Running Thoughts

I've been thinking a lot about running the past couple days (probably because it's been extra hard) and I have some thoughts that probably won't blend together as well as I'm hoping so here goes:

Running is hard.


The past few days have been rough.  My legs have felt like lead.  Yesterday I couldn't bare the thought of running on the treadmill after all the quality time I had spent on it Sunday, and I had a 45 minute run to do.  It was hot, but it was also kind of sprinkling out so I figured that it might balance it out a little.  Turns out, it did not.  I felt like my entire body hurt (yes, that's probably a little dramatic).  The little bit of rain there was stopped pretty much as soon as I started so I was left with just thick, humid air.  Ultimately, the run sucked and I stopped.   I contemplated going and finishing up on the treadmill with a huge water bottle and my ipod to keep me company, but I decided it wasn't just a mental thing.  Which leads me to my next thought.

Rest days are important.


Sunday I was feeling pretty good about myself.  It was my first double digit run since March and I managed to hold down a pretty decent pace for a longer run.  My calves were crazy tight Sunday night, but by Monday afternoon I decided that I should do just a little run (literally a mile) to warm up for my yoga DVD I was going to do.  Instead I ended up doing a different workout that included a lot of squats.  Probably not my smartest idea.  I realize that 10 miles isn't all that long for some people, and some people are throwing down double digit runs like it's their job.  That isn't the case for me.  That was a huge deal for this body and I should have just let it rest.  I paid the price for it Tuesday.  Tomorrow I am giving myself a complete day of rest that will hopefully be enjoyed lounging by the pool.

Beautiful days are meant for trails, not treadmills.


Yesterday I checked out the weather and found that I would have almost perfect summer conditions to run in which made me happier than you will probably know.  I've been in a treadmill rut, and I've had this weird need to run outside.  I set my alarm so I would have plenty of time to walk Maddux, drink coffee, and eat breakfast  before I went.  I don't know how people run on an empty stomach.  I feel like I have to eat breakfast right away, even if it's just a granola bar to get me going.  Then again, I live to eat.

My alarm went off, and I promptly turned it off and went back to bed.  Maddux didn't seem to notice, and usually he takes over the job of the alarm clock.  I figured this was a good sign that I should sleep (lazy).  Maddux did pull it together about 20 minutes later and made sure I was out of bed ready to start our day.

Yeah, he got right back in bed after he got breakfast.    

Even though I was excited to run outside on the trail, it was still hard to get out the door.  I know 9:00 is not early by any means, but my body typically isn't ready to break a sweat until a little later.

Maddux refused to look at me until I was back from my run.  Where's the love?

Eventually I made it out to the trail.  Running outside was the best decision I could have made.  The shade made it pretty near perfect for a summer run and it was so nice to see so many people out exercising, whether it was running, walking, or biking.  Sorry for no awesome pictures, but I typically don't run with my phone, so you'll have to use your imagination. :-)  

Although the weather was fantastic, I can't say my run was.  I'm going three for three with tough runs this week.  My legs just felt tight (not as lead like as yesterday) and it took me a long time to get warmed up.  The downhills and flat parts were ok, but I could definitely feel it in my quads on the uphills.  While I didn't take any walk breaks this time around, I did take several water breaks.

When you have a corgi water bottle, you WANT to drink lots of water.

My Nike+ said I did about 4.5 miles in 47 minutes.  I hope this isn't accurate.  I know it was slow, but man.  I can kick out 5 miles in less time than that on a good day.  I know the longer run on the treadmill got me off track a little bit calibration wise, and switching form inside to outside messes it up, too.  One day, I'm going to invest in something with satellites so I get a more accurate reading.  Or I could start paying a little more attention so I can make a slightly accurate guess.  

The rest of the day is going to be for relaxing with my pup and hopefully getting some work done.  Summer is winding down and my to-do list is not.  

Beautiful days are also for lounging on the porch.

I am coming up with my game plan for my 11.5 mile long run next week to hopefully ease some of the boredom and issues I had with my last long run.  Stay tuned for what is sure to be a rock solid, golden plan.

Summer Vacation Rocks

I love summer.  I wish I loved to get up early (ha, kind of kidding) because I had a hot, hot run the other day.  On Thursday I had to run my 45 minutes.  I'm not worrying too much about the "magic mile"  because I am doing all the other miles in between training days and some of them have been fast.  Also, my watch isn't really calibrated so I don't actually know what pace I would be running.  Even if it was correct, I'm not sure how you stay on pace without looking at your watch the whole time.  Yes, I am new to running and technology.  My Nike sportsband is just fine with me and its noncomplexities. I set my alarm for 6:30 and then hit the snooze button until I finally just turned it off altogether.  I got to the trail and began running at 10:00.

Highlights of the run?  There is now a portapotty in the parking lot.  I hope it sticks around.  Obviously, with the insane heat I had to hydrate and I may have been a little overzealous.  I also have a very weak bladder.  Regardless, it was clean and it had a foot pedal to flush.  A clear winner in my book.  I should have taken a picture.  Other than that, there wasn't much good about the run other than I finished it.  I kept the run between the car and the water fountain about a mile and a half away which worked ok, but I think I may have been too over cautious.  Perhaps this has to do with the fact that my mom's words to me as I went out the door were "Don't die of heat stroke."  Even though I'm technically an adult, I still try to not get on that lady's bad side.

Other than that, running hasn't been too remarkable.  The best run of the week was with my favorite running buddy!  Maddux woke me up incredibly too early for a Saturday, but my dad was downstairs getting ready for a run.  By the time I was ready, there was a towel for my sweat (my dad knows me so well) and a Gatorade waiting in the truck.  I am NOT a morning runner as mentioned above.  Everything feels stiff and I feel like it takes me a while to get going (especially pre-coffee!!!!), but I was so excited to be on a run with my dad again.  I did run a strong 7 miles on the treadmill on Sunday.  I had to rearrange my running again this week because of traveling, but I think being flexible has helped me stay more mentally in the game.  While the last couple miles were tough (my butt and thighs were feelin' it big time) I overall felt proud of the effort.  I also had a guy cheering for me at the gym.  As he left he clapped and said "Keep running, girl!" in a non creepy way.  It was nice to have some friendly gym going support, especially since I was dripping with sweat.

Today is day 29 of the Runner's World Summer Run Streak!  Only a week a couple days left! At first I thought it was going to be sucky and hard, but it turns out that running at least a mile a day isn't so bad.  The first month of it has actually gone by really fast.  Yay running!

I was totally going to add some pictures in here for viewing pleasure, however, that would require a little more effort than I am willing to put in at the moment and The Bachelorette will be on soon (hurray!).

Happy Summer! :)