat.
After I finished, I took a couple minutes to douse myself in a fountain, sat until I didn't feel like I was going to die anymore, and then headed back to the course to try to find the rest of the family. It took me a while, and I probably walked another couple miles finding and crossing the finish line with them.
It was more fun to cross as a family than it was to finish the race fast and alone.
Posted by me at 8:56 PM | Comments (1)
September 15, 2010
WiW: Week 25
Weight: 147.4
Waist: 30.5
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5
The end of last week was sort of a bust. We had Pei Wei for dinner Friday, and while I was careful not to eat too much, my run was still cut short. Not because of a full stomach, but because of a weird reaction my guts seem to have to Chinese food. I was hoping to have a do-over on Saturday and meet my original 40 minute goal, but I pussed out after 20 minutes. The part that pisses me off the most is that aside from my gut issue on Friday, the rest of me felt great, and like I could have handily made my goal.
I vindicated myself on Monday with a 40 minute run. It was humid, and while my legs weren't *too* bad by the end, I was working really hard to breathe for the last 15 minutes. I'm actually impressed that I stuck it out.
Today's goal was 40 minutes, unless I was feeling awesome at the end, in which case I'd do 45. I split the difference, and according to my Nike+ I was a bit slow. Honestly, I think the mileage was a bit low compared to previous runs on the same path, but I'm not going to fight it too much. I'd rather figure out why my iPod isn't recording the first time I set it up. Something odd is going on with that thing, and I don't like it.
I'm unofficially running a 5k for the Corporate Challenge on Sunday, so I'm planning a short run for Friday. With a 5k on Sunday, I haven't quite figured out what to do next week. I'd love to take Monday off, but I'm unwilling to give up a week of sprinklers, and I still want to get three runs in.
I also haven't made an official decision on the half marathon, although I'm on target for Week 1. My Monday run for next week is supposed to be 5 miles, which obviously isn't going to happen, so that might end it. I'm not sure I'm ready to move up to 5 anyway, although I guess that's just the fear talking.
Posted by me at 9:28 PM | Comments (0)
September 8, 2010
WiW: Week 24
Weight: 148.4
Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 24
It's pretty bad when I can complete my runs and still be slacking. It's also sad that running a 5k feels like phoning it in. Who have I become?
It's not helping that I had one not-so-bad eating day that led to a worse one that led to a bag (the GIANT size) of peanut butter M&M's. My mind says I'm pudgy, the scale says I'm pudgy, the mirror says I'm pudgy. Any one of those tends to lead to a loss of control, the three combined has me wondering what the point of all this work is.
And yet, I press on.
Posted by me at 10:08 PM | Comments (0)
September 1, 2010
WiW: Week 23
Weight: 147.8
Waist: 31
Hips: 38
Thigh: 23.5
The last week has been both awesome and horrible.
On Friday, I ran 4.5 miles in 45 minutes. That's the longest I've run, the farthest I've run, and one of my better paces. I give credit to cooler weather and the sprinklers. LOVE the sprinklers.
Saturday night, my throat started hurting. By Monday, my throat was improving, but the congestion was moving in. I did a short run, and it actually wasn't too bad.
Until Tuesday morning, when the congestion really set in. Today, I decided not to push it. I feel like ass, I'm stuffed to high heaven, and the coughing is just beginning. It's not worth making myself so miserable, but I hate missing a run, especially on a nice cool, wet night.
I'm really hoping I'm better enough by Friday to go out, both because it's supposed to be cool, and because I don't want to lose all the awesome I achieved last week.
I still can't believe it. Four-point-five miles, and I felt decent at the end. It's mind boggling.
Posted by me at 12:18 PM | Comments (2)