week 5, day 1, version 3 - getting the spring back in my step

So, for the third time, I began week 5 today.  If you recall, I did days one and two twice before I moved on to day 3 last time around.  As they say, practice makes perfect and I'm pretty sure I have this one down now.  It was really nice to have a good run.  I didn't run into any wild animals and I didn't hate being out there.  I finished the intervals with relative ease and felt good at the end.  All in all, a very successful outing.

I am going to run the second interval the day after tomorrow just to give myself one more ramp up, but once again, I'll say it - I am getting over the intervals.  I think I have reached the point where I just need to go out and run and adjust my pace as I go.  I refuse to watch a stop clock while doing this program and as much as I like the Chubby Jones Podcast, I don't love all the music she chooses.  I just look forward to going out there, listening to what I want and running. 

As you might have ascertained by reading my various blog entries, some of my surrounding area leaves a bit to be desired.  I live in an absolutely beautiful place though.  People travel the world to come visit the majestic Redwoods we have here and I live two miles from the beautiful California coast.  There are beautiful trails that follow the coastline and weave in and out of the wooded areas.  Sounds perfect, right?  Here's the thing:  am I safe to go out into the forest by myself and run these trails?  Is it wise for me to go running alone on the Hammond Trail when many parts of it are somewhat remote? 

I love the solitude I have while running.  It seems like the only time in my day when I don't need to be responsive to anyone else for any reason.  You stay-at-home moms out there understand.  I love what I do and feel very blessed to be able to stay home with my kids, but that doesn't mean it is perfect.  Like every job out there, it has its frustrations and aggravations.  So this being said, I am not particularly interested in finding a running partner.  It would be fun to run with friends now and then or enter races with other runners I know, but as far as the every day routine goes, I prefer to go it alone.  So what's a girl to do?  I want to venture out and find better spots to run in, but I don't want to be putting myself in peril for it.  What do the rest of you do?  How do you shake it up and keep it fresh while staying safe?

I look forward to hearing from you all.  In the meantime, I wish you all safe and happy trails and hope you feel as I do -  that this mission is possible.  We can be fit.  We can be healthy.  We can run and we can even like it!  You can do it and I can do it too!

Week 4, Day 1 revisited and reunions of the animal kind

My daughter was feeling better yesterday and I thought I would get more sleep last night, but alas, my son was sick and I was up quite a bit with him.  This did not get in the way of my run this morning though.  I didn't want to get up.  I wanted nothing more than to stay warm and toasty in my bed and catch as many more zees as I could before the little ones woke up.  I didn't though.  I got up, dressed and got out there to do the run.

Three weeks of vacation really made my memory short because I took an old path this morning that led me to some old canine friends.  At the same corner where I once encountered a big black dog and Cletus, I found myself "face to face" with what seemed an older golden retriever.  He didn't advance on me, but he followed me giving the occasional bark.  I wasn't feeling too threatened yet, but soon THE black dog was on the scene and he was acting more threateningly.  He barked, growled and followed me more closely.  I was walking backwards, facing the dog, pepper spray in hand, finger on the trigger.  I am happy to report that I did not need to use it, though I was very happy to have it!

Up to this point, I had been walking, trying to clear the cobwebs in my head.  But the sudden surge of adrenaline made me decide that the time to run had come.  All in all, I was very comfortable with this run.  As I recall, the middle two segments of running were the best for me.  Once Chubby Jones told me to walk after the first 5 minute run, I felt I could have gone on.  The next three minute run was likewise a good one and at its end, I could have kept going.  The we hit that last 5 minute run and that was the one that killed me.  One segment over the line for me...I would have done better to start on week 5 and run the 3 longer segments, but I didn't feel confidant enough that I could have done it.  Shame on me for doubting my abilities. 

The mental game is back on.  I almost forgot that it was almost as big a part of the deal as the physical part.  Believing I can do it.  Believing I can finish.  Psyching myself up for a run and wanting to get out there and do it.  Sleep should help.  But mostly, it is on me to get my head back in the game.  I am working on it.  I'll be running Week 5, Day 1 again the day after tomorrow and you can rest assured that I will be working the old positive affirmations at bedtime.  Because I want to do this, I know that I CAN DO IT.

I'm back, but the mojo hasn't caught up to me yet...

I am back from vacation, unpacked and getting back into the swing of things.  Somewhere between New Hampshire and California, Ella caught strep throat, so sleep is in short supply and patience and understanding is in great demand.  I did manage to get in a run yesterday before our trip to urgent care and it was not pretty!

Got my stretch in and started with a nice walk and then got to jogging.  I decided not to jump back in with a program run, rather, I'd just  go out and see what I could do after three weeks of very undicsiplined, unstructured running.  It was not good.  Far from going out there and running 20 minutes without stopping, I was tired and out of breath far earlier than I had been.  I went about 2 1/2 miles and I'd venture to say a good mile plus of it was walking.  I'm sure that part of the problem was lack of sleep.  Of course, some of it was just being out of practice and routine.  The last of it though, I suspect was lack of structure.  I should have had more of a plan and pushed myself to reach goals.  C'est la vie.  Live and learn.  Tomorrow morning I will get up and I am going to step back to a week 4 workout.  I will most likely do this once then go back to week 5 and repeat it in its entirety then move forward from there.

I have mixed feelings about what has happened here.  I am glad I made the most of my vacation.  I saw so many old and good friends, spent time with my family and did so many fun things with my kids.  It was a very well spent, exhausting time and I loved every minute of it.  I am disappointed though that it came at the cost of my running momentum.  I wish that I had been able to carry on while I was back there and not lose the drive I had.  So many of my fellow runners are so crushed to lose their momentum due to injury and I have always felt so bad for them because I knew how important the routine and consistency was to my success.  Now I am there because of choice, not circumstance.  Honestly, I am not being too hard on myself.  I just wish I could have had my cake and ate it too. 

I do remain committed to this and tomorrow will be the first day of the next stage in this process for me.  A new starting point with the same finish line in sight.  My choice may have made the road to the finish a little harder, but I will get there.  So, here, I pick up the old mantra, like the Olympic torch, raise it high and carry it with pride:  I CAN DO IT!

Running on vacation

I have very limited time at the moment to write.  My sister is undergoing surgery today for a herniated disc in her neck, my mom as with her at the hospital and I am watching over my children and my brother's as well.  I have been having a very enjoyable vacation and have found it to packed full of daytime and evening activities that my C25K journey has been temporarily interrupted.  I have been getting in some quick jogs on the treadmill and even tried running on the treadmill with a Wii remote in the running program.  made it less boring, but still, not the same.  My runs have not been routine and I regret that, but I have been having an incredible vacation.  I will be getting home next Thursday and intend to get back on the horse once I do.  I think I will have to backtrack a bit...do a few workouts from earlier weeks and ramp back to Week 6 and beyond.

I continue to appreciate the support I get from my fellow C25Kers and I hope that your journies are continuing with great success.  I very much look forward to returning to my routine and completing my program!  While a little sidetracked for the moment, I continue to be sure that I CAN DO IT!

No week, no day - a case of spontaneous fun time

It is difficult to stick with the running routine while on vacation.  My us for dinner after work.  mom and I decided on Thursday to take a day trip to Boston so we could bring the kiddos to the Boston Children's Museum.  I figured I would hit the treadmill when we returned.  It was a very good time and my children really loved this amazing museum.  As we were heading into the museum gift shop, my mom slipped away for a few minutes and when she returned, she announced that she has used points to book us a room at a hotel for the night.  That way, she figured, we could go hit Quincy Market, get some dinner and then take the kids to the aquarium the next day.  We were totally unprepared, so we needed to go pick up some clean clothes and pajamas (thank goodness for the $2.99 deals at The Children's Place!!), diapers and toothbrushes, but what the heck, I was game.

We had a fabulous night and returned to the hotel with two exhausted human beings (and the kids were pretty spent too).  The next morning as we were getting ready to go out, my mom decided extend the stay another night and make another entire day of it.  We had another killer day and my sister came and joined us for dinner and merriment after work.  We had so much fun!

Today we hit the IMAX Theater, shopped around and had lunch at Pizzeria Regina (the greatest pizza EVER).  Finally we loaded up the car (much heavier than when we unloaded it, that's for sure) and headed back to my folk's place.  It was amazing fun and living a bit spontaneously always does something good for your soul and spirit!

So, this is a very long winded way to tell you all that I haven't run since Tuesday.  I will get out tomorrow, but I am not quite sure what I will do.  I need to sleep on it and see wh\at feels right in the morning.  Until then, I hope you are all doing well and making great progress.  Despite the lack of structure, I know I will get back on course.  I am determined to finish this program and have fitness be a part of my regular routine.  And I know, if I am determined to do something, that I CAN DO IT!  And I will :-)

Week 6, Day 1, version 2 - getting back to it

OK, I am finding it much more difficult to keep this up on vacation than I thought I would.  For starters, its like 100 degrees here.  I am running on the treadmill in the house, so that isn't so much the problem, but the heat is wiping me out.  I feel so low energy that it is a Herculean effort to go upstairs for a run.  Also, I don't like running on the treadmill.  Even with the iPod and a TV in the room, I find it very boring to run in one spot.  That being said, I ran yesterday on the treadmill after having blown off running on Sunday AND Monday.  Our fourth of July party started on Saturday afternoon when the first revellers arrived.  The last of them did not leave my parent's house until Monday evening.  It was so much fun, but absolutely impossible to motivate for a run.

I have said it before, but getting off schedule is a big problem.  The routine is important and I think your body gets conditioned to the schedule.  Boy did I feel it yesterday.  It was a miserable run and I hated every second of it.  It is so tough when that happens because then the dread sets in for the next run.  I need to hit it again tomorrow, but I can't think of anything I want to do less.  I am loving the time I am spending with my family and so glad I still have 2 more weeks of vacation here, but in addition to seeing my husband, I look forward to getting back into the routine I love at home.  I don't think I will ever love running on the treadmill and as long as this heat holds up, I just can't bring myself to run in it.  Seriously, there is a 30 degree difference here from home...I did see that there is rain on the horizon this weekend, so I may take that opportunity to go outside and run.  THAT would be more like my home routine.

No matter where or how though, I need to just keep it up.  I will do my very best to bring a bit of sunshine back to my blog next time (and BTW, it is very difficult to write this blog here...the computer is upstairs and my kids are very bored up here!).  I don't want to let any of you down though nor do I want to let myself down, so I will push through this slump and I will do better!  Though it seems a little more challenging today to hang onto the motto, I will tell myself over and over until I am really feeling it again:  I CAN DO IT!

Week 6, day 1 - Intervals on a treadmill

I went out last night with some old friends from high school and didn't come in until almost 1:00 in the morning. I tell you this because I did not run this morning as I had planned to. I took advantage of my mother's generosity and slept in while she cared for my children. We spent the day shopping in Portsmouth, NH and had a great time. By the time we got home, it was nearly dinner time and I knew what I had to do...there was no putting it off any longer, it was time for some C25K. I can't lie here and tell you I am feeling as enthusiastic about this as I usually do. Au contraire, I am finding it very difficult to motivate. The one thought driving me here is that I will be so let down and will let so ma people down if I flake out at this point, so I must keep going and hope that I'll get my mojo back sooner than later.

So, I changed into my running clothes, put on the new shoes and hit the treadmill. What I liked about the treadmill was how I could experiment with my pace while I was watching my time. I liked that I could kick up the speed and then see if I was going to be able to go the distance. It was kind of cool to turn up the speed dial and finish each segment with a 60 second push. What I hated about the treadmill was how I could see the time. While I did enjoy the benefits previously mentioned, I did find that my mind lingered much more on the task at hand while I watched the seconds tick away. I really think I do better when I am completely unaware of the time and either respond to prompts to walk or run or just run while listening to my audiobook and checking the time once I've come close to a mile marker. Like we've all learned so well along the way, so much of this process is mental. What I was putting out physically wasn't any more than usual, but I still seemed to be harder. I don't know...what do some of you treadmill runners think? My next run day is supposed to be on Sunday. We're having a big party at my parent's house and I fully expect to eat and drink a lot, so I have to, have to, have to run in the morning. It is also expected to be extremely hot, so I think I will hit it on the treadmill again, but maybe this time I'll hide the display and go with my podcast again.

Once again, I've written this on my mom's iPad and editing is kind of hard, and for some reason, the spell check button doesn't come up on the page. So, my apologies for typos and errors and I hope you will continue to bear with me. I hope you all have a safe and happy Fourth of July. A very special shout out to my amazing, wonderful husband who will be celebrating his birthday on Independence Day without me and the kids. I love you and want you to know that in addition to my own drive to do this program, because of your love and support, I continue to be able to say with certainty, I CAN DO IT!

Winging it

So, I am in New Hampshire. I am typing this blog entry on my mother's iPad which is pretty cool, but very strange. I wanted to run this morning, however, both my parents went to work before 6:00 and I was way too tired from two days of travel to get up that early. Also, as it turns out, I forgot to pack my running shoes. When my husband reads this, he is going to think that this was intentional, but it really wasn't. I ran the morning I left for the trip and simply forgot to throw my shoes in the suitcase before I left. So, I went and got new shoes this afternoon. I've wanted to get some for a while, so this was not really a great tragedy.

I ended up visiting my old B.J.'s store, Runner's Alley in Nashua, NH. He spent a great deal of time helping me find the right shoe and in the end I went with some Saucony Progrid Guide 3 running shoes. If you are in this area, I highly recommend you give Runner's Alley a chance to earn your business. I feel confidant you will not be sorry you did!

After buying the shoes, I returned to my folk's place and my brother and his kids were there, so I spent time with them, had some dinner, bathed my daughter and got her to bed. Then finally, it was time for me to go for my run. I was to begin week 6 today, however, for some reason, I did not have the week 6 podcasts on my iPod and my C25K program printout was in the room was daughter was sleeping in, so I decided that I would simply run. It was not the greatest I've ever felt running. I think it was because: (a) I was running after a meal in the evening and I am used to running early in the morning on an empty stomach, (b) I forgot to grab my inhaler out of my suitcase before I left, and (c) while it is far from oppressively hot here, it was much warmer and more humid than I am used to it being while I run. In short, it was not exactly the run of my life. Better luck next time. That will be on Friday and I intend to run early and most likely inside on the treadmill. Wish me luck! Despite a less Han stellar outing, I remain as certain as ever that I can do it!

(p.s... It is very difficult to edit this on the iPad, so please excuse typos. when I can get on to a computer, I will come back and fix any mistakes.)