End Of Week 2 - The Good And The Sad

Tonight's run was great! I'm still on Week One's running workout but its going so well that I want to keep it that way. I've noticed that some days are easier than others. Today was a good day, I even continued to walk for about 20 minutes after the 7 - 1 minute runs were over. Yippie!! I feel like I'm accomplishing something.

Week 2 also ended with some sadness. My friend Marla is one of the incredible women who has inspired me to start running. Her and her family have decided to relocate to San Antonio, TX in 2 weeks. So, yesterday morning we decided to get together one last time before her move. We went indoor rock climbing at Climb Time in Indianapolis. I was a bit nervous about climbing since I've been having trouble with the distal joints in my fingers, particularly my thumbs. The fingers held up great and the climbing was a blast! Why didn't we think of doing this sooner? Anyways, Marla I will miss you terribly. :(

Struggling With Week 2

I really struggled with yesterdays run. I'm just not in good enough shape yet to advance to week two's training routine. Instead of getting down about it I'm sticking with week one's training intervals until I master it.

One of the biggest reasons I decided to start running was to feel better. It doesn't make sense to do something that makes me feel worse. Week two's workout made me feel worse....a lot worse. I am even sore today which didn't happen at all last week. Too much too soon I guess.

Soooo...the plan is:

Run 1 min, walk 2 min Repeat 7x (21 minutes total)

Since Fall is here I plan to start running outdoors, hopefully on the track at Elwood High School.

The End of Week One

I can't believe I survived week one's running workouts! Todays run was tough...I had to slow the running down and really concentrate on my breathing. I'm pretty sure I was running slower than my fastest walk. I guess beer and pizza before a run is a bad idea.

Next week gets even harder:

Monday: Run 2 min Walk 1 min (Repeat 10X)
Tuesday: Walk easy 30 min
Wednesday: Run 3 min Walk 1 min Repeat 7X
Thursday: Walk easy 30 min
Friday: Run 4 min Walk 1 min Repeat 6X
Saturday: Run 4 minWalk 1 minRepeat 6X
Sunday: Rest

Before running I went to Kheiston's football game so that was super fun. Watching those kids run all over that field was good inspiration for me as I try to keep training. It makes me remember what it was like being a kid and having all that energy. What I wouldn't give to have just a little bit of that now...

(Kheiston's the one in the blue helmet)

Post Running Yummy Salad

My favorite yummy salad after a run:

Romaine leaves

Iceburg lettuce

Carrots

Chopped orange & yellow bell peppers

Sunflower seeds

Dried cranberries

Shredded cheese

Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar salad dressing

Thanks Stephanie & Neil for the great salad idea!

Training Day Three - Week One

Today's running seemed a little better. I got some great new Nike running shoes with cushioning insoles from The Finish Line.

It almost felt like I was running on pillows compared to the shoes I was wearing the first two runs.

Todays session was still hard but I found that the minute of running went by faster and easier and I felt like I could have ran longer. I am also recovering better during the 2 minute walks.

It's really amazing if you push yourself to do something hard it eventually gets easier. Newman has also been giving me moral support by coming into the room and laying down to take a nap next to the treadmill while I'm running. He's such a great dog.

Training Day Two - Week One

Today's running was just as hard as Mondays. By my third one minute jog my legs were beginning to cramp. It was like they were screaming at me..."why in the hell are you doing this?"

Then I wondered if the meatloaf I ate for lunch would stay down. My lungs hurt again as I gasped for air. I had just recovered my air during the 2 minute walk when it was time to run again.

I'm also favoring my left leg, my gait is off, my mechanics are bad. The truth is if running were easy everyone would do it so I need to just suck it up, right? Can't wait for that endorphin rush to come. That's the best part...and I didn't toss my meatloaf. :)

Training Day One - Week One

This past weekend I've been inspired to start running. My inspiration comes from a group of amazing women with careers, kids, husbands, and most of all that something special that makes them incredible. And, well of course they all run, do marathons, and ironmans.

So, today is training day one. My first week beginner program goes something like this:

Week 1: Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes Repeat 7x (21 minutes total)
(runnersworld.com)

Throughout high school gym class I was a relatively fast runner and prefered to sprint 200 yards or less. Distance running was just not my thing. I tend to run too fast and too hard for my own good. I really had to discipline myself today to control my pace and actually run slower than I would have liked. Despite weight-lifting and cardio on the ellipitical machine 3 days per week I am terribly out of shape when it comes to running. My lungs hurt, my throat hurt, my left hip muscles tried to cramp but I was able to slow my pace enough to finish the session. Thank God day one is over...