Update

Wow. I'm really sorry that I let this blog fall by the wayside. I slacked off on one week of training after my last post and, even though I resumed my training, I never resumed the blog posting.

The good news: I finished the ten-miler! My champion chip said I did it in 1:56:48. For some reason, Nike + is not letting me show you the run graph.

The good-er news: I registered for my first marathon! It's the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon. It looks like a great marathon to start with...we get to run around all of the Disney parks, look at the characters, and everyone gets a medal at the end :) My training for that will probably start to gear up in mid-summer.

Training for and running this race was a really wonderful experience for me, and I'm sorry I didn't do a better job of keeping you posted.

Long time no post!

Hello blogosphere! Sorry for the long time without contact. I missed you horribly. In fact, I'm afraid of my love for you. I'm a bit too wiped out to make this entry interesting, but I'd like to update you before the radio silence gets too out of hand.

I did manage to stick to my workout schedule for this week...although I was thrown off by my inability to find my Tae-Bo tapes. Instead of doing pilates, I wussed out on x-training this week. I'll take another look for the Tae-Bo, but if I don't find them I'll just stick with pilates.

I've been doing well with my running this week. I did add two extra runs this week of about 1.5 miles each. The Friday run was lovely...although I unfortunately ended the run in front of a grocery store where I promptly purchased my weight in protein.

(Friday's run):



Today was my long run...I managed to make it for 3.89 miles!! The plan was only to run 3.5, but we somehow ended up about seven or eight blocks from my apartment by the time Nike + told me I could stop running, so I figured I'd see if I could run the whole way. I was especially proud of myself because I managed to run the whole time - even up a small hill for several minutes!



My longest run yet!! Go me!!! Afterwards, I made myself a plate of steak, eggs, and toast...it was deeeeelliiiiightful.

I did this run with A.M. again; although I'm wondering if it's a bad idea to do this run with someone else. I don't run as fast as most people, I feel more motivated when I'm listening to music, and I don't have the breath to carry on a conversation while running. I'll have to think about it.

A post about pie day is coming...

Third Week of Training

The initial plan for this week was to run 2 miles on Wednesday and Friday, and then 3 on Sunday.  When I wrote out my schedule, I guess I didn't anticipate that I'd be running more than two miles at this point, so I've upped the run to just half an hour...whatever that equals.  Today it turned out to be around three miles.

Monday: 10 minutes pilates No pilates - but a short endurance-building run; 1.5 miles

Tuesday: 8 minutes Tae-Bo Replaced with pilates

Wednesday: 30 minute run

Thursday: 8 minutes Tae-Bo

Friday: 30 minute run

Saturday: Rest/Pie

Sunday: 3.5 mile run 

Miles this week: ~12.5

Once I get a new scale that WORKS (what do you MEAN, I'm back at my starting weight?!  impossible), I'll post my weight progress.  Really, though.  IKEA scales are worthless.  It's the scale, guys.

Also, I realize how pathetic the 8 minutes of Tae-Bo sounds, but it's a really, really intense eight minutes.  Trust.

The goal is to do another short endurance-building 1.5 mile run at some point before Sunday.

Wooohoooo! Best run so far!

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions this year - I think this race encompasses most of what I'd want to resolve anyway - but for some reason I still feel like I can check an item off of my non-existent list.  Today's run, scheduled for 30 minutes, was my best run ever!  (Lance Armstrong even told me so - via my Nike +!)

If there was ever a day that was going to test my commitment to sticking to my schedule, it would be today...it was something like twenty degrees - not including wind chill.

I started out feeling like I was running faster than normal, but I figured I'd get tired and slow down within the first few minutes.  I tend to start with a lot of energy that I can't quite sustain.  Much to my surprise, I was able to keep up my pace for the whole run!  Not only did I KEEP my pace and run my longest run yet (slightly), but I ran my fastest average mile yet.

I'm so excited!!

Breath control has been a problem for me in past runs - I find myself winded before the run comes to an end.  For whatever reason, I didn't have any difficulty at all breathing despite the sub-freezing weather.

The biggest problem for this run was some tension in my calves.  When possible, I tried to run on the grass next to the sidewalk, but it didn't make a huge difference.  Regardless, it was just mildly uncomfortable and not debilitating.  I'll keep an eye on it in case it becomes recurrent.

I wonder if the fact that I did this run in the evening factored into my enhanced performance?  The Cherry Blossom is in the morning so I'd rather keep running on the earlier end, but being able to run off the frustrations of the day was really satisfying today.

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's!  I spent mine in NYC - not doing any pilates, but I did get a short-not-supposed-to-exist run in on Monday.  I went to a vegan restaurant and had an AMAZING coconut tofu-cream pie that I will try to replicate this weekend on rest/pie day!  Stay tuned...

Oh, incidentally, I think I'm going to change my powersong from Rooney's "When Did Your Heart Go Missing" to Dogs Die in Hot Cars' "Godhopping," which is just a great, peppy song.

Godhopping - Does this work?

(once the link opens, click to refresh if you get an error message. it WILL work!)

"I'm gaining strength, trying to learn to pull my own weight..."

Long run this morning.  I'm heading to NYC in a few hours, but since I will be away from my lovely Macbook for a few days, I wanted to post quickly before I leave.  I briefly considered bringing my Macbook with me, but last time we went on a trip together, I left it on the El at O'Hare, almost missing my flight and giving my mother a coronary in the attempt to rescue it (mission: successful).

Incidentally, are we sure that a rest day is a good thing?

I can't help but feel like I'm more sluggish and that the run is more difficult after the rest day.  I guess the data doesn't really support that theory, but it certainly feels harder...and that has me worried for my ability to finish the actual race after my eventual taper-down period.

Despite the low dip, I managed to run the whole time.  The bottom of this graph represents about 11'30" and the top is 10'23".

I'll probably up my teeny-tiny-not-even-supposed-to-exist runs to 1.5 miles this week (previously 1 milers).  I'm bringing my Pilates DVD to NYC, though I'm not 100% committed to prostrating myself in my friend's living room.  We'll see...

It's tore-up from the floor up.

I've decided to adopt this entry's title phrase as my next integrate-into-my-everyday-vernacular language project.  The quote is from the movie Juno, which the date and I went to go see last night.  Spectacular movie; if anybody is contemplating whether or not to see it - do.

The date itself was okay - I did end up going for a quick run beforehand, and managed to arrive only a few minutes late.  The guy used to be a runner himself, actually, so he gave me some nods of approval when I told him the details of my training schedule.  I felt bad talking too much about running, since he was injured in an accident over the summer and can't run anymore.  Let me rephrase that.  He's capable of running, but because his lawyer wants him to get the most possible money out of the lawsuit, he is not allowed to run for fear of a brutal cross-examination when the case goes to trial.

No spark, though.  End of story in my book.

Guitar Hero III came in the mail on Friday!!  I stayed up until about 4:30am playing it (in fairness to myself, I only started playing at 12:30am).  So far, I've beaten the game on easy and I'm on level three on medium.  

I'm becoming horrified at the idea of eventually reaching a level of difficulty for which I have to spend time practicing these songs before I can beat them.  I keep thinking of the scene in the Guitar Queer-o episode of South Park when Thad plays an "acoustic" rendition of a Guitar Hero song on his Guitar Hero guitar...which consists entirely of the sound of buttons being pushed and the clacking of the strum bar.  

I'll say it, and I dare anyone to defy me: There is no redeeming artistic value to the development of Guitar Hero skills.

Pre-Date Running: Advisable?

I'm contemplating a quick run before going on a blind (well, J-) date tonight.

Pro: I felt the benefits of an extra short run when I went on my 25 minute-r yesterday.

Con: If the date goes really poorly, I might have less stamina to make a break for it.

After my disappointing showing for Sunday's long run, I've been considering adding two more runs a week, with the extra runs being about 1/2 the time/distance of the regular ones. This week is my experiment with that idea.

Someone recommended adding hill work to my schedule every ten days or so...giving myself an easy run one day and then just running up and down a nearby hill a few times. It sounds like a good idea, and I already know I have a really hard time running hills.

To this end, I've been doing most of my pilates sessions this week with the "Buns and Thighs" portion of my 10 Minute Pilates DVD to build up my hill-vanquishing muscles. And yes, I feel ridiculous for thinking about my buns and thighs as "buns and thighs."

I wish Sir-Mix-A-Lot would make a buns and thighs work-out video.

I bet his terminology would be better. Although the "workout" might just consist entirely of eating bon-bons and shaking "that healthy butt." ...Might not be so bad, actually...if I didn't have a hill to conquer!

Incidentally, I've just come to the daunting realization that I'll be staying with friends in NYC on Monday and Tuesday of this week when I'm supposed to be working with my pilattes DVD. Not sure how I will manage to do this with minimal embarrassment, but I think it will involve headphones, a mini-DVD player, and 3:30am. Just a hunch.

The Redemption Run (Appropriately Christmas-Themed?)

Well, it's the day after Christmas and I'm back at work; as a good Jew-ish girl, I spent Christmas at home on my couch with a rented movie. I did add a short run to the training schedule yesterday because I was bored and figured I might as well jog towards the movie rental kiosk. The extra run was only for one mile, which amounted to a little more than ten minutes.

This morning was the first scheduled run of the week. I managed to run (almost) continuously for 2.1 miles (a little more than 1.95 miles, according to gmap-pedometer). That's the same distance as my horrible Sunday run and in much better time, so I'm happy about redeeming myself slightly. The hills got me this time, too...I had to slow down and power-walk two blocks when the uphill incline was particularly steep on my way back.


The first dip corresponds to jogging-in-place in front of the DVD kiosk, and the second dip is the walking-up-the-hill portion.

Incidentally, my Nike + congratulated me today for my "longest workout yet." Thanks, Nike +! I knew I paid you for something...

If I have the time/energy tomorrow, I might go for another quick 1-miler. I suspect it might be good for my endurance to log the extra miles, and 1 mile is short enough that I'm not tiring myself out for the longer Wed/Fri/Sun runs. I might try to make it a speed run, even!

I'm really noticing the positive effects of all this activity in my daily life. I feel like I'm in a much better mood during the day, and I'm certainly proud of myself for working towards something substantial.

Second Week of Training

Second verse, same as the first [almost].

Monday: 10 minutes pilates
Tuesday: 10 minutes pilates
Wednesday: 25 minute run
Thursday: 10 minutes pilates
Friday: 25 minute run
Saturday: rest
Sunday: 2.5 mile run

Miles this week: ~ 6

Starting weight: 151-152
[I need a better scale...this IKEA $5 thing is is not up to blogging standards]

Sunday, the first long run

Yesterday marked the day of my first ever long run; also known as the day I realized that it might be difficult to run ten miles at a time fifteen weeks from now.

As you may remember, I was thinking a few days ago that due to my incredible ability to run/jog more than 1.5 miles at once, perhaps I should increase this week's long run to 2.5 miles instead of the planned 2 miles. I decided against this in the end, since I'd already worked out the training schedule.

A poker friend of mine, A.M., - who has submitted a mail-in entry to the Cherry Blossom 10-miler but has not heard back yet - came over to my apartment at around 1pm so we could jog together. I mapped out a cute little route on gmap-pedometer.com. I strapped my new Nike + armband to my arm, and off we went.

Perhaps it was the hills (I'd been avoiding inclines all week), perhaps it was my feeble attempt at making conversation with A., perhaps it was the fact that I wasn't listening to any music (to facilitate said feeble conversation), perhaps it was some flaw in my training plan, but I was winded a little less than a mile and a half in to the route. Eventually, I had to resort to walking in between bouts of jogging...which I realize is the way some people train for these things, but obviously I'd been hoping I'd be capable of running the whole thing straight through.

Also, my Nike + sensor fell out of my shoe as I power-walked up a hill...I discovered it pretty soon afterwards, so that was fortunate. I guess packing tape is really not a reliable way of affixing that sensor to my Aasic, eh? I bought a lacelid on eBay, but the guy shipped it poorly and all I received was a ripped envelope...a new one supposedly will not be arriving until next week or the week after [along with GUITAR HERO III YEAH BABY!].

After the run, A. and I unwound in my apartment for a bit with some pear pie. As I have been eating nothing but pie for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (and still was only 1/4 of the way through), I was grateful when A. ate two slices and consented to take a third one home with him.

I'm a bit worried by my inability to finish the shortest of my long runs. This has caused me to realize that it might actually be physically impossible for me to run 10 miles by April 6th... Still, I'm going to stick to my training schedule, and hope my body will catch up.