Race Packet

I got my first race packet today! Ok, so I understand that a number and a t-shirt aren't the height of excitement to most people, but those items are pretty cool to me. I mean, I have a race number! A few months ago I never would have believed I'd have the pleasure (nor would I have thought of it as a pleasure) of pinning a race number to my shirt and running with a pack. I'm dorky, I know it, but I find it incredibly cool.

ONE day left and it's race day!!! The race doesn't start till 5:30 PM Saturday. I have no idea what I'll do with myself the first half of that day. Should I just relax? Stay active? The only things I know I'll do are 1) stretch and 2) try really hard no to hyperventilate.

Excitement and Just maybe unstuck

So excited I can hardly stand it. TWO more days to get through and it's race day!! For this evening's run I did 3.1 miles in honor of the upcoming big day. My time was a little slower than my previous run, but as I said in an earlier post-- I'm still sorting out just what normal or average is for me. According to my Run Keeper (which I love, by the way) I did 3.1 miles in 33:14 with a 10:42 average min/mile. 10:30 has been my recent best. I'm thinking I'll settle in somewhere around 10:20-10:30. Once I do, I'll try to kick it up a notch.

But anyway! I don't really care about that right now. All I care about is getting my race packet tomorrow and running my race. Is it totally goofy to be giddy about getting my first race packet? Whether it is or not, I am.  Here's the really silly bit-- I don't even know what a race packet consists of. I don't care either. It's my first and marks a milestone.

I'm thinking I won't run again until race day. In the meantime I'll stretch, a lot. 

Oh and hey, I started a new job a week and a half ago. I wonder, am I finally becoming unstuck?

Hope and cutting a little slack

When I last posted I had come off a very uncomfortable and very slow run. The run following that one was marginally better, but not by much. Time off and leg pain set me back a bit. After that second run I was really discouraged. BUT, the next run was better and the next even better and the one after that was better still. I did my last 3 miles in in 31:30. For me, that's pretty damn good. So if you're in a down spot, don't lose hope! You will get better. If you keep pushing, keep trying, you really will do better. I know it.

When I first started I had hopes of doing a 10 minute mile right away. Its supposed to be the norm, after all. In the beginning there were runs that came close to that time, but then I'd fade out. I think I'm still trying to find my average pace. I've only been doing this 3 times a week for 11 weeks and I've only run the full 3 miles for a few of those weeks. Slowly but surely I'm accepting that sometimes you have to cut yourself a little slack. And really, I've never been much for normal anyway :-) So, I'll be happy with 31:30 and give myself the challenge of maintaining that and finding my pace. Once I find the pace I consistently hit and do that for a bit then and only then will I push it a little more.

If only this stupid groin/leg pain would go away once and for all I'd be set...or so I think. I want maybe 3 months of uninterrupted run time. At that point I think my body will have finally accepted running 3 times a week as  normal and a few days off won't throw me off track....or so I think. There's still so much to discover and learn about running, about me and my body and it's capabilities.

And lest I forget to mention it:
THE COUNTDOWN IS ON! 6 Days until until my first 5K! Send good vibes, say good prayers for a healthy, pain free, wind free, feel good day on April 2nd!!

Lesson Learned

At the newbie stage, or for me anyway, running has so many ups and downs. There are days when I feel really good both during and post run. Ok, there have only been a few of those thus far, but now that those times have happened, I know they exist and look forward to them happening more often. Most days are just normal-- no real over the top excitement, but nothing horrible either. Then there are the bad days. Yesterday was a bad day. 

I'd taken an extra day off to give a leg muscle some rest. That meant yesterday would mark the 3rd day I'd gone without running since starting about 10 weeks ago. It was important to me to run because I was concerned that taking more time off would only make running again more difficult. (If you're male you're not going to relate to the following so feel free to stop reading now.) Then I woke up yesterday  with cramps and a nasty little headache. I spent all of yesterday taking Advil and trying everything I could think of to relieve the headache. I iced my head, I applied heat, I drank water, I tried green tea, I stood under hot water in the shower-- nothing brought relief. Evening came and it was time to run. What to do?

On a day like that I would normally do nothing. Normally, I would lay down somewhere and wait out the pain, but yesterday was the 3rd day off and I was a little weirded out. My thought process was this-- I'm already in pain. This day has already sucked. The worst thing that will happen is I'll collapse in pain or I'll throw up or both. I also had a strange thought that maybe the exertion would somehow help with either the cramps or the headache.

Here's what happened and what I now know-- Under those conditions I can run, very slowly,  for 30 minutes but can not run for 3 miles. Running does, in the moment, relieve cramps, but does not help with a headache. I didn't collapse in pain or toss my cookies, but by the time I finished I felt like I might do both and my head might blow off of my neck. It really was pretty awful. So, lesson learned. Do not try to push through a headache. You may be able to run but its not going to be worth it. I should have taken an extra day and when I ran again just cut myself some slack. Anyway, now I know.

Grumble and Shoes

After a lot of indecision I did run on Sunday and it went really well (see previous post. I even whooped at the finish) except for the pain level towards the end. That weird leg/groin pain just will not leave me alone. Sunday night the discomfort actually woke me up a couple of times. Anyway, I should be running tonight, but I'm forcing myself to rest instead. I'm not happy about it, but I suspect I'm doing myself a favor. Perhaps by resting now I'm preventing a more serious injury and avoiding a longer rest. My big worry is that I won't heal in time or be ready to run my first 5K on April 2nd. Right now, were it not for the leg pain, I could absolutely run the 5K and likely be satisfied with my time. If the pain keeps up and I have to take more time off... I don't know. GRUMBLE.

Last week I caved and bought my first pair of "real" running (or maybe they are cross trainers?) shoes. I went to http://www.runnersdepot.com/, which was kind of cool. They have people there who advise you, analyze your gait, etc. It's also a great place to find out about upcoming races or get connected with other runners. I ended up with this pair:

Gaudy? Yes, yes they are. However, they are super comfy and so very lightweight. I've run in them twice and while they took a little getting used to (I think they somehow manage to force me forward) I'm liking them quite a bit. According the employee at the running store I'm fortunate-- neutral gait and can wear pretty much any kind of running shoe. These will do just fine for shorter distances like 5Ks. If I decide to go for real distances, I'll look into something geared in that direction.

A toy, Songs and a whoop

My friend Lori told me about a cool little app for the iphone called runkeeper. You can check it out here. It's pretty cool and its free which is always great. Thanks to this app I can track everything in the moment-- how long I've been running, how far I've run, my pace, calories burned, etc. Today I did 3 miles in 32 minutes. That seems to be my average. I've wobbled up and down, but right around 10:40 a mile seems to be my comfort zone. I'm not thrilled with that, but I'm not dissatisfied either. Anyway, runkeeper is a pretty cool toy. If you're running and haven't tried something like this, take a peek. 

Best songs on the rotation today:

Foo Fighters: No Way Back

Jet:  Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Smashmouth: Peace Frog

Would love to hear what you like to run to. ???

By the by--- when I finished today I let out a rather loud WHOOP! Internally I was flying and I just felt so good. I started singing along to the song that was finishing up, No Way Back, and realized I was in fact singing out loud. I didn't care. :-)

Now my glass of wine. Cheers!!

Blathering silly anxiety and indecision

The moment I completed my first 3 miles I wanted to go run an official 5k. At that moment I was suddenly terrified something would happen-- an injury or illness--- and I wouldn't be able to run for a week or more. If that were to happen I am convinced I'd lose all momentum, everything I've so recently gained and have to start all over again. I'm so new to running my base feels fragile. It makes me feel vulnerable.  I've been able to "train" (c25k) 3 times a week for the past 9 weeks. I haven't gone more than 2 days without  running in the past 9 weeks. I'm not sure how long I have to run-- how many weeks, months-- before it will be ingrained in my body memory. If, for some reason, I was unable to run for a week when I was once again able to run, would it feel like starting over or is my base firm at this point? I don't want to have to find out. I really don't want any setbacks or do-overs.
I wonder if any other new runners have felt this way? Is the idea of losing what you've gained as bothersome to you as it is to me? I wonder how long you have to run before you feel like you've arrived and a break doesn't mean you'll lose ground?
And yes, I'll confess-- when I ran on Friday the pain in my upper right thigh/groin came back and made the run uncomfortable and slower than I'd have liked. To keep to my schedule I really ought to run tomorrow, but I'm kind of worried about that leg muscle. However, if I don't run tomorrow I won't be able to until Tuesday and I'm afraid if I wait that long it'll be harder than normal. Sometimes even after 2 days its a little more of a struggle.
Blah. I want to do what's best for me-- run or rest-- but I'm so new to this, I have no idea which is best.

It's official

Today is the 3rd day of week 9 of the couch to 5k program-- the last day. It's official-- I can run a 5k. Maybe I don't run 3.1 miles with a whole lot of grace and style, but I get it done. And you know what? The grace part is coming. My posture is getting better, my movement is sometimes smooth and every now and then I realize I'm not scowling while I'm running. I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm a runner, but I'm getting there and I will continue to run. There are days that are stupidly challenging and days that make me feel so incredibly proud of myself as well as just plain stoked. This has been good. This is good for me. I gave myself a challenge and I did it.
I registered for my first 5k today. It will take place on April 2nd. It still feels surreal-- me, running a 5k. I love it.
And oh yeah, happy birthday to me :-)

The countdown is on

Today marks the 2nd day of week 9, the final week. I have one more day to go, Friday, and I will have officially completed the couch to 5K program. It looks like I'm really going to finish this! And not only finish the program, but keep going. Today I ran 3 miles for the second time, ever. . Wooooooooo! The first 3 miles wasn't a fluke. I can really run for 3 miles at a time. FYI:  I ran the second 3 miles in just about 32 minutes. I nearly died, but I did it.
A little aside here-- Metallica's Enter Sandman is pretty good to run to. That seems almost weirdly sacrilegious-- way too healthy a pursuit for Metallica---but it's true.  
So two countdowns have begun. The first-- Friday, the day the couch to 5k program is officially complete. The second,April 2nd, the day of my first official 5k race. 
I'm so ridiculously excited. I want Friday and April 2nd to all happen right now! I want to do it and then...what? That's what I'm starting to work out. Will I simply continue to run 3 miles, 3 times a week or will I start to train for something more? I can't shake this idea that one day I'll run a half marathon, but I'm not totally convinced. One thing I know, I will continue to run.

My first 3 miles!

Today marks the first day of my final week, week 9, of the couch to 5K program. I ran my very first 3 miles and I did it in 34 minutes. When I first started the program I had hopes of doing 3 miles in 30 minutes, but I am more than happy with 34. For my first time out, that's not too shabby. What is truly amazing to me is how good I felt while running, particularly the last quarter mile and how quickly I recovered. I was lightheaded (always am after I run) and absolutely giddy, but not worn out. I have to admit, I'm a little in awe of myself and it feels really, really good. 8 weeks ago I couldn't run for 5 minutes straight and today I ran for 3 miles. I feel GOOD!

Better, but not great

While yesterday's run went better than I expected, it wasn't as good as I had hoped it might be. My pace was better than on Tuesday, but not as good as I would have liked. I've been told my expectations are a wee bit high. I can't help it. I want more and better from myself...which is sort of odd. I am competitive, but normally I'm a pretty laid back/go with the flow kind of person. I'm not sure where these expectations for myself are coming from. 
Other than my right leg muscle my body felt fine during the run and I recouped really quickly. Rather, everything but that right leg muscle recouped quickly.  This is the second time this muscle has given me a tough time. While running it starts to annoy me. For the first 20 minutes post run its down right uncomfortable. The discomfort is in the area at the top of my right thigh where my leg meets my torso. Would that be considered a groin muscle? Should I ice it, use heat, not run till it's gone, stick to my routine, drink wine before my run?  Ha. I just dunno. I would like to avoid aggravating it further so if you have any recommendations, pass them along.
At least the weird toe pain is gone and hasn't returned.


03/05/11 A follow up-- no leg pain today!! Only did 2.6 miles in 28 minutes (grrrrrrrrr), but at least the upper leg muscle left me alone. I'm starting to suspect it has something to do with incline. When I have to run up even a small incline I definitely feel it more.

Newbie

The third and last round of 28 minute runs will be completed today, hopefully. Its amazing how very much the running experience can vary day to day. Sunday I felt really good and pumped after our run. Tuesday I hurt all over and my legs felt heavy. That run was so uneven and annoying. I never really found a rhythm. In an effort to give my body a little boost, I'm skipping tennis today. I think all the discomfort was my system's way of saying, loudly, "Hey! Back off a little. You are not, in fact, a runner. You are a newbie." So I'm listening or trying to and will, for a little while anyway, try to stick to one physically demanding task a day. 

And thinking of newbies-- I do not yet consider myself a runner. I am still very much a beginner. I feel my conditioning needs to get to a certain level and I need to have run a certain number of miles both consecutively and overall  before I can comfortably wear the label of runner. I feel like it sort of has to be earned. I was the same with tennis. Other people ran out and bought all sorts of gear and tennis outfits when they first started. I couldn't do that. I felt like I had to earn the right to look like a tennis player. To me, if you're all decked out in tennis gear and you swing like you're holding a baseball bat, that's pretty laughable. Its the same with running. If you call yourself a runner, but you've never actually run even a 5k, its not only comical its delusional. 

I'm not sure I'll ever actually be a runner, but I hope to get to a fitness level where I can run regularly and feel good while running.