3rd Interval Workout & Butterflies!

I've been trying to figure out when I was going to get my workouts in this week. I want to be able to train 4 days a week - but its really hard to get that many in- esp in they are supposed to be evenly spaced!!! YOWZERS!

So today- I decided it's been several days (thurs night) since I got to try to Run... and since I just got new shoes yesterday- (from Luke's Locker on Oaklawn! Great place! I ended up with some fun Asics and learned I need a "Neutral shoe"! I also purchased running socks- who knew you had to have special socks?!) I wanted to test them out!!

The day was AMAZING and I didnt' want to waste it! I changed in my office; put on my new Danskin pants and T-shirt (from Walmart), laced up my new shoes, got out my ipod and my new arm band thingie for it & headed out the door to Eastfield College where they have a great 1 mile track! I was ready to go!

So I found some music that was fun to walk/run to... All American Rejects and put it on Shuffle and I was off!! Started out with 10 min of walking (warmup plus the first 5 min interval walk)... The breeze was cool and energizing! I even saw a pretty yellow butterfly (see previous post) that flittered across my path at this one turn and smiled. I was really enjoying my time outdoors with the blue sky as my ceiling and the green grass as my floor!! It was a great start!

Then it was time for the first 2 minute run... I did pretty good! I didn't look at my watch at ALL until i had like 6 seconds left!! YAY! I actually accidently stoped 5 seconds early bc I got confused when I looked at my watch! Oops! Oh well! The 2nd 2 minutes were a little tougher... but I didn't look at my watch till I only had about 17 seconds left- so I kept going and looked ahead and pushed myself (just get to the next tree, etc) and then when I finally looked down at my watch- I'd gone 17 seconds OVER the 2 minutes!!! SERIOUSLY!????

I was SOOO proud of myself!! It seems ridiculous that 2:17 is really that big of a deal when 2 min isn't that long... but it IS a big deal when the last 30 seconds usually KILL YOU! I was pumped!! I smiled all through the next 5 min walk!! So the 3rd interval was actually the hardest! But at the end of it (I looked at my watch w like 15 seconds left) I was in that same part where I'd seen the butterfly before. I just said "Come on God, where's the butterfly!? Come on! Show me! Encourage me!!"... and do you know what?!?!?! That little yellow butterfly flittered back the other way across my path! YES!!! (I feel dumb writing this... but it was SOOO encouraging!) I totally felt like God met me in the little by sending that little yellow butterfly flittering back across my path at the last few seconds of my run!! When I went back to walking- I realized I'd even run an extra 5 seconds!!

However, when I started walking after that interval, I had pain! That pain in my side/ribcage that made me hate running when I was little. The pain that I hadn't felt since 6th grade when I vowed to NEVER run again! I kept walking and breathing and put my hands on my waist... drank some water... before the 5 min was up... it was gone! yay! (ps anyone have any hints on why that happens and what I can do to prevent it?!)

The final run started right by the little pond where I was delighted to see a bunch of little turtles on the bank!! So fun!! So it was tough, but i vowed to not look at my watch till I got to the 3/4 marker on the ground at a certain point. When I got there- I had 10 seconds left... so then I was going to goto the next tree... When I got to that tree, I'd gone 7 seconds over!!!!! YES!!!

When I started walking again, I was smiling, I felt accomplished, i knew God had met me out on that track and I had renewed confidence! I did it!! By Myself!! I did it!! :) I even went further than I intended!! Yay!!

One more of the 2 min intervals and then I'm up to 3 minutes at a time!! I can't believe I'm about to say this- but I think I'll be ready!!!

I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength!! Phil 4:13!

SOOO you go out and enjoy God's creation and be blessed!!

Tiff

Stats: Time: 40 min, Distance: 2 miles, Total Running Time: 8 min 25 seconds!