Wednesday What The...?

What an interesting time out running this morning!  First of all… I don’t know who has been playing with my iPod, and changing my playlist (Max!) but there was some mighty strange music that came up this morning.  Yes, I did get AC/DC, The Donnas, Nickleback, Alice Cooper and The Detroit Cobras, but intermixed was a lot of classical, Latin American dance music, some Irish drinking songs and a few Barry Manilow tunes.  Now, I like Barry as much as the next girl (maybe even a little more) but he’s never – NEVER – been on my workout playlist, much less my running tunes.  Barry, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry.  Weekend in New England just doesn’t cut it when I’m trying to stay motivated while running at 5:45 in the morning.  Despite its status as the very first 45 I ever bought, it just didn’t work out for me today.

Then, suddenly all of my neighbors have dogs that are out at that time of day?  Really?  And there wasn’t a person in sight.  Was I trapped in some kind of alternate universe where the dogs all take themselves for walks?  Do they clean up after themselves, too?  I was barked at by 3 yappy little dogs, then a larger moppish looking dog barked at me in a friendly sort of way, while it was wagging at me –  unlike the little dogs who were probably saying “run over here close enough to me and I’ll bite your calves until you bleed to death!"

The weather was wonderful.  Cool, clear, not humid or windy.  The “run” was less than stellar, but not horrible.  I don’t really expect stellar runs just yet, so it wasn’t a huge disappointment.   I would have liked to feel more comfortable while I was out, though.  I was still looking forward to the times when I could walk for a few minutes, and those few minutes came and went all too quickly.  All in all, it was better than Monday’s time out, and I shouldn’t complain.  Waiting for things to happen (like this “running thing” clicking and becoming a regular part of my life) is not a strong trait of mine – ask anyone!  In the immortal words of Veruca Salt “I want it now!”

On that note I’ll end today’s bloggery with a picture of something seen on my run.
 

C25K2-2 run environment: 66 degrees at 5:45 am – another beautiful morning!

Live person sighting on my run today!

After a brief hiatus last week, I'm back at it!  I had a lot going on and let my schedule interfere with my C25K program, and I shouldn't have - but I did, and now I'm back.  Also, while I was taking my little break, I ate stuff that I would have been much better off leaving alone, and my body certainly stressed that point this morning.

So, I decided to go back to the beginning of week 2 of the program, since I was at the end of that week, but hadn't done it in a week.  I was glad that I did, because I found it a little tough this morning.  Between the cramp in my gut and the cramp in my right calf, I wasn't having a really fun time while I was out.  It was, however, a lovely morning, and (at about 67 degrees) was perfect for going out for a run.

My pace was slower than usual because of the aforementioned cramping as well as a minute that I needed to stop and try to stretch out the crampy calf and another couple  minutes where I stopped to talk with a neighbor.  Yes, I saw a real live person (and her dog) this morning while I was out.  Very unusual for me to see anything besides the occasional moving car at a distance. More often than not, my neighborhood looks like a scene from "Night of the Comet" when I go out before 6:00 am.  There were, however, a gazillion red ants out working their teeny tiny little butts off very early today.  I'm supposing that ants must have butts of some sort that they were working off, because they sure were on the move.  I ran past sections of sidewalk where there were dozens of tiny ant hills and the concrete appeared to be moving with all the ants working together to bring death and destruction to the neighborhood.  As I ran through, I couldn't help but wonder if any would cling to my Nikes and crawl into my socks.  (Shudder)

While I was running, I was pretty much just waiting for my walk breaks to kick in.  While I was walking I was pretty much wishing that the run portions wouldn't be coming up quite so quickly.  I don't doubt that my pace was a bit slower than usual because this was my hardest day.  I blame it on too much time off from my program, and too much crap in my diet this last week!  Notice that I don't mention anything about blaming myself!  I just redid my calendar and am planning to run M-W-F and one day each weekend.  I am also walking for 30 minutes with co-workers on T & Th, so I'll be getting some walk/running, or walking 6 days a week.

I'm looking forward to a better run on Wednesday, when I'm not so tired and am eating a proper diet, so I'll fee a lot better for my run.  

C25K2-1 run environment:

68 degrees at 5:45 am, gorgeous!

What a perfect morning!

It was gorgeous out!  Perfect temperature.  Light breeze.  Not humid.  Wonderful at 5:45 am.  So as I set out, I took off a little faster than I have, and felt like I actually looked like I was running, rather than just walking fast. It felt great!

I saw very few cars on the move.  No one was out walking or even getting into their cars.  Aside from a few people driving, that I saw from a bit of a distance, I had the whole neighborhood to myself.  I saw a Jaguar at a house at the other side of the neighborhood - I've never seen that car there, before. I also never noticed that they have the hood ornament AND the hood nameplate just below it.  Wonder why they feel the need for both.  Might I not be sure that it's a Jaguar solely based on the big cat hood ornament that adorns the front of the car?  Anyway, I digress...  Obviously, I don't think about anything too heavy while I'll out scooting around the streets of Belleville.

I tried a different playlist today, which was a very nice change.  Kind of an "oldies appreciation" set this morning, with Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, The Donnas, U2, and a little bit of Partridge Family, among others.  Now that I got my Nike+ figured out, I realized that my C25K app didn't record my run last time, so it shows that I am one behind.  I think I'll just skip the next day on the iPod, which means that I'll be moving up to the next level on Wednesday when I go out.  It's definitely more running, so that's a little scary - and I'm kind of wishing that I hadn't looked at the deets until after I did it once.  Sometimes it's better to show myself that I can do it before I know exactly what it is that I'm doing.

Saw the sun coming up while I was cooling down so I thought I'd share that with you here.  See you on Wednesday!

C25K2-3 run environment:

68 degrees at 5:45 am, perfect morning for a "run"

Extra protein is good when you're running, right?

I hope so because I think I got some.  Well, technically, I'm not sure that bugs are really protein.  And, technically, I actually went to a bit of effort to spit it out, so I don't suppose that I swallowed much of it.  But if it would be helpful, while I'm out there, I guess I could get make like the (old) woman who swallowed the fly - but hopefully not die.  I don't think most of the bugs around here are poisonous.  Interestingly, just after the bug incident, I jogged around the corner and there was a woman, wearing scrubs, getting out of her car.  My first thought was that some proactive neighbor saw me running and yelled to her husband "Hey Floyd, that chubby woman from down the street is trying to run again.  Call the paramedics!"  As it turned out, she wasn't there for me at all, she lived there.  Oh well... I guess neighbors just don't look out for each other like they used to.

I got in more distance at a faster pace today, than I have so far.  I felt pretty good, and there was only once that I was feeling pretty relieved that it was time for me to walk for a minute.  When it was time to run again I was ready, so I feel like I am making definite progress.  I've decided to increase from 3 days a week to 4 days a week, in an effort to progress a little more solidly.  I am not looking to move up more quickly, just have one more "run" in when I do move up.  I keep wondering when I'll be able to call it a run (without the quotes)...  I think I've arbitrarily decided that I can do that on August 7!

C25K2-2 run environment:

68 degrees at 5:45 am, spitting (the weather AND me, as it turned out) and humid

I’m the fast girl your mother warned you about!

Um… NOT!  I started the next week of C25K this morning and felt amazing!  Amazingly SLOW, that is!  I went to bed early and got a solid 6 hours of sleep, but when I got up to run I felt sluggish and really wanted to stay in bed.  I figured that my little burst of activity would ignite my energy fire, but when I got back home, I still just wanted to crawl under the covers and go back to sleep.  I’m thinking that this may just mean that I require more than 6 hours of sleep each night, although going back to work, after a great  weekend, can be quite the energy zapper, so that might be part of it, as well.  To boost my energy for the rest of the day I got a triple espresso on the way to work and am getting ready to go get my 2^nd cup of office coffee (which tastes watery after my espresso), and I have a 5-Hour Energy for this afternoon.  If my heart explodes this noon when I am taking a walk with my co-workers, please don’t blame the guy at the coffee shop for not cutting me off after a couple of shots. Blaming my employer, with the watery coffee would be much more lucrative.

Finally figured out how to use my Nike+ in combination with my C25K app, which confirmed my lack of speed - in case I wasn’t already quite aware of it.  Despite my slowness, I really did feel good about this morning’s “run” and enjoyed my selection of music, which included The Dollyrots, The Knack (Jack Kevorkian’s attorney, Geoffrey Fieger’s, brother was the front man of that band – who’d-a thunk? ), Sammy Hagar (going to see him in a couple of months), Joan Jett, and several others that I can’t remember without looking at my iPod.  The highlight may have been about halfway through today’s program when Eye of the Tiger played.  That inspiring music, written at the request of Sylvester Stallone for Rocky III might have made me run ahead, arms victoriously in the air, if I hadn’t been lamenting the flight of stairs that I was climbing in my mind.  I concluded I don’t even like climbing imaginary stairs.

All said, I’m looking forward to Thursday run, and having more energy (and not having to run up any stairs – even imaginary ones)!

C25K2-1 run environment:

55 degrees at 5:45 am, with a light breeze

I Hate Being Followed When I Run!

Ever have that weird feeling that you are being followed?  Like someone is skulking along  behind you, but when you turn around there's no one there?  I hate that!  Today I headed out at 8:10 am, much later than my usual 5:40 am, since it's the weekend and I got to sleep in after a busy day yesterday.  So I took off on this cool, dry morning, and got down the street and just knew that someone was following me.  Turn... Nope, no one there!  Continue... Feel it again and turn.  Again, no one.  As I turn the corner, I finally see her dash past me.  I never see my shadow when I'm out, but there she was, with me today.  I thought I outran her a few times, because she was nowhere to be seen, but then she'd catch back up zip past me.   Bet I don't see her again this Tuesday or Thursday.  She'll probably still be in bed, snoozing the morning away, while I'm out doing the next week of C25K for both of us.


I changed my route a bit today, just to stave off boredom.  I felt that last week's C25K went very well and I'm actually looking forward to moving up this week!  Let me repeat that!    Looking forward to moving up.  I'm not trying to convince myself... I'm trying to believe that statement came from me!  I am not at all used to being eager to make something that I'm already doing harder than it has been, so this is very new to me.  I mean, today I had some great fun planned for after my run. I went to the shooting range to learn how to load, shoot and empty a few different handguns,  and bought myself a t-shirt at the shooting range (to run in).  It was super fun, and I've been looking forward to it.  But during the week?  All I do after I run is get ready and go to work.  Nothing much to look forward to there.   Even so, I find my self excited at the thought of getting up early this Tuesday so that I can run more and walk less!


I had very good musical running companions, today.  Started out with Motley Crue and ended my last running portion with Emenem. Was accompanied on my cool down by the Partridge Family (technically Keith and Shirley, I suppose, with maybe a few professional back-up singers thrown it).  It was a good mix, and I enjoyed my time out in the sunshine. 

C25K1-3 run environment:

57 degrees at 8:10 am, with a light breeze - perfect!

Seen on my run - nothing interesting

Well, got up early and was out the door at 5:45 am.  Pretty proud of myself, if I do say so out loud!  It rained hard in the night, so the roads were wet, but not bothersome, with the exception of needing to rout around a couple of large-ish puddles.  There were lots of worms squirming about, but I kept an eye out and didn't step on any.  I was actually pretty happy that they were all out at that time, because most of them had made their way back to the grass by the time I left for work - resulting in my NOT having to throw a bunch of them out of the driveway and into the yard so I could back my car out.  Yes, I move the worms on wet mornings so I don't run over them in the driveway.  I saw a couple of cars while I was out, and one guy arriving home said good morning" to be but, other than that not people, not domestic friends, no wildlife (except a few robins).  I didn't even see my muttonchopped buddy.

I have been cleverly carrying my house key on my shoelace and found the flaw in that this morning when I actually needed it to get back into the house.  I had to take one of my laces out to get my key.  Not as clever as I thought.  I'll be coming up with a different way to carry my house key so I don't have to take my shoe off.  I also got a new armband for my iPod, which worked great!  It's one by Marware and I'm very happy with it.

I took the longer route to fixing my playlist problem and created a new one with no artist on it twice and it's sorted by "album name" so the order isn't predictable.  Worked out very well and today's ecclectic span of run music was made up of:  AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Adam Ant, Bad Company, The Polyphonic Spree, Men Without Hats, The Cars, John Cougar, Men at Work and Motley Crue.

All that said, I feel great and the running portions of today's activity felt relatively easy.  My early run afforded me the time to eat breakfast at home and take my time getting ready for work.  It makes for a surprisingly leisurely morning, which I like a lot. 

I'll be back to report on my run this weekend (Sunday) but don't tell my femoris muscles.  I don't want to alarm them, but we're going to continue to get up early and do this until they stop complaining!  And then we're going to keep on going!

C25K1-2 run environment:

69 degrees at 5:45 am, no breeze to speak of.

Rain, Rain and More Rain! Oh... and temps in the 90s!

So, my blog posts have been non-existent for 7 - Yes!   SEVEN! - weeks!  Between the rain, the sharp changes in temperature and, quite frankly, my lack of discipline, so have any attempts at a regularly scheduled running program.  To remedy that, I planned it all out, got everything ready to go last night, and did the Couch to 5K Week 1, Day 1 (C25K1-1) run this morning.  It felt good!  Really good!  I set the alarm for 5:30 am and was out of bed and dressed to "run" moments later.  Not only did it feel good, but  I was also rewarded with a few extra minutes to sit around with John before leaving for work AND time to stop at Espresso Royale for an iced latte (nonfat, of course).

While out on this morning's adventure (which wasn't all that adventurous) I came upon a skunk.  Okay, I couldn't see him, but it was quite apparent that he was there.  When I came around that way for the second time he was still there, but maybe a bit further away.  I don't know why, but I'm shocked at how few people are up and around at that time of morning.  Very few cars, no dogs out walking their people... just one guy on a bike.  He DID kind of make up for the lack of other people to see on my run.  Picture this:  Big guy on a bike, Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, sporting a serious set of muttonchops and he totally smelled like pot.  I have never pictured potheads as being morning people, I guess.  We were going opposite directions so we passed each other twice.  He looked as amazed to see the likes of me out running as I did to see him going for a bicycle ride.

I used a new C25K app on my iPod that I really liked.  It allowed me to use my own music and gave me audio cues when I needed to start, and stop, running.  I couldn't figure out how to randomize my playlist, and didn't move far down the list, so I'll have to work on that.  Today's run music was AC/DC (X2), Adam Ant (X2), Autograph, Bif Naked, Billy Squire and Blind Melon. 

I'm signed up for two 5Ks this fall, so I am counting down:

Detroit  FREEP 5K - 131 days

Portage Jingle Bell Run 5K - 159 days

Eligible to retire from work - 3,149 days - okay... that has nothing to do with anything

I'll be back on Thursday to report on Day 2.  Go ahead and hold your breath... I really will be back on Thursday!  In fact, I'm looking forward to it.  It will probably be raining, but I won't let that stop me this time.  I've survived much worse things than a 30 minute "run" in the rain!  Until next time...

C25K1-1 run environment:

78 degrees at 5:45 am, pretty humid with a little breeze, which was greatly appreciated.