WEEK 15: BRING ON THE WINTER GEAR

Do you think I could run in this get-up?

This is how I imagine myself dressed for running in the cold. I really, really, really dislike cold weather, meaning anything less than 60*F. I would perfer temperatures in the hight 70's and above, but I know I can't have everything my way.

Either way, I'm determined to run during the winter, and not just on the treadmill. So, I'm currently on the market for winter running gear. Wish me luck!



WEEK 15 Recap:

• Monday: Cross training
• Tuesday: 4 miles + Cross training
• Wednesday: Cross training
• Thursday: 3 miles
• Friday: 2 miles + Cross training
• Saturday: Cross training
• Sunday: 5 miles
• TOTAL: 14 MILES

My 5 AM punishment felt soooo good! It was the perfect plan to get myself back on track. I felt great but I may have overdone it a bit: My legs were completely tired during the last 2 miles of my 5-miler on Sunday, but I pushed through to the end.

Injury/Health Report: Everything feels fine:) No real aches and pains, even after pushing myself through my 5-miler on Sunday. I was expecting some soreness, but it didn't kick in...yet.

Tech Report: Started shopping around for winter running gear, but I'm not quite sure what to invest in. There's so much to choose from.

Up-Coming Race: You may have noticed that I deleted a race from my Up-Coming Race List, the Free to Breathe 5K on November 2. I've decided to keep my races to one per month, for financial reasons. Race registration starts to add up: The Rothman 8K of the Philadelphia Marathon set me back 45-bucks. That's not too bad, but I could be putting more money into my running gear.

Almost Thirty

WEEK 14: WELCOME TO SLACKERVILLE!!! POPULATION: ME

Hey all,



Week 2 of my slackerness has come to an end. I only ran 3 days this week and cross trained only 1 day. What's my excuse? I'm no longer around the corner from the gym (it's a 10-minute drive away). It's getting colder, so it's harder to motivate myself to go out. I have a 13 year-old little girl in my care who I don't feel comfortable leaving alone for more than an hour. I have been parked in front of a 52" plasma TV with hundreds of premium cable channels OnDemand. This list could go on and on, but I'll stop there. Either way, I have become a total couch potato and I feel wretched. This behavior is totally unacceptable, so I am putting myself on punishment next week.


To make up for my lack of activity, I will be hitting the gym at 5 am EVERY morning this coming week. I'll get to the gym by 5 am and leave by 5:45 am to be back at the house to wake the Kid up at 6 am, as usual.



WEEK 14 Recap:

• Monday: Cross training


• Tuesday: 3 miles


• Wednesday: Slacker Day #1


• Thursday: 4 miles w/ my first REAL HILLS!


• Friday: Slacker Day #2


• Saturday: Slacker Day #3


• Sunday: 5 miles w/ MORE HILLS!
• TOTAL: 12 MILES

As you can see, there was a bright side to WEEK 14, despite the lack of training.

This week was actually a week of a few firsts for me: my first time running on open roads with cars and my first real hills. I didn't want to leave the Kid for too long, so I decided to run in the neighborhood: through the beautiful hills of Gladwyne, PA.

I was super nervous at first to run on the road with cars, but there isn't much traffic around here and most drivers were pretty cautious not to hit me. I did have to jump off the road once, though. Once I got into a groove, I was eventually distracted by the enourmous estates surrounded by immaculately groomed landscapes, the exotic cars in the driveways, the deer watching me watching them, and did I mention the HILLS! Little hills, big hills, double hills, never-ending hills, all kinds of hills.

Running up the hills was hard at times, but I just kept a slow, steady and controlled pace...key word: controlled. Running down the hills posed more of a problem: it didn't feel good on my knees and I often felt like I was going to topple down, head first. I was out of control and I definitely need to learn some down hill running techniques. I must say that I'd rather run UP a hill, than DOWN a hill. Plus, when I got to the top of a hill, I felt accomplished and victorious! Bring on the next one!!!............ just let me catch my breath first.

Injury/Health Report: Beside feeling 10-lbs. heavier (I know, it's psychological), I feel OK. The hip feels better, as long as I stretch it regularly. My legs felt a bit wobbly after running those hills on Thursday and today, but nothing hurts. I'm sure my legs would feel stronger if I had been keeping up with my cross training and strength training.

That's enough for now. Especially since I have to get up at 4:30 am to go to the gym.

Almost Thirty

WEEK 13: 5 MILES DOWN, 21.2 MORE TO GO!

Greetings,


I have been seriously slacking over the past few days, in more ways than one. I haven't done any cross training since last Tuesday, I've been eating like a pig, and I haven't been keeping up with my blogging. Apologies to my faithful followers, all three of you. Even though I've been running as scheduled, my overall routine has been interrupted. Therefore, my whole life seems out of order.


Let me back up a bit...On Saturday, I started a 3-week baby-sitting stint for a family that I've been sitting for over the past 7 years or so. So, I've basically moved into their house, which is not too far from mine. But my whole routine has been disrupted and I have to get into a new groove, so to speak.


Despite of the rift, I managed to run as scheduled on Friday evening and on Sunday. I was so eager to run my first 5-miler on Sunday morning on the trail that there was no way I was going to miss it.


Friday's run after work was grueling because I was dreading having to pack later on that evening. But Sunday's 5-miler was awesome! And my mom ran with me! Good thing she did because running with her forced me to run slower than usual. If I had run at my normal 10-11 minute/mile pace I would have been winded. Instead, we ran 12-13 minute miles, and it was eazy-breezy for me. I barely broke a sweat. I felt like I could have run 2-3 miles more, but after I stopped I definitely felt the effects of running for an hour. Nothing specific hurt or was in pain; it just felt like all my joints could have used some WD-40.


Anyway, here's a Recap of WEEK 13:

• Monday: 4 miles
  
• Tuesday: Cross training
  
• Wednesday: Rest
  
• Thursday: 3 miles
  
• Friday: 3 miles
  
• Saturday: ANOTHER REST DAY! WTF!!!
  
• Sunday: My first 5-miler!
• TOTAL: 15 MILES

Injury/Health Report:

• This week was a bit up and down for me. Aside from the occasional stiff hip, my knees felt a bit achy early on in the week and I was sore from working on my legs on Tuesday...which led to the unplanned rest day on Wednesday. That was a good move because I felt fine by Thursday. As for my hip... still no pain, just a bit stiff. Once I get moving, it feels OK. I'll still keep an eye on it though.
• Upon moving in with the kids I'm sitting, my diet completely changed to what they had in their fridge: frozen waffles, chips, cookies, candy, and left-over take-out. The excess of processed junk food induced a craving for fast food, so I actually drove to McDonald's and ordered a cheese burger and a large fries...something I hardly ever do, but I did and it tasted great! However, I felt horrible afterward. Not just physically, but I also beat myself up for eating so poorly. But I won't deny myself the occasional junk food and/or fast foods, they taste too good. I'll just do it in moderation next time. Not all in one weekend.
  
• Also, I was feeling a bit blah over the weekend: probably the result of a combination of having to leave my comfy apartment for 3 weeks, shifting my schedule to fit babysitting, eating poorly, and starting a new prescription. I was just all out of whack! But I always felt better after running. I really have to remember to just run the next time I'm feeling sluggish.
  

DAY 90 Weigh-In/Photos: I didn't forget about the Weigh-In. I just didn't get a chance to do it this weekend, with the move and all. I promise I get it in sometime this week.


Almost Thirty

DAY 88: BUGGIN' OUT!!!

Greetings,

Today, the warm weather and humidity returned and I was totally excited to go for my run this afternoon, especially since I took an unplanned rest day yesterday. Unfortunately, the return of the heat meant the return of the certain insects...

I ran a different portion of the trail that I normally run on, just for a change of scenery. But that scenery consisted of walls of gnats! The little buggers are not half bad when your stationary, but they're a nightmare as soon as you start running.

During the first mile of my 3-miler, I tried my best to ignore all the tiny smacks against my face, because I was just glad to be running. But by the middle of the second mile, I started to pick up a bit more speed which required me to breath out of my mouth. Without being too grotesque, lets just say that I've had my share of protein for today.

At the turnaround of my out-and-back, I almost stopped and walked back, but I was determined to get my miles in. I started to try to dodge the swarm, but I quickly learned that was impossible. They were everywhere. At the beginning of mile 3, I just put my head down and trucked through the never-ending swarm. And although I emerged victoriously, having run more than 3 miles, it was not without consequence...

BEFORE MY RUN

3 MILES LATER



This is, hands down, the grossest thing that has ever happened to me. My front was covered from head to toe in gnats. Fortunately, I was able to get rid of the ones on my clothes with a few snaps of the elastic fabric. But unfortunately, the ones on my body were glued to my skin with sweat. I shook some from my hair, blew some from nose and I even fished one out of my eyelash.

Did I mention that I was completely grossed out?

On the bright side, I think this run qualifies me as at least one step closer to being a real runner. Three months ago, I couldn't have imagined running 3 miles, but I did today...while inhaling gnats. Who knew?!?!

The Human Windshield a.k.a Almost Thirty

DAY 85: WHAT'S UP WITH THE CAT CALLS?

Today I went out for my scheduled 4 miles after work on Kelly Drive. The weather was sunny and cool, and I had a stellar run. It seems this running thing actually does get easier.

Running after work on Kelly Drive literally means running alongside a busy, bumper-to-bumper 4-lane artery during rush hour. And while I can appreciate eye-candy as much as the next person, why do guys feel the need to yell out their windows and honk their horns like they're crazy when they pass by a nice looking female?

Not that I was much to look at with sweat dripping down my face and my hair bouncing all over my head, but several drivers thought it was a good idea to try to get my attention while navigating on this busy road. Not only was it rude, it was completely dangerous in today's case: 3 of the 5 offenders actually had to swerve or slam on breaks because they weren't paying attention to the road.

Is it written in some idiot handbook that women find cat calls attractive? Do guys really think we respond to that type of buffoonery?

There were lots of other runners on the path, females included, so I'm sure it happens to others, but I was a bit embarrassed. So much so that, at some point during my run, I thought I would avoid running on this path during rush hour in the future. But then I thought better...I'll get over it and take it as a complement, although distorted. I'm on my way to becoming a runner...I'm not gonna let a few meows slow me down.

But fellas, cut it with the cat calls already. Unlike the kitty in the pic, it's NOT cute!

Almost Thirty

WEEK 12: ENDED ON A GOOD NOTE!

This morning I ran my second 5K, Philly Health Cares held by Jefferson Hospital benefiting Overbrook High School. The weather was great, the crowd was great, and I had a great run...with my mom!


She totally rocked it! I told you before that she was a beast and she proved it today. She placed 1st in her age group and earned a metal! I was so happy for her! Even though we came in at 35:28 minutes (Garmin), she ruled the 50-59 age group!




Hopefully she'll continue running with me and rock more races in the future!



WEEK 12 Recap:

• Monday & Tuesday: Rest. Got my hair done on Monday and baby-sat my sweet-baby-niece on Tuesday, both unplanned. Oh, well...


• Wednesday: 3 miles on the treadmill


• Thursday: Cross training


• Friday: 3.5 miles at Kelly Drive with my mom


• Saturday: Cross training


• Sunday: My 2nd 5K! 3.1 miles


• TOTAL: 9.6 MILES

So, WEEK 12 came to an end on a good note! I have been running for three months now and the newness still hasn't worn off. I still look forward to running, even after work. I feel awesome and I'm slimming down according to my baggy wardrobe. As I mentioned before, that really wasn't one of my goals but I guess it comes with the territory.

Injury/Health Report: My achy hip had been annoying me a bit, but not hurting or preventing me from running. I've found that stretching it well after running helps. Lately it's been a little stiff when I'm not running, but fine when I am running. I'll continue to stretch it out and keep an eye on it.

Tech Report: No new gear or gadgets to report. I haven't gotten a chance to use my new spiffy running gloves. Even though I'm eager to see how they perform, I can definitely wait until the weather gets cooler again.

The goal for WEEKS 13 & 14 is to run 5 miles once a week. I am officially registered for the 8K of the Philadelphia Marathon on November 23 and I plan to be prepared.

Looks like DAY 90 is coming up during this week, so stay tuned for the Weigh-In and Photos.

Almost Thirty