Running On...My Quest for C2FM

It was a blistering fast (for me) speed workout today. Considering I had no gumption to get out there and get it done, very pleased with the effort and result. The plan was 2/1s x 15, looking for speed. I had done a 2/1 x 10 workout two weeks ago and it taxed me, so 15 reps was really going to take focus and determination. I had neither - so the plan was to go out and do at least 10. If I really felt like crap, less. The main thing would be getting out there - not sitting at home on the computer dreaming of chips!! At the 5th interval, I thought I may throw-up. I tried to get myself to slow down, but the feet were all about fast...and, truth be told, my 5K personal best was niggling into my thoughts. I kept going, promising myself that I could quit this speed workout at 10 reps. When I got to my turn around point and had yet to do 8 reps, I was inspired (and doing math). 10 reps saw me doing more math and wondering if I could post a PB. Overriding all those thoughts and the simple ...

Vertigo - it is not a pleasant experience. When I came back from my run on Saturday, I got on the floor to do my stretching, as per usual. The standard plank, bridge, clams, hamstring, hip flexor routine got cut short when the room started spinning. 'Uh oh' flashed through my head (OK, I may have said the word that rhymes with #grit out loud). You see, this has happened once before. After a run. And I was out (in bed, immobile, sick-to-my-stomach) for 3 days before the room stopped spinning. I did not want that to happen again. So, I immediately got up - to hell with stretching! And sent a silent wish out to The Universe to keep the vertigo at bay. The rest of the day was fine. I spent three hours in the garden - weeding, planting, weeding, cutting back, weeding (seriously, why don't I just go with weeds instead of flowers) and no problem whatsoever. Ron and I walked Zoe (yes, that took me to 10 miles for the day - and with all the gardening, my watch told me I had step...

I was determined today to add mileage to my Saturday run. I did 2 7/3s around the 'hood, then headed up toward Conquerall Bank Road. Obviously, I was also determined to tackle that (those) hills. Top 5 Things About Today's Run: 1. Took it really slow, which allowed me to cover more running than walking (even up the hills) 2. Got up 3 of the hills on Conquerall Bank Rd 3. Felt really good until the last mile or so, had to change up the intervals 4. Longest distance in a very long time (7.3 miles that included warm-up and cool-down) 5. Still managed an 11:00m/M pace on my last 3 minutes before hitting the 'hood for my walk home Very happy with the run today - the pace, the cadence, the mileage, the hills and I even managed to keep  my heart rate down. Calling it a win :) J

Just seemed to be a day for speed today. I wanted to change it up, so decided on 4/1s...my usual 4 mile out and back route. It was supposed to be moderate speed - steady. I knew I was in trouble after the first two run segments were averaging out at 10:30m/M. Needless to say, I ran out of gas... But, I just kept adjusting the run segments, dropping it down to 3/2s, then 2/1s and threw in a couple of 1 minute runs (one of those run at a 9:16m/M pace). I came away with some serious feel good endorphins AND a new 5K personal best (37:11 - again, no land speed records, but considering I ran my first 5K back in November in 39:32, I'm calling it a win)!!! My cadence was up - stride length long - and heart rate relatively steady (although my watch always tells me I'm in the red/danger zone). Brenda - serious JOY today ;) J

To just get out there and move. No planned intervals. No pre-set distance. No stress. That simple promise got me out the door today when I would rather have not gone running. On my run (which was good, BTW - a Willy Nilly, with mostly running, but some walk breaks taken when I felt I needed them, and an awesome 4 minute, 11m/M pace to finish), I gave some thought to what I had written in my journal this morning. I finished my day/week/month book (I create my own with the info I need - one side of the page is my running journal and the other side is my weekly agenda) and the last lone page always gets a bit of a write up to recap the time from the beginning of the journal. I always re-read that first page and it reminded me that I had been in the middle of my previous project (Project 365, where I was cultivating healthy habits). I wrote this morning that not much had changed. Yes, the habit of drinking copious amounts of water has stuck. As has other habits. But that habit of running...

Did it! Got out and ran a longish run (a little over 5 miles). Didn't set any land speed records, which gave me lots of time to contemplate. Here's what I gleaned from today's run: 1. Taking the time to do a couple of intervals around the 'hood helps to decide on clothing choices. I ditched my jacket on the first lap as I knew I would be too warm. 2. 7/3 intervals are good, but I kept noticing that I was ready to run at the 1:30 mark of the walk break. 3. Going to the left (up river and then up Conquerall Bank Hill) should be a mandatory route for my long runs if I plan on running a very hilly half in October. 4. It helps to take my mind off the run if I am having issues (breathing, pacing) and math is the perfect distraction (today was figuring out how many pages I have to edit on a new manuscript edit job knowing only the word count). 5. I do not do well running past the turn up to the 'hood. I had planned to run 8 intervals, but at the end of 6 I was al...

This will be the fourth weekend (Saturday) in a row where rain has been forecast. Let's hope it's not the fourth Saturday in a row where the forecast is correct. I need to do a longish run - so if there is rain, I will either be getting wet or trudging away on the treadmill. Today was a lovely 2 mile walk with strength training afterward. Changing it up after reading an interesting article on speed reps - did lighter weights, 30 second intervals, quick (but controlled) movements. I believe I will feel that tomorrow. On both accounts, I will report. J

Well, hello there ;) I took a week off. My knee (see here ) was giving me grief on my walk last Friday and with Ron gone, I was on Zoe duty. Now, that's not really an excuse. Last August when he was gone, I did the Zoe duty, dropped her off at home, did my run. Somehow, I just couldn't see myself doing that this time (and the cool, damp weather might have played a part in my decision to not head back out after doing a couple of laps around the 'hood with Zoe in the morning). Ron's back and I am 8 weeks out of a trail run I've signed up for. An 11k, rather difficult (hilly) trail run, so no more excuses. I had to get out there today. It's so much easier after taking time off to just keep taking time off. Much, much easier than getting back out for a run. I was determined not to let a week morph into two! The run wasn't easy. Wait - the first mile and a half were effortless, really felt good. There wasn't any speed, but my legs were happy, breathing ...

Oops! I threw on an old pair of runners yesterday to take a quick trip into town. The errands were scattered, so I did a lot of walking (brisk walking). These old runners are pretty beat up - and are tied such that I just need to slip my feet in and go (in other words - no tread, no support and loosey-goosey). I didn't think twice. Until I got up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and my left knee felt weird. This morning, the knee felt even weirder. And that's the only thing I can think of since I simply walked Zoe yesterday (in good shoes) and my strength training was upper body. My planned run for today has been postponed so I don't aggravate the knee any more, but I did do a 5K walk with Zoe this morning. Knee felt OK, but definitely not normal. Fingers crossed it's nothing drastic. BTW - old shoes have been tossed. J

Awesome and inspiring: A Happiness Question: What Should We Do if We Feel Like We've Fallen Behind or Fallen Off the Wagon by Gretchen Rubin So, numbers 1 though 5 pretty well sum it up for me! Number 6 - healthy treats - um, nope ;) Got my walk in with Zoe this morning, followed up by some strength training (arms). J

I know - I KNOW - that if there's a change in my schedule, I will most likely falter with my planned runs. SO, if I know there's going to be changes, then I need to be proactive and plan ahead. This week will be a little off as I drive Ron the airport tomorrow so he can go on his long weekend getaway to Mississauga. I will be tired. There's also the added activity to my mornings called 'walk the dog'. AND, they're calling for rain again on Saturday (I am a fair weather runner). Planning ahead meant that today had to be the run I have scheduled for tomorrow. Which meant I was running back to backs - and after a hard effort yesterday with my tempo intervals. I promised myself a Willy Nilly Run , with the hope I would do at least 2 miles non-stop. I also reminded myself that two days in a row of fast feet would not be a good idea. Out I went - did 30 minutes non-stop (#slowasmolasses) and then walked, ran the rest of the way. Surprisingly, my legs felt good. Wh...

The Yin for yesterday's Yang... I was actually looking forward to today's run for a lot of reasons. Number 1: I was planning to scale back to 3 miles instead of 4. Number 2: I was planning 2/1 intervals (like last Thursday's run ) where I would run 'tempo' for 2 minutes and then catch my breath for one minute. I really like intervals - and, obviously, I like going faster. Number 3: It's a beautiful day and some sunshine and fresh air were greatly needed. Number 4: After a stern talking to, and much needed reflection, I realized that this running gig is not rocket science. And I remembered my other goal - by the end of the proposed timeframe (October 2019 - a year after I began this quest), I will have made running a habit...and enjoyable habit...no matter the distance and/or time. The run did not disappoint. I pushed myself on those 2 minute run segments, enjoyed the recuperation of a minute walk, and was rewarded with a new record (according to my wat...

OK - lame excuses! Saturday was supposed to be a long run. It was raining. I went grocery shopping instead, with the thought I'd get out there in the afternoon when the weather cleared. Weather somewhat cleared, but I ate a huge piece of pizza for lunch. I thought maybe I'd get out there after it digested. I went for a bath instead, with the thought that it was still drizzly and damp but Sunday was looking promising (and, after all, that's why I don't run back to back on the weekend so that I can change days if need be). Sunday was supposed to be the long run. Get this - I opted to dismantle and clean my kitchen from top to bottom instead. OK - I think I'm trying to tell myself something! Today, the goal was to get back to the routine. Monday is Heart Rate Training Day - so up and out the door. Watch's GPS wouldn't work. You can't run without a GPS tracking, especially if doing a HRT day. Seriously! So I walked 2 miles and wondered what is it...

My nephew gave me some good advice yesterday - and today I went looking for quotes to illustrate that advice. The only limits you have are the limits you believe. - Wayne Dyer If there is no struggle, there is no progress. -  Frederick Douglass The biggest game you will ever play is the game in your mind. Master your mind, master your world . -  Kevin Abdulrahman J

...and INSPIRATION! After my last mopey post and e-mail/comments from my friend (Inspiration #1), I figured I better find some joy on my run today. Then, with comments from my nephew (Inspiration #2) re: this post , I figured I should take my own advice on my run today. Thus, a 45 minute 'tempo' run - 2/1 intervals (because I can not run at tempo pace for a long period of time). AWESOME run! Yeah, it was tough, especially when my legs wouldn't slow down. I had hoped for 11:30 tempo run segments - ended up, all the segments were below that with the exception of 3. And two of those were because I was pooped and did 1:30/1:30 intervals. At one point, I thought I would be giving up after 10 intervals, but I dug deep and kept going! And, to top it all off, my watch informed me that I set a new 5K record. When I think I was only running 2 minutes with a 1 minute walk break, I know I have the ability. I also know that running just that much faster makes me a happier runner! ...

Again - why did I think putting 'Running on - ' at the beginning of every post title was a good idea? And now, because of my stubbornness and need for consistency in all things, I feel I can't change it! My blog, I can do whatever I want! Just like it's my running and I can do whatever I want. But I get fixated on stuff and can't let go. This tenacity is good in some areas of my life, but, really, it's running and blogging. And the need to hang on can, let's face it, sometimes make me miserable. I don't want to be miserable. I certainly don't want to feel like I've trapped myself into a corner because, hell, it's running and blogging. Not the end of the world. Not a major crisis. Life is too short to worry about such trivial things. Life is too short to worry - period! Can you tell I did a lot of thinking on my 2 mile walk this morning? J