Category Archives: Running

What it’s like when we’re friends and we run together

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You’ll suggest a goal, I’ll back it off a tad. I’m willing to let you push me. But only so much (the foreshadowing here is that you’ll probably still get me to run more than I planned to.)

I’ll arrive at your abode, we’ll catch up for a few minutes. We’ll both be thinking well what if we just stay home and have a beer and spy on the neighbors. I’ll be thinking it more. And it’ll only be a passing thought for you. But neither of us will say it because we both know we’ll be happier if we just go.

We’ll start out running. I don’t have high hopes, but you do. We’ll chat a little and then the hills will catch up to me and I’ll be willing to listen, and will enjoy the stories but will only be able to gasp out short replies. And laughing? Ain’t nobody got breath for that.

I will want to die part way through. You will be cheering and singing and waving your arms around. And I’ll see how slow you’re running and look at my watch and see our pace, but I will be maxed out and thankfully we have an unspoken agreement that I’ll let you push me on time and/or distance, but I can only run so fast right now. Also, I’ll mostly appreciate your cheering. But a little sliver of me will be mad that I don’t have that much running fitness. But I know that the more we run, the closer I get. When we started we ran 4 minute intervals. We’re up to 10. I’m counting that as a victory.

We’ll get near the end of the workout and I’ll want to quit. This doesn’t always happen. I mean, yes, who doesn’t want to just slow down to a crawl.  But on the nights when I want to quit, I will want to quite bad. Real real bad. I’ll lean on you to get through the runner’s wall. Except I’ll be silent. Because, hello? Hurts so bad. But you’re good. You’ll push and push and push. And I’ll try to zone in. And we’ll get it down.

I’ll look at my watch. We have 1 minute left. 1 minute until the end of the workout. Except you’re tricky and you’ll make me go further. And I will. But. A gap will probably form between the two of us as you pull away. You’ll double back and then you’ll slow down and I’ll try really hard to keep up. But while there’s a gap between us, I will absolutely yell “I hate you”. In front of your entire neighborhood. I won’t mean it in 5 minutes, I’ll even retroactively retract it, but oh, do I mean it then and there.

We’ll make it back to your house. I’ll want to just pass out on your lawn. But it’s time for dinner. I’ll make a bit of a mess in your kitchen, though dinner will be quite tasty, if I do say so myself.

And then I’ll drop a water bottle on your dog and spill 700 mL of water all over her and the kitchen. Yay I’m such a good friend.

You’ll invite me back. Friend love has no bounds

Hearts and runner friends!

Hurts-so-good soreness and my new running toy

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I’ve been thinking about two blog posts for the last week. But I’ve been super busy and haven’t had the wherewithal to sit down and write them out. So now it’s two (or three?) topics in one
Last Wednesday afternoon a text showed up “want to go see Iron Man tonight” the answer was “of course” but I had planned to run with a co-worker. I checked movie times and there was one that we could go to at 7:30. This would give me enough time to run, change back into real clothes, and drive to the movies. It also meant no time to stretch after the run and rolling up to the movies a little smelly. I figured NBD, I wasn’t doing a hard work out and I was meeting another runner who know’s that sweat = smell. My timing was right and I got there with enough time to stop at the Whole Foods to grab dinner to sneak into the movies and then play a little Galaga in the lobby. (We went to see Iron Man 3. Are you surprised video games were also involved? No). The movie was really good but half way through nature called. As I stood up to sneak out of the theatre every muscle from my belly button down groaned. And it made me so happy. I was sorry that I didn’t stretch and that I was hurting my body, but that kind of soreness is just so gratifying. It’s the reminder that you worked hard. I stretched some before bed and that helped. My legs woke up happier Thursday morning.
Friday, my new Garmin 210 came in the mail! I’ve been saving for it for a while (throwing $1 in a jar for every mile run) and I got some birthday money so it was finally mine. I was at the office until 8 but had told myself I was going to run so when I got home I took my new toy out for a spin and it’s fantastic and I love it so much I just want to squeeze its cute little digital face. Setting out for the run, things were feeling good. And as I was running along I started to think I might run the whole workout. About halfway through I wanted to stop and walk So. Damn. Bad. But I knew if I stopped running, I’d never get back into the groove. By the time I was running up to my house my ribs were on fire but otherwise my body was feeling pretty good. 2.77 miles, no walking!!!! 
I was so glad I didn’t stop. I felt invincible for a little while after. Being at work late meant I was running in the dark , but running in the dark in May >>> running in the dark in January. I feel silly but I always wear my reflective vest and then because it was super dark, I wore my head lamp hat. I’m sure I looked crazy but I like feeling safe. Both from cars and if anyone tries to grab me I know I’ll make a lot of noise but I’ll also be highly visible. At home again I stretched and stretched and stretched, in the light of my hat, which only does so much. And meant that when I laid down on the grass to do some iron crosses and the dew had set in, I got soaked. It actually felt pretty good though and helped cool me off.
My friend Beth stole my gold star idea (well. Imitated? Steal is maybe too harsh). We might as well keep it going. For today’s post I’ve got a gold star for Friday’s run. And for working right through week 10 in my program and moving right into week 11!
Saturday was full of a hike, friends, and babies and it was the best.
Hearts and running progress!

A week of solid running

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I’ve had an entire week of good runs.

Finally.

And by good I mean I didn’t quit, I didn’t feel sick, I didn’t get crampy, And I stuck to my schedule. The runs themselves are still sometimes challenging. But that’s the whole point of 0-13.1, right? I was at 0. I want to be at 13.1. I’m slowly slogging away.

Thursday, after not running for a week, I left technology at home and ran in the rain with just a watch to keep my intervals on time. I checked out a path that is at the end of the street that I’ve know about for a while and just didn’t take the time to explore. Turns out, it’s not just one path. It’s a whole bunch. Through this really nice little marsh and fields and a honest to goodness pine grove. The last drops of rain stopped falling just as I reached the entrance so everything was soaked and quiet. I didn’t have my phone so didn’t take any pictures. I’ll say this. It was so peaceful. And calm. And I never would have found it if I wasn’t a runner! I love that. Also, I almost stepped on a frog. But I side stepped just in time. In lieu of actual pictures I doodled you this
I chose the Sesame Street News Kermit because he’s the best. Also, I love when he says “Kermit THE frog here”
Friday I had a date cancel on me. So I invited myself over to Jennie’s and we sat outside in the sun and drank wine. It was fantastic. Spring is here. Well, it was here. It was 39 when I woke up this morning. I’m trying to block it out.
Saturday I went shopping. I hate shopping. But my friends were going and I could use a few new things. And I ended up doing the most shopping (I think. I at least kept up with the biggest shopper if it wasn’t me). It involved hours of walking in flip flops. And not a lot of water drinking. Then I drank an entire bottle of wine by myself. And then I went to sleep incredibly late. You’d think I was still in college.
My family had evening Mother’s Day plans (hearts to the Mother’s in my life!). I only had to do a little prep so I had the whole day to run. I woke up and said “Oof, no thanks” but then I logged into my email and it had EXPLODED with facebook posts from my running group. And they had all completed their weekend runs.
It now happens every weekend. It’s awesome. And of course if they were all out running all over the country and world (what up, Australia?), so I had to get out there too. The run was not great, thanks to a severe lack of water in my body. But I survived. And I’ve run much, much worse. And actually, my body felt amazing after. I’m still learning this lesson: I’ve decided to set this goal for myself. And for a little while I have to keep it in mind whenever I do anything. Really if I had just kept drinking water all day Saturday and for the better part of Sunday morning I would have been ok. I’m just so bad at water drinking on the weekend. Grr. On the other hand, a couple months ago I would have opted for the nap instead of a run. I’m really glad I didn’t. 
Last night was Wednesday Monday Night Running Club, though we were down a runner due to injury. Sad. But instead of running she made us an amazing dinner (my hungry runner stomach thanks you!!!). My running program is broken into 4 week chunks. Each chunk is in it’s own file folder. For a million weeks (pretty much since I started in November) I’ve been in the 5-8 week folder. This week I’ve moved into the 9-12 week folder!!!!!!!!!! I can’t tell you how exciting it is. It means I’ve finally been working hard enough and consistently enough to keep moving through the program. It makes me feel like I’m getting my life back into balance. It’s almost peaceful. Also. Terrifying. These workouts are getting longer and harder!
I was supposed to run 25 minutes, but was allowed to still have a walking intervals if I felt I needed it. Jumping from 5 minutes intervals to 25 minutes was a little daunting. Plus, I knew Jennie would just make me run 30 minutes (and by make, I mean she would say “You know you want to” and she would be right, but I think it’s still a tad too soon). So to help myself out I said let’s do intervals of 8 minutes running, 1 minute walking. Those are the longest intervals I’ve done in while. Possibly since last spring. My legs were tired and I didn’t think I could keep up the whole thing. We stopped to stretch halfway through to try to make my legs feel a little better. Then I proposed we take an extra minute walking between intervals 2 and 3. After interval 3 (which felt better thanks to the stretching) I knew I’d need 2 minutes again. Jennie always encourages me to push a little harder (it’s reason number 4,208 I like running with her) so to propose it, I knew I’d need to bargain. I traded an extra minute of walking for an extra 3 of running, bringing us to a 40 minute run. Because I knew I could. And I knew Jennie knew I could. At the corner of her street she said 10 seconds left. I said let’s just run to your house. Then she upped it to running until the Garmin said 3 miles. So I followed her. And damn did it feel like a huge accomplishment! All told it was 35 minutes of running!!!!!!! 
And 5 minutes of walking. But we won’t talk about that.
I’ve talked about this before, but I like to write encouraging messages on my mirror. For a while it’s said “Goals are dreams with a deadline; 13.1 in 2013”. After this week, I’m feeling more and more confident that it will happen. And I wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Hearts and goals!!

Turns out, I like running with people

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Thanks to my IRL “coach”, Jennie, who lives all of 1,000 feet from my new job, I’ve been running a lot more regularly. And in doing that I’m gaining confidence in my running again. Which means I’m starting to plan. Plan my runs, plan my meals, plan my races(!!!), plan everything to be a half marathoner in 2013. Possibly twice! And in that planning I’ve started to find higher energy levels again. And also, I get the itch to go for a run again. I can’t tell you how good that feels.

I was always worried to run with other people. Maybe not worried. But apprehensive? I’m slow and I’m still running with walking intervals mixed in. I was afraid I would hold other back. And for some runners that would be true. But Jennie runs/walks the intervals with me. She pushes the pace. And when we get to minute 29 and it’s time to walk for the last minute she convinces me to run that last minute. And though I love her for it, I usually swear at her while I do it. It’s cool. It’s all in good fun. She’s been running more faithfully for longer and so she can usually put on the speed a little or start cheering or singing. And little by little w We’ve started running with Christine too. And I’ve discovered something. I like running way way way more when it’s with other people. It’s someone to chat/grunt with, someone else who sees the same silly dog, someone that also says thank you to the side walk graffiti that says “hello beautiful”. It’s fun. I was starting to think maybe I could find some more friends who want to run with me. But again, I hesitated. Maybe they wouldn’t all be as cool as the Wednesday Night Running Club (girls, we really need a better name. Also, this week was on Tuesday and totally threw off the rest of my week and I keep thinking it’s Friday). I was starting to think about reaching out, especially now that I’m up to 5 minutes running and will be (hopefully) done with walking intervals in the next couple of weeks. My half marathon training group has added some new members lately, and now includes a college Alpha Gam sister and another new Boston based friend, plus all my current running friends. I was thinking about this very thing on my run last night as I was dying and a teeny bit board on the last stretch with no cute crew boys or pretty river scenes to stare at. I finished and pulled over onto some grass for a photo shoot in the pretty sun and trees and then some cool down stretching. Walking over to my car I was caught red-handed by a co-worker. I still had headphones in mellowing out with Alabama Shakes and usually I’d wave and then go hide in mortification at the mascara likely running down my face but she stopped me. And it went down like this
Co-worker who I had assumed could run circles around me: Do you run after work a lot
Me still gasping for some air: Usually twice a week
C-WWIHACRCAM: What do you do for a run
MSGFSA: Well, I’m training for a half marathon and my plan starts at 0 so right now I’m running 5:1 intervals
C-WWIHACRCAM: Cool. I’m out of shape, but I could probably do 5:1s. Would you mind if I joined you sometime
MSGFSA: That would be fantastic. I said this with pretty decent composure but in reality I was thinking. “I’d assumed you’d kick my butt at running and wouldn’t want to run with a slow poke like me. Then I added I recently discovered I like running with friends.
C-WWIHACRCAM: Yeah. I’ve found having a running buddy is much better
MSGFSA: I always avoided it because I’m super slow
C-WWIHACRCAM: Me too
MSGFSA: Sounds like a plan
C-WWIHACRCAM: Yes. Mid week sometime we’ll go.
And just like that I have a new running friend. I hope we can keep it up semi-regularly. And maybe even rope in more co-workers. Maybe we’ll even get a little friendly 5k going or maybe the better part of a relay team? See. I’m getting way ahead of myself. I just can’t stop planning. I just have all the running love right now. And sore legs that were going to go swimming tonight and instead are going to the Sox game. 

Hearts and endorphins!

Nothing better than a boring Monday.

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It’s been just about a week since my last post. And what a week it’s been. I’ll admit. I debated all night Monday on whether or not I would post that last entry. In the end I’m glad I did. I share everything else with the internet. And the response was overwhelmingly positive. I read a lot of other bloggers’ accounts of the day and they were all pretty uniform. A lot of confusion, time spent finding out if friends and family were ok, outrage, sadness, and resilience. The world wide outpouring of love for the city that I hold so near and dear to my heart has been so awesome, too.

Best of all it’s Monday and when I woke up this morning the only thought I had was “which of my new clothes am I going to wear today”. This thought was followed pretty quickly by “I hope more patients are released today and others are downgraded from critical condition”. After this was realizing I was running late and would have to bust my butt to try to get to work remotely on time. And that’s normal. Normal. What a nice feeling. Thanks to all those who worked tirelessly to shut down the threat last week. Flags are still at half staff. And people are still fighting for their lives or learning to adapt to a new way of life. Last night driving home the signs on the highway said “We are one Boston. Thank you to all”. The MBTA buses I drove by flashing their route numbers. And then flashing “Boston Strong”. I don’t think we’ll ever be able to say this is “over”. But the threat is gone. And Boston is bigger, brighter, and better.

Even with the mess that was last week I got in a couple of runs and some cross training. Tuesday I wore BAA blue and yellow, but on a Red Sox cap, blasted my Boston songs, and ran along the Charles. Wednesday was the “Wednesday Night Run Club” (It’s so hard to come up with creative names!). I’ve started running with a couple friends (we’re trying to make it once a week) so this was us going out. Thursday was an hour of hard swimming. Hard because I wanted to push myself a little. Last week, a 9 year old girl was repeatedly beating me across the pool. Not cool. Friday was “rest”. Saturday was should have been a run but I had a better window on Sunday so I switched to cross training. And if drinking beer and singing “Sweet Caroline” at the top of my lungs at Fenway counts I totally go it done…

Yesterday was my birthday. I had a bridal shower in the middle of the day and dinner with my family. But there was this nice window in between that was perfect for a run. In the past I might have said “It’s my birthday, I’m taking an extra day off.” and gone to buy coffee and a donut. Instead I changed in a fast food restaurant bathroom (didn’t buy anything. I’m a bad person. Whatever. That food is just so bad) and I hit up the Haverhill Stadium. In reality I ran Riverside Park, but the whole of the city refers to that entire area as the Stadium. My parents and grandparents took my brother and I there approximately 1000 times in my childhood, I sat at a couple hundred of my brother’s little league games there, we used to ride our bikes, or Grammy and Grampy would bring a picnic lunch and watch the boats go up and down the river. Not surprisingly, the place was pretty much the same. It looked a little smaller. And they have a new jungle gym. But there were still tiny baseball players and kids with training wheels. After the chaos of last week worrying about friends and being barred from coming to work it was nice to be out among families in the shining sun. The run was less than stellar thanks to birthday pancakes and bridal shower cake. But it got done. Then there was homemade spaghetti and meatballs (a team effort between my mom and my aunt and uncle).

And cake. Birthdays always have cake.

Here’s hoping the dot of spaghetti sauce I just got on my new sweater will be the toughest crisis this week.

Hearts and normalcy!

Crying doesn’t count if it’s under water, right?

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Pro tip. When swimming sing songs that sometimes elicit an emotional response. It’s super fun to tear up under water.

Some swims I count laps. Some swim I just swim for a set time. Last night I was going to just swim for 60 minutes. I love music. I listen to it all day. It helps block out random noise at work to help me concentrate. In the car it passes the time. At home it’s noise so my apartment isn’t so creepy. (side note: living in an apartment by yourself in the winter is the worst. It’s dark all the time and the cold air makes sounds so much louder and creepier. Reason #1427 why I’m glad spring is here…mostly. @#$% 37 degrees this morning). When I’m running I sometimes go out without headphones. I still end up singing to myself. In the pool obviously I have no music. But for whatever reason I have a ridiculous amount of trouble trying to remember how my favorite songs start. I’ve listened to “I’m going to miss her” by Brad Paisley at least 1000 times in my life. Get myself going in a workout and I can’t remember the first line for anything. To combat this I listened to all my favorites on the drive home from work. I got in the pool and still had trouble. Finally I got going on “The Good Stuff” by Kenny Chesney. I listened to it at least 3 times yesterday with no response. I start singing it to myself in the pool and WHAM. Teared up. WTH brain?!?! I’m just trying to get my swim on and enjoy singing one of my favorite songs to pass the time. We’re just trying to have a mind clearing workout. Not cool, brain, not cool. ::side eye hormones::

I really like swimming for cross training. The low impact things is nice and I feel like my muscles get to sort of stretch out. And I’m finally swimming enough that my core isn’t screaming in pain for two days after. Now we just have to get my shoulders on board with that too!

Rest day tonight. Which is code for I’m doing laundry, dishes, and sitting on my couch watching a How I Met Your Mother marathon. By choice, Mom 😉 Gotta get caught up before we find out who the mother is!

EDIT
Hearts and emotional responses to songs

@#$% copy paste fail

Running friends are the bestest

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I was supposed to run my “long run” on Saturday. That did not happen. It was supposed to be nicer on Sunday and I had other stuff to do. Like stay up until 2 am on Friday watching videos of Ellen and Parks and Recreation on YouTube. I know. So adult. Sunday did turn out to be nicer. For a while. It was Easter but I only had plans until mid afternoon and then would have some sunny hours to kill. Except that’s only what I thought, not what was true. This meant that by the time I pulled in the driveway at 6 I was exhausted. Playing with a 2, 4, 6, and 9 year old is a lot of work. Cute work, but man they never stop. And who can say no when they giggle and ask “more?”. I told myself I could just go to bed if I got up to run in the morning. I’ve successfully made this bargain with myself before so I knew it was legit. Sure enough I woke up Monday and wanted to snooze button it. But I had promised myself so I crawled out, stumbled into running clothes, and flung myself out the door. 0.5 miles into the run I knew I was done. I spent a few minutes next to some bushes wondering if I was going to toss my cookies. I managed to calm my stomach and started walking home. I tried running one more time and almost immediately regretted it and returned to walking. Greeeeaaaat way to start a Monday.

On that walk home I thought about what I had eaten in the previous 24 hours. A big breakfast with bacon, eggs, cinnamon rolls (not a fancy breakfast without cinnamon rolls), and egg nog (no, it’s not Thanksgiving but my Mom saw it and decided it was appropriate because bunnies lay eggs and this is nog from eggs, what could make more sense. I love egg nog and liked where her head was at) . Then I had a teeny nap. Then birthday cake and a couple of cookies. Oh and some ice cream. Then some Easter candy and pop corn. I drank 1 diet coke and approximately 12 oz. of water all day. Then I took a nap from 6:30 to 8 and then proceeded to stay up until midnight. Clearly I am the model for perfect fueling for runners and my body was definitely ready to go running when I woke up. Not. I trudged off to work a little mad at myself. And a little worried about what my runs the rest of the week would entail. Yesterday I couldn’t get over the bad run. I was picking a friend up from the airport at 7. I told myself I would work, change into gym clothes, pick her up, drop her off, and hit the Y. I did all of those. Except the Y. I was tired from being out until midnight the night before. Instead I cleaned my apartment a little. That’s cross training, right?

Today I packed my gym bag again. It’s cold…again. And I wasn’t really sure what the day would bring. All I knew was that I had to hit the gym. Maybe I’d run. Maybe I’d cross train. I’d decide in the moment what kind of mental game I was bringing. Instead a friend that lives behind my office emailed saying she needed a running buddy for the night (in a house on the next block, not in a cardboard box by the dumpsters or something). She’s training for the Boston Marathon. In 12 days. I know what you’re thinking. Perfect running buddy for an out of shape slow poke like me. But she’s the best and runs slow with me and does it in a way that 92% of the time I don’t feel guilty for my slow speed. I picked the workout that I should have done on Saturday and resigned myself to simply repeat last week in my training schedule. And then we were out running and I thought :you know what. Screw it. Running with a friend who is better and faster is the perfect time to push yourself.” I yelled out the new intervals, for week 8’s schedule and she cheered my ambition. 10 minutes later I wholeheartedly wanted to take it back. We were running up hill (a gradual hill but it was hella long) and straight into the wind. 20 mph steady wind. Fun. We were only half way through the workout and my legs were spewing a whole lot of swear words at me. A whole lot. Really vile and mean words. I told my friend my legs weren’t holding up. They didn’t hurt. I was just reaching the end of my comfort level. Her response? “That’s fine. Just run through the pain” Best running buddy? Jennie.

We finished strong and she even convinced me to tag on an extra 30 seconds at the end. I told her I hated her. But I did it. And secretly she was my favorite. You can’t get anywhere until you push

Also. CAN IT PLEASE STOP BEING COLD NOW??? Thanks.

Hearts and bestest running friends to you all.

New Plan for 13.1 in 2013

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Well. I didn’t run a half marathon this fall. I could give you the list of excuses I’ve let form in my head but really it comes down to this. I wasn’t ready to make the commitment. A half marathon isn’t the same as a 5k. A 5k you can just run 3 times a week for 8 or 10 weeks and be good to go. A half marathon is a completely different beast and I just thought “well, ok, I can just go out and do that.” Uh. No. But. As I was realizing there was no way I’d ever be ready and it was going to be a horrible experience to even attempt to run part of it, one of my favorite bloggers sent out a message. She got into running about a year and a half ago and she has decided to create a training plan. And for the half the price she plans to offer this training manual I could join as a “Founding Member”. This solved two problems for me. 1) I want to run a half marathon but I need someone I know I like to create a plan. 2) I wanted to get in on the ground on something I believed in. Now, this is Nicole’s baby. But I get to be an investor and a beta tester. And that’s awesome.

Thought I’ve lost most of my running fitness, looking at the 24 week plan it looks as thought I could skip a lot of the first few weeks. But I’m only skipping week 1. Here’s why.
1) 23 weeks is my birthday. And I kind of think that would be a great way to celebrate my 27 birthday. Accomplishing this feat would be me saying “Look. I dedicated myself to this for 5 and a half months. I’m healthier, fitter, and I’m about to run 13.1 miles”. Not a bad way to usher in 27.
2) I don’t think skipping one week will affect my overall training as the first and second week are pretty close to the same, if not identical, and I think I’d be ok with just one week of this training schedule.
3) A lot of my running struggle is mental. A LOT. So even if these first few weeks are “easy” from a running perspective , they will be hard in a I-have-to-completely-rearrange-my-life-to-fit-this-new-lifestyle-I-so-desperately-want-to-have kind of way
4) I am a SLOW runner. A good race is an 11:15 split. That’s not a good race. Especially because I loved running in Reach the Beach in May and would love to run more overnight relays. but my times would drag a team down. If I can start this first few weeks at a faster pace during the running and walking, hopefully that will equal faster times later
5) Did I mention the mental thing??

So. For the next 22 weeks (I finish week 2 tomorrow) I am handing my schedule wholeheartedly to Nicole and her “Bullshit free plan to go from 0-13.1” and run my first half marathon in 2013.

Now. To find a race.

Hearts and training plans!

Running non-stop and a spiral sausage

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Couch to 5k is still rocking along. This means tonight was 2 miles. No stopping. No crying. No punking. Mile 0.5 felt good. 0.5-1.0 was a little uphill and I was starting to let that voice inside my head say “you’re not going to make it” a little louder. Then I hit a downhill and said shut the front door to that little quitting voice. 1.0-1.5 were downhill, uphill, downhill, flat. And the flat was into the sunset. You tell me this isn’t a nice view and I tell you you’re a liar

At 1.5 I just wanted to walk. Just a little. A teeny-tiny-bit-pretty-please-with-a-cherry on top. I went to the dentist and had a few fillings, uh, filled? so the right side of my mouth was totally numb and everything else was super dry so breathing was awkward. And  I just. wanted. to. stop. I didn’t. The last 0.25 miles I was making horrible noises and I think everyone walking by me was wondering why the heck I would be putting myself through this. And then I hit that 2 mile mark and hallelujah I was done. A little stretching. A little water. A little Nuun. And I headed home. For dinner I wanted something easy to cook. So I made chicken sausages on the grill. This guy suggested I spiral cut my hot dog (or in this case, a chicken sausage). And because I do everything the internet tells me, I did it. I have to say. I think I’ll do it again. It was easy and my sausage was extra carmel-y crispy and evenly cooked.

That paired with the rest of my Nuun, a nice glass of German wine, and The Closer and it was well worth all the pain in that last 0.5 miles!
The rest of the week:
T: C25k Week 6 Day 1
W: Cross train, errands for my trip to Kansas!!
R: C25k Week 6 Day 2
F: Rest. Leaving on a jet plane!
S: C25k Week 6 Day 3. In 97 degree Kansas. Lame mid west weather
S: Cross train. And I think walk 8,000,000 miles through Kansas. At least that’s what the itinerary looks like. Ha


Peace out broccoli sprouts! (except those aren’t really sprouts. NBD)

Track Party Thursday. And I didn’t have to climb a fence

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I said I was going to do it. And I did.

I’ve decided to repeat the last few weeks of Couch to 5k. Because the thought of trying to run 3 miles and failing, again, was too much. I started thinking of this a couple weeks ago and didn’t want to do it because it would be close to the start of half marathon training. If only I had started then. As it is, I don’t have quite enough weeks between now and September 30th for the full half training. But I’ll be close. Side note: I’ve finally decided. I’ll be running the Smuttynose Rockfest!! My favorite beach, beer at the end, and the claimed “flattest course in New England”.

I looked over the couch to 5k and found the workout that didn’t want to make me sit down and cry and was approximately what I was feeling comfortable with the last few weeks. Turns out I was dead on. The workout was this: Run 0.5 mi, walk 0.25mi, run 0.5mi, walk 0.25mi, run 0.5mi.

I showed up at the track all set to go. I had my favorite running clothes on, chewing gum, breathe strip in place, Nuun filled water bottle in hand. There were guys playing soccer on the field in the middle and I headed for the entrance. It was locked. I walked to all the others. They were locked to.  But all signs stated “Open 7 am until sunset”. What the heck? And how’d those guys get to the field? Then it occurred to me that the guys in the middle probably hopped the fence. Damn. Let me tell you, here at WEFF, we don’t climb fences. Unless being chased by a large dog. Or the cops. (Would never happen. My life is boring like that)


Another woman was walking around and so I asked if she knew if it was supposed to be open. She confirmed and we talked for a minute. Then she made a phone call and someone that lives in the town/city/burrow I was running in, came and unlocked it for us on the condition that I didn’t see or hear anything because he wasn’t sure if he should be unlocking it. By the time I hit the track 3 more woman had shown up to walk with the first, two high school football players came to run drills, and a couple of couples were also there to walk. This meant I was the fastest person and could take lane 1. I’m sure it was my first and last time. I did the run and the walk and then during the second run, 4 real runners showed up. And then I lapped three sets of walkers! I think that’s the only lapping I’ll ever do; buzzing by middle aged walkers. During the next walk the real runners started and as I was coming to the end of the walk lap I heard one guy call out their lap time. And then say “oh, that’s about a 6:42 minute mile” all casual and NBD-like. And I was so jealous. I want to be a cool kid, running fast with some friends. Instead I hit up my last slow 0.5 mile. And I knew it was going to be tough. I’m terrible at pacing and let myself “go easy” for the first lap so the second wouldn’t hurt as much. I had remembered to check my watch and when I checked at the end of the first lap, it was a 3 minute quarter. So slow. But actually so much faster than I’ve been going lately.  Then it was time for the final lap and I picked up the pace. And halfway around I just wanted to quit. Just bail out and walk across the field to my water. But I pushed. And I grunted. And I yelled at myself (in my head…I hope) and then in the final straightaway I sprinted as best I could and came in at 2:51. Ugh. But I was done! And felt fantastic. I felt accomplished.  And I knew I had run a workout that really was at my fitness level. And running no longer feels like a chore. I hope Saturday morning goes this well.


Cheers for track party Thursday! I think I’ll go back again next Thursday. It was nice to have the camaraderie of all the other people using the track while I could still do my own thing.