Thursday Inspiration

Thursday Inspiration

Thursday Inspiration

Thursday Inspiration

Thursday Inspiration

Training Summary, Week 7

Week 7 Training Summary:

Total runs done: 1

Total miles: 2.25

Cross-training: 1 kettlebell session

Not much going on the past week fitness-wise again.  Spent more time with family and dealing with some tummy issues over the weekend.  

Not much will be going on this week either, as I'm preparing to get ready for Disney and the Expedition Everest Challenge!  The running costumes are just about done, have a tiny bit more crafting to do this evening to finish them up.  I plan to get a run in this evening and maybe a brisk walk on Thursday, but that will probably be about it.

My goal for the EEC is to just have fun.  I don't know what to expect in terms of a time, since there will be obstacles on the course which I'm sure will slow down the running.  My shins have been acting up again, so I bought some compression calf sleeves, which seem to be helping. 

There will be lots of photos taken, so expect some very picture heavy posts next week!

Thursday Inspiration

Training Summary, Week 6

Week 6 Training Summary:

Total runs done: 1

Total miles: 3

Cross-training: None

Didn't get much done in terms of running or really anything fitness related this week.  I've been thinking and focusing so much on it lately, it was nice to take a break and focus on other things, like...

 Playing Princesses...

 Playing hopscotch...

 Getting schooled in Super Mario Bros....

Eating the heads off all the Peeps (this photo was pre-Peep Decapitation)

 

These two cuties are my nephew and niece who are in town for the Easter holiday.  This week, spending time with them was just a little more important than a few more miles.

Doesn't my nephew look handsome in his suit?

The great thing about taking a mini-break last week? I feel a renewed sense of focus this week! It's less than two weeks until the Disney Expedition Everest Challenge and I'm ready nail it and improve upon my April Fool's 5K time/experience.

So, come on, let's go run off all those jelly beans...

Thursday Inspiration

My back

I've mentioned a couple times out here that I have back issues.  I have scoliosis, curve of the spine.  My curve is in the lower portion of my back and because of that, it makes everything just a little off.  My left shoulder droops down a little bit and my hips are slightly uneven.  These things are not really noticeable; they just bother me because I know they’re there. My curve was bad enough that I needed to wear a back brace for several years as a kid to prevent it from getting to the point where surgery would be needed.

 I don’t have any limitations because of my back; I’m just not very flexible and have to be careful in how I move.  Every day; however, it does ache, especially first thing in the morning, and I’m prone to pinched nerves and sciatica because of the curve. Physical activity is both good and bad.  It’s good because it helps strengthen my core and make my back stronger, but too much stresses it out. With never really being much of a runner before, I've been worried about how my back would hold up to the impact.  Starting out slow and gradually increasing mileage has helped, but my back can definitely tell there’s more going on.  I've been a lot sorer lately.  Ice, Advil and visits to my chiropractor have helped.  I’m also adding in some Pilates moves as I’m stretching my legs after each run.   I hope I’m being smart and proactive enough to keep my back happy and not cause major pain.  We shall see once the mileage really begins to ramp up.

One of my friends said this to me last week: “Did the Kristin with the back brace ever think she’d be running like this later in life?”  No.  No she didn't. :)

Training Summary, Week 5

Week 5 Training Summary:

Total runs done: 3

Total miles: 6.8

Cross-training: None

Challenges this week:

-Still dealing with some shin pain
-Back issues
-Mental tenacity

Successes this week:

-Did some schedule juggling this week to make sure I got my runs in, felt good making sure it was priority
-First run was good, second run felt amazing, third run, not as good.

Went back to a later week of Couch to 5K this week. With the scheduled walk breaks, it helped to make sure I wasn't pushing myself too much on sore legs. Also, it held me accountable during the running, making me not give up too soon.  I do that, give up too soon. Mental tenacity- next challenge to overcome.

It was beautiful here this weekend, close to 80 degrees on Saturday.  Today, we're back to this:

Thursday Inspiration

Training Summary, Week 4

Week 4 Training Summary:

Total runs done: 1, April Fools 5K

Total miles: 3.5

Cross-training: 30 minutes of stationary bike

Challenges this week:

-Read race recap.
-Convincing Dan it's not cool to wear the race shirt to the race.

Successes this week:

-Completed my first 5K this Spring
-Shins finally starting to feel better

As I said in my last post, it's 4 weeks until the Disney Expedition Everest Challenge.  I'm going to rethink my training for the next few weeks and really just focus on running and building up endurance.  Cross-training will take a back seat for a bit.  After Disney, I'll then take a look at more well-rounded half marathon training.  Determined to succeed!

April Fools 5K Recap

Bright and early Saturday morning, Dan and I got up and headed to our first 5K race- for me, my first in 2014; for Dan, his first ever.  I was both excited and nervous not knowing what to expect in terms of how my training has been going and how my legs would hold up after about a week and a half of limited activity.  My legs were feeling okay, but not 100% yet.

It was about a 15 minute walk from parking to the race area, nice little warm up before time. The starting area wasn't too crowded, race organizers said there were over 500 participants signed up.

Pre-race selfies

At 9:00, we were off. The race, from my point of view:
Mile 1: Okay, I can do this, my legs feel okay, not too much shin pain. Don't go out too fast. Stay out of the way of the faster runners. Wow, it's sunny, wish I wore my sunglasses. My shin hurts a little bit, don't give up.  A hill already? Okay, now my shin is really hurting.  Slow down a little bit. Is it too soon to walk?  Screw it, I need to walk a minute. Okay, start running again. Ow ow ow. Tweak foot strike, that feels better. Ow ow ow, maybe not. Crap, look how far people are already. That bridge over there is so far away. Walk again. There's a sign- 1 mile- it's only been 1 mile?
Mile 2: Try a run/walk combo like the girl in front of you in the sparkly pants.  Wow, those pants sparkle. Ow ow ow, shin definitely not healed yet.  Let's walk/walk instead.  Speed walk, speed walk. Is it 3 miles yet? Every step hurts. Oh, finally at that bridge I saw across the lake.  WTF, we have to go past the bridge and then double back to it? Water station. Ooh, this water is icy cold. Okay, let's run again, run from here to the bridge. Ow ow ow. Maybe not.  I hate this. I can't even handle a 5K, I'm never going to make 13.1 miles. Definitely think I should defer my 2014 half marathon registration to 2015.  I'm going to fail. Screw this. Is there a golf cart that can come pick me up? People are done already, I hate them. Oh, another sign, 2 miles- whew, this torture is almost done.
Mile 3: Home stretch. Toughen up Kristin, stop being weak.  Run/walk some more.  Your leg isn't that bad. Stop using it as an excuse. Ow ow ow. Okay, yes it is that bad.  Walk now has a bit of a limp to it. Suck it up buttercup, you are not going to walk across that finish line.  Dig deep and give this last half mile what you can. Look, you can see the finish line now. Your leg can handle it. One more step, one more step. Finish line crossed, medal in hand, thank God that's over. But, I did it!  I survived!  I did better than anyone who didn't sign up and is currently lying on their couch!

Girl on fire, crossing the finish line.  Where can I get that shin transplant?

So yeah, around mile 2, I gave up. I gave in to my shin and I know I used it as an excuse to just quit.  I know I could have toughed it out more and done better.

Final time: 49:40.  Disappointed in myself.  Some of that less-than-stellar time can be attributed to walking because of shin pain, but a good part of it was my crappy attitude as well.

While I completed the race, I don't feel like I fully earned this medal.

After the race, Dan and I celebrated our first race, as all races should be celebrated.  With tequila. Followed then by a nap.

Mmmmm, margarita....

What I learned from this race: The next 4 weeks, leading up to the Disney Expedition Everest Challenge, I need to go back to basics and really just focus on running and building up endurance. Stop looking long term at the half marathon and just work on getting through the 5K's without issue or injury. Then, after Disney, start thinking 13.1 again.  I can't do 13 if I can't get through 3. Now, 24+ hours later, I don't feel as negative towards the whole experience as I did yesterday, if anything, I'm more determined.

Ready to get running again...

April Fools 5K and Spring Race Schedule

Tomorrow is my first 5K of the season, a small local one called the April Fools 5K.  I haven’t really talked much about the races I’ve signed up for thus far in 2014, so I figure this is a good opportunity to do so.

April 5^th, April Fools 5K: I’ll come back to this one in a few.

May 3^rd, Disney Expedition Everest Challenge:  This is the event that set off my new-found interest in running.  My family is a big Disney family- we love Disney, travel there often, and always get swept up in the magic of it.  Some people understand what that means, others think my family is nuts.  Doing a RunDisney event is something that’s on my bucket list, so I decided to start out small with the Expedition Everest Challenge (EEC, because that’s going to get too long to type).  The EEC is a 5K run at night, through the Animal Kingdom Park.  The course includes a few fun obstacles and once the 5K is done, there’s a scavenger hunt that must be completed to earn your medal and entrance into the after race party.  Dan and I signed up for this back in December and until recently; it’s been the focus of my running.  I’m really, really excited to be heading down to Disney next month for my first RunDisney experience.  We’re signed up as a team, so we have to complete the run and scavenger hunt together.  And yes, in true Disney fashion, we will be running in themed costumes… My mom and dad are going to Florida with us and will be at the after party, so I’m excited that they’ll be there to watch us cross the finish line.  The EEC will be all about fun and enjoying the RunDisney hoopla.

May 22^nd, Chase Corporate Challenge:  A 3.5 mile event in Downtown Chicago.  My company sponsors a team each year.  I’ve done it in the past, but not the last few years. Not my favorite event, but Thursday nights are scheduled running nights, so why not run Downtown with the Chicago skyline as scenery?

So, going back to the April Fools 5K:  I decided to sign up for this local race as a checkpoint to see how training for the EEC was going and to give Dan some experience in what a 5K race event is like.  No time goals or expectations, since I really don’t know what to expect, especially now with my shin splints.  My plan is to do the best I can, keeping a pace that’s comfortable for my legs and if I need to slow it down or bring it to a walk, so be it.

These events, plus the half marathon in November are all I’m signed up for now.  I may add a couple more events in the summer-there are a bunch of local 5K’s so I may register for one or two, and I’d like to sign up for a 10K at some point as another training checkpoint.

I’ll post an April Fools race recap this weekend, plus my Week 4 Training Summary.  Lastly, I told Dan that the April Fool’s joke of this 5K was that he has to run it twice.  He believed me for about a minute.  It was hilarious. 

Thursday Inspiration

Training Summary, Week 3

Week 3 Training Summary:

Total runs done: 2-ish (I say –ish because one run lasted only ½ of a mile)

Total miles: 4.75

Cross-training: 1 Kettlebell circuit, swam 1400 yards, lots of foam rolling and stretching

Challenges this week:

-Shin Splints.  Like many new runners, I’ve developed shin splints.  I feel like they came out of nowhere.  Last week, my legs felt great and all of the sudden this week, they fell apart and just walking through Target hurt like a mofo.  So, I’m resting for a bit, lots of ice, lots of Advil.  With resting comes feelings of guilt, like I’m giving up or I should be tougher and work through the pain.  I don’t like being sidelined.  It also brings about feelings of doubt like can I really succeed at this whole half marathon thing? Is my training plan right for me?

Successes this week:

-Uhmmm, I’m sure there was something?

I have my first 5k race this coming Saturday; so naturally, I’m worried about it with the current state of my legs.  I’ll be changing up my training for Week 4 to give my legs a few more days to recover before Saturday.  There will definitely be less mileage done this week. 

I leave you with this quote.  Runner’s World posted this on Facebook yesterday: “Anyone can train hard. Do you have the discipline to recover?”  Timely advice, RW…

Thursday Inspiration

Ugh

I have moved more in the last 2 1/2 weeks than I have in a long time and it's catching up with me.  Everything aches this morning. I think I pushed it a little too hard last night.  I am not Wonder Woman.  Yet.  But I'm getting there.

Training Summary, Week 2

Week 2 Training Summary:
Total runs done: 3
Total miles: 7.5
Cross-training: Swam 1600 yards

Challenges this week:
-Fuel/Nutrition: continuing to figure this out, have a feeling this will be an ongoing challenge.
-Cross-training.  Better this week, but once a week still is not good enough.
-Need to find new/better socks to wear.
-Recovery- work on a after-run better stretching routine
-Mental toughness.  I'm too easy on myself and give in to the littlest thing too quickly.  Need to push through and push myself.

Successes this week:
-Got all 3 training runs in, 2 of them outside.
-Starting to run more and more each time.  While this is a success, I'm also calling it a challenge as I don't feel like it's enough yet.  I should be doing more.

Misc:
-The was a fun article in Sunday's Daily Herald about RunDisney

-My running shoes have been officially baptized.  On Tuesday, part of the path I was on was flooded from melting snow.  I had no choice but to run through it, as going around would result in going into a snow pile or a lake.  My shoes, socks, and pants got soaked. Went around the path a second time, got even more soaked.  Had to call it a day after that- my shoes were so wet and heavy, they felt like lead bricks on my feet, and was feeling a blister coming on from the wet sock.  It took two days for my shoes to dry out.

-Got a pedicure on Saturday, the leg and foot massage they do is never long enough.

Neon orange polish for Spring and for the "girl on fire".
Will my feet still look as pretty after 35 weeks of half marathon training?

-Made homemade pizza on Sunday, with homemade dough for the pizza crust for the first time.  Success! 

Tomato, basil, and mozzarella

Spinach, feta, and kalamata olive
Yes, this has suddenly become a foodie blog.

On to week three! 

All flailing arms and legs

Part of my training plan is to cross-train on the some of the days I’m not running.  This may include weights/kettle bells, Pilates, dusting off my bike once all the snow melts- anything to keep moving on the off days.

Last night I went back to my athletic roots- I got in the pool.  I swam competitively year-round from when I was in the 8 & under age group, through my senior year of high school.  By the time I got to my last meet of my senior year, I was done.  Burnt out.  Lost all desire to get back in a pool for the sake of doing laps.  These days, a pool is a means to get a sun tan and float on a noodle.  Last night, that changed.  I decided to go swim.

It wasn’t pretty, it took about 800 yards before I found a rhythm and didn’t feel like I was all flailing arms and legs.  I just did 100’s- averaged just less than 2 minutes per 100 (so sad, my fastest was like 45+ seconds faster than that.  I’m old and slow.), mostly freestyle, did one backstroke and another one dolphin kick on my back.  Total yards: 1600 in 40 minutes.

I hope to make Wednesday nights a regular swim night.  Getting a lane at open swim isn’t always the easiest at my YMCA as the pool is being used for swim lessons and water aerobics most nights.  But, Wednesday nights seem to be the most open night on the pool schedule and when I got there around 7:30, the pool was pretty empty and I had a lane to myself.

On a side note, my YMCA needs to update their locker rooms.  The women’s locker room is lovely shades of outdated pinks and mauves.

On tap for the rest of the week: 2 more runs.  Hope my shoes are finally dry from the massive flood I ran through on Tuesday.

Thursday Inspiration

I like this one...

Training Summary, Week 1

Every adventure starts with a first step.  Here is my first step:

Week 1 Training Summary:
Total runs done: 2
Total miles: 5.5
Cross-training: not really

Challenges this week:
-Missed one run due to a previous scheduled appointment
-TV can be DVR'ed.  Repeat as needed
-Fuel/Nutrition: my schedule is running in the evenings, after work, when my energy is starting to be tapped out after sitting at my desk all day.  Need to figure out what snacks to eat late in the day to help give me the energy needed for the run. I downloaded the book The New Rules of Marathon and Half-Marathon Nutrition by Matt Fitzgerald.  Plan to start reading that in the next week.
-Finding a balance
-My back.  This will be an ongoing challenge.  I'll talk about my back in another post.
-Cross-training.  It needs to be done.

Successes this week:
-Learning to look ahead, scheduling future appointments on non-running nights
-After a lot of internet searching and money spent, I finally found a sports bra I like and that works for me.

Ready to tackle Week 2...

Thursday Inspiration

It got above freezing today!

Goals

One can't enter into such a huge thing without a plan and some goals. I have my plan, here are my goals.

1. Put the work and effort in. I'm not going to able to run 13.1 miles if I don't do what's necessary to get there. 

2. Trust in the training plan. Experts developed it. They know what they're doing.

3. Remember there are people supporting me and want to help me succeed. 

4. Have fun.

5. Show up at the starting line in November. Don't give up.

6. Cross the finish line. With this being my first half marathon and doing anything of this sort, I have no idea what to expect. I have no time goals, except to finish within the required time. 

7. Enjoy it!!!

I plan to revisit and reevaluate these goals regularly to see how I'm doing and if anything needs to be adjusted or added.

Training calendar and motivation posted on the wall of my office.

It's go time.

Where to begin?

Step One: Sign up for half marathon.  Check!

Step Two: Train for half marathon.  What…???

So how does one begin training for a half marathon?  To answer this question, I turned to my answer for everything, the all-knowing Google, and found countless training plans.  All were somewhat similar in terms of timeframes and ramping up distance, but most assumed the person using the training plan has an established base of several miles.  Which I do not.   Does that mean I’m not ready for this distance?  Is my goal too lofty?  I kept searching around and finally found a plan for a true beginner runner.  Jeff Galloway, champion of the Run-Walk-Run method, has a 35 week plan, where your long run for Week One is 1 mile and slowly increases distance to 14 miles over time.  Hmmm, this seems doable.  And, I’m already ahead of the game because I can jump in at like Week 5. I can do this!

Here what the week looks like:

Monday: off

Tuesday: 30 min easy run

Wednesday: off

Thursday: 30 min easy run

Friday: walk

Saturday: off

Sunday: long runs, increasing distance each week

In looking at this plan compared to others, this seems a little too easy, but maybe it’s designed that way with the beginner in mind. There also seems to be a lot of idle time during the week, so I plan to mix in some cross training on the off days.  I’ll give it a try and see how it works for me and can always reevaluate if needed.  One thing I definitely plan to deviate from is the Run-Walk-Run method.  While I like this idea in theory, mixing in walk breaks with the running, I signed up to RUN a half marathon, and that’s what I intend to do.  If a walk break is needed, I’m okay with that; I won’t see myself as a failure because I had to walk for a moment or two, but to train to run 2 minutes, then walk 1 minute the entire half marathon is not an option.

What my challenge will be is sticking to my plan.  I get lazy.  I use “life” as an excuse and allow it to get in the way too easily.  While preparing myself physically, I also need to prepare myself mentally.  Make this my priority.  Not let life get in the way too easily.  Plan my day around my runs, instead of planning my runs around my day.  Hopefully, by blogging and putting this out there for all 2 people reading this, it will help in holding me accountable.

I know what my goal is, the end result.  I’m ready to put the work in.  Training officially starts on Monday.  Let’s do this.

So I did something crazy this morning...

My name is Kristin and I've always hated running.  My theory was why on earth would anyone want to run, when you can just as easily walk.  Running looks hard.  Running makes you hot and sweaty.  But then in 2013, I got it in my head that I wanted to become a runner.  So I dabbled in it, worked through Couch to 5k (sort of...) and tried to love it more than hate it. It sort of stuck, but I wasn't fully committed or hooked on it yet.  And then one day, I get this crazy thought in my head that I want to complete a half marathon. I laughed it off, attributed the crazy thought to lack of Diet Coke, and went on with my day.  Weeks went by, wasn't really running much at all, but that crazy thought kept nagging at me. So I took baby steps towards it- made an effort to run more, signed up for a couple 5k's, got fitted for a good pair of running shoes, started reading Runner's World magazine and running blogs...

And then this past Tuesday, I sent the following text to my sister:

Ignore my witty commentary on the Little Mermaid

Yep, I signed up for my first half marathon.. It's crazy and I'm nuts, but I'm also really really excited.  I WANT to do this.  I want to prove myself and anyone else who may doubt me wrong. I want people to be proud of me, I WANT to be proud of myself and my accomplishments. It's definitely going to be a lot of work and effort and I'll push and ask myself to do more than I've ever done before.  But I'm ready.

This blog will be my training journal, my story, of going from 0 to 13.1- the good, the bad, and the ugly...  So come on, run along with me and we'll do this together!