Day 55 -- a revelation

I did 1:10:01 for 4.5 (my watch says 3.98):

I walked the first 5, ran for 30, then walked the rest of the time as my race is on Friday.

I used my car to measure distance a couple of days ago and from the corner of my street to the turnoff to one of the schools is 2.5 miles. Well, according to my watch which tracks mileage, it was not. Granted I did accidentally hit the stop button twice so I actually walked longer so I put that I went 4.5.

I have to tell you my thoughts about running and exercising in general after 55 days of it for the last couple of months and two days before the race:

I notice no, ZERO, increase in energy. Let me say that again, ZERO INCREASE IN ENERGY.

I do not sleep better. As a matter of fact, I was/am an insomniac. I found pills that help me sleep a bit longer which, coincidentally, marked my decline in energy and motivation (around mid-July) and an increase in weight so I am going off those ASAP.

I have noticed no, ZERO, difference in my body. My husband and son say they do, but, please, can you believe them. Seriously? They know their roles...say yes when mom asks if she looks like she lost weight. Say no when mom asks if these jeans make her butt look fat.

Speaking of jeans...I am still squeezing my fat ass (or rather flat ass) in to my size 10 jeans...still...

Running has NOT given me a bit of a butt, does not make my calves look fantastic in heels, does not make my quads pop when I pose, given me a 1 pack, much less a 6-pack, set of abs...nothing...NOTHING!

With regards to a runners high...there is no such thing, but there is a runners wall. I get no burst of energy after running for any amount of time. I think I may have before I started these last set of pills for sleep.

I finished the Couch-to-5K plan and still can barely run for 30 minutes straight without feeling like crap. Yes, you do see on other posts that I have done that I have gone 40-50 minutes straight but it was a struggle and pure hell.

Right now with my woe is me attitude, I will NOT continue to run after this race unless some miracle happens during the race. However, I might get a cheap bike and cycle.

So, my apologies to those of you that were hoping to hear how fabulous exercise is from me. I remember when my friend and hair stylist asked me if I felt like I had more energy and I told her no, she looked devastated. I felt bad, but it is the absolute truth. I told her that I did not want to dissuade her from exercising but she was bummed for sure. Sorry, Erin!

I will post about the race on Saturday. See you then!!

Day 33 -- it's getting easier!

I did 32:11 for 1.98, almost 2:

1 @ 3
4 @ 3.5
10 @ 4
3 @ 3.5
10 @ 4
2 @ 3.5
1 @ 3 - 2.5
1 @ 2 - 1.5

I know that if I run straight instead of a walking break that I would have went farther than 2 miles. I am getting there! Run 3 which takes place on Thursday has me running 25 minutes. I am going to write down how far I go during the 5 minutes of brisk walking in the beginning and subtract that from how far I go in 25 minutes to see what my true mile is.

I have to say that I got bummed getting out of breath walking up the lighthouse stairs but I just ran for 20 minutes at 10 minute increments and I didn't slow down or stop. I struggled but I did not quit. I am gosh darn proud of myself!!

Thank you coolrunning.com for The Couch-to-5K Running Plan!!

Day 27

I did 30:21 for 1.75:

1 minute @ 2.5 mph
4 minutes @ 3 mph
8 minutes @ 4 mph
5 minutes @ 3 mph
8 minutes @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
1 minute @ 3 - 2.5 mph
1 minute @ 2 - 1.5 mph

I was worried that I would not be able to run 8 minutes straight twice, but I did! Woo hoo! One thing that I discovered is that I will need to speed up at some point as I should have done at least 2 miles today and that is only at 26 minutes. It looks like next week's second run has me running 10 minutes which equates to 1 mile and as we have seen I'm only going 1.75 miles in 30 MINUTES! Yikes!

The Couch-to-5K Running Plan lasts for 9 weeks and if I haven't already begun to speed up I will definitely need to after the plan is over. A 10 minute mile....yeesh....

One thing that is not helping is the lack of sleep I am getting. I have mentioned it several times already but I know my body is not getting the rest it requires for this training. It's been years since I have slept more than 3 hours straight but I figured with my training that I would be sleeping better. Everything I have read states that is one of the wonderful effects of running. I have been to my doctor more times than I can count, trust me. The first time I went to him was about 3 years ago and he told me 50% of the population doesn't sleep well. I asked him, "For over 5 years straight???"

I had a breakdown today before my run. I got 2 hours of sleep last night and am still suffering from my rice cake snafu...I still haven't eaten one since Thursday....woo hoo....and I am just plain exhausted. I don't know where to go, who to go to, what to read...scratch that, nothing holds my attention for more than a couple of minutes except a very good fiction so buying any books on how to sleep would be a total waste of money and magazine articles always give the same recommendations. Go to sleep at the same time, turn off the TV, just use your bedroom for sleeping, blah, blah, blah, blah....been there done that, still not sleeping...sigh...

The medicine my doctor had prescribed for me did allow me to sleep for one hour straight when I first went to sleep which is more than the 15 - 30 minutes I am now getting but that would be it and then I am up for the rest of the night and because it has a sedative effect I would be a walking zombie/gumby like person for the day. Plus, he tells me this is one of the reasons I had gained 35 pounds in a year. You can see why I don't take it...an extra 30 minutes of sleep with a trade off of 35 pounds....hmmmm, let me think about it....uh, no!

I better get going since I put off today's run for over 2 hours and I have a ton of errands to run in just a couple of hours so I will be here tomorrow!

Day 26

I did 30:07 for 1.75:

1 minute @ 2.5 mph
4 minutes @ 3 mph
10 minutes @ 3.5 mph
2 minutes @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
2 minutes @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
2 minutes @ 4.5 mph
3 minutes @ 3.5 mph
1 minute @ 3 - 2.5 mph
1 minute @ 2 - 1.5 mph

At around minute 12 I was only planning on walking and since that is all I was going to do, I was looking at the different trainings I have printed out for beginning runners to quell a bit of the boredom. One I have, has you running every day with one day of rest. On week 5 you start with a 15 minute walk, then run 2, then walk 4 and nothing else after that. The next day you walk 5, run 5 and repeat until you hit 35 minutes. I decided to see on the Couch-to-5 K Running Plan what next week had in store for me and discovered that my second run of THIS week has me walking 5 minutes then run for 8 minutes, walk for 5, then run another 8. Yikes! I print out (or hand write) what my run will do with minute tallys so I know when to switch the treadmill to a different mph and had written down the first run thinking that was the same run all week and it wasn't! Whew...thank goodness I looked!

So, I decided to do a bit of the other plan. I walked the 15 minutes, then ran 2, walk 2, ran 2, walk 2, ran 2 at a higher mph since I was already walking at 3.5, I ran at 4.5. Did you notice I got farther with only 6 minutes of running then I did yesterday with 15 minutes? In all honesty, I was getting winded at the end of the last 2 minutes at 4.5 mph so I am glad that I am running the longer distances at 4 mph.

Heck, the last run of this week has me walking 5 then running 20 minutes with no walking! Obviously I will walk the remaining 5 (to get to 30 minutes) to cool down...I am not afraid...OK, I am but I am going to do it. Even if I have to slow down to 3.5 while running I am going to do it....

Tomorrow my next run!

Day 25

I did 30:11 for 1.71:

1 minute @ 2.5 mph
4 minutes @ 3 mph
5 minutes @ 4 mph
3 minutes @ 3 mph
5 minutes @ 4 mph
3 minutes @ 3 mph
5 minutes @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3 mph
1 minute @ 2.7 - 2.5 mph
1 minute @ 2 - 1.5 mph

It's funny that the more I run it seems the shorter the distance! I know it is because I have slowed down my pace for the running and walking but I am successfully completing these runs so I am TOTALLY OK with it, I just think it's humorous.

I did not exercise on Friday or on Saturday and feel guilty. I did work out 5 days last week but still feel bad even though I was down for the count. I have this weird rice cake addiction that finally caught up with me. Apparently when you eat waaaayyyyy too much fiber in the form of a rice cake it does not allow your body to absorb any of the nutrients from the other food that you are eating and your body starts to shut down. NOT FUN at all....so, not only am I not sleeping more than 3 - 4 hours a night (and barely more than 1/2 hour at a single stretch), my body also decided it was done with the rice cake thing.

I actually went the whole day yesterday not eating a single rice cake! I also could not raise my head from the pillow but that is beside the point!

I have a decision to make. I am training for the 5 Mile run in Westport on the 8th of August. Someone I used to work with at the CU texted me on Thursday to see if I could perform her wedding. I asked her the date afraid that she was going to say the 15th which is when we are planning to go to Silverwood in Idaho but she didn't...she said the 8th. I told her that the run starts at 10:30 and I know it will take me a few hours, maybe less, and she told me it is at 4:00. I asked her where and she told me a place in Aberdeen. I didn't respond back yet as I had to give this some thought. I am training for this run that I am looking so much forward to...it inspired me to start taking care of myself (OK, not with rice cakes but with the running) and I was hoping to meet some people and just hang out and do things that runners do after a race. I have no idea what that is, just that I am going to be there. My son and husband are going to be there cheering me on. Sigh...I probably could be done and home in time to shower change and head back into town but what if I am not? I would feel terrible and I would never be so gauche to ask her to move her wedding to a later time. Wedding venues don't like change and neither do brides.

When we last discussed her wedding over 8 months ago a relative was going to do it...would it be selfish of me to say no? What if I am done in plenty of time and had said no...I would feel terrible! I definitely have some thinking to do!

Change of subject...I am thinking of either training longer on my off days from running or adding a 30 minute brisk walk about 4 hours after my run as if I was training for a marathon. The reason is that I am following The Couch-to-5K Running Plan and I am actually doing a 5 Mile race. I don't think that I will burn myself out. I am feeling really good about my pace and endurance at this point. Another thing to think about! =O)

Day 17 -- still a tad sore

I did 30:05 and 1.39 miles:

5 minutes @ 2.5 mph
20 minutes @ 3 mph
3 minutes @ 2.5 mph
1 minute @ 2 mph
1 minute @ 1.5 mph

My legs are still are tad sore which is why I took it very easy on myself. I also did some stretches for a longer period of time than I did yesterday.

I weighed myself before starting on the Wii Balance Board and I weigh 154. I lost 4 pounds in less than 2 weeks and 9 pounds since I have started! Woo hoo! Go me!

I am still in love with running but I was feeling a bit down for being so sore. I was also reading in another running book and I should be running for 5 minutes, then taking a break and not the shorter time prescribed by The Couch-to-5K Running Plan so I am bummed! Perhaps next week I shall step it up a notch. Next week, my son is out of school so we will be running outside which I need to do to get acclimated to the warmer weather.

Day 13

I did 30:04:

1 minute @ 3 mph
4 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
2 minutes @ 4 mph
1 minute @ 3.5 - 3 mph
1 minute @ 2.5 - 1.5 mph

I can say that this time was a bit harder than the last set like this. I am not sure why, it just was. I was thinking about next weeks schedule and the rest of The Couch-to-5K Running Plan and I was wondering how the heck I was going to do it. I am not sure where these doubts are coming from. I did not have them yesterday or the day before. I was thinking that I am only training for a 5K run and I am actually doing 5 miles.

But...I know I can do it. For gosh sakes, I am only on Week 2! I have until August 8th to get my training and I CAN DO IT!!!

I started reading The Non-Runners Marathon Guide For Women by Dawn Dais which is soooo hilarious. I am only on page 60 and I have laughed out loud numerous times. For obvious reasons, I have not encountered any of the problems she has as training for a marathon involves waaaaayyyyy more running then I am doing now but it is nice to know what I can expect when I get to more time running then walking. Thank you Dawn for writing this book and for all the tips that I have read so far. I cannot wait to read more!!

Day 12

I did 30:04:

1 minute @ 3 mph
4 minutes @ 3.5 mph9
0 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
2 minutes @ 4 mph
1 minute @ 3.5 - 3 mph
1 minute @ 2.5 - 1.5 mph

Instead of cross training I did a modified Couch-to-5K Running Plan but instead of running, I walked at 4 mph. I figured this is what I love, the walking and running, that I was going to do that instead of the others for now. Keep in mind that I did start the Bhangra Dance and realized, again, that I have no coordination. If I try to do something that I resent because I cannot get it right away then I am going to do what I love and try again later. I know myself and this is better than being a quitter and then resenting MYSELF for not doing anything...you know?

Tomorrow is another running day and Saturday we will be heading to the beach so I will trek up and down the beach for another 30 minutes. This time, I will wear something more appropriate like shorts!

Ta ta, for now!

Day 9

I did 30:06:

1 minute @ 3 mph
1 minute @ 3.5 mph
3 minutes @ 4 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
90 seconds @ 4.5 mph
2 minutes @ 3.5 mph
1 minute @ 4 mph
1 minute @ 3.5 mph
1 minute @ 3 mph
1 minute @ 2.5 - 1.5 mph

I am going to follow The Couch-to-5K Running Plan found on CoolRunning.com. I am starting on Week 2 as I started to build up endurance on my own Week 1. It suggests doing this only 3 days a week so I am going to do one of my exercise videos, perhaps the Rebounder or Turbo Jam. Perhaps Turbo Jam to build up my abs! My husband will be thrilled as I made him buy me the Turbo Jam when we were in a hotel room visiting California in 2006 with the last of what was left on his CC. Shame on me for not using it sooner!!

I feel really good! I am sooooo proud of myself for doing ALL of the 90 seconds @ 4.5 mph. It really wasn't that long to be frank. I imagine it would have been significantly harder if I was doing it at 5 mph. I will start doing 5 mph towards the end of these 8 weeks and beyond.

I am going to miss not walking on the treadmill tomorrow. Even though the weather has been beautiful I would prefer to be at home for right now. When my son gets out of school in mid-June, then we will go outside then.