Running up That Steep Hill Looks Fun.....

They built a new multi-purpose trail at the top of the Mesa and I have been driving by it for a month.  I really want to run up the hill and around the top. My husband did it about a week ago and he said it was 5 miles round trip from my house. The problem is I am only running around 2 miles. I got this bright idea on Wednesday and I drove to the bottom of the hill.  I estimated it would be about two miles up the hill, around the top, and back (by the way my estimate was spot on).

The picture is from the bottom of the hill.  You can't see the top, but it is .6 miles from the where I am standing.  That is right .6 miles! What was I thinking! It took me about 5 minutes to get to the top of this picture. And for the first time ever I had to miss a run (meaning I had to walk though a run segment).  I wondered if I was going to be able to actually finish the whole run. I realized this might have been a huge mistake.  However, I didn't miss another run.  I got to the top totally exhausted.  I couldn't remember why I thought this was a good idea! The first half of the loop at the top was hard, because I was so tired. But I got a second wind during the second half of the loop and I was ready to run by the time I started back down the hill.  I do love going down hill, so that was fun.

In the end my time was not good, 34min 20 sec for 2 miles.  I know some of you are thinking you could walk it faster than that. However, I think I might try to run it once a month with the goal of just being able to do it faster each time.

2.5 Miles Down 10.6 To Go!

I let my son borrow my running gloves this  morning so I ran a little later than normal.  It was still cold, but my fingers didn't feel like they were going to freeze off. Todays long run was good.  I struggled from 21 minutes-31 minutes and then I was fine again.  That is a good thing to know. I could have kept going when I hit my target distance.  However, I have had too many times where I have over did it exercising and then had to quit. I am trying to stick to my program.

My long run a whole 2.5 miles.  I only have to figure out how to run 10.6 miles further and increase my pace from 15 sec/45sec run/walk to a 1min/1min run/walk. I have 13 months to do it in so I should be good.

Running makes me feel better

Wow, I  have had a lot of obstacles lately. I have been sick, I have had scheduling issues, family issues, just one thing after another.  The thing is I still keep planing my runs wether they happen or not. I was suppose to go running last Wednesday, but my husbands work schedule did not allow it.  That was okay because I thought I would just run Thursday instead.  Well, that didn't happen either.  However, an interesting thing happened Thursday, life started getting really stressful and I wasn't handling it as well as I would like and I thought I wish I had run. I had made the realization that running makes me feel better, not while I am running at that point I feel like I am going to die. But after I run I feel better and I handle things better.  Therefore, I am running on Monday.

I am a Super Duper Slow Runner

Today was my long run, 2 miles.  Okay stop laughing, it was long to me.  On Monday and Wednesday I run for 20 minutes plus warm up and cool down.  But on Saturdays I do a long run.  This week it is 2 miles, next week it will be 2.5.  Anyhow,  two thirds the way through the run I started to have labored breathing, and my legs started to hurt.  I looked at my phone app and it said I was at 1.6 miles which is what I usually run on Mondays and Wednesdays.  My body knew I had reached that point and it said it was done.  I kept running and I got my best time ever!  Yes, some people walk as fast as I run. But that is okay, I am happy I am doing well.  I am hoping in a week to bump up my walk/run ratio from Super duper slow to really really slow:-)

I like this meme because I am slow, I have a low run/walk ratio, and I have a hard time considering myself a runner.  However, I feel that it is a mindset I have to change.  I do run, therefore I am a runner.    I am a Super Duper Slow runner!

Bad Run, But Beautiful Morning

Today was a bad run, it was one of those everything goes wrong days.  First I had technology problems, yes I use technology to help me run.  Everything started fine and then I realized my app was doing the wrong run, this was an operator error so I stopped and fixed it.  I got the right run playing and off I went again.  Then I got a text and when I went to answer it I turned off the app.  When I turned the app on again I had to start over.  Now I was frustrated! I had to start my run for the third time, I was sick, and I had to pee!  I decided to preserver.  My legs hurt soon after I started my third run, but I finished. Right as I got back to my driveway my phone battery died. Even though I really didn't enjoy the running part of today it was a beautiful morning.

I want to tell you I love my Running phone app.  It is called Easy 5k with Jeff Galloway it is only available for iPhones and it is great!  It tells you when to walk, when to run, and it adjusts the beat of your iTunes music to the pace you want to be jogging. This is the 9th run I have used it on and it has worked perfectly the first 8 times.

I am a Penguin

I am hoping to suffer from "Adult Onset Runners".  Last year I started walking.  I walked a lot and I walked everywhere.  I really liked it, but I wanted it to translate into running, which it never did.  This year I am doing the run/walk/run method of running.  I feel empowered with this method. I think I can do it.  I am so excited to accomplish my first 5k.  I have already bought the 10k app for my phone. I feel so much better when I get out and run. Right now my run/walk ration is really low 15 sec run/45 sec walk.  My goal is both time and distance.  I would like to not only run a 10k by the end of the year, but run it in a 1 min run/ 1 min walk ratio. So what does this have to do with being a penguin.  Penguins are Adult Onset Runners (people that started running as Adults) that run slowly and waddle across the finish line.  They run the 5K's, 10K's, 1/2 marathons, and yes they even run Marathons.  They race to come in under the time limits, they race to finish, they race to be better than they were before, and even though they may be slow they accomplish their goals.

Thought of the Day