Thursday, September 29, 2011

a run and some stairs

it was hot...
i'm going to run again tomorrow...
i'm tired...
i just wanted to go home...
it was a long day...
the dogs need me...

yeah, none of those really works, huh? oh well, i totally rocked the chick next to me. i ran waaay faster than she did. i always call the chicks that run faster than me "bitches." today, those, i was the bitch. good for me.

now, to the grocery store (in my sweaty garb) for some guilty snacks. with t out of town, i'm livin' for me and only me. so it's whatever I want tonight. plus maybe a slit-your-wrists-fantastic movie.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

3.1 in 32

i ran again, yay, good for me, right? yeah, okay, anyway...on to other things.

i really believe in the power of positive thinking, so today while i ran, i thought of some of the reasons i enjoy running, or at least the effects of running. here they are, in no particular order:

i love to feel myself breathing (and it really is different) after a run. it makes me feel strong, and so truly alive. in my heart. it's the best feeling ever!

i love being productive, and actually transporting myself from one place to another - running from one place to another - is magical. it's a great natural high.

i love the way my legs, arms, - everything! - i love the way my whole body feels after a run. the day after a great run makes me crave running.

I love that running gives me time to myself, to escape almost everything (except for the heat, naturally... I'm not a big fan of temperatures above 70°).

running lets me decide exactly what I want to do. do i want to run today? how far do i want to run? where do i want to run? how fast do i want to run? it's not like every (or really any) facet of my life is controlled or predetermined, but it's refreshing to have something that is up to me, and me alone, no one else.

i don't have to answer to anyone for my running. if i don't run, i've only let myself down.

i could get used to this running-5-to-6-days-a-week thing. unless, of course, it's warmer than 70° outside.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

fail

i didn't go today. didn't even walk on break or anything even slightly active. way too tired after two nights in a row of not falling asleep until after midnight. from what I've heard, i am just going to love all stages of pregnancy and babyhood.

so, in a desperate act of emergency sanity, i'm going to bed at 8:00. if i wake up too early, i could go for a run. but the way i feel right now, that's totally not gonna happen.

i totally missed running tonight though, and that's exciting.

3 in 31

i ran today. it wasn't very far, but i enjoyed it. i challenged myself to keep running for a long a the guy in the treadmill in front of me kept running, and i did it...sort of.

i ran for 31 minutes solid, if that counts for anything at all. the jerk in front of me ran for a long time, then stopped the machine. ah, he was done! if i wanted, i could have stopped any time after that. but i was most certainly done yet. and then he started running again, at 6.0 mph. what a jerk.

long and short of it: i ran 3 miles in 31 minutes. even though i wasn't really competing, it's kind of fun to have someone to run with and engage in imaginary competition. i'm competitive by nature, really. i need to sign up for another race soon!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

11.5

i ran 11.5 miles last week, which is a vast improvement over the past two months or so, but i still plan to improve on that total this week. my goal for tomorrow after work (and joann's) is 5 miles. i know, it's crazy, but when did i ever say i wasn't crazy?

Friday, September 23, 2011

yahoo!

i was kind of embarrassed this past week when a coworker on this trip, a guy who is new to running, out-ran me. yeah, i'm itching to get back out on the road, to see something other than four walls when i run, but it's still really hot, even in the mornings (maybe I'm a little heat-sensitive since about february, but 80° is hot, 70° is too). i'm really liking forward to fall (ahem, i mean "winter") weather, so I won't feel like puking after a run.

so i said i was embarrassed, and there's nothing quite like that feeling to motivate me. maybe i'm a horse of a different color, but shame motivates me. i strive to be better than the next person, our at least to do as well as i've done in the past.

this morning, it was on! admittedly, i walked a little at the very beginning, just to warm (my legs) up a bit, then i finished my 5k-on-the-treadmill loop in just over 30 or 31 minutes. but the amazing thing? i ran the whole way, without walking at all. plus, i'm determined to sign up and train for a 5- or 10k soon, then work my way up to a half before spring hits next year (note: before spring hits).

now, to find the absolutely perfect half to sign up for. and a 5 our 10k for in the meantime, so I have a reason to train, an excuse to run.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

double my pleasure

i did double days of double dipping on this trip, and i am determined to continue with my running streak next week as well. yesterday, i woke up and did about a mile on the (wah wah) elliptical, because even though it was only 5:30 in the morning, all of the (only two? for a hotel this size? craziness!) treadmills were occupied by skinny bitches. hm.

i looked on the bright side (at 5:30 a.m.? i must be crazy - there is no bright side at that hour!), and thanked heaven that at least one of the ellipticals was available.

later that day, i found that the treadmills were available, rushed to my room to change into my running gear, and hopped on for a couple of miles.

today, it was only a quasi-double dip: i ran for a little over two miles (with a work friend who decided to join me at a time when, thankfully, both of the treadmills were once again available), decided the heat was too much, and i quit. but my friend wasn't done, so i hung out. strangest thing happened: i was somehow magically drawn to the elliptical, and did that for five minutes, or about half a mile.

so. it's 10:30 at night, and my alarm goes off at 5:00 for running, so i am totally done for the night. read some ayn for a little bit, and pass out for what invariably feels like only an hour or so.

this "running with a friend" thing, though... i gotta continue with that. it would really be fantastic to make friends that run in tulare. to have someone that you count on to be there with you and vice versa, it's a good thing. plus, i could use a friend, running or not.


Sunday, September 18, 2011

sundaze

i ran this morning. i ran on the streets, where it's only natural that a person should run.

but i still have this thing going on with my neck. you know the saying, "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? well, if my neck ain't happy, i ain't happy. so it was an okay run, but not a great run. plus, it was hot.

when will i run in 50° temps again? soon? sadly, this is what's known as a cooling trend in the hell-hole that is the central valley. answer: not soon enough.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

no excuses

i have absolutely no excuse today. it was a beautiful morning, cool enough to run, but i stayed in bed. I didn't even go to the gym before it closed at 3:00.

total fail for today. blech.

Friday, September 16, 2011

oh, blech

i didn't run today. i ran "around," i went for a short walk, but i didn't run. at all. just like wednesday. just like yesterday. but not like tomorrow.

today, we did a lot of stuff. we got up early, went to breakfast, met the painter at the new house, re-grouped at the house for a little bit, then went back out to see the lion king 3D.

at least I was active.

well, somewhat.

okay, only a little, but I was really freaking hot today. waaay overheated. tomorrow, I will go earlier in the day and run.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

dear henry...

i feel the need to confess. to purge my soul, which is heavy with the burden i now carry.

i was lying before, when i said i can't wait to run tonight after work. i said it, but i knew it wasn't true. i knew it was a lie. i knew i would much prefer to run on asphalt in 55-degree temperatures, the wind in my face and the sun setting as the earth calms and relaxes after a long day.

i feel better now. maybe now i can sleep.

treading water

i like the treadmill, i really do.  but ix have started to miss my old friend, the road. and feeling the wind in my face. and actually getting from one place to another by running. i am starting to lose motivation. the gym is seriously hot. hot, hot - like, seriously hot. the whole reason i joined the gym was so i wouldn't have to run in the extreme heat of the central valley summer.

i can't wait to get situated in this new house, and the weather cools down a lot, and maybe i can even run in the mornings!

positive affirmation fir this morning: i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

praise the lord!

well, i thought it was kinda funny. when i walked in to the cardio room tonight, the tv was on, but i hardly ever pay attention to what's on. so this guy (let's call him "dude") walked in, saw what was on, and grabbed the remote so that he could turn the second tv on to something a little more palatable.

it was only then that i realized what was on. it was a holy roller, hellfire-and-brimstone televangelist show. if chevy chase popped on the screen, i would have been more than interested. he didn't,  so i told dude not to worry, that i wasn't watching tv, he can change the channel. which he did. to the newlywed game on one screen, and law & order svu on the other. okay, to each his own.

and i turned up lady gaga a little louder. okay, a lot louder.


Monday, September 12, 2011

it's starting already...

i didn't hit the gym at all today, because i was so incredible tired. i only got four hours of sleep last night, because i just wasn't tired. dumb excuse, i know. and then i've also been really hungry recently. what's up with that?

now, i am in bed, surfing and shopping for apps and home accessories, trying to take my mind off of all of the upcoming excitement. the house appraisal report thing  later this week. the child support conference next week. tim in sacramento the week after that. then closing on the house, spending our first night in there with a pile of blankets and snowball, the chosen doggy. then packing everything and moving. and my mom coming to help us pack and maybe even unpack.

yeah. so i didn't run tonight. i will not skip running tomorrow, though. mondays can be rough, but i have done it before. i know that hard work pays off. and to look so much better in a skirt, or a sleeveless top? such a great feeling. like i don't care what i eat...which is probably, no, definitely how i came to look this way yet again. not chunky, but i have looked better. without a doubt.

tomorrow, i run. don't even try to stop me.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

i'm not gonna beat myself up...

i didn't run too far today. but once again, i did something.  at least i got out there. even if it was only one measley little mile. four loops around the track. but it was really hot in he cardio room this morning (yes, it was actually morning), plus it was really humid outside. overcast and everything.

every runner has days like this, right? i mean, i am working on getting back up to my usual distance.  it's funny how much better i feel running faster, rather hand slower. and by slower i mean 6.0, and by faster i mean 7.0. how crazy is that? i feel better when i run faster. it comes easier to go fast. strange.

tomorrow is my day off,  though. maybe a good thing. take a minute to reset. start all over again on monday. Pretty soon, i will have to focus on packing, loading, and unpacking. at least we have one volunteer, jumping-for-joy-at-the-mere-prospect-of-helping helper. my mom. she was really(and probably still is) disappointed that we aren't moving closer to her, but have you seen he job market out there? or the housing market? whew. won't be moving there anytime soon.

come to think of it, maybe that's my issue. everything right now seems to be going so fast, without end. maybe that's why i feel the need to go faster, but i need to build up my endurance. it's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

Friday, September 9, 2011

today

i ran this morn... wait. it was technically afternoon. technically.

anyway, i decided to try something a little different. instead of the manual, 6.0 to 7.0 pace, i set set the treadmill to "alpine pass" with max speed 6.5 mph. it was interesting. i only went 1.75 miles, but then i climbed stairs for a (very short) while.

today was sad, though, because i canceled my gym membership. the girl looked at me kinda funny, so I told her: we're moving, probably the end of his month, to tulare. she understood, had me sign the paperwork, gave me the paper to show that my membership is canceled, but i still have access through the end of the month.

i just hope i can find a good replacement treadmill sometime soon, for a good price. heaven knows we have room for it now! and i know i will use it. i even have plans to use it when babies are on the way. other women do it, so can i, right?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

two

today was a better run, but i still feel like i'm working too hard, maybe. it's funny. i was trying to start off slow, 6.0 mph. but then i bumped up, interval training to 6.5 and guess what? it felt better, more of a natural pace. still, i didn't want to overdo it, so i kept it kinda slow. it's kinda fun, working hard, building my endurance, run by run, mile by mile.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

not a great start...

i haven't run in almost two whole weeks, so what did i expect? well, it could have been worse, but i really hoped it would be better than this.

i did one mile. that's it. i got a really bad cramp in my side after only a half mile. try as i might, it refused to go away.

i know i can't do much worse than that tomorrow!! that's the thing about running, though. there's always the next run. and today, i was out there. i ran.

Monday, September 5, 2011

starting tomorrow...

my main man is out of town for a couple of days on business, starting tomorrow, so that leaves me with a bunch of free time and chunky thighs on my hands... what will i do?

starting tomorrow, i will re-commence the training regimen, so that i can do a 10K at a moments notice, more or less. i am determined to do a half marathon before i have kids.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

my plan

i mentioned that i follow some mom runner blogs. i am not, as of yet, one of those with children. however, in the next year or two, i plan on that. for now, my plan (barring unforeseen things like buying a house and moving into it, or taking vacation) is to run at least five days a week, working up to five (or six?) miles per day, so round about 25 miles every week.

so, in order to keep myself motivated, i will track my paths, note my mileage per week and per year, my races run, and my pace. in addition, i would love to take one picture at some point during each run, something memorable about the run, or something i stepped in or... i don't know. something fun. 

also, i love the alliteration days on other people's blogs, so i think i'll try "one-thing wednesday," where i'll take a picture, maybe add a word, but that's it. or maybe just a picture. or just a word. see where it goes from here.

i am determined that this running-and-blogging thing will not get in my way, will not weigh me down, will not become a burden - just icing on the cake. i don't have to prove to anyone else that i ran, just me. i'm not racing against anyone else, just myself.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

the inspiration

i've started following a few mom runner blogs, and they have helped me want to run. but i haven't run in almost two weeks, because of vacation. and heat. and to be honest, i'm not sure how much or how often i will be able to run in the next couple of months, because we are moving. all the same, i wanted to have an excuse to continue running. our new house is literally right across the street from a huge park and running trails. plus, the weather should be starting to cool down, even if it's just a little, so i was going to give my 30-day cancellation notice at the gym in the next week or so.

at least we always walk a lot while we are on vacation (it sometimes balances out our overeating). yesterday, for example, i would estimate at least five miles, up and down and across the strip, through the casinos, etc., etc., etc.

one stop we made was the adidas store, and i wanted to get running shoes (honestly, anywhere we went that had running shoes, made me want to buy running shoes and start running, but then i would remember that we are in vegas in the middle of summer, and i would most likely pass out within a block or two, given the extreme heat). sketchers. adidas. nike. famous footwear. big 5. they were all over the place. and so i took a picture. my goal: new running shoes.

i want to keep track of my mileage, weight loss, inspiration, perspiration... all that good stuff. reasons to run, un/acceptable excuses not to run, things to remind myself of when i don't feel like running. my favorite running clothes. races. good days. bad days. equipment i like, or don't like.

so here it begins.