This week so far . . .

It's coming back, and easier than I thought! I think I can actually do this thing!

Monday I did a spin class, with my favorite instructor. Great music, and a really hard workout that actually fits the beat and style of each song. It was tough, but I worked hard. I actually worked extra hard because I got there late and the only two bikes left were in the front of the class. nothing makes you work harder than knowing that everyone is looking at your butt. And by late, I mean I was 20 minutes early for the class. That's how awesome she is. There was only one other spot open when I signed up. Her classes are the only ones that go THAT quickly. (And some don't even fill up half way.) I also happened to sit two bikes over from a former student of mine, so it was a lot of fun catching up with her. Needless to say, it was a fun time and it totally kicked my butt, but in a good way.

Tuesday I was planning on doing some weights, but my sickness (some sort of throat killing flu/cold/thing) was giving me grief, and my back has been all tweaked weird and has giving me a lot of pain. The back pain cut out about half of the weight lifting exercises, and I didn't have much energy, so I decided I just needed to do something. I actually wasn't even going to go to the gym, but Simeon was kind of driving me crazy and I needed a break from him. My "something" turned into 2 miles of running and another half a mile or so of walking. I felt a lot better afterward since I accomplished something and running always helps me deal with the Mother of a 2 year old frustrations.

Today I actually stayed home from work. I felt pretty lousy this morning, and honestly just needed a break. But as the afternoon wore on, I started feeling better. I decided to shoot for my long run today anyway. Why? I have no idea. Seriously. No idea whatsoever. I went ahead and went to the gym. I knew it'd be tough, so I brought The Lightning Thief with me to read and distract me. Honestly, running goes by really fast when I read. The first 2 1/2 miles were really tough. I had a side cramp that would not go away. I had eaten pizza for lunch which felt as though it was not digested whatsoever and just turned into a hard lump in my stomach. And I'm still sick. Why was I doing this? I have no idea. But Percy Jackson kept me distracted enough that time ticked away quickly.

I was at 3 miles and had this weird logic that in my head makes sense, but out loud sounds crazy. I thought, "I just have to run 1 more mile, and I'll be at 4 miles. Once I hit 4 miles, I can reach my goal of 6, because it's just 2 more miles." I know. This from the girl who avoided running like the plague and only 9 months ago could only run a minute or two before walking. But it made sense in my head (and actually still does), so I went for it. Not only did I do it, but I went from an 11.5 to 12 minute mile pace to a 10 minute mile pace on the last mile. Partially because training that way helps you stay strong and get through the end of a long race. But mostly, it was to get it over with that much faster.

So, I did it. Six miles. And while I felt nauseous from the pizza rock in my gut, and I was exhausted from being sick, I honestly feel like I could have really pushed myself through 3 more miles. (And my legs feel great!) That's when I realized, I can do this. Under crappy conditions I could push myself through 9 miles. I really think I can do this. My goal is to run the whole 13.1 miles. I would really like to do it under 2 hours and 30 minutes. That would be about 11 1/2 minute miles with water stops. I'm a slow runner, but I think it's doable. But honestly, my goal is to run the whole thing. That in a of itself will be amazing!

Road to victory, here I come!

The Final Countdown . . .

So I went to the NAMI walk at the Sam Lena Park this morning with Kyli, Lani, and the whole gang. It was a "5K walk" to support the National Alliance for Mental Illness. But, I didn't want to walk and then go out running afterward, so I ran instead. There were a handful of other people that did as well, so I didn't feel so silly.

Even though my calves were randomly sore (I have no idea how, but they felt like I had majorly worked them out - maybe I'm doing calf raises in my sleep?) I went ahead and ran two laps. It worked out well since I started in the front of the pack and by the time I ended I was passing the last part of the pack. The first half mile was rough, but it always is. Then I found my groove. A little after the first mile, I felt some twinges in my shins and joints, but they quickly went away. I'm noticing this happens pretty much every time I run, and right after a mile or so.

When I finished the first lap, I felt really good. Not winded. Not tired. I looked at my stopwatch and saw 23 minutes . . . Either I magically shaved a third of my mile time off, or this was a two mile track. Yes, I am truly a slow runner. I average an 11 minute mile. I later found out that it is indeed a two miler. No problem! So, I went back for more!

The second lap wasn't so bad either. My breath and heart felt fine. My legs felt fine. But I was starting to get a little tired. I actually wanted to go one more time around, but as I mentioned before, the group of walkers were all finishing, and I wanted to spend some time hanging out with the people I came with.

We enjoyed some Eeggee's and relaxed a bit before heading out. All in all, it was a great start to my day. I was especially excited that I ran 4 miles with no problem, and that I could have gone more. Now I need to make a game plan, since I have four weeks left . . .

Here's what I'm thinking (I'm making this up right now) . . .

Mon - Spin (It's ridiculously fun and is hard cardio with low impact)
Tue - weights
Wed - Long run - 6 miles (Reid Park x2)
Thur - weights
Fri - 4 miles
Sat - 5 miles (maybe in between Gen Conf sessions)

And the final countdown begins . . .

well . . .

. . . after a week of no exercise, I'm running tomorrow because I ONLY HAVE FOUR WEEKS!!! ACK!!! Wish me luck because it's feeling more and more like a suicide mission. *positive thoughts*positive thoughts*positive thoughts*

I think I can . . . I think I can . . .

So far, this week is going pretty well. Monday I did spin, which made me too sore to do any cardio until Thursday, when I ran 3 miles on the tread mill. Friday I did another spin class. It's coming back a little better than I thought it would.

This morning I was going to go to the gym but I was swayed by the beautiful weather and the fact that Simeon was at home with Cruz. (Don't think he slacked at all - he had just gotten back from a 9 mile run. He rocks!) So, I passed right by the gym and went to the River Walk. It's so beautiful and I love running around other people who are exercising. They're always so friendly and there's this positive energy that just keeps me going. My three favorite places to run or exercise are the River Walk, Reid Park, and Sabino Canyon, for those reasons. I remember a few years ago when I was getting into running, I was running at Sabino Canyon and started walking up this huge hill when this older guy who was running started cheering me on. I made it up the hill running. :) I just get this joy being around other people in the same boat - trying to finish their run/bike/walk or just enjoying nature. You very rarely run into someone grumpy in one of those places.

So armed with John Meyer in my iPod, I ran almost 4 1/2 miles this morning. It went well. My knee is a little sore (the one I couldn't bend properly for over a week), and I was pooped after staying up late and getting up with a screaming Simeon in the middle of the night, but all in all, it was great! Here's my map: http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/az/tucson/906126911244832719 I feel encouraged now that I really can do this half marathon. My goal right now is to run the whole thing and finish.

A Journey . . .

Well, I said this was going to be a journey. I was kind of hoping for a smooth and easy ride, but of course that's not life.

I had to take it easy about three weeks ago because I started feeling that twinge in my left inner leg again. I ran some, and did some spin classes to keep up with my cardio. It went away and I was getting back on track. A nasty cold while in Anaheim slowed me down to walking 16 hours in Disneyland rather than running at any point, but I still stayed positive. I was excited to get back and start running and try to catch up on my "schedule." Ha. Ha.

So, Cruz was home two Mondays ago and I decided to take advantage of it. I went for a morning 3 mile run before work to start the day and the week off right. Half Marathon, here I come! I was doing pretty good, and it felt great to be running again. Just as the thought "Wow! This run is going well!" I found myself on the ground. I tripped. And banged my knee on a rock. Actually, split open would be a better phrase. I felt a little dumb and was being flooded with pain as I called Cruz. I kept him on the phone as someone who saw me fall gave me a ride home. Thankfully I was almost done with my run and was just around the corner from my home.

Cruz doctored me up, since I got nauseous if I looked at my knee too long. I didn't think of myself as squeamish before then, but I had to lie down so as to not pass out. I probably could have gotten stitches, but since the gash was only about an inch long, we just used surgical strips and "new skin" to close it up. The worst part? It was over my knee cap which means . . . no bending my knee. I had a week of hobbling around, not being able to bend my left leg. (Why do all the injuries happen to my felt leg?) I even caught Simeon imitating my limp, kicking his straight left leg out as he walked. He thought it was pretty funny. Actually, I did too. He also thought it was funny to run away from me at the store since I could only hobble after him.

It's now been two weeks and I can finally bend my knee. It's still pretty bruised, so I can't kneel or anything like that, but I can move my leg again! Now comes the real challenge. My half marathon is in 6 weeks. I need to build up my running while going slowly so I don't get shin splints again. Yesterday I did a spin class, and it went better than I expected. I did have ease up a bit during the last 10 minutes since my knee was just starting to get a little sore under the heavy resistance I was pushing. I really want to just jump back into running full speed, and I have a strong push to do that so I can be ready for my race, BUT I really don't want to deal with any more shin splints. So, my plan is "slow and steady wins the race." I'm going to do as much cross training as I can to make sure my cardio is where it should be, and slowly build up my running. That way my legs can ease into the impact again and I can work on the mental side of running.

So, that's the plan. Six weeks to go . . .