Last week, after finding out we were moving, I just started packing. On Wednesday, I think I'm going to partake in Wordless Wednesday and show you just how crazy our apartment has looked in the last week. So I didn't really have time to run at all last week. On top of that, I had to quit my gym membership since we're moving farther than 15 miles away from an Anytime Fitness. My only option was to run outside, and let me tell you, it hasn't exactly been ideal running weather. I'm such a wimp about running when it's too hot, too cold or too humid.
So Saturday I woke up, Mr. Skinny was working and I almost talked myself out of going for a run, but I laced up and went out anyway. I was still on week 4 of the couch-to-5k training plan, which has you running 1/4 mile, walking 1/8 mile, running 1/2 mile, walking 1/4 mile and repeat. You can also train by time, but after realizing that I didn't fully train for my first 5K back in December, I thought I would do it by distance this time.
Since I track on my Nike+ GPS app on my iPhone, I wanted to not watch my distance or my watch, and run until the app told me to stop. The settings on the app will have a voice feedback every 1/4 mile, so instead of walking that 1/8 mile, I just walked 1/4 mile instead to make it easier. It worked! I completed the whole workout. I was pumped to be finished with week 4. I truly almost didn't finish it, I had to convince myself to finish it, but with a few breaks.
Now onto today. I'm off work since I have some hours of sick leave to use that I wouldn't get paid for and we could use the time off to pack, even though I'm currently sitting on my butt catching up on blogs and watching House Hunters, and errands, which are all finished. Same situation as Saturday, I didn't really want to get up and run, I thought it was going to be too hot and humid, but I got a new part of running shoes yesterday and it'll probably be the last time that I'll get to run on my favorite trail that I just discovered a few months ago. I got my butt out to run.
Todays workout? Run .5, walk .25, run .5, walk .25, run .5 - easy enough to remember and actually it wasn't too bad! I couldn't run the full half mile of the last section, so I split it up and ran .25, walked .25, and ran .25 which was a success. Week 5 of the program is different each day, my next workout should be run .75, walk .5 and run .75. I think I'm going to hold out on that workout until I master the one I should have done today. Hopefully it only takes me one more time, but if it takes 2, then that's fine.
I'm so much more confident this time around. I know my body is more capable than what I thought it was last time. I know I can do it, and I know I can push myself. I may not complete all my workouts the way that I should, but I'll be able to run a 5K this summer hopefully. I haven't signed up for a race yet, but I would really like to. I'm not sure I'd want to in the summer though. All in all, I'm chugging along, slowly making my way to being a "runner" - again.
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When did you consider yourself a "runner"?
What was the coldest/hottest race you've ever done?
As soon as I was able to run for 1 entire minute, I considered myself a runner. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am now running 5 minutes at a time, and am so impressed with myself! My "run" is most likely what many runners consider a "jog" (6 mph speed) but I am a runner.
No races yet, but I'm working towards buiding up my endurance and speed and hope to do some races in 2012.
I didn't consider myself a runner until September of last year when someone point it out to me. I had just finished my first 10 mile run (it happened to be a race) and i said to the rest if the group I was with (it was my first time racing with them and they had all done marathons) I can't wait until I can call myself a distance runner. They looked at me funny. Thats when I knew. Clearly I was a runner before that. haha
ReplyDeleteThe coldest race I did was the Get Lucky Half Marathon. It was about 30 degrees. The warmest will probably be my marathon in less than two week! Eeeek! We shall see.
Great job! By the way... If i train and run marathon.. you can too! ;)
Plan for a 1/2 marathon in 2012 and a full in 2013. :)