wind + stop signs (city riding) = slooooow

Perfectly delightful ride. Not setting any records. But beats sitting on your ass all day.

re-rookie mistake

I'd planned to do my long run (7 or 8 miles) yesterday, but it was windy and very threatening when I got up, so I decided to push my run to today. I had a trainer session at 10, it's about 5.5 miles from my house to the gym, so with some detours I could fit in the run I needed.

I went about my day, wearing a pair of sandals I hadn't worn yet this year. Big mistake.

That is a huge blister on the bottom of my foot. It hurts when I walk. I don't think running for an hour is a good idea.

On the bright side (not really) our trainer session was cancelled, so we can go for a bike ride this morning.

intervals

I slept like crap last night, and needed to drive to work today so I told myself that I just had to do two miles on the treadmill, and that I'd do intervals to try to wake myself up. So I did my two miles.

and then the compulsive part of me that thinks that all runs need to be at least 3 miles added on another

Felt pretty good. I am however exhausted, and it took me about an hour to stop sweating.

3 weeks to make a habit?

I think that's the rule. If so, I'm almost there. It's week 3, and I'm still going. My routine is to take the dogs for a walk as a warm up and to gauge the temp, then go for a run first thing in the morning. Then I sit dripping, cooling down and write my post, then shower and start my day.

My biggest challenge, and this is the dumbest thing ever, is that I keep touching my phone and ending my run when I try to check distance. So I end up with records of multiple shorter runs.

Today was really humid, and my thighs felt like lead. I'm looking forward to that magic feeling on a cooler day, after I've lost a few pounds, and everything feels easy and fluid. I am starting my no-crap food regime now however. Enough talking, I'm getting back in shape for real. Running shouldn't be this hard.

took a break

From the internet, not from running. I ran 5 miles yesterday, but was in a self-imposed no-internet zone so couldn't post about it until my 3-day detox was done.

My Nike+ app was acting strange, and kept ending my run before I wanted to. There were two failed starts that I just deleted, then this two-part run.

I hit my 12 mile goal for the week and am on the cusp of getting my average under 11/mi. It was really humid, some sprinkling during the run, but I am feeling better, and I am eating less crap.

Next week - hold at 12 miles, get the speed down a bit.

It's gonna sink in soon enough - right?

Running is harder when you're fat. When you eat crap and drink every day you do not get less fat. And running stays harder.

I know this. Yet I keep drinking and eating crap and spending my entire run thinking how much easier it would be if I was in shape like I was a few months ago.

Weather is only around 70, yet I'm dripping and it felt pretty warm.

oh yeah, I remember summer running

Last week was very cool. I now realize how much that helped me in my return to regular running. Here's this morning:

phone said it was 82 degrees

I have a million excuses why this sucked, but it mostly comes down to the fact that I ate crap all day yesterday. And drank a lot of wine. I'm on vacation people! But I know I that if I eat clean I'll feel 100x better and the running will be easier. So I will get back to my healthier self. And continue to push through the hard hot days until they get easier.

My cycling is about as good as my running

I rode the North Shore Century in 2010 and 2011. 100 miles on the bike. Trained all summer. Didn't love it, but was happy to be doing something while I was rehabbing my ankle.

Last summer I had other things going on and didn't do much. Today was the first ride of the year. Slow. But pretty fun.

Elite runner run faster than I rode today. Oh well. Nice day. Fun ride. All good.

The power of imaginary peer pressure

My previous running blog was private. I shared it with a few friends. It was more of a journal, and I was inconsistent and inappropriate there.

I decided that I needed the threat of others being aware of my sloth to keep me moving, and to keep me honest. So far that crap is working on my brain. 

Today I seriously contemplated not running. Then I realized I hadn't posted a run since Tuesday. And that thousands of people* might know I was already failing. So I laced up my shoes and ran.

And then while running I really wanted to take a walk break. And I realized that those same thousands of people would know that I was slow and lazy. I thought about just pausing my Nike+, but realized that would be violating the spirit of all I was trying to do by going public. So I kept running. 

Thank you imaginary public.

That closes out week 1 at 10 miles. 4 runs. Its a start. 

Next week I will run 12 - 15 miles. And get my average pace under 11 minutes. Follow along imaginary friends. Keep me honest. 

*actual traffic stats indicate that far fewer people actually have read this blog. But thousands COULD read it.  

Put up or shut up

my board of glory

This is the decoration in our guest room. The medals and bibs from my marathons and 50ks are on the top, half marathons and adventure-type races below. The newest item here is from October 2009. That's almost 4 years ago. 

I think there's a statute of limitations on reveling in past glory, and I need to get something else on that wall, or put everything in a shoebox in a closet. 

What's the expiration date on medals? 

3rd run's a charm?

I'm getting hung up on how slow I am. I have to get over the numbers, and focus on consistency and getting stronger. I'll drop some pounds and it will get easier and I'll get faster.

Today felt pretty good. I didn't stop at all until the water fountain at the turnaround. Everything aches but nothing hurts. I remember when that happened 15 miles later.

I also remember that I usually didn't really feel good until after 3 miles of getting warmed up. So I have that to look forward to in the next week or so.

I'm going to look for a shorter race or two to sign up for this summer. And I think it might be time to go shopping for new gear. I can't remember when I bought my shoes.

Calibrating

Today was a gym day. I decided to do a short run before lifting, and since I have vowed to track all runs and not hide my slowness, I switched my app over to treadmill and started going. I had calibration issues, so ran a mile, told the iPhone how far the treadmill thought I'd gone, hoped it would somehow recalibrate and get closer for my second mile, but it didn't. So I corrected it again. Here's what the treadmill said.

Tomorrow I'll do 3 miles outside. I will be patient. I will go as fast or slow as feels right. I will remind myself that it's going to take weeks before I'm back in a groove, and I have to keep plugging away to get there.

The 100th first run

Four years ago I was training for the Chicago Marathon and the Lakefront 50k in October, and had already run the Lakefront 50K in April. I was a runner. I was fit. I loved running.

Then I got hurt. Not running. I twisted my ankle and popped my cubiod being a klutz, and ended up spending months and months and months on crutches, having surgery, and in rehab. I now have bones fused together in my ankle resulting in limited flexibility resulting in hip issues.

I've been fully mobile for the past two years. I have not yet gotten back in a running groove. I've started and stopped a few times. My life has gotten busy. I've gotten older. I've put on about 10 pounds. My knee does not like running with those additional 10 pounds. I have to wear a special belt to keep my hip in place when I run. It causes my fat to smoosh up and be very lumpy. I'm self-conscious about that, but I remind myself that it's ok to look that way while I'm doing something about it. And that everyone who sees me in real life knows exactly how lumpy I am. (although I like to think that I usually wear outfits that are more flattering than this)

For my sanity, and for my fitness I need to be a runner. I've been hiding my slow run/walk sporadic efforts. I am now going public. I am using Nike+ and will post my runs here. I am slow. I am SO slow. I take walk breaks. My runs are short. Here's todays. There will be more. My goal is 3 per week. And a half marathon in the fall.

2.21 miles. It's a start.