Can It Get Worse?

For real.

So, today is Friday and I wasn't sure when I'd get a chance to run. Hugh had his 9 month appointment this morning, and then I had to be home at 11 for Gus to get off the bus. I wanted to go as soon as he got home, but Monika came over with my money (for my photo shoot that I did on Sunday) and she stayed until after 12.

I decided at 12:45 that I'd just go and get it over with so I could relax for the rest of the day.

I don't know what the heck I was thinking. It was a bad idea and as soon as I pulled into the park, a fear crept over me... "Please God, don't let today be as bad as the Friday two weeks ago."

I got the boys out and loaded into the double jogger.

It was 1pm and HOT. What was I thinking?!?! Hugh started crying the minute I started and he didn't stop. Do you know how hard it is to focus on running while you're nine month old is screaming like someone is torturing him?

It was horrible. Simply horrible. 

I couldn't focus, I was exhausted before I even started. I kept trying to calm him down and he wouldn't stop crying. He was hot, I was hot. He was in desperate need of  a nap and I thought he'd nap in the stroller, but he was too hot with the hot sun beating down on him.

I ended up going so slowly. I went 1.28 miles and walker 0.80 at 23.25 min and ran 0.48 at 18:50. It was not good.

So I came home very tired, sweaty, and just overwhelmed. I'm glad I went, but I hate running with the boys. I just can't focus and I end up pushing 80 pounds... it's too much.
 

As soon as we got home, Hugh crashed. He had a flu shot and hemoglobin check today, so that could be part of his overall unhappiness. 

I will be repeating week three next week because I am not ready to run five minutes straight. I can't even run three minutes straight, so I know five isn't possible yet.

Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like it's a ridiculous notion to think that I'll be able to run a 5k next month. I pray that a good run comes my way soon, because I don't know if mentally I can handle feeling like crap after I run each time. I just get so disappointed and feel like I suck.

 This image is the one that scares the crap out of me. Oy.

And last but not least...

Another Tough One

I did not want to run last night. I was still sore from Monday and I just didn't have the drive or motivation to go. However, I have other people that I'm running with and I knew they were going to be there and I didn't want to let anyone down, or have anyone ask why I wasn't coming. I honestly didn't have a good excuse, and I couldn't imagine any of them being okay with any sad excuse that I may have tried to use.

So I went.

I did W3D2 and it was as difficult as Monday's run, but I did a MUCH better job than W3D1. Here's a chart of my progression thus far:

When I look at the progress from run to run, I notice that while I've always through that Monday was my best running day, it's the slowest, I am very surprised to see that last night's run was my fastest running pace so far. 

Last night it was just me, Lesley, and Stacey. It was W3D1 for Lesley, and she and Stacey ran together. For the most part, the three of us stayed together through the entire run, but the last 3 minute run is where they took a big lead on me. I pushed through and didn't stop or cheat, but they were faster.

Here's something that I really love about running this time- I love that it's getting cooler and not hotter. :-) When we started out our run, I was actually a bit chilly. Obviously, when we finished I felt like I was on fire, but it was so nice to run and feel a cool breeze and not sweltering heat.

I got home and got in the shower and crashed into bed. When Steve got me up this morning at 6:20, I was out cold. It took all that I had in me to get out of bed. I could have slept for another few hours.

I wasn't sure what I'll do about tomorrow, since no one is planning on running at 8pm, but I think I'll take Gus and Hugh in the double (after Gus gets home from school), and do my run with them. It's only 30 minutes and I *think* I can do it. If I need to walk, I'll walk, but I don't want to not do anything and I don't want to go tomorrow night alone.

I'm quite sore this morning. My calf hurts. I think I pulled something in my calves because both Monday and yesterday, they've hurt after running. 

I will say that I'm proud of myself. When I ran last year, for whatever reason, I only ended up running twice a week with Pilar and Christy. This year, I've been running for three weeks and three days a week. Even without any major running, I'm still doing more exercise now than I have in a really long time. I just wish my scale would reflect my hard work. Still no changes and still says I've gained a few instead of losing.

To all my loyal readers (hahahaha), thanks for your continued support. I always have these grandiose thoughts about running 5ks when I'm not running. It's when I'm actually running, that I think, "What the heck am I doing?!? How can I actually do a 5k?!?!" It'll be interesting for sure. 

Until next time...
>^..^<

Exhausted

I'm going to start with a warning that this post is going to be a little on the negative side.

 
I am definitely feeling like Homer today. I just didn't have a lot of energy to run tonight and I knew I was going to be attempting W3D1 and I think I mentally built up a resistance for running tonight. Don't get me wrong, I still did it, but I was tired before I even started.

 I know that some days are going to be more difficult and challenging than others, and today was definitely one of those days. I was tired when I woke up this morning, and it stayed with me all day. I made scallops with angel hair pasta for dinner, but it didn't satisfy my hunger, and so I felt hungry after dinner. I'm sure it was better for me to run on an emptier stomach, but it didn't give me the energy that I desperately needed tonight.

Tonight it was me, Lesley, Jo, and Stacey. Lesley was on W2D3, so she and Jo went their way and Stacey and I set off to start W3D1. 

Holy Smokes.

It was a five minute warm-up followed by a 1.5 minute run, 1.5 minute walk, then 3 minute run, and 3 minute walk, repeated twice and then finish with a five minute cool down walk. 

Here's the strange part. I only ran 1.52 miles today. I've been doing 1.8 or so, and tonight I ran more than before (more at once), and yet it was a shorter distance. Maybe it's because it was only 28 minutes total versus 32?

My walking distance was 0.97 at 19:42 pace and then running distance was 0.54 at 16:44 pace. 

I will say that I did not walk any more than was in the plan. I ran for the full three minutes each time and while I felt like I was going to die, I did it and didn't give up. That's saying something, right? 

Week three was definitely hard, but I liked that it was over quickly. Lesley still had her cool down when I was finishing mine. I will say, I run and walk slowly, so that's part of why my time is what it is. But, you know what I have to keep reminding myself of? I AM RUNNING. At least I'm doing something and I'm burning calories and I'm not competing with anyone by myself.

I don't know how I'm going to run a 5k, but I guess I will just have to do it. I feel like if I had to double what I did tonight, I wouldn't make it. My calves hurt so bad and I even stretched them a lot today. Not sure what's causing them to cramp up like they are. Stacey suggested doing a warm up and then stretching and then walking.

It wasn't too bad tonight, just a little humid. The park was pretty empty, which was nice. I'm dreading October when Steve is traveling... not sure what I'll do. I think I'll probably have to run with the boys during the day. Maybe right after Gus gets home from school so I can be done with my run for the day and then let him play at the park for a little before coming home for naps.

 
I'm exhausted and my legs feel like cement. I know this is a normal feeling, because one of my tags for posts is "Legs like cement." Glad to know it's not unusual. Just got to go relax and fall asleep and then hopefully tomorrow I won't be super sore.

So Proud

I just want to start off by saying that I am so incredibly blessed. I feel so supported and surrounded by truly remarkable people, and I know how fortunate I am to have this.

On Wednesday night, we finished running and we weren't sure what was going to happen for Friday. It's been this way since we started. Monday and Wednesday is a pretty set thing, but Friday is up in the air. I'm a planner and I don't like things to be up in the air, so of course, I try to figure out what I'm going to do about my Friday run.

I posted on our 5k Crew FB group that I was going to run tonight at Ocee, and if anyone wanted to join me, to let me know.

Lesley texted me yesterday to say that she was pretty sure she could run with me tonight, and then this afternoon, Meaghan called me to say that her husband has his monthly poker night, but she was willing to come with her boys and run. Then Ann texted me around 6 and said that she was going to come to Ocee to run with me.

Tonight we met at 8pm and ran together. It was so awesome to not have to run alone, and made me feel so lucky to have such wonderful people in my life. I feel like they are just as invested in this as I am and it's awesome.

On Monday, Ann and I had been talking about the Turkey Trot and she was inspired by me and decided to see if there was a Thanksgiving Day run close to us. There is one in Johns Creek! So she shared it with our FB group and asked if anyone wanted to run it with her, and Leigh Anne, Stacey, and Ann are all registered and will be running it together!! So while I'm running my Turkey Trot in Michigan, they'll be running one here.

 
Stacey just started running with us this week and she signed up to run the 5k with us on October 19th. That means that it'll be: me, Jo, Lesley, Leigh Anne, Jackie, Stacey, maybe Meaghan and possibly Ann. I am so excited and really hope that Meaghan and Ann  are able to sign up. It's going to be so incredible to run our first 5k together as a group.

My run tonight was good. It seemed to really go by fast tonight, for whatever reason. I was tired at the end, and my knees were hurting, but I felt good. Each time that I've run has gotten better (not easier, but better). It's been two full weeks and I am thinking about starting W3D1 on Monday.


Week 3 Day 1 is: 5 minute warm-up, two repetitions of jog for 1.5 and walk for 1.5 then jog for 3 and walk for 3 then 5 minute cool-down.


I think I will try it and see how it goes, and if it's too much, I will repeat week 2 again until I'm ready. If I remember correctly, I think I liked week 3 when I ran last year. I never made it past week 4 last year, but I also took a month just to get out of week 1. I'm already running more this year than I ever did last year.

Speaking of running... so far I've run 9.9 total miles and spent 3 hours and 1 minute running. Today I ran 1.82 miles. My average walking pace was a 17:51 mile, and I walked 1.25 miles tonight. My average running pace was a 15:43 mile (MY FASTEST YET!!!) and I ran 0.57 miles. 

I am really proud of myself. I weighed myself this morning and it said I had gained three pounds. Talk about a downer. I told Steve and he said not to worry about it. I know he's right and the scale isn't what matters. What matters is that I'm feeling better, stronger, and more active than ever. I feel good, I just wish the scale reflected my effort.

I'm excited to relax this weekend and rest my muscles. I'm resting up so that Monday I can tackle week 3. It's cooling off at night (tonight was incredible-- low 70s) and it'll make running at night even more awesome. Bring on the fall!!

I'm a Turkey Trotter!

When I was younger, we would get up on Thanksgiving morning and turn on the television. We were always excited to watch the parade. No, not the Macy's (which I actually wrote a letter to complain one year and boycotted each year after), but the Detroit Thanksgiving Parade (also known as "America's Thanksgiving Day Parade).

There was nothing like watching the parade, sipping cocoa, and breathing in the aromas of my mom's cooking and baking. It really made me love Thanksgiving and I consider it one of my favorite holidays.

While watching the pre-parade programming, they'd show the runners on the parade route. I asked my dad what they were doing one year, and he told me about the Turkey Trot. He said that people that go down to watch the parade get there really early (like 6am). While the parade watchers are gathering, there's a lot of pre-parade festivities and one of the things is a race called the Turkey Trot. 

I was amazed and loved the costumes that the runners would wear while running. They always had a Christmas theme to them and it was fun to see.

When I was older, but still living in MI, I started going down to watch the parade. The first few times I went with my cousin Brandon, and then once I went down with a guy that I had just started dating, and then the last time I went was the best. It was my dad, Steve, myself, and my twin brother's best friend, Dan. 

We went down and had breakfast at Comerica Park and had Grand Stand seats to watch the parade. We took the bus from Fairlane Mall and it was all free because my mom worked with someone who was a Macy's VIP shopper. Apparently, Macy's rewards their top shoppers with passes to a special breakfast and special seating to watch the parade.

 The Turkey Trot float

 Santa

I had always thought it would be so awesome to run in the Turkey Trot, but I wasn't a runner and it never crossed my mind that I could be one. We moved in June of 2007, and the above pictures are of my last Thanksgiving in Michigan.

I honestly thought that we'd never be back north for Thanksgiving ever again. Steve's dad got married in December of 2007, so we headed north for his wedding and we were there for Christmas. We had just moved to NC and I was homesick and so going home for Christmas and his dad's wedding was perfect timing.

I was teaching and couldn't take off time to head north for major holidays, so we just never went back. When Gus arrived, I stayed home with him and we had more flexibility, but wanted to be in our own home for the holidays. We had Steve's dad and Sue Ann come for Thanksgiving a couple years while we lived in NC, but we never went north.

So my dreams of ever running in the Detroit Turkey Trot just didn't seem like something that would ever happen.

Fast-forward to present day. I've started running and I'm building up endurance and I was looking at local 5ks. Then it hit me. This year, we ARE going back home for Thanksgiving. My oldest brother and his family are making the trek from AZ to MI and we'll all be together for Thanksgiving.

It'll be the first time that we've all been together for Thanksgiving in years and years. Like... easily 20 years. It will be so incredible and awesome and I'm so excited.

I thought to myself, hey, maybe we could run the Turkey Trot together! I sent an email to everyone in my family (mom, dad, Scott, Christie, Dave, Heather, Jessica, and Steve) and asked if anyone was interested. 

My cousin Jessica was the first to respond and she was immediately a yes. She rocks and is amazing and so supportive. The chance to run such an awesome race with her is a dream come true. Then my SIL said that she and/or Dave are interested. I asked my dad and he's considering it, but leaning toward yes. Steve is not interested, but he's going to take the boys and cheer us on and then we'll meet up after to watch the parade together.

I cannot wait. I mean, I can, because I'm not ready for it yet, but I am beyond excited.

I am going to be a Turkey Trotter. 

I am going to be running with family and will have my husband and children to cheer for me on the side as I make a dream a reality.

I'm going to get my first running medal (all finishers get a medal).

I am so emotional about it. I officially paid for my registration yesterday and then sent Jessica an email copy of it... it's official. She registered too and sent me an email copy of hers. We are for sure running and hopefully, my oldest brother and SIL and my dad will be joining us.