Falling Apart

I ran today. 5.22 miles. After three days of not running, it wasn't easy. The more I run, the more physical ailments I seem to have. Last week when I was running, I started getting knee pain. It was still tender and painful to touch after my run. I also seem to be getting pretty bad shin splints and my calves have been killing me. So I thought that taking a few days off would allow me to get back to normal. Maybe I didn't rest long enough, but my shins and calves were still bothering me on my run today. :-(

The predominant feeling that was overwhelming me today on my run was a feeling of doubt. I kept thinking to myself, "13 miles? Am I really going to be able to do this? I've only done a little more than three today and I'm already burning out. My knee is starting to hurt and my shins are killing me.  Will I be ready by May 5th? Will I physically be able to do 13 miles?!?".

The answer that I finally came up with is that I have no doubt that I will finish. Even if I walked the entire 13.1 miles, I can finish. I have yet to run longer than three miles without stopping to walk. Maybe I will get to the point where I can continuously run longer than that, but for now, I stop to walk. Although after running about three miles today, it almost felt like stopping to walk made the pain worse. As I was running today, I looked up at the sky and I thanked God that I have the ability to run. I thought about those struggling with cancer and other terminal illnesses who are running their own marathon everyday, fighting to survive, and can't just stop when the pain gets too tough. I think if I remember this as I'm running 13.1 miles, I will be able to press on. I will finish.

In the meantime, I might need to get a knee brace, take lots of OTC pain medication, ice the pain away, and remember to rest.

What other ailments should I be prepared for as my running increases? What kind of things can I do to prevent/treat these ailments? Suggestions are welcome and strongly encouraged. I need all the help I can get. ;-)

Tomorrow is probably going to have to be a rest day. Thursday, the plan is to complete about 8 miles.

I will leave you with some inspiration tonight from Eleanor Roosevelt.....

Happy running!

Fit, Fat, & Running

I am a fit fatty. Not sure if I should smile or cry. Let me back up. I had my "fitness assessment" at the gym today. It was a rather basic test, so I am not taking the results too seriously. The test consisted of the following (with my results listed):

Body Fat*: 29.2% (Rank=20%) Ouch!
BMI: 24.9 ("Average")
3-Minute Step Test: 75 (Rank=90%) Note: I could have actually done more.
1-Minute Timed Sit-Ups: 32 (Rank=90%) Note: I thought 32 was pretty bad.
Flexibility (Sit & Reach): 21 (Rank= 70%) Note: It was suggested I take up yoga.
Muscle Strength (Chest Press): 70 lbs (Rank= 80%)
Muscle Strength (Leg Press): 235 lbs (Rank=100%) Note: I apparently have strong ass legs.

*This was measured using the hand held electric device which I am hoping isn't that accurate

So what does all of this mean? Looking at my results, it appears that I am a fit fatty. According to the little battery operated hand-held device (that somehow measures the fat content on my body through the palms of my hand), I have quite a bit of body fat to lose. :-( The pleasant lady assessing me told me at least five times, "Cardio will get this (referring to my body fat) down." She probably said it at least five times and at least five times, I had to stop my hand from re-flexing and smacking her in the face. I kept thinking to myself, 'Is this lady crazy? Does she not realize that I have been doing cardio? And lots of it?!?!' But I had to remind myself that it's her job to help me, and she was right. The one thing that will get my body fat down is cardio. So, I took her advice. I left the fitness center, headed to the track (a.k.a. the hamster wheel) and ran 3 miles.

I have quite a bit of cardio planned over the next three months. I signed up for my first 1/2 marathon today!! (Feel free to cheer out loud right now). I will be running 13.1 miles on May 5th at the largest half-marathon in the country!! I have no doubt that I will be able to do it, but I kind of still can't believe that I actually am doing it. I am super excited, but also somewhat overwhelmed. I feel like there is so much to do to prepare. Will my current shoes be adequate for the distance? What will I need to wear to run 13.1 miles comfortably? What am I going to do if it rains? What if I have to pee along the way? Should I abstain from drinking water before the race? Do I need a heart monitor? A Garmin? Stinger energy gel or Sports Beans? Should Bandit come along or should I opt for a vest with pockets?!?! AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! I still consider myself to be a new runner with a lot to learn. But for now, I will continue to run. Because if you wait until everything is perfect or if you let the uncertainty and intimidation paralyze you,  then you will never start.

So get out there and run! If this fatty can do it, so can you!

Happy running! :-)

Quit Being a Chicken and Just Do It.....Even if You Suck at It.

After completing the 7.45 mile trail run last weekend, I felt invigorated, amazing, accomplished, but most of all, motivated. Motivated to continue pushing myself to break barriers I never thought could be broken. One question I have been asked quite a few times since last weekend is, "What are you doing to train?". I wish I had an answer for that, but to be quite honest, I don't. I just run. Leading up to last weekend, I typically ran about 3-4 times/week  usually running anywhere from 2-5 miles. When I first began running regularly, I signed up for the Active.com 10k for beginners plan, but I was not sticking to it 100%. I would just start running and let my body lead the way. At first, I was focused on time. I would try to complete 3 miles in about 30 minutes. This was comfortable for me, but I knew if I wanted to run a farther distance, I would work on my endurance. So I did. I started running for about 50-60 minutes not worried about how far I was running. So last weekend when I completed the 7.45 mile trail run, the furthest distance I had run in my "training program" was just a little over 5 miles. Luckily, I made it and made it with no injuries.

I am in no way suggesting that you begin running with no plan. In fact, I strongly suggest you find a good plan and of course, as the typical disclaimer states, always consult with your physician prior to starting any workout program.

So here I am today. 7.45 miles achieved. Yay me! I have come to realize since last weekend that I DO need to have a solid training program to achieve my next goal, completing a 1/2 marathon, and part of that training needs to be some serious strength training. This does not sit well with me. For some reason, I have always been intimidated of weight machines at gyms. Not exactly sure if it's my lack of coordination, my own insecurities, or the fact that (as I've said before) I really don't like to sweat. In any case, I know that if I want to not just be a runner, but be a damn good runner, then I'm going to need to get over it and hit the weights.

Today was my first attempt with facing my fear and heading into the part of the gym that is home to the weight lifting equipment. I wasn't even about to intrude on the hardcore weight lifters in the free-weights section, so I stuck the the circuit. Starting somewhere is better than not starting at all, right?

I completed about 5 different exercises doing 12 reps x 3 on the circuit machines and I only looked like a newbie once (I think anyways). I was on a machine that works your hamstrings. For the life of me, I could NOT figure out how to handle the bar like the happy lady in the picture on the side of the machine. Trying not to look like an idiot, despite how I felt, I just placed my hands wherever I could and made the best of it. A bystander on another machine across from me politely looked at me and said, "Ma'am, if you push that button on top of the bar, it will swing down so you can hold onto the handles." FAIL! :-(

That's okay though. The important thing is that I started. I took my first baby step. I decided to quit being a chicken. I just did it....even if I sucked at it.

On the agenda for tomorrow.....a 6 mile run.Wish me luck!

Happy running! :-)

No. A 'Runners' Fanny Pack is NOT a Bandit

Yesterday, January 7th, 2012. This was the day that I ran the farthest distance on a single run in my entire life. Slightly over 5 miles on a single run has been the furthest I have distance I have run prior to yesterday. A local running group (Kennekuk Road Runners) hosted an amazing 7.45 mile trail run yesterday that I bravely made the decision to participate in. Over 500 runners ran in the event and it was AWESOME! Being a new runner, "running lingo" is still very new to me. The flier for the race I ran in yesterday stated: "No headsets. No bandits. No dogs. No wimps." When I first saw this, I thought to myself, 'Seriously? No headsets?!?! WTF?'. Ever since I have started running, I have ALWAYS ran with fresh beats jamming in my ears. I am so addicted to my Pandora that I have actually drove to different areas if the area I was in couldn't get a signal. So that tells you just how dependent I am on my music. Anyways....still being new to running and quite intimidated at races, I make sure to follow ALL the rules to reduce the risk of any unnecessary embarrassment. One of the other rules on the flier stated 'No bandits.' I really didn't think too much about this prior to race day, but I was reviewing the flier as I arrived at the event (completely nervous/excited/ready to go back home/etc.) and I started to panic. Oh my God....what if I have a bandit? What if I get to the registration table (no I was not yet registered because I was not sure until the night before that I definitely was going to go through with it) and they turn me away because I have a bandit? I did have a runners fanny pack that I bought on ebay a few weeks ago that I planned on wearing to hold my cell phone, headphones (in case I found I just absolutely could not run without music), Kleenex, and my energy gel. All of the sudden, my pre-race brain (which had turned to mush by this point) started thinking, 'What if this thing is called a bandit?!?!?!'. I asked my friend who was brave enough to attempt the race with me if this fancy fanny pack thing was called a "bandit" in runners lingo. She had no idea. I stopped a man walking by that looked like a "professional runner" and nervously asked, "Excuse me sir, but do you know what a bandit is?" He paused and looked at me a little dumbfounded for a moment and nicely replied, "Um....a runner who runs and doesn't pay". Wow. Talk about feeling like an idiot. I didn't sweat it though. I strapped my fanny pack (or Bandit as I now call it) on and made my way to the registration table. As I was making my way to the starting line (with about 10 minutes until go time), I felt the sudden slight urge to potty. Now I am no dummy when it comes to ALL things about running. I made SURE to use the bathroom right before heading out the door, but considering I drank probably a gallon of water the night before and a few more cups that morning, nature was calling. They had porta-pottys set up and judging by the look of the lines, a LOT of people suddenly had to go as well. I knew I did not want to be on a 7.45 mile run having to go potty, so I risked losing a few minutes from my time to go. There was one hardcore (I'm guessing) running lady in front of me that decided to not risk losing any time and made a beeline for the woods to go . Maybe I'll get there one day, but I'm just not that hardcore yet. With about 2 minutes until race time, I made my way to the starting line. Before I knew it, the race had started. All I could think to myself was, "Holy hell. WTF am I doing? You crazy bitch. I hope I don't hate running again after this; I'm just starting to like it.", but I started slow and just kept reminding myself that my only two goals were the following:

1. Finish (under two hours).
2. Not die.

My thoughts then shifted to, 'You got this. Easy peezy. This is going to be awesome! There are people behind you that are prepared to run you over so you better keep running!'.

The first three miles of course were the worst. Okay.....and maybe the last one too. There was mud. A LOT of mud. There also was wet grass. LOTS of wet grass. I kept dodging from side to side to try and find the driest path. I'm sure the runners behind me thought I was silly, but one thing I discovered while running 7.45 miles is that you start to not care. You don't care what anyone else around you is thinking. The first three miles were tough, but the course itself was fairly easy. The flier indicated the trail was 'easy-difficult'. The difficult part came about half way into the race. I just remember stopping for a second and staring at this HUGE cliff that resembled more of the side of a small mountain. A very muddy mountain. I just stood in awe and said, "Holy SHIT!". I didn't mean to say it out loud, but I did. No response from anyone around me. There were actually a few times on the trail that this happened. Hill after hill after hill....that was mostly UP hill. I think the last big up-hill climb was shortly before the finish line. My body was starting to break down. The hills were killing me. Running the distance wasn't bad, but the up-hill climbs were rough. After the final hill, runners that had already crossed the finish line were starting to run back to encourage people. They clapped and said, "Great job! You're almost done!". I couldn't believe it. I was only at 1:28 and I was almost to the finish line. One of thee best feelings I have ever experienced. The farthest distance I have ever run in my entire life was just a little over 5 miles and I was about to finish a 7.45 mile run full of mud, wet grass, muddy hills, and other obstacles. Sprinting to the finish line was invigorating to say the least. Not even two months ago, right after completing a 5k, I can remember (barely) crossing the finish line and thinking to myself, 'There is NO way I could run any farther than this.' and of course the thought that always comes to mind, 'How can anyone actually ENJOY this?!?!'. Well I think I'm starting to understand how people enjoy this crazy thing they call running. It pushes yourself to limits you thought you never could reach. And once you reach those "limits", it makes you set new "limits". I still think about running a marathon and think "I don't know if I could actually run 26.2 miles". THAT seems unthinkable, but then I remember that only two months ago, 7.45 miles....on an easy-difficult trail anywhere.....would have been IMPOSSIBLE.

A few things helped me survive this 7.45 mile run:

• Have a sense of humor when you're running. 
• Laugh at yourself. 
• Smile. 
• Run like nobody is watching. 
• Good ol' Bandit really did come in handy and he most likely will be accompanying me at my next big race....a 1/2 marathon. ;-)

I also learned a few things from this adventure:

• DON'T wear cotton socks. Wrap your toes. Do what you have to do to prevent blisters. I got them.
• DO arrive on race day earlier than 1/2 an hour before race time.
• DON'T overdress. I wore running tights, a short sleeve t-shirt, and a tank top underneath. It was probably around 40 degrees. I still got hot. There were runners wearing jogging suits and stocking hats. Again...maybe hardcore runners, but I would have died. I actually thought a few times about ditching my t-shirt in the woods.
• A t-shirt with pockets on it (whatever it's called) might be better than Bandit.

Happy Running! 

Lions and Tigers and Bears. Oh....and Mud.

Today was absolutely gorgeous. Bright and sunny, slightly windy, and a high temperature of around 50. My favorite place to run is outside and it was the PERFECT day to do it! I am contemplating participating in a 7.45 mile trail run this Saturday (crazy I know) and since I have NEVER ran on a trail (other than the one time I did a 5k through the woods and about died from exhaustion), I figured I should at least attempt one trail run prior to Saturday's adventure (should I decide to go through with it). I typically run on concrete and maybe it's just me, but I feel like running on grass is more challenging. So I'm guessing that 7.45 miles on a trail will feel more like 10 miles. I guess I still have about 33 hours to decide if I'm ready.

Downstate Illinois may not have oceans or mountains or palm trees or piers, but one thing we do have is some pretty awesome state parks full of beautiful trees, flowing rivers, and peaceful serenity. I decided to head to one of those parks today to set out on my trial trail run. As I pulled into the parking lot, I looked around and quickly noticed that I was the only person at this serene location. Now I know that most people would probably consider this a good thing. Truly getting away from it all and everyone involved in the all. However, I am not one of those people. I prefer the company of other homo sapiens. Being the dork exhausted mother of two small children that I am, I usually spend my Friday nights at home watching Dateline. Don't get me wrong, Dateline is a great show, which is why I watch it pretty regularly. With that said, Dateline is not a good show to watch if you ever plan on trail running....alone.

I picked a trail that I thought was going to be 4.67 miles. I figured this would be a good practice run for the big day coming up. I set off on the path and quickly discovered that the path veered off into about three different directions. Here I was. What I thought was going to be one pre-determined path had quickly become three. I looked for signs to direct me, but there weren't any. After pondering for a few quick seconds (my watch was ticking after all), I just let my instinct lead the way and set off on the middle path. I started running farther and farther into the woods and the farther I ran, the stronger my paranoia became. I tightly grasped my pepper spray and was so focused on getting OUT of the woods, that I really didn't get a chance to enjoy the serenity and peace all around me.

Anything I've ever done that ultimately was worthwhile... initially scared me to death.  ~Betty Bender

It turned out that the path I chose was the shorter path. 2.45 miles to be exact. Although I didn't complete the longer path, I think I did set a PR for fastest 2.45 miles I have ever run. I came off the trail with muddy shoes, muddy socks, a muddy calf, and a pretty big sense of accomplishment. I had quickly completed a (short) trail run. And I SURVIVED! I was not hit with a stray bullet at the hands of a nearby hunter. I did not fall in a large man-made hole. I was not hit by a random strike of lightening. I was not attacked by a lion, tiger, or bear. Unfortunately, I wasn't lucky enough to escape the mud. Shucks!

I Will Start Running when the Skinny Bitch STOPS!!

It never fails. Every time I prepare to set out on a run, at least one of those three nasty, evil, self-sabotaging emotions presents itself. I promised myself that when I started this blog, I would be completely honest with myself (as harsh as it may be) and would not hold back in fear of what anyone might think. So I apologize in advance for offending anyone. Scratch that.

Intimidation, fear, and jealousy are probably the worst self-sabotaging emotions a person has that prevents them from reaching their full potential or even getting remotely close to it. I can still remember going to my first 5k. It was August of last year. I had prepared and trained for oh about 3 weeks. I was ready (or so I thought)! When I got to the race, I looked around and saw a swarm of 115 lb (dripping wet) girls at the starting line. All of the sudden, my archenemies Intimidation, Fear, and Jealousy showed up beside me and began taunting me, "What are YOU doing here? Do you LIKE being laughed at? You are WAY to out of shape to be doing this! All these other girls are athletes. YOU are a couch potato who every now and then likes to pretend to be an athlete". Regardless, I hushed their negativity, downed my pre-perform Gatorade, and made my way to the (back) of the starting line. The horn blew and the race was on. I started way to strong. I wanted to keep up with these trained athletes and was NOT about to let them leave me in the dust. Well.....that was my plan anyways. However, I have come to realize that running is kind of like giving birth. You can have a plan prior to going into labor, but your ideal and well thought out plan quickly changes when the pain starts. Now I have birthed two children (one with drugs, one pretty much without), so I am well aware that the pain of running is nowhere even near the pain of childbirth, but you get my point. Speaking of childbirth, I often remind myself of this when I feel like quitting during a run. I tell myself "you survived childbirth for crying out loud; you can survive one (or two or eventually ten) more miles"

I finished the race that day in about 34 minutes. Obviously I didn't win, but I didn't come in last. I guess it's all about how you look at it. ;-)

I guess what I am trying to get at is don't let intimidation, fear, and/or jealousy keep you from running. There will always be someone thinner than you, someone faster than you, someone who can run farther than you, someone who will sprint past you and leave you in the dust. But if you don't just start and then stick with it, you will never make it to the finish line. As I was running today, I discovered that I still make excuses before getting started:

- I will start running when the next song comes on.
- I will start running when the next person passes me.
- I will start running when this skinny bitch STOPS and gets off the track (that was actually my archenemies again).
- I will start running when hell freezes over.

You get my point.

Finally, I just started running. I ran approximately 3 miles. A person's brain can only handle so many counting laps before it starts to get confused and misses a few.

Happy running!

Oh and P.S.....I passed the skinny bitch and left her in the dust! ;-)

28 Laps=1 mile

Are you kidding me?!? I think I just stood and stared at the sign for at least an hour (okay maybe a bit of an exaggeration), but I was trying to process the math in my head. You see, I prefer to run outdoors. There have been a few occasions when I have been forced to run on the treadmill taking up space in my living room (doing a fantastic job as a dust catcher), but it REALLY makes my hate relationship I have with running overpower any love I might have for the sport. I'm not sure exactly what it is about the treadmill that makes me despise it, but I've come to the conclusion that it might have something to do with the following:

1. I do not believe in sweating. I know. I know. I hear you already. "If you want to excel in any sport, you are going to need to sweat. No sweat, no gain!" I realize this, but every time I feel a trail of sweat start to trickle down my cheek, I nearly have a panic attack (okay maybe another slight exaggeration). I think my strong opposition to sweat is one of the reasons my past attempts at becoming a runner have failed. This is why I believe I have lasted (so far) as long as I have this go around. I have enjoyed running in 40 and 50 degree weather. When I am finished with a run, my cheeks are as red as Santa's, but still dry to the touch. This has definitely allowed my love for running to bloom! :-)

2. I do not believe in running and running and running.....only to get NOWHERE. This is awful. End of story. I also really dislike passing by the same landmark twice, so combining dripping sweat with the view of my living room makes for an unhappy run.

3. It's just not as exhilarating as running into the wind......or if you're running back to where you started, against it. ;-)

So back to the sign that read '28 laps=1 mile'. Today was a cold snowy day, which normally I wouldn't mind stepping out and attempting to brave the elements, but being a running mommy, sometimes I don't always have that option. Today was one of those days. So I had three choices:

1. Not run. I will admit, this was definitely the easiest choice and the one with the strongest voice in my head this morning.

2. Try and find a time to squeeze in a run on the treadmill. Yuck.

3. Drive to the local YMCA and run indoors on the track.

I chose option 3. I suited up, laced up my Brooks Adrenaline sneakers (awesome shoes btw), packed my kids in the car, and drove on down to the Y-M-C-A. (Feel free to take a break and do the dance now since I'm sure the song is now stuck in your head as it was in mine the entire way there). I dropped the kids off and eagerly made my way to the indoor track. The track is located on a mezzanine (or something like it) inside the gym. I made my way into the gym and stopped at the door that opens up to the magical spiral staircase that leads up to the "track". A sign was posted on the door that said '28 laps=1 mile'. Right at this moment, I thought of a (yet another) running device that would come in quite handy. I'm not certain of the name of it, but it's a clicker of some sort that a person uses at events to track the number of people entering. This would be the PERFECT device to use as I run around like a hampster on a hampster wheel to keep track of my laps. However, not knowing even what this device is called nor where I could quickly get one, I set my Pandora to the Pitbull station, opened up the 'iMapMyRUN' app on my phone, and made my way up the spiral staircase and began my adventure. As awful as it sounds (and I anticipated), it actually wasn't that bad. I started out with a brisk walk for about 10 minutes and then set off on my run. I only had about 30 minutes to run, but 30 minutes is better than 0 minutes, right? This was my first time running on the indoor "track", but it actually wasn't that bad. Yes, I was dripping sweat by the time I was done and yes, I passed landmarks more than once (it was probably actually more like passing the same landmark about 60 times), but I still enjoyed it more than the treadmill. I guess it could have been Pitbull since his music is super bad ass for running. There also was a high school dance team down below in the gym practicing a routine. They were great motivation for me! We are not young forever. We're only given one body. I want to run while I still have the ability to run. Every time I finish a run, I seem to appreciate my body a little more (although I would appreciate it a gazillion times more if when I get flat abs). I have come to focus not so much on how fast or how far I'm running, but how hard I'm trying. I think it was the PX90 dude that I heard say in one of his videos "do your best and don't worry about the rest". I say that quote to myself over and over again when I'm running.

So you might be wondering just how far (or how many laps) I ran today (or I've already bored you to death and you are no longer reading or you really could care less). In any case, according to the 'iMapMyRUN' app on my phone, I ran a grand total of........are you ready for this!??!?!.......0.0 miles. That's right. I ran ZERO. ZILCH. NADA. ZIP. :-( My guesstimate would be maybe 2 miles or 56 laps. No wonder I was dizzy after I was finished.

Tomorrow might be another day on the track hampster wheel. Hoping I can locate one of those clickers before then.....

Happy Running!

2012. A year to RUN!!

Happy New Year! I really don't know where (or even HOW) to begin a blog. Not only am I a newbie to running, but I'm a newbie to blogging as well. A new year means new hobbies. Where to start? I decided to start running about 3 months ago. Not sure exactly what prompted me to set out on this insane adventure, but I've always had a slight desire to run. Why you ask? Health, muscle toning, good exercise that doesn't take much coordination, good stress reliever, etc., etc. I've always had a love/hate kind of relationship with running. I gave it a shot when I was about 12 years old when I joined the Cross Country team at school and amazingly made it through the entire season. I still remember the dreaded 4 mile practices at 6am and the embarrassing meets where I always came in last (or close to it). I did it for one year and vowed I would NEVER run again and anyone who runs for a "hobby" is simply crazy. There were a few times when I would give running a shot again, but never stuck with it. I always started out and less than 5 minutes later was thinking to myself "what the hell am I doing?", "this sucks", "how can anyone ENJOY this?!?!?!?!?!?!" I'm sure if you are like me and have a love/hate (or just a hate) relationship with running, you know exactly the kind of thoughts I'm talking about!!!! I would return home usually less than 20 minutes later and resort to my all out hate relationship with running. Somehow, since I've been running pretty regularly for the past 3 months, those thoughts STILL infiltrate my brain every time I set out on a run. One thing I have learned (and remind myself when I begin my run) is that THE FIRST MILE IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST. If you can make it past the first mile or two, it's almost like your body finally gives up and says "this crazy lady isn't going to stop so I may as well make the best of it".

I guess I'm starting this blog so I can document my journey, hopefully gain some accountability for meeting my goals, and maybe even inspire someone else to join the running revolution. My first goal is to finish a 10k under 60 minutes in April. I have completed two 5k's in the past two months and think it's time to set a more challenging goal. I'm not focusing right now on increasing my time, but rather my distance. Once I build up my endurance, then I will focus more on increasing my speed.

I know you have probably heard it before that "if I can do it, so can you", but I really mean it!! Don't be mistaken. I am no marathon runner (yet), but I have exceeded (barely) the 5 mile mark. I can vividly remember setting out on a run back in October and I couldn't even make it a 1/2 a mile. With that said, if I can do it, SO CAN YOU! Happy New Year everyone and Happy Running!