Week in Review

Sleep has finally found me again, it feels so nice to have my friend back. However, as with any good thing we want to do, there is always something to slow me down. Some are legitimate reasons and some are just logical excuses. This week it was a mix. First, both my girls have terrible colds. Runny noses, hacking coughs and the occasional fever. Normally this alone would be enough for me not to take them outside, but the icing this week was literal! In one week we went from almost no snow at all to, well, this:

                  
Taking two sick girls out for a run in this would probably be considered child abuse. So what is a mom to do? How to get a walk/run in and not harm my children? I'm sure there may be many solutions. I had two. The first, of course, made the snow work for me. Shoveling snow burns quite a few calories, uses the whole body and get's the heart rate up. During nap time, when I couldn't leave the house, I simple went out and used my snow weights to heat up my day. My second solution came in the form of an understanding husband. We have very few waking hours together, but he encouraged me to take thirty minutes of that time for me. So out I went. I tried a little running. It was nice without the stroller, and helped me to see how far I've come and still need to go.

Here are my runkeeper summaries:

Monday: I kept to my original walking plan but I added in a few running spurts.

Distance

2.01

mi

Duration

0:32:15

h : m : s

Avg. Pace

16:01

min/mi

Avg. Speed

3.75

mph

Burned

207

calories

Climb

79

ft

Tuesday: I changed things up at bit more, adding some more running. I found that when I use the coaching portion of my runkeeper I could track the intervals. This is what it looked like (the highlighted portions are when I ran):

Intervals	Pace (min/mi)	Elevation (ft)
5:00 (warmup)	10:55	2
2:00 (slow)	15:41	1
1:00 (steady)	11:24	3
2:00 (slow)	17:08	1
1:00 (steady)	12:15	0
2:00 (slow)	17:32	1
1:00 (steady)	13:35	-0
2:00 (slow)	16:58	5
1:00 (steady)	16:31	-2
2:00 (slow)	17:17	1
1:00 (steady)	12:04	-1
2:00 (slow)	17:24	-1
1:00 (steady)	17:42	-1
2:00 (slow)	19:09	-3
1:00 (steady)	18:46	1
2:00 (slow)	18:39	-0
1:00 (steady)	20:02	1
2:00 (slow)	16:28	-2
1:00 (steady)	15:31	-5
2:00 (slow)	18:04	2
1:00 (steady)	17:56	-0

As you can tell, I was very worn out by the end. At least my training doesn't start out with two mile runs, I don't think I could make it.

Distance

2.25

mi

Duration

0:34:32

h : m : s

Avg. Pace

15:21

min/mi

Avg. Speed

3.91

mph

Burned

214

calories

Climb

70

Wednesday:  I sort of took a break.  Our Zoo was having free admission and I had committed to going with a friend of mine.  However, this doesn't mean I didn't get a workout.  I took the single stroller and carried my baby in her wrap.  not too much of a workout you think?  Well, the Zoo happens to be in the hills.  Up and down to see all the animals for two hours...Okay, it wasn't a major workout, but at least I was moving and kids get heavy.....

Thursday:  This was the day it really dumped.  I spent all nap time cleaning up cloud dandruff and then decided I could still run.  I went out and I did it.

Distance

1.34

mi

Duration

0:21:17

h : m : s

Avg. Pace

15:51

min/mi

Avg. Speed

3.79

mph

Burned

137

calories

Climb

50

ft

Whats that you say? Not two miles? You're right. I am a wimp when it comes to being cold and wet. Halfway through the run, the sky decided to share some moisture with me. I...cut it short. However, I did go out there, I did run. A bit.

Intervals	Pace (min/mi)	Elevation (ft)
5:00 (warmup)	17:32	1
2:00 (slow)	16:18	1
1:00 (steady)	12:08	0
2:00 (slow)	16:01	-3
1:00 (steady)	12:13	2
2:00 (slow)	15:55	-1
1:00 (steady)	16:06	1
2:00 (slow)	16:02	1
1:00 (steady)	14:29	2
2:00 (slow)	17:31	-1
1:00 (steady)	13:44	-1
2:00 (slow)	16:36	-2

The rest of the weekend slipped by with grocery shopping, laundry, and time with the kids.  

There it is, my week in review.  Although it's not my best week, at least I did get out there.  I ran and I walked.  Next week I begin my seven week 5k training.  I'm a shocked at how quickly that seemed to come, and it's a little intimidating.  I just have to keep reminding myself it's what I have been doing this whole time and I CAN do it.  I think That may be turning into my mantra, "I CAN do it, I CAN do it, I CAN do it."  Simple, yet true.  Stay tuned for my training updates.

Update: sorry about the crazy formatting, I'm going to have to figure out how to get everything to work in harmony.  

where oh where are you?

Sleep.  MMMMM.....  I love it.  It makes me happy. Yet this week, it has eluded me.  I got a really good walk in on monday and since then haven't been able to get more than four or five hours of sleep each night.  Headaches, exhaustion, and yes, tears have plagued me (and consequently my family.)   

I wish I could say I pushed through it, when on my walks to keep things up, but that would be a lie.  I just gave in and took the week off.  In hindsight, I shouldn't have. It leaves me only one week before I start training hard for my 5k and I'm more than just a little worried.  

Monday will start a new week, and I'm not going to let the little setback stop me from reaching my goal.  Maybe my friend won't play hide and seek and I'll be plenty rested for my running.

The Wind in the Willows

That happens to be a favorite book of mine, but today it took on a new meaning.

I went for my walk today, planning on breaking my speed record of 16:30/mi.  It started out great, the kids were happy, it's a beautiful 50 degrees, couldn't have picked a better day.  I turned on runkeeper and looked at the gps strength...Nothing, just an x.  Well, this has happened before, usually I just have to start it again and problem solve. Re-started...nothing, still and x.  Re-start again, nothing.  Finally on the third re-start I got the green spot, I'm good to go.  Now, I should have known starting off that way something was bound to keep me from my goal.  I should have known.  As I turned the corner of my first quarter mile, the wind picks up.  Here's a little confession: not having ever really been a runner, and the few times I did run being always on a treadmill, I never understood  why runners complained about wind slowing their time.  My brother and sisters ran track and any time the wind coincided with a track meet they were angry, the goals they had set for the day were going to be impossible to achieve.
With all the background I should have known.  I should have known, especially since I was not only running by myself, but I was pushing a double jogging stroller.  I started out at a steady 16:30 but as the wind picked up, my pace dropped to 17:30, then 17:45.  I was so disappointed, not only was I not going to break my record but I was worse than I had been since I began.  My pace was so slow, maybe I should just give up and go home, maybe I was done for the day.  Then I rounded the corner, the sun shone bright and, typical to local weather, the wind stopped.   Not decreased, not became a breeze, it stopped, dead still.
There was a new hope, no wind!  So I dared to try something new.  I had to cut quite a bit of time to make my goal.  I hadn't run with the jogging stroller yet and I wasn't sure I could do it.  I only went in little spurts, about a minute each, but I did it.  I ran three times before the two miles were up and dropped my pace down to the lowest it had ever been  16:04!  It was amazing.  I went from what I was sure would be my worst pace ever to the best.  A good day.

Interesting

Well it dawned on me today, I only have one more week before I begin training for my first 5k.  I know, I had the goal to run on in November.  Needless to say, that didn't happen.  My new goal is April 16th and I have a seven week plan to get ready.  I'm scared, really scared.  Not of running, I can make myself do that.  It's the fact that I'm not very fast nor have I EVER run any where near that much in my life.  When I say ever I mean: the farthest I've run is one mile and it's been three years since I have done that.  That said, my fear has nothing to do with the running.  My fear is that not only will I come in dead last, but that it will be fifteen minutes after everyone else has run.  I have an almost daily conversation with myself about this.  "You're running, that's what is important, people (yes, I'm concerned about my image an those around me) won't care, they will be impressed that you are out there trying"  "No they won't, they'll see me and think, this girl is crazy to do this, she's no runner, she probably can't even walk the three miles, let alone run it."  "The point is to run and to finish.  You will be able to say you did it.  No one else matters."  "Yeah, I know, but...."
On and on it goes.  It's a silly, irrational fear but it's there in the back of my mind each time I go out.  Who is seeing me, what are they thinking.  I need to let it go.  I need to do this for me no matter what and stop using that as an excuse.  But...(as my sister would there, there is always a big but...) it's there.

On a lighter note, I did walk my two miles today.  Internal battle notwithstanding, I had my best time.  It took 33:37 to go two miles and an average pace of 16:38 per mile.  I've never gotten below an average of 17 before.  I'm pretty proud of myself  When I was looking at my speeds on runnkeeper, at one point I was walking 13:40/mile.  AWESOME!  I'm sure I must have been going downhill but still....I'll take it!

2/4/2011: First run!

Here is my first day of running.  I've decided I really like runkeeper, I'm able to see how fast I run and it even has a coaching system that I can customize.  Not bad for my first real run in three years (even then I started out at this pace, so I'm pretty proud of myself)I was obviously getting worn out by the end of the run.   Tomorrow is a walking day.  I've been walking roughly two miles a day five days a week for the last three weeks.  I'm pretty proud of myself and I can't wait to start training for my 5k in April.

Intervals	Pace (min/mi)	Elevation (ft)
5:00 (warmup)	16:46	2
1:00 (fast)	11:57	1
1:00 (slow)	17:29	-1
1:00 (fast)	12:40	0
1:00 (slow)	16:08	-1
1:00 (fast)	12:06	-2
1:00 (slow)	16:43	1
1:00 (fast)	13:35	-1
1:00 (slow)	18:47	1
1:00 (fast)	12:59	1
1:00 (slow)	20:17	-1
5:00 (cooldown)	20:42	-1
0:23 (extra)	22:01	0