1 year Anniversary

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of me running.  I signed up for the Great North Run then on 23 Jan 2010 i started my training for a the Blarney Run 5K.  In March 2010 i ran it in 30:30 and i was hooked.  Over the last year sticking to exercise has been no trouble at all.  Yes there are the occasional days when i don't want to go. Sometimes i don't go, others i force myself.  The days i force myself always feel better, but i am learning that i shouldn't beat myself up about skipped workouts as long as i am happy.  I'm far from addicted to working out. I'm still not one who will go crazy if i didn't run in a week, but if i do leave it for a while, it feels fantastic to be out on the road again, or even on the dreadmill.

Adding swimming and cycling - with a purpose - to my workout routine has been a lot of fun and i have found i do enjoy having three focuses.  At first i missed the running all the time and would prefer to go on a run than on a ride.  But now i feel like i enjoy them equally.  The three disciplines are very different and i enjoy them for different reasons.  I look forward to summer time cycling again, but am enjoying the spin classes.

With regards to weight, i'm actually about the same, maybe 5lbs lighter (i have no scales right now) but i am infinitely fitter and my body shape has changed a bit.  My bum is a better shape and my thighs a little different, there is a bit of  gap that i have never had before.  But that isn't my focus. If i am never any lighter or thinner than i am right now, i'm okay with that - i suppose - but if i were to loose my fitness, then i'd be pissed.  I enjoy the fact i can climb stairs for ages without catching my breath. I love that if someone were to chase me, i may be able to out run them (don't really know who would be chasing me but i have thought of it a few times!) I love that running a 10K feels like nothing (well, not nothing, but i could do it any day of the week, in fact i could do it every day if i wanted to).

In fact, since Sunday and my PB i really want to train for a half marathon again. I want a sub 2 hour HM. So i plan to get some longer runs in over the next couple of months.  Gonna make them out doors runs on a weekend and look in to a HM that i may be able to join.  I'm happy where i'm getting with my swimming and cycling for my Triathlon so it won't take the focus away from that.

So all in all, with regards to exercise, this past year has been the best of my life. The only time in my life i have continuously exercised.  I have totally enjoyed it.  It has given me moments to be proud of. Gave me a better body.  Given me experiences i have shared with friends and family that i wouldn't have found in other places.

And it all started with a spontaneous act of signing up for a half marathon.

Race Report: Race for Life 5K

Today was the Race for Life 5K - which isn't actually a 5K and barely a race, but still an event of good worth and a reason to wear pink. Pink is not my colour at all haven't worn it in about a decade, but I did buy a hot pink Adidas top on holiday which i love, so my dislike for the colour is waning and i may even bring it in to my none-workout wear at some point.  The race is super close to my house so i did a walk run there and arrived just minutes before the start. I sneaked up to the front, noticing that there were few 'real' runners. You know the ones, they look like they can run a sub 20 minute 5K (which they can), they form a line of short shorts, GPS watches and properly warmed up quads.  There were very few of this breed.  I placed myself maybe 6 rows from the front and i soon realised that i should have been only two rows back.  When the horn blew it took me 2-3 seconds to hit the start and i was immediately weaving round those in front of me so i could run a decent pace. My new fast pace, that one that starts with an eight.

There were some young ones running, when i say young, like 10 to 14 yr olds.  They are speedy from the get go, with their pink tutus and effervescent running form - oh to be 13 again.  I was hoping to catch them later on when they flagged from improper pacing.  I noticed that few people were passing me yet i was still passing a few here and there.  I liked this being at the front thing.  The race was not held on the route i thought, and most of it was on grass.  A lap round the field then on to the road and back for an inside loop on the grass again. There were plenty of spectators all around the course which was great for my motivation. 

The first mile is some down hill, mostly up hill then starts to go down after the mile marker (beep on my watch) so i increased my pace a little, knowing there was another uphill to come later, in which i'd likely slow down a tad. After said incline (its small but significant) i again picked up my pace and started picking off ladies. Then there were just four girls in front of me on the course still (some had finished already, i wasn't 5th or anything) so i aimed to pick these last girls off as we came round the final 600 meters or so. One girl in pink, and her friend. Done.  As we round the corner the race line works for me and there's the other. 300m left and just as the steward says 'Stong finish girls' i pull out all effort and sneak past the last girl in sight. I think i may puke for the last 50m and i hope no one is taking any photos as my red grimacing face sees the clock ahead reading 22:51. Weird, i think but focus on remembering to stop my watch as i run through the finish arch. I don't puke. I'm elated. I take my medal with pride.

2.67m in 22:56 avg pace 8:35
Splits 8:43,  8:41,  5:31 avg pace 8:11

Stepping out on Fit Milwaukee

I can't believe i forgot to post about my feature on FitMilwaukee.com.  I posted it to FB and it slipped my mind about here.  What can i say, i'm moving countries in three days, things are busy here.

I'm glad i reached out to FitMilwuakee when Tracy called out for readers to Speak Up!  Part of my new active lifestyle i kinda want to try and motivate people.  I know it sounds dead cheesy, but i'm trying to be subtle about it.  More like subliminal messages than  captain megaphone, if you know what i mean.  I considered stopping the 'post to facebook' feature on DM for i find posts about FB games annoying myself, but it did what i wanted it to, it made people think about exercise. A few people have told me its inspiring and that they enjoy reading them.  And really,  i'm only running a bit, thats all.  

But even the smallest nudge or slight breeze can change someone's course.  Alexis read the interview and chose to run two miles instead of doing the dishes. That just makes me smile.  And i have even more friends joining DM. They see the benefit of the site and are enjoying it.  

And as they say - Every little counts. Not only in blood sweat and tears, but also in motivation.

On a similar note.

I am glad i stepped out of my comfort zone and invited Kerri to join me on DM and do the The Blarney Run with me.  I'm not good at being the inviter, outside of my closest friends, and though i've know Kerri for 5 years now, we haven't got too close.  But step out i did, and i'm so pleased i did.  It was really nice to share my first 5K with her, i felt we bonded over a small* but significant accomplishment.  I think it will keep us in touch while i'm in the UK, as before, our friendship may have slipped away with the distance.  Its a first of many races and if i hadn't invited Kerri i would have done it alone**.  And that doesn't sound like much fun to me. So i am going to learn from this, and step out more often. It made my life better immediately and in the long term.

* small is only relative to the MASSIVE accomplishment of running a half marathon.  Coz really, I don't want to scare myself, as if 5K were massive, then what the hell would a marathon be?

** I doubt I would have been there alone really, as there are some really nice folks on DM and if i didn't have Kerri i would have tried to make some firm plans to meet the DM gang. 

My First 5K

Well Kerri and I finished our first 5K and had a lot of fun doing it. I like the shirt we got.  I really don't wear t-shirts, like, ever really, but i do need them to do dirty jobs in, like painting and such, and i like how this one is long sleeved.   We also got a box of wheat cereal which i grabbed for Jeff and some cold medicine drink thing.

I am stoked to get my first number.  The coveted number, and have kept it as i plan to get a lot more.

Both of us did really well.  Kerri ran the whole thing and was just two minutes behind me.  I finished 30:30 which is 30 seconds over my goal, but I really don't care and i am now totally hooked. I sped up at the end, unfortunately it was a hill and i got a stitch, and it got a lot worse as i climbed the hill to the end .I say i finished with a smile on my face, but i think in fact it would have been a grimace, but i was definitely smiling inside.

Here are my splits

9.59

9.55

9.11

30:30 Finish

Roll on my next race.  I do run the 6K for water in a month, but not one of the organised events.  Taking sponsorship here!

Ciao!  

Reworked Blarney Run 5K Training Schedule

feelin' good. feelin' sore

yup it happend, i'm sore.  sore mostly in the calves but certainly nothing i can't deal with.  and in fact, it was worse yesterday right after running, and now, this morning, i feel way better than i thought i would.

if only i had known all it would take for me to look forward to and maintain a running regime was to enter a race, my goodness, i would have done it years ago.

i went on my 1st 30 minute run yesterday.  the temperature was 22f/ -6c but feels like 9f/ -14c which is pretty darn cold.  but as previously mentioned, cold is no longer a factor in me going out to run. but 9deg f is really just a tad too cold isn't it? so i decided to try running at the pettit center.  my $4 bought me a track to run around.  the track is around an ice rink which is around a hockey ?rink?  so as you would imagine, though not me, it didn't occur to me at all, its a touch chily in there too.  and you would be right.  thanks goodness i assumed that i would need a long sleeved top to warm up in, as i almost didnt bring anything bar a tshirt.  that would have been a mistake.  yes it was above freezing in there but not by much.  i didn't take off my long sleeved top and was certainly not hot.  it actually made for a not so bad running environment.  one thing that bugged me though, was that there were no changing rooms, or at least, i got directed to the womens loo when i asked where i could change.  kinda nasty, getting changed in a loo, even if i did choose to use the disabled one so i had some room and didn't drop my clothes or ipod down the loo.

so the track is 433m and i ran around it 11 times, (and walked once - half to warm up, half to cool down).  that makes just under 3 miles.  so yesterday, i alomst ran a 5k.  i felt ok. my conversational pace would have been a bit of a huffy conversation, had i anyone to talk to.  but it felt that i maintained the same speed.  and though not really accurate, i ran a ten minute mile.  so the question is, how fast can i get in 6 weeks?

im a little torn though on what to do. the first week of my schedule states i should do a 1 mile jog on saturday. that would be the 4th (active) day of the schedule, and i did copy the schedule from someone in the know and modified it a bit.  but a 1 mile jog is a ten minute run.  that doesn't seem like a lot.  and especially when its a weekend run.  but then i don't want to over do it. i was trying to be really strict with the plan as the one thing i learnt from reading up on training, it to take it easy in the beginning, or you will over do it and want to quit.  well, i can't see myself quitting, i understand that with exercise, sometimes comes pain, and i actually like that, it means you have worked.  so i'm torn, torn between the perhaps a too light schedule and wanting to run more on the weekend but still keeping to my plan.  i'm still rather eager to become a runner, all this working your way up is, well....dragging.    i can be a little inpatient sometimes.

5k training schedule

as mentioned before, i will be adding an extra week on to this, and really depending on how i feel, it will either be an extra week one or week three.  why?  well i was surprised how easily i ran last night, and this morning im not sore so i did good, stretched after and didn't ever do it.  so i may be too eager to do another week one, but want to double up on a more active week. and 3 is right in the middle. (if you click it it gets bigger)

so today is a rest day, though i won't be getting much rest.  i am helping with a baby shower and after that grabbing dinner with the hubby and a couple of friends and heading to the bucks basketball game.  they will probably loose, or so i'm told, but i don't care that much. its always good to go to a winning game, but its more about just going. before i leave the land of basketball and other sports, i want to go to a few more games etc as i have found in my time here that i do enjoy a good sporting event.

7 weeks to a 5k

on march 13th here in milwaukee there is the blarney run. a 5k run or 2k walk. i managed to recruit a friend to join me (we're running!), she's fitter than me as she has been loosing her baby weight, but it will be at least nice to start with someone and have someone there at the end to take a photo of me with the number pasted to my shirt. its sad i know, but i have coveted those numbers for years, years and years. i have never been in any kind of race, apart from school so never had one.


just nipped out at lunch to buy my trainers. i tried on 3 pairs that mr shoe fitter chose, according to what he saw of my feet; bare foot walking, doing a crouch and just stood up. as he correctly diagnosed, i have normal to high arches, and strong feet (as opposed to fallen and flexible). with this diagnosis, i am supposed to wear a more flexible shoe. i bought asics gel-cumulus in a 10.5 in lightening/pool/storm  they are really comfy and available world wide.  why is that worth mentioning?  because you are supposed to wear the same type of shoe once you get used to it, and i will be buying more of these in japan when im ready to run again.  slightly excessive to have two new pairs of running shoes in less than 6 months, esp when i won't have put 500 miles on this pair, but i also don't want to kart around asia, a pair of shoes that i won't wear for two months.

after work im hitting somewhere else to buy some cold weather running gear.  just one set, i can wash and wear them.  until i know that i'm really gonna do this, im trying to not spend too much money.  i really want a garmin 350  (i'm a gadget freak) but i am only gonna allow myself that luxury if i run a half marathon, then i know i'm running seriously enough to warrant that expense. until then, im buying a $5 digital watch off ebay so i can time myself. (finding the link to the garmin, made me just find it for a much lower price than i had come across previously, which makes it harder to resist and may make me change when i can buy myself it - darn!!).

omg i just signed up to do a half marathon!

yes thats right, a half marathon!!  its the great north run held in newcastle, uk, and is in september.  unfortunatly its a ballot draw so may not even get in, but now i have taken that plunge and signed up, if i don't get in to that one, i will do the bradford half marathon instead. i find out on feb 12th (ish). i have already printed a recommended training plan, its 16 weeks and is for someone that has no running base. it recommneds doing a 10k race at somepoint so i'm researching where i can do that.   so i get back from my travels in aisa, and right away, i start my training.  i'm really quite excited!  i also wonder if i can get a race in before i leave here?  there's a race on march 13th, a 5k which if i continue with my exercise, i don't see why i couldn't run that.  also, my mum runs the race for life, so i will join her for that 5k in july in my home town scarborough, which will be cool, to run with my mum.  right now, she can run further than me. but i plan to change that!
ok, now on to some inspirational reading.