A day of celebration!

First of all, today is my 19th wedding anniversary to my wonderful husband, John.  Since we got married we have been to weddings for people who are no longer couples.  It's sad.  I'm grateful to have the wonderful husband that I've got!

I decided to skip running yesterday.  Because I determined that my inability to do it on Sunday was, at least partially, due to my not having taken a rest day in several days, I chose to take one yesterday and slept an extra hour before work.  It felt really good and I felt restored!

Also, since my running goals are a little more of a focus right now, I thought it would be best to skip boot camp today and do the run that I was supposed to do yesterday.  Rather than redoing the run from Sunday, that I ended up walking, I decided to jump right to the single long run.  Well, long for me!  Warm up before a 25 minute run, then cool down.  I ran my fastest mile today and also went my farthest distance!  The rest day did very well for me.  I felt SO good while I was out there, and am looking forward to doing it again, tomorrow!  In addition, I drank some almond milk with protein powder before my run today, and I think that helped some.  I have kind of felt like I'm not really running long enough to require extra nutrients before I run.  I glass of water and I felt ready to go and then eat something when I finished my run.  Possibly that had something to do it it, as well.

I saw another person in my neighborhood out running this morning.  First time I've seen him.  We passed 4 times, going in opposite directions.  The first time I was barely out of my house and was still warming up, so I was walking,  but he was running.  The next time, I was running and HE was walking.  The next time we were both running and the last time I saw him I was still running  but he was walking again.  So the score was ME Walk-1, Run-3; HIM Walk-2, Run-2.  I win!  He didn't know we were competing, I'm sure, but I know (and I won)!

The sunrise was beautiful, the air was cool and breezy, I was able to outrun the mosquitos (which is good because my legs are peppered with red bumps from boot camp).  I'm hoping for as nice a morning tomorrow to do my next run and start my 20th year of marriage!

Well, bummer!

Got up early(ish) to head out to the MetroPark and started my run but I just didn't have it in me.  I ran a little, but ended up walking for 40 minutes, instead.  I got plenty of sleep this weekend and have been getting proper nourishment, but I've only taken one day off, in the last 7, between running and bootcamp class.  I have camp tomorrow and will run on Tuesday.  I think I may repeat my last routine (2 runs with a walk break in between) and then go into one longer run on Thursday.


At one point, I was walking along at a good clip and it started raining lightly.  It felt pretty good, but then I noticed that it was only raining when I was under this cluster of trees and the pavement was dry, otherwise.  I hoped that there wasn't a troop of monkeys in the tree causing something that wasn't really rain.  Ick!  Yes, I'm in Michigan, and I know that it's not likely, but I've been to the jungle in South America and know what a unruly troop of monkeys can do!


Things to add to my away-from-home pre-run checklist:  A hat!  A hat is pretty important when you're running in the park and I need to endeavor to remember mine.  When I was walking in the sunshine, it would have been nice to have the visor.  A hat helps keep the mosquitos out of my hair. And, it keeps people from seeing my hair, which looked pretty messy by the time I finished, between sleeping on it and then sweating while I was out.  To clarify, I slept on it over night, not during my walk.  I saw a bench that would have been pretty comfy for a nap, but I kept walking.  I did get some new running clothes though and was wearing one of my pair of capri pants made from fancy wicking fabric. Mine are Danskins Dri-More and they are really nice.  Super soft and that Dri-More technology is awesome!  I'd like to wear  clothes made from that fabric all summer long.


There weren't a lot of people out yet when I got to the park at 8:00 am.  Usually Sunday mornings are pretty busy, there.  Maybe word got out about the monkeys!  Next run, on Tuesday, will be right here in my home neighborhood, so I won't have to worry about that, but I'll check in with you then, just to keep you updated! 

A wonderful morning to run!

Wow!  It was 70 degrees at 5:45 am and NOT humid for a change.  It was fantastic out this morning! Wonderful!  I felt great as I headed out and today's routine was three short runs with walk breaks.  Saturday will be two slightly longer runs, then I imagine Sunday is another single longer run.  I'm looking forward to it.  I did, however, JUST realize (as I was typing that "I am looking forward to it") that I'm only scheduled to run on Saturday.   Hmmm...  Since I AM looking forward to it, I imagine I should go ahead and do it both days.  It seems very odd to me that I would make such a statement, but bizarre thoughts of running - and enjoying it - have been popping into my head lately.  Maybe I have a fever!  What's the cure for that?

Rant warning!  At boot my last camp I was wearing a t-shirt from a run that I worked at a few years ago. Our instructor, commented that she is doing a run in Detroit soon and I said that I am too. She looked at me, rather puzzled - and surprised - and said "Huh!!!"  She gave me a look like "Um... ok, if you think so..."   I was actually hoping for a little more encouragement than that.  I've had so little self-confidence for so long, that a stranger can totally shake what confidence I do have.  I thought about that and decided that I am absolutely going to do an awesome job at that 5K, and I'll show her.  Okay, she won't know (or care) but I WILL!  And she won't be my instructor then, so maybe I'll send her an email:  "Hi, you didn't really give me any encouragement when I told you about this in boot camp, but I finished and did a stellar job for a  beginner, so you can suck it!"  Rant done.

What does it mean that I often find myself yawning when I run?  I'm pretty sure I'm not bored!  It's not that I feel tired, or sleepy when I'm out there (seriously, I go first thing in the morning).  Is it just my way of trying to take in more oxygen?  I would hate for people to see me running, and yawning, and think that I am the most apathetic runner ever!  Besides, I really try not to have my mouth open that long when I run to avoid inhaling the bugs in my path.  Also, today was garbage day in my neighborhood, which presents a variety of additional obstacles.  I already deal with the parked cars and speed bumps, then on Thursdays we throw in garbage cans, recycling bins and yard waste!  Plus there's the stuff that people put out displaying the "free" sign  because they don't really want it anymore, but they don't want to throw it out either. 

Well, that's about it from me.  I'll be back on Saturday with fewer obstacles and longer runs.  Til then...

Running without music is like...

It's like watching television without my glasses.  Not especially entertaining!  I went to the park to run and got all set to start before I realized that I had forgotten my headphones.  I had my iPod but no way to listen to it.  I figured that I'd use it anyway because I have my C25K app on it and I could just keep an eye on the screen for the cues to run and walk (luckily they are available in addition to the audio cues) when I remembered that my iPod Touch has a speaker.  Since I have a rather odd playlist, and I don't really like to share, I decided not to use music and just use it for the audio cues.  It seemed to work out fine, but I have to admit that I think I move along a little more easily when I have something to listen to - and less other stuff to contemplate.


I realize that running with, or without, headphones is a controversial topic, and I can see the benefits of foregoing the headphones.  There were a lot of people (A LOT) who indicated that they were "passing on (my) left" that I could easily hear without music applied directly to my eardrum, but I do try to keep the volume to a minimum so I can hear what's going on around me. Having no music just left my brain free to think "OMG! I don't think I can wait to get to that patch of shaded path up there! I think may collapse right here and turn into a big puddle of goo on the sunny trail" and "Hmmm... wonder what I should eat for lunch!" 


Once again, I found people in the MetroPark to be very friendly.  Well, there was one guy who did not say "good morning" to me and looked like he was having about as much fun that I was at that particular moment.  He probably was at the end of a 20 mile run, though, where I was just beginning.  Lots of people walking, running and biking, alone, with friends and with dogs.  I have to say that I really do enjoy seeing people out enjoying the not-quite-as-cool-as-I-would-like mornings and getting some fresh air and exercise.  


I re-ran my run from yesterday with 2 shorter running segments and will do the next one, with a single, longer, run on Tuesday.  Tomorrow morning, my boot camp class starts at 5:30 am so I'll be running on days other than boot camp days (MWF). Going to the orientation today, with my preliminary evaluation, and I'm looking forward to seeing what I will accomplish in the next 4 weeks!

Oops! Missed you!

No...  I didn't miss my "run" yesterday, but I did miss telling you about it.  Not that there was anything all that interesting about it.  Headed out at 5:55 am and it was a nice morning.  For the C25K week that I am on I do two shorter run/walk segments, alternating with two longer run/walk segments.  I have to say that, by the end of the longer runs (more like speed shuffling, for me), I was really grateful for the walk break!  Really!  

I felt great when I got done, though!  And I don't mean JUST the relief that I could stop and the feeling that I didn't have to do anything else the rest of the day!  I felt good, physically and emotionally.  Not only was I energized and awake, but I also felt really good that I have been sticking to my schedule and getting out when I said I would.  Since I started a little later than usual, by about 10 minutes, I saw more of my neighbors leaving for work, and didn't feel quite so uncomfortable about them seeing me.  Of course, I do speed up just a little when I see a car come around the corner or someone leaving their house to get in their car.  Don't want to look like I'm a slacker - then again, I'm out there "running" and they're not!  Besides, if I am going faster than usual, they will either think I'm doing really well, or they won't recognize me.

In August, I'm going to need to adjust my "running" schedule (I'll be able to leave the quotes off by then) because I signed up for a Bootcamp on MWF at 5:30 after work, but realized AFTER I signed up that it's 5:30 AM!  Yikes!  I'll be doing some running there, too, but will switch my runs to Tuesday, Thursday and a weekend day.  It will give me one less day of running, but I'll be adding the boot camp, so I think it will all even out.  And it's only for four weeks.

Run weather:  73 degrees, cloudy and humid at 5:55 am