Week 2 is hard already!!

I decided I wanted to move right away into Wk 2. (That is 5 min walk, 3 min runs Four times)...

I knew it was going to be tough, so I texted a few of my "running girls" to see if anyone could meet me. Luckily Margaret was free! Yay! I decided we should meet in the middle and get a change of scenery and so we went to White Rock (it was in the middle between work and where Marg was and I've been wanting to go out there but not really by myself!)

I LOVE lakes and so I thought it would motivate me if I had something pretty to look at...

WEll... it started ok... we got on the trail and we were off... 10 min walking to warm up and then the time was coming for the first 3 min set. It started off just fine... no biggie... I felt like it was FOREVER... looked at my watch at 2min or so... and was like- man! Ok... Keep going! (Marg was a big help too!) So we pushed it ... i looked at the watch again... 20 seconds left... so we decided I had to run to a certain tree before I could look again... I did and guess what? I ran 10 seconds over!!! So that was a good one!

The second time around, I ran and started getting that side pain again about 40 seconds from the end of the 3 min. IT HURT!!! A LOT! So I made it the whole 3 minutes... BARELY.... and then was in pain as we walked... SOOO I was the time keeper and Marg and I were just chatting away and I kinda never told her when the time was up for us to run again! OOPS! :) I just didnt' want to! She didn't seem to notice.

Everytime a bicycler rode past us I was LONGING to be on something that would carry me far and fast... instead of having to use my own body to do so! Marg swears it isn't any easier.... but i'm pretty sure it is! I used to have a bike and I LOVED to ride... and go fast... and just travel wherever... now walking and running... its so hard to LOVE. Actually I'm doing good to just not LOATHE it!!! :)

It was getting late (Marg had to be somewherE) so I told her she could run ahead... in which case she asked when we do the next interval run and I said...uh... 10 min ago!!! Twice by now!!:) So after that, she didn't want to run ahead... she wanted to make me run... sooo... we did. However at about 2:20 my side was hurting again, we were going uphill, the sun was BEATING down, and it was MISERABLE... so I just stopped running to walk. Of course as soon as marg noticed she was on me to "Pick up your feet! Move!! Jog, or at least BOUNCE!!!" So I did... for like another 10 -15 seconds... and then we're on this steep incline... and I'm DYING, my KNEES were hurting and I stopped again... She got on me again (which I'm thankful for) and so i started sorta running again... till the end.... but I prob only got in about 2:45 of actual running... w all the stops and starts.

I did NOT feel good in the end. I wasn't exhillerated, or even proud of myself really. Ya I upped it to 3 min... but I didnt' complete 4 cycles... just 3... and a weak 3 at that. I kinda felt like I failed Wk 2 #1! Like I should redo it bc it didn't count... Honestly, I was disappointed. I was disappointed that it was so hard! I was disappointed that I didn't push through, disappointed that my knee hurt, disappointed that I wanted to quit bc it was hard and HOT HOT HOT! I really started to wonder if I REALLY am cut out for this running thing.. or if this was just some crazy LOFTY goal.

Of course I feel like some of that emotion could be bc yesterday was the first FULL day of that wonderful time of the month. And I consoled myself later in the evening by remembering that most of the time on the FIRST day, I'm bloated and barely do ANYTHING... and at least I was out exercising for 45 min and ran some of that. But... thats a weak consolation right now. I just dont know if i CAN do this! I mean, I want to... I'm gonna work hard on it... I'm going to push myself... but I'm lacking the faith or even that hope that I'll be able to run the whole 5K in June... and then I'll feel like I failed.

Its dumb... I know! It really is. I'm doing SOMETHING... and surely the endurance and strength will be built up... surely! But the idea of running 5 min at a time or even 8 min in the next couple of weeks... really scares me... bc I dont know if I have it in me. I'm not totally discouraged and I'm not giving up... but I'm bummed! This is REALLY hard.

I feel like changing the verse Phil 4:13- I think i can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, or I really hope I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Sigh.........

Till next time,
Tiff

Workout stats: Time: 45 min, Distance: 2 mi (ish), Run Time: 8 min, 55 seconds. (should have been 12 min!)

Wk 1 is DONE!

So I went and ran right after work today. I started a bit late and daycare closes at 6, so I cut out 5 min of the first 10 min walking part. (might have been a bad idea but you gotta do what you gotta do). I was really hoping this would be a BREEZE! I mean, its been 3 times so far... and I am starting on "wk 2" intervals next workout (aka 3 min of solid run time as opposed to 2 min) so I thought it'd be fun!

WRONG!

It was just as hard as the 2nd time!! I was checkin time when I had about 40 seconds left every time I ran. I was hot and sweating. There were too many ppl on the track, and it was just rough!!

BUT- I DID IT! I finished 4 workouts running in 2 minute intervals consistently without quitting! yay!

I actually think my energy has something to do with what I eat (shocker- I know)... but on the 2nd and 4th time doing this workout- I had eaten within the 2 hrs before and i just felt heavier. The 3rd time- I went at lunch and had only had a slimfast shake that morning and some juice. I felt so much more energized then! Of course it could have to do with the time of day too- 5pm, end of the work day, etc. But man! I want to do something to change that on my next workout!!

Oh well- its done... (only a million more workouts to go before I'm ready for the 5k... or even for the 1k in just 2.5 wks- YIKES!!!!!)

PS- on a side note, THANK YOU everyone for your encouragement, your comments, your emails, etc! They mean the WORLD to me! I can't believe that my decision to be a runner and to start a blog about it have resulted in so much encouragement. And its cool that some of the encouragements come just when I start to wonder if I can REALLY do this... or if I'm NUTS! God is SOOO good to me!

I feel REALLY silly that people have said I've encouraged them and inspired them when I'm just doing something I should have done a long time ago (take care of myself) and writing about it. Anyway, its such a blessing to me! God works in amazing ways!

Now quit reading and go be ACTIVE!!! :) If i can do it- YOU can!!!

- A VERY sweaty RIT!
Tiff

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!