Last week I ran on Tuesday and Thursday. I was discouraged but sister Lynn gave me an inspiring story about a runner who only lost three pounds but lost five sizes. Guess that fat into muscle thing worked for her. So maybe that's my thing too. I have noticed my pants (some of them anyway) are a tad looser. So I could deal with the number on the scale if the number in my pants--wait, that doesn't sound right at all--well you know, the pants size went down.
Just to change things up, I went the opposite direction at the park. That worked well because everyone else was going counter-clockwise. I went clock-wise this time. I liked that better because I didn't have to try to speed up to get past someone. Or startle someone by running up behind them.
Imagine a large rectangle with a more or less rounded corner rectangle inside of it. That's the layout of the track around Howdershell Park. I managed to run from one corner down the long side to the other corner. Not a half lap, but the length of it. That was the farthest I've managed to run so far. It felt pretty good.
I did the same thing on Thursday.
Maybe I am making some progress.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Still Chuggin' Along
I walked. I ran. On Wednesday and on Saturday.
Feeling really discouraged. I thought regular exercise was supposed to give a person more energy. I feel half-dead most of the time. I don't feel like I'm making any progress whatsoever in running. Maybe this just isn't for me. Maybe I'm just too old to be doing this. Maybe I just have too much other stuff going on. I'll see how the rest of this week goes.
Feeling really discouraged. I thought regular exercise was supposed to give a person more energy. I feel half-dead most of the time. I don't feel like I'm making any progress whatsoever in running. Maybe this just isn't for me. Maybe I'm just too old to be doing this. Maybe I just have too much other stuff going on. I'll see how the rest of this week goes.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday Morning Blues
Still keeping up with my routine. Just didn't have it this morning. Felt tired and slow. Yet somehow I managed to get the most steps recorded than on any other day. My pedometer must be goofy or the running steps count extra. Yeah, that must be it.
Beatin' the Boys
I stayed on track and got to the park on Saturday--with two boys in tow. Josh had a friend spend the night and the deal was they both go with me in the morning to run.
They hung out on the playground while I did my laps. I retrieved them for the last two laps. Hey, can you guys run for one minute? Sure, no problem. At forty seconds, they stopped; I kept going. WOO HOO! Passed the boys.
Of course that was the challenge they needed. For the final trip around, they bet they could beat me back to the truck. They did. But that included my cool down period, so let's just say I let 'em win.
They hung out on the playground while I did my laps. I retrieved them for the last two laps. Hey, can you guys run for one minute? Sure, no problem. At forty seconds, they stopped; I kept going. WOO HOO! Passed the boys.
Of course that was the challenge they needed. For the final trip around, they bet they could beat me back to the truck. They did. But that included my cool down period, so let's just say I let 'em win.
Does This Make Me Look Fat?
Along with my new fun and very comfy shoes, I have purchased some appropriate clothing.
First item was a sports bra. I had a cotton one which made me look like I was twelve years old. Where did the girls go? It's like a mammogram in a bra. But "cotton is rotten" according to runners--everything needs to be moisture wicking fabric. Translate that into expensive. And I am so cheap. At KMart, I found Joe Boxer makes high and medium impact sports bras with molded cups and moisture wicking fabric. Perfect and I get to look like a woman. And they were cheaper than the cotton-make-you-flat-as-a-fried-egg type.
I had my one top I bought off the clearance rack when I got my shoes. Then I saw the Nike store at Mills had a clearance sale and I snatched up some serious 80% off sale price bargains--all with the special dry weave fabric.
Running clothes tend to be clingy and body conforming. The fabric can't do its job if it's not next to your skin. I get that. The tops might as well have big red arrows pointing to every bulge and roll. But I draw the line at the pants. My arse is big enough without being amplified by body hugging fabric. I had to go with regular cotton blend jogging pants. Tip--don't hem up pants before washing and buy a size larger. I thought I grew and inch and a half and gained 15 pounds overnight. The pants shrunk. A lot. With the granting of a small miracle, maybe, just maybe, by summer time, my hiney will not be considered an extra appendage and I can celebrate by wearing real running shorts. Long ones of course.
Niece Jessica has been inspired to start running. You go girl! She says she bought running shorts and she is one person who would look really good in them. For the rest of us in training, they are a cruel design. Someone should invent beginner running clothes for out of shape people. Something that won't make me look like a shrink-wrapped marshmallow.
I have to say though, the special fabric does its job. Even though I'm sweataing, I don't feel like a drowning pig. Might look like one, but we won't go there. Comfort is key.
First item was a sports bra. I had a cotton one which made me look like I was twelve years old. Where did the girls go? It's like a mammogram in a bra. But "cotton is rotten" according to runners--everything needs to be moisture wicking fabric. Translate that into expensive. And I am so cheap. At KMart, I found Joe Boxer makes high and medium impact sports bras with molded cups and moisture wicking fabric. Perfect and I get to look like a woman. And they were cheaper than the cotton-make-you-flat-as-a-fried-egg type.
I had my one top I bought off the clearance rack when I got my shoes. Then I saw the Nike store at Mills had a clearance sale and I snatched up some serious 80% off sale price bargains--all with the special dry weave fabric.
Running clothes tend to be clingy and body conforming. The fabric can't do its job if it's not next to your skin. I get that. The tops might as well have big red arrows pointing to every bulge and roll. But I draw the line at the pants. My arse is big enough without being amplified by body hugging fabric. I had to go with regular cotton blend jogging pants. Tip--don't hem up pants before washing and buy a size larger. I thought I grew and inch and a half and gained 15 pounds overnight. The pants shrunk. A lot. With the granting of a small miracle, maybe, just maybe, by summer time, my hiney will not be considered an extra appendage and I can celebrate by wearing real running shorts. Long ones of course.
Niece Jessica has been inspired to start running. You go girl! She says she bought running shorts and she is one person who would look really good in them. For the rest of us in training, they are a cruel design. Someone should invent beginner running clothes for out of shape people. Something that won't make me look like a shrink-wrapped marshmallow.
I have to say though, the special fabric does its job. Even though I'm sweataing, I don't feel like a drowning pig. Might look like one, but we won't go there. Comfort is key.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Look At Me Go!
Thursday (the 22nd). Back in the routine. Good.
At the park, there has not been more than two or three individuals or pairs of people walking. Today there was about ten. It's Earth Day and I guess everyone decided to get out and walk. But some left shortly after I got there or arrived as I was leaving, so it didn't get crowded.
One woman changed directions claiming it was easier to go clockwise than counterclockwise. It's amazing how much of a conversation you can have with a person in the five seconds it takes to pass each other. There is an ever so slight incline in one corner of the park. Like maybe three degrees. It's a challenge. But I go for it.
I liked the short spurts I did on Tuesday and decided I would do that again. I reason if I can get really comfortable and pick up the pace on very short runs, I will condition myself to run longer. I still feel so out of shape, it's pathetic.
I realize I'm jogging very slowly. I try to pick up the speed a little. I can do that. Okay, maybe I'm just not pushing myself enough. During one segment, I actually felt like I was really running. It was a huge confidence booster. I tried to repeat it the next time. Failed. Oh well. I run one-minute, three times over the course of a half-mile lap. You do the math. Does that count for a three minute run? No. Who am I kidding.
I concentrate on what I did differently to make it feel like I was truly running. I think it has to do with form. The angle of my body. How far I pick my feet up. My arms are doing what they're supposed to--bent at the elbow, swinging straight, not crossing over the middle line of my body. I'm breathing through my mouth like I'm supposed to. I'll have that magic moment again.
But let's talk about breathing for a moment. I've read you should do the "talk test." If you can't reasonably carry on a conversation without gasping for breath, you need to slow down. Aside from the aforementioned occassional five second conversations, I'm left to talk to myself. At the risk of looking and sounding like a crazy person, I do it. And every time it involves some pep talk, so I sound like the Little Train That Could, "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this."
At the park, there has not been more than two or three individuals or pairs of people walking. Today there was about ten. It's Earth Day and I guess everyone decided to get out and walk. But some left shortly after I got there or arrived as I was leaving, so it didn't get crowded.
One woman changed directions claiming it was easier to go clockwise than counterclockwise. It's amazing how much of a conversation you can have with a person in the five seconds it takes to pass each other. There is an ever so slight incline in one corner of the park. Like maybe three degrees. It's a challenge. But I go for it.
I liked the short spurts I did on Tuesday and decided I would do that again. I reason if I can get really comfortable and pick up the pace on very short runs, I will condition myself to run longer. I still feel so out of shape, it's pathetic.
I realize I'm jogging very slowly. I try to pick up the speed a little. I can do that. Okay, maybe I'm just not pushing myself enough. During one segment, I actually felt like I was really running. It was a huge confidence booster. I tried to repeat it the next time. Failed. Oh well. I run one-minute, three times over the course of a half-mile lap. You do the math. Does that count for a three minute run? No. Who am I kidding.
I concentrate on what I did differently to make it feel like I was truly running. I think it has to do with form. The angle of my body. How far I pick my feet up. My arms are doing what they're supposed to--bent at the elbow, swinging straight, not crossing over the middle line of my body. I'm breathing through my mouth like I'm supposed to. I'll have that magic moment again.
But let's talk about breathing for a moment. I've read you should do the "talk test." If you can't reasonably carry on a conversation without gasping for breath, you need to slow down. Aside from the aforementioned occassional five second conversations, I'm left to talk to myself. At the risk of looking and sounding like a crazy person, I do it. And every time it involves some pep talk, so I sound like the Little Train That Could, "I can do this, I can do this, I can do this."
Catching Up
Got off track--again. After my run on April 13, Josh was off school the rest of the week with severe allergies. Poor baby was just miserable and I couldn't bear to leave him and go run. It seemed too selfish even though there wasn't much I could do for him. So I postponed my training for another week.
It's frustrating to keep getting set back. Progress -- ha!
Tuesday (the 20th) I trotted around Howdershell Park trying to determine how much progress I lost. I didn't pay attention to the clock, just ran for very short spurts off and on. Okay, more off than on. I didn't get quite as many steps in as the prior week (on the 13th), but I did pretty good.
It's frustrating to keep getting set back. Progress -- ha!
Tuesday (the 20th) I trotted around Howdershell Park trying to determine how much progress I lost. I didn't pay attention to the clock, just ran for very short spurts off and on. Okay, more off than on. I didn't get quite as many steps in as the prior week (on the 13th), but I did pretty good.
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