Finished of the Couch to 5k Program

So, one day last week I went out and did the last day of the C25k program from Cool Running. Had a great run and between my warm-up walk, my 30 minutes of running and my cool down walk I managed to cover the full 5k.

I AM A COUCH TO 5K GRADUATE!!

I've got a bit of work to do before the 5k race, but that's okay. I've got some time.

The first problem though is the 'hurt' I did to my legs on Wednesday night last week. Got on the treadmill (it must have been raining out or dark, I can't remember which) and after ten minutes of running I had to stop because my legs hurt so badly. I'm not sure what I hurt, but I definitely did something to my lower leg on the inner part. Both legs are sore, but the left WAY more than the right.

I waited it out till Friday and they just ached all day at work, so Friday night I started icing the sore spots two or three times a day. The icing is helping and there is definitely improvement, but they are still sore by times.

I golfed eighteen holes today, and apparently riding along in the golf cart didn't help because they are very sore tonight. I am about to pop a few Advil and start the icing process again. If they are settled down tomorrow then I MIGHT try going for a walk to assess if I can maybe start running again Wednesday, which is a full week off!!

This isn't good for the 5k training! But this too shall pass....

The 5k Wine Run

That's right - I have found another run to consider. It's in Wolfville the first week of November at the Muir Murray Estate Winery and provides water AND wine during the run.

Now, I know it will be chilly in November, but if I can have a glass of wine every 2.5k how cold and cranky could I possibly be?

I think you need to seriously consider doing this fun run with me. How fast could the expected pace be? We're gonna drink wine every 2.5k (and afterwards!). And....you have eleven weeks to train, plenty of time to do the Couch to 5k program. And...you could have the pleasure of being at a run with Michelle and I (supposing I can convince her that her health depends on her participating in this fun run (after all, wine is good for your heart, right?)

I did week 9 day 1 last night, 30 minutes of straight running. Had to use the treadmill because Todd was out with friends and I didn't want to leave the kids. My legs were sore afterwards but are surprisingly fine today AFTER I got moving a bit. The first 10 minutes weren't so pretty.

I made it 4.5k in my 30 minutes of running plus 12 minutes of walking.

Think about the wine run!!

Lessons Learned from Running (and NOT running)...Take Two

Last night I finished week 8 of the couch to 5k program. This week I move in to week 9 and will graduate from the program a week from today.

The last two weeks have not been without their challenges. This has caused me to spend some time thinking about this running business, and whether I really want to do it. Eight weeks in, and here's what I have discovered.

Running is hard! When you have to run for a long period of time (aka 28 minutes like this week, or 25 minutes like last week) it is really hard to do it.

WHY?

Well, when I have been doing these last six runs, I have realized some things about myself. First off, my muscles don't generally hurt THAT much when I am out running. I did have some unusual calf muscle pain last week, but I think that was because I actually pushed myself to cover some distance (as opposed to nearly running in place which is sometimes what it feels like when I am running).

Second, breathing isn't really ALL that difficult, unless it is hot and humid. Or if I am pushing myself a bit too hard.

I have learned something big about running. 

Your ability to run is not dependent on your physical ability or your lung capacity. Running success isn't impacted by the brand of running shoes you are wearing, or even how quickly you can cover your target distance for the outing.

Running is a mind game. Plain and simple.

And maybe you achieve the elusive 'runner's high' when you overcome your mental limitations, block out your thoughts and allow yourself to achieve a successful run. The 'Just Do It' of running. Whether it's a beginner's run....like the lady I ran past last night who 'was just trying to get through ten minutes of running' (trust me honey...I've been there and if Wayne saw either of us he would have opened the truck door to put us out of our misery). But is it misery???  

Or a slightly more experienced runner attempting her very first 5k, thrilled at the starting line to be one of the group and realizing when the starting gun blasts and the others all take off and leave her behind that she isn't as experienced as she thought...but then overcoming that mental wrench and cheering the significance of her accomplishment as she crosses the finish line after running FIVE ENTIRE KILOMETERS.  

On Saturday I went out to run day 3 and after 3 and a half minutes of running I called it quits because my legs hurt. I started again a few minutes later and managed to run another minute before my legs hurt again. Four minutes of walking and then I decide I have to do this so I start to run again. Three minutes later and I can't breathe properly and give it up again. After walking for about 8 minutes I try again and manage to run about five minutes. I gave up when some sciatic nerve pain kicked in and I walked the rest of the way back to the trailer. Feeling pretty miserable about myself. Questioning why I am even trying to do this. And if I really CAN do it.

After enjoying some beach time and some family time, I returned home last night thinking I should try it again. I turned up beer with the neighbours because I knew I had to try this again (I know that's hard to believe!). And I walked out the door and started day 3 over again.  For the first 15 minutes of walking and running, I almost turned my brain into a chant machine. If I wasn't singing the song on my ipod, I was repeating: "I CAN DO THIS". And then, after 15 minutes of running, you can't stop because you are past the point of no return.

I can't stop now...that would waste all of the good effort that I just put into the first 15 minutes of running.

Even the slight hill in front of the Magnolia didn't slow me down. Shake It came on for the last three of my 28 running minutes and I hit my stride, full on with long legs extended. I can cover a lot of ground when I do that! And then it hit me...the feeling that I REALLY can do this, that I really can do anything....the elusive runners' high.

Well, until the three minutes of sprinting ended and then I had a near death experience. *LOL* ...but that only lasted for about 25 seconds.

And then as I walked through my cool down, I lavished in the feeling of accomplishment and knew that this whole running thing is a mind game. And I am going to keep on trying to win.

And another race idea....

Hello....in spite of the pouring rain last night I made a special visit to the treadmill in my basement to complete Week 8 Day 2 of the C25k program. I knew if I moved some junk around and cleared my way past basketballs and the mini-hoop net I would find a treadmill in that room somewhere. ;-)

I spent two hours Wednesday night making a special playlist for myself at the beat per minute rate that I figured out is somewhat comfortable but also challenging for me to run to. I am still striving to get to 5k so I need all the help I can get.  I headed to the basement last night with my new playlist loaded on my ipod and off I went.

Here's my new playlist:
 Warm-up walk (7 minutes):
     One Week - the Barenaked Ladies
     Pink Cadillac - Natalie Cole

 Running Music (28 minutes):
     Jump (for my love) - the Pointer Sisters (135 bpm)

Two minutes in and my calves started to hurt for the first time in weeks. What's with that???

     Beat It - Michael Jackson (135 bpm)
     Pretty Vegas - INXS (136 bpm)
     Rio - Duran Duran (142 bpm)
     That's Not My Name - the Ting Tings (146 bpm for 5 whole minutes. Youch)

This is about the time the sweat was rolling over my lip and likely splashing the floor.

     Thunderstruck - ACDC (128 bpm)
     Shake It - Metro Station (150 bpm for the last 3 minutes)

I was pretty sure I might die before that last song ended. Of course, Abby was standing beside me watching every gasp for breath that I made.

And then the cool-down walk to U2's Beautiful Day.

I managed to cover 4.5km during my 40 minutes of exercise. That was very exciting! There is hope that I might manage to do 5k yet!!

Tomorrow is w8d3 and then next week is my final week of the Couch to 5k program. Can you believe I am almost there? I can't. It's not that long ago that I couldn't run for 90 seconds at a time, let alone a half hour.

I found out this week that there is a race in my hometown on Labour Day (September 5th). The Jimmy Hawboldt / Fred Lays Sr. Memorial Road Race offers a 1 mile course and a 5 mile course. So I think I might enter it with the kids and do the 1 mile race (cause there's no way I am running 5 miles by then!!). They also have kids races in the park and stuff, but I know Noah and Abby can outrun me so they can come with me in the 1 miler. My first race, and doing it with my kids! Wish me luck!
    

Back from Vacation and BIG NEWS!!

Hey there everyone! After a two week vacation at the beach, I've got some tales to tell and then I've got some big news to share.

We hauled the trailer to Gulf Shore Campground two weeks ago today, July 25th. It was a beautiful day and after getting situated we swam in the Northumberland Strait for a few hours. The water was warm and I couldn't believe my two week beach vacation had finally arrived.

If I had known then that it was going to rain for 11 of the 14 days I would be at the beach, I would have swam MUCH longer.

That week at Gulf Shore was warm, even with the rain. I completed week 6 of the C25k program on the road along the Gulf Shore, mostly cursing the hills but occasionally the heat as well. It was very hilly along the way there, and even smiling at Anne Murray as she drove by me one morning wasn't enough to cheer me up about how HARD it was to run on that road.

We had a great week at Gulf Shore, dining and visiting with the Porters and then with Michelle and Wayne, too. The Richards (complete with Mama Richard and Emmy from Quebec) also visited at Gulf Shore, and joined us in the wait for the sun to shine. At this point in time I was wondering how much rain you could get on your beach vacation - it couldn't last forever, could it?

On Sunday the 31st we moved along the North Shore to Brule Point, at Sunset Watch Campground. It was a nice day and in all the excitement about the sun I forgot sunscreen so I managed to get a sunburn. First thing Monday morning Todd was out of bed for his walk. He was back in no time, swiping at bugs, out of breath and warning me about the crazy Brule morning mosquitoes. He ended up running most of the time he was gone, and seriously recommended avoiding running up the road and past the field.

So I went back to sleep and at 8:15 decided I would go into Tatamagouche to run. I didn't map out a route beforehand, so I kind of went by feel. The sidewalks are awesome in Tatamagouche, and I had a good run.  I struggled twice on hills and had to walk for about a minute each time, but otherwise felt better about running in Tatamagouche than on the Gulf Shore Road.

This was the last day of sunshine for MANY days. Wednesday was very overcast with intermittent rain, but I went into town and measured my route BEFORE I ran it. Did well with the 25 minute run, but still had those two 60 second walks in the middle.

On Friday, the morning dawned bright and if not warm, then at least not cold enough to require the heat be turned on in the trailer. This was Michelle's day to return to running after her Gulf Shore injury. We drove to the Mennonite Bakery and set off for our respective runs. The shy friend is FAST...I couldn't keep up to her! The run along the Brule Shore Road wasn't as easy as in Tatamagouche, the pavement is falling apart in spots and it would have been very easy to turn an ankle. Anyway, we finished up and went to the Bakery for more sticky cinnamon buns and home made bread and coffee. Yum.

Friday afternoon turned out to be sunny but cold due to a strong northerly wind along the shore. Thanks to the Porters, we got the heads up about seeing the Northern Lights over PEI and ran out from the 45's tournament to see them. That was really neat.

Saturday was beautiful, the morning dawned with blue skies and seals playing in the bay, jumping like dolphins and then lounging on the rocks. That was really cool!

The hottest and nicest beach day of my two week beach vacation was Sunday, the day we had to pack up and move the trailer home. Some things in life just aren't fair.

Today I started week 8 of the program and ran 28 minutes straight, covering 2 miles (3.2km) during that time.  I had to run on the treadmill for the first time, since it was raining so hard today. But I must look on the bright side...I am all set for my birthday 5k. It's September 25th and takes place on the Toronto Islands. And my shy friend Michelle is coming to run it with me! The 'Island Girl' Marathon Weekend is for Women Only, and is a Caribbean themed race. Of course, the supportive husbands, Todd and Wayne will be there to cheer us on.

http://www.islandgirlrunning.com/gallery.html

So I've got to get my act in gear and get some better distance in on these runs. Distance training starts two weeks from today after I finish the C25k program!

Happy Monday everyone!

I FEEL GOOD!

Seriously - this is week 6 of the C25k program and today was day 3. After the warm-up walk I ran for 25 minutes to a fun mix of 80's music. It is my first day of vacation today, so I left home at 8:00 before it was too hot and had an amazing run.

I've been struggling with my pace and my breathing this week. I've been trying to increase my pace a bit, but I have found breathing hard this week due to the humidity and some mild asthma that I have that only surfaces when the humidity is really high. Thursday's run was a struggle, I had to focus so hard on my breathing and at one point I had to stop and walk for a minute to catch my breath.

Today though, it was a breeze. My muscles were in agreement with this run, my breathing came easy, and I kept a good pace throughout the whole run. I even picked up the pace at the end for the last 3 minutes, and for the last minute I ran full out.

Saw Natasha and Rodney Hawco out in their yard, and I even waved at them but I don't think they recognized me. I think Rodney shyly wondered who the heck I was but wasn't really sure. That's okay - I have a new cover for when I'm running so people passing me won't know who I am for a few weeks. There have been a LOT of second glances in the last couple of days.

I have to admit, I was very proud of myself at the end of the 25 minutes. Honestly, I wasn't sure I would be able to do this. Admittedly I am as stubborn as a mule and when I put my mind to something usually have great success at it. But I have never been able to run any more than maybe 200 meters without feeling like I was ready for a heart attack. It was hard to believe that I could start this program and somehow a few weeks later everything would be ready for me to run for 20 or 25 minutes without stopping. And yet, here I am, six weeks later and just done of a 25 minute run that went really well.

I LOVE having this period of 30 or 40 minutes a few times a week that is mine.  I listen to my music, bop along and have fun, the kind of thing that we likely did as kids and teenagers and took for granted. Now I finish my "ME" time and come home feeling great and like I escaped the world for awhile.

If you are looking for some sort of exercise program that doesn't take a big commitment, try this. Thirty minutes three times a week...you just might be surprised at what you can do!

The dreaded day 3 of week 5 is done! 20 minutes straight of running!

And I am still alive to tell the tale. We were at the cottage yesterday, and after a late night of card playing with Lee and Gerard it was a late morning getting started. (Don't ask Gerard who won!) It was COLD at the shore and there was a lot of wind coming off the water.

Lee and Gerard have a spectacular view in the landing - here's what it looks like:

Well - their view is slightly to the right of this picture, but you get the idea. So I spent two hours deliberating about whether it was too cold to run outside and if I really wanted to brave the hills of Pictou Landing for this 20 minutes straight of running. Then I decided there was no better time than the present, so I started to get ready. Of course, I've never really run in cold weather so I wasn't really sure what to wear. I decided on my regular dri-fit clothes with a sweatshirt over top (since I hadn't brought a jacket). I was pretty sure I might be cold, but off I went with Noah for company.

We decided to turn right at the main road instead of doing the big loop like we did last weekend. This turned out to be a good idea, because I was pretty sure we were running along a relatively flat surface.

After the 5 minute warm-up walk and about 3 minutes of running, I was too hot and had to get my sweater off (while still running because heaven help me I can't stop!). Noah was playfully walking along beside me without exerting much effort. *sigh*

I decided to try a few intervals of running faster, to see how it impacted my run. So I did four intervals of running fast (even Noah had to run to keep up with me!) and then decided I should keep at my regular pace. I had a lot of minutes left to go, you know!

Surprisingly, before I knew it, the lady came on and said "Day 3 you are halfway through."  WOW - that was fast. We turned around and started back.

Suddenly, I realized the error of my ways. That long 'flat' stretch is actually a hill, and now I have to run back up it for the last ten minutes of my run. Oh oh. This was definitely not part of my plan.

Meanwhile, Noah is still playfully walking along beside me.

"Wanna do another fast run, Mom?"

"No."

In my head: can't you see the mountain I have to run up in order to get back to the cottage? Why can't I be more aware of hills when I am running down them? Why do you only notice them when they are in front of you and you are running?

We carry on and before I know it, there are 7 minutes left. This was the hard part.

Seven more, focus, seven more, it will be over before you know it.

Six more, you can do it, one foot in front of the other, keep going.

Meanwhile, a parade of cars passes and I am sure that the drivers think I look like I'm insane...there is clearly no enjoyment in this process.

Five more minutes. This isn't so bad. I can do this. Four more (reminiscent of Jane Fonda - maybe I should wear leg warmers next time!). Hey, I'm almost done!

"Noah, let's run faster!"

So we pick up the pace for the last minute and then I am done. Yippee! I'm pretty sure my legs might collapse under me before I ever finish the five minute walk back to the cottage...but eventually I get there. (Mr. Energy ran ahead of me of course).

Needless to say, I was pretty proud of myself that I finished the run. This 20 minute run looms ahead of you for the entire first five weeks, because it is wayyyyy longer than the 90 second, 3 minute, 5 minute, or 8 minute intervals you may have run.

But, I was ready for it. Breathing wasn't a problem, just the soreness in my legs but that wasn't really too bad either. Certainly after I finished, the soreness passed and I was fine the rest of the day.

I am on an off day today but will be back to the running tomorrow or Monday. Week 6! I get two more days of intervals and then at the end of week 6 the long run is for 25 minutes. From there on, the runs are 25 minutes or longer, building up each week until the end of week 9 when you are at 30 minutes.

We measured the distance afterwards, and during my 20 minute run I covered 2.5km. Not bad for my first time!

I am reading a new book on my kindle. It's The Biggest Loser coach Jillian Michaels' "Mastering Your Metabolism". I'm only a quarter of the way into it but it is very interesting. She is focusing on how all of the chemicals on and in our food, and the environmental pollutants we are exposed to, impact the hormones and androgens of our endocrine system. I think she is going to be a proponent of the Eat Clean plan. If so, I may try that, AFTER vacation. LOL!