Bounce

I had a little bit of extra time this morning, so there was totally no excuse not to get down to the treadmill this morning. It is just so hard to get going. Even when I know I'm going to like it, it's still very hard to make myself show up. This morning was typical procrastination.

The alarm went off at the normal time, and like normal, I rolled over for a half hour. Then, up and aimed at the coffee pot, which I had not set up the night before. Then I just sat still until the coffee was ready, and sucked down as much as I could as quickly as I could. Each step of getting ready was a bargain with myself. I've got a good jog bra, and I put on the heart rate monitor at the same time. Just sweat pants this morning, and then I had to sit and drink more coffee. I reminded myself I need to drink water ahead of time as well. Then I found my last pair of clean socks, got the shoes on (careful to smooth over the blister and the hot spot as I got ready. Dig out the iPod, and head down to the basement. Find the playlist, set the volume, get the program on the treadmill set. Then five minutes walk for warmup.

I had decided on twelve minute intervals again. That would be mile long intervals. I was a little afraid about how I would do after all the huffing and puffing I've been doing. But it went well. The first mile was fine, at 5.2 mph, but I was still there with my finger poised over the speed button as the last seconds ticked off. I walked for three minutes and went back into the run. The heart rate shot right up to above 150 bpm, but it stayed there rather than continuing to climb. After a few minutes, I slowed it down to 4.7 mph for some minutes, and the heart rate went beck down to just under 150, but then an up tempo song came on and I had to speed it up. The heart rate went up to maybe 153 - 154 bpm but I had to keep pace (I don't remember what song!) and I pounded out a couple more minutes, with one eye constantly on the gauges, waiting to be able to slow things down.

Then IT happened. My mind wandered. I started thinking about my work day, where there is a whole lot going on. I thought through a problem and figured out my next step. All the time the treadmill kept turning and my feet were pounding along in time with the song. Then I looked down at the gauge and it was a minute past my time!

This has never happened before. I've lost a minute or more before, but in the other direction: last time I looked two minutes ago there were five minutes to go, but suddenly there are six and a half more minutes left! This is the first time I've forgotten to stop on time!

So I'm feeling really good about this. This has restored my confidence that I can do this. I'm up for trying longer periods again. Friday.

Excelsior.

Ps: The bounce. Warning: possible TMI: I an a pear shaped woman with very little up top, but I still need to have a really good bra. I have several and it's part of the running routine. But there are other jiggly parts to my body, and given the afore-mentioned pear shape, prominent among them is my butt. As I've lost weight, it's gotten smaller but there is a definite and uncomfortable way it moves to its own rhythm that isn't the same as my feet. I have invested in the equivalent of a bra for my butt: compression shorts. I also have a couple of pairs of tight running pants. I'll definitely have to wear something over them to leave the house, and I don't always wear them for running on my treadmill. I didn't this morning. It's uncomfortable. More work to get ready, but worth it.

Still Sweating

I've definitely felt "off" this week. I'm pretty sure it's because of allergies. My sinus have hurt, my nose is slightly plugged though not stuffy and runny, and I continue to gulp for air when exerting myself. I did get myself down to the treadmill on Wednesday, for a twelve minute interval followed by a six minute interval, 30 minutes total on the treadmill. But I skipped Friday, sleeping in instead. Friday night I took a benedryl, and all day yesterday felt the holdover. I don't know if its psychological or not, but I am staying away from benedryl unless the nose gets a lot more congested. Claritin does not seem to help but also doesn't hurt, and who knows how much worse off I'd be if I didn't take it?

I did the 5K today, with an additional change. The routines I've been following have always started with a five minute walking warm-up. I'm continuing that, but now resetting the statistics on the treadmill to exclude that time from the 5K statistics. So the fact that today's 5K time was slower than last week's (which included the warm-up) shows I've got a ways to go.

Today's run was a fifteen minute interval, a two-minute walk, and then I intended to go for another fifteen minutes but instead slowed down after merely five minutes. Another three minutes walk, five minutes run, then walking until just before the end I kicked it up to a faster run till the end. I finished the whole 5k in just over 41 minutes, with an average speed of 4.5 mph and an average pace of 13.19 minutes per mile.

I'm feeling a bit discouraged about my ability to go the distance. I'm nine weeks out, however, so I still have a lot of time to keep working this through. I felt good for the first twelve of fifteen minutes. Back when I started with the Couch-to-5K routine, I was focused on making very long, uninterrupted intervals, but I really really want the walking breaks right now to recover my breath.  I've also only gone twice a week, not three times, for some of these weeks. My tentative plan would be to keep trying for two twelve minute intervals during the week, and try to go longer on Sundays. We'll see how it goes.  But, I'm getting down there. And I do enjoy the first bit of this - and I'm thinking I'll enjoy more and more of it as I do more.

I read a book about women's running that suggested no matter how old you are when you take up running, you can expect to continue to get better for several years - like five to ten - before performance starts falling off. The rapid progress I made in January certainly inspired me to keep at it - and thinking I can continue to progress for a long time is very cool!

Mile-Long Intervals

A good long run today, the whole 5K. (Not all running, of course!) I'm off the program, now. The balance of the Couch to 5K program I was following is just progressively longer runs, with no rest intervals. I want to push myself, but I also want to enjoy myself while I'm doing it, so I'm modifying the program a bit. I'm going to continue with allowing rest intervals from time to time.

Today, I did twelve minute intervals. At the pace I'm running, that's about a mile. After my five minute warm up walk, i started running, then I stopped and walked for three minutes after the first mile, and then again after the second. I finished the 5k distance at a run, after six more minutes. This was a total of 30 minutes of running in the 41 minutes it took me to finish the 5K. This is two whole minutes faster than the previous times I went the distance - more running and less walking. I hit the button to slow down as soon as the treadmill beeped this completed distance, of course. I did do a cool down walk, during which I played with the incline.

I felt really good during the first mile. The music carried me along, and for the first ten minutes I was actually having fun. It got harder, but not terrible, until the end. Still my wind is my limiting factor. During my three minute walks, my heart rate went down below 120 bpm but I was still breathing hard. I've had some congestion the past few days, so I'm hoping this is a temporary limiting condition that will fix itself. I did the whole first mile at 5.1 mph, but the second mile was at least half at 4.8 mph. The third shorter run was slow, then back up to 5.1 because the music made me take a faster pace. At the end, my legs were definitely tired, too, so I'm thinking rather than more runs, I should throw in some longer walks to get the muscles built up.

I definitely am grooving on swinging my arms, matching my feet to the music, and feeling like I'm running on top of the world. I'm ten full weeks out from the race, and I intend to work on three things: (1) picking up the pace, (2) longer runs with shorter walks, and (3) hills. I'll be doing some of this outside, but not much yet.

Excelsior.

 

First Ever Outdoor Run!

Yikes!  I did it!

I took some time off today, and the sun was shining, and I hadn't done the run at the crack of dawn on the treadmill, and it looked so nice out... even though there is a wind blowing that makes it way less nice than it looks from inside. I've been thinking about it, and I had to give it try.

I felt slow and tentative. I guess that's what I should have expected to feel, but I had this image of myself loping along, blissed out by the music and nature... oh well, something to continue to aspire to. Plus, I'm pretty sure short-legged middle-aged ladies never really get to the "loping" stage.  I think I'll be pleased with getting out of the huffing and puffing stage.

Because that's what it was - huffing and puffing. Between my heart, my lungs, and my legs, the breathing is definitely my weak link right now. I ran out of breath before I ran out of energy. I went out the door, did a warm-up walk down into the park, and then ran along the creek trail up to the first intersection (only six minutes, but hard to keep going the whole way) and then walked for three, then ran to the next intersection (another six minutes), and then walked most of the rest of the loop home. My heart rate settled down pretty quickly, but I was still breathing quickly. It seemed to be taking me an awfully long time to get home, so I did throw in a short three-minute run right towards the end, as the road leveled off and headed to a steep uphill. I know my 5K will have a big uphill component - I walked some of it today.

Here's a link to my route.

And here are screen shots from the app I was using (RunMeter). It is an app I've used for a couple of years, though it's fairly low on the popularity list for running apps.  (I'm not sure why, and I'm thinking I will give some of the other apps a try as well.)

This complicated graph shows my pace on the top and my elevation on the bottom. You can see the pace of the runs, and where I stopped to wait for the traffic lights.

Here are the summary stats recorded for the run:
Run Time: 40:33
Stopped Time: 1:44
Distance: 2.68 miles
Average: 15:09 /mile
Fastest Pace: 9:58 /mile
Ascent: 479 feet
Calories: 331


I totally do not believe the calorie count. 


As an aside, it seemed to take me forever to get ready to go for such a simple and short run!  I needed to completely change my clothes, of course, and I had a hard time deciding what to wear because the weather is wonky. I figured (correctly) that I would be too warm while running, but would quickly get cold while walking, and so put on and took off some different layers. Then, I thought I might end up in downtown SS and want to get something to drink, so I needed money. I needed my heart rate monitor band on my chest, of course, but I also needed its matching watch to be able to read it. Then, I needed the iphone for the app, and I wanted the ipod for tunes, rather than listening from the iphone. I bought a little rubber wrist band with an engraved metal patch that has my emergency info in case I get hit by a car - I bought this a while back and this was the first possible chance I've had to wear it (not going to wear it in the basement)!  I needed something on my head and tried a few choices... 


I'll be back outside soon, but I'll also be back in the basement soon, to keep the longer intervals going. I would rate this a moderately successful experiment, but I'm glad I've got 10 more weeks to get ready for this.

Moving in the Morning

Today was like moving through molasses. I did get a mid-week run in, but it was comparatively feeble. Compared to last weekend, that is. Compared to a month ago, it was awesome!

I ran for ten minutes, walked for three and ran for another five. There are three systems in my body that need to come together to make this happen - my heart, my lungs, and my legs. Sunday, it was my legs that were feeling it. Today, my wind gave out before anything else. My sinuses were congested yesterday, and this morning I was gulping for air like a fish. That's why I cut the second run short.

But I still give myself points for getting down there. I managed to get more than a mile run. I'm not too far away from trying to run outdoors!  I just have to keep this up.

Excelsior.

Stronger Better Faster Longer*

*with apologies to Kanye who made my playlist via on-line searches for other running playlists.  This version of his chorus suits me better.

Still plugging away on the treadmill.  Today, I  did Week #6, Session #3, so I ran for 25 minutes, which is about 2 miles at the speeds I'm going!  I don't have the exact stats with me, but I recall alternating between 5.1 mph and 4.9 mph (based mostly on the pace of the song) and taking a couple of brief "rests" at 4.7 mph.  A year ago, that 4.7 mph was my running pace, so things are clipping along.  I enjoyed most of it - I thought about whether I was enjoying it along the way. The first part was definitely more fun than the last part - but I actually finished by speeding up for the last couple of minutes!  My heart rate after ten minutes was barely above 140 bpm, and the slower, rest, intervals kept me from staying above 150 bpm. My finger was hovering over the speed control, however, ready to slow it down the second I hit my target.

I went ahead and finished out the 5K, and because it was fairly boring walking to the running playlist, I threw in a high speed, high slope, 90 second running burst.  It took 45 seconds for my heart to climb from the 120's to above the 90% rate, and again my finger hovered to drop the speed and the incline when I hit that 90 second mark.  But from what I've read, its these extreme pushes that keep bringing the overall conditioning along.

I swing my arms, I feel my body moving and think about different parts of it as I go - swinging my arms makes me think about my stride.  I lift my knees higher sometimes, and I constantly am aware of my posture. Like my friend KCF, yoga has made me more mindful of my body, and very specifically my torso from my waist to my neck. I can't describe it exactly, but there is an opening in my rib cage on how I hold my shoulders and chest that really makes me feel good and balanced and stronger.

From here on out for the rest of the 9 weeks of the Couch to 5K program I'm doing, it is scheduled as just long runs - 25 minutes stretching up to 35 minutes. (I think they assume 35 minutes would be long enough to complete the 5K - and I don't think it will be long enough at the paces I'm going.)  I skipped my mid-week run last week and the week before, and I think I should not create an extra burden to starting on work mornings by pushing into this really really hard place.  Today, it was 10 am before I got going, and I could easily have procrastinated longer if I didn't have other duties.

Starting is always the hardest part.  I am a bit afraid of how its going to go.  And while I do like it while I'm doing it, this is still really hard.  Friday I did get in a before-work turn (Week #6 Session #2, two ten minute runs), and I really enjoyed it quite a bit while it was underway - but especially for hours and hours afterwards. I consciously checked in on how I was feeling throughout the day, and the good feelings lingered into the early afternoon. I do not get this same terrific feeling from my sessions at the gym - they make specific muscle groups feel used and good, but it isn't this same aerobicized feeling that running gives me.  I think I've felt this before - when I did the NT regularly - and I begin to understand how people can crave this feeling. I think I should target the two ten (or 12?) minute runs for this week's mid-week run - it'll seem easy compared to a solid 25 minutes. I love that break in the middle to re-settle in my breathing and heart-rate.

BTW, this aerobicized feeling does not necessarily translate into overall physical energy.  I spent most of Friday at my desk, noodling through a lot of paper (actually electrons, very little physical paper), reading and writing and thinking. My magic device suggests I burned fewer calories during the work day on Friday than on a normal day. (I have read that brain work does burn a lot of glucose, but I don't think it burns overall calories at a very fast rate.) But I treasure uninterrupted time to do that kind of creative work, so overall it was a very satisfactory day.

Not Losing = Gaining

No sooner did I decide I wasn't going to try to lose weight, then the brakes came off. I succeeded in holding the line for the holidays, but progressive "cheating" really exploded.  I should have thought this through: I tried to lose weight, and succeeded in not gaining. I give up and decide to maintain, but that changes my behavior enough that... oooops.

We're only talking a couple of pounds here, but its really discouraging. These are the couple of pounds that put my weight over a major round number line.

It's true that the more vigorous exercise I've been getting seems to make me hungrier. What were my secrets during the holidays? I think I ate lots and lots of fruit, which seems to have switched to nuts and granola and even chocolate for snacks.  Clearly not a good tradeoff there.

So, eternal vigilance. I do want to go down from where I am, but I'm not willing to obsess enough to get there. But I definitely need better choices to not gain. And tracking - but I think its more about planning than tracking.

I'm Back

The ankle seems relatively restored.  I can live with it if it subsides to the constant nagging ache with occasional sharp stab that comes from my several other body parts. This is why we have NSAIDs. Too bad so many of them end up killing us in other ways.

I had pretty much a week off with no serious runs. Guess what? I missed it! It is very very hard to get myself dressed and down on the treadmill, but once I'm there I actually enjoy it. I mean, I actually enjoy it while I'm doing it! And of course, I also enjoy it for several hours afterwards. I love the way it makes my body feel, and I love the smug feeling of self-satisfaction I have for having accomplished this.  But getting over the hurdle of starting, each time, is a very big deal. Frankly, if I didn't have the accountability of reporting out to you all, I might not be keeping this up.

Yesterday (Saturday) I got down there around 8:30, after coffee. I decided to do Week #6, Session #1 - the next one in sequence - rather than dropping back. As the first weekly session, it is less intense than the last. The runs are 5, 8, and 5 minutes, and the total time is now stretched to 35 minutes. I was sure I could do it, except for doubts about the ankle. But it all went well. I did the first run even faster than I had been doing: 5.7 mph. The others were at 5.1 mph. The last one was almost entirely done at a heart rate of 150 bpm, and I felt good - I was getting the runner's high. I noted the distance at 30 minutes, though I kept on going for a cool down walk.  At the 30 minute mark I had done 2.3 miles for a pace of 13.13 minutes per mile at a speed of 4.57 mph.  The overall for the 35 minutes was 3.5 miles, a pace of 14.16 mpm and speed of 4.2 mph.

Today I really procrastinated big time, and didn't get down onto the treadmill until nearly noon. I contemplated not doing it at all, but my next opportunity will be Wednesday morning, and I didn't want to lay off that long, so finally I put on my shiny tight wicking clothes (which I will never wear in public without loose top layers!) and heart rate monitor, wiggled into an ankle brace, double knotted my shoes, filled my water bottle, grabbed the ipod, and finally (finally!) got down there. I decided to repeat the same sequence of 5-8-5, but go on and complete the 5K distance.

I must say, having the playlist about right is really helping. It increases the odds the song will be just right for the moment. I find I can match my cadence to a variety of rhythms by varying the length of my stride, at least within limits. I planned to do all the runs at 5.1 mph (which meant "taking it easy"), but the third run coincided with Springsteen's "Born to Run" and I found I had to speed up the treadmill slightly to keep good rhythm. I was very pleased with myself that I felt like doing that!

My 30 minute mark ended up the same as yesterday, and the whole 5K was at 43 minutes, making it roughly the same stats as last week: 4.3 miles per hour, 13.8 minutes per mile.

I've been thinking about the irony of my taking up running at this advanced age. I especially had to chuckle when I hurt my ankle. When I was in college, a few of my friends started recreational running, but it was not a common thing, especially for girls. They all got hurt. I maintained (loudly and at length) that exercise was bad for you. "If you do it because it feels good when you are done", I said, "you could achieve the same effect by hitting your head against the wall!". I had no desire to engage in boring exercise-for-exercise sake, though I was reasonably active in walking, biking, and softball, my only sport. I had a bet in grad school with my friend Z that she couldn't swim and run regularly for a whole month without getting hurt. She won that bet (I think I bought her dinner) though I later found out there were some aches and pains she concealed and worked on through in order to win. She has gone on to be the most active of my contemporaries, with kayaks and bicycles and swimming the length of the Hudson virtually, and maybe a triathlon or two tossed into the mix. The point is, she is out there having big time fun, despite two children, two jobs, and several major surgeries in her life.  I aspire to be that active myself. I'm making progress, clearly. Il n'est jamais plus tard.

Thanks for listening.

Ouch!

After Sunday's successful 20 minute run, I am certain I can do the 5k. If I can run for 20 minutes, after a month of training, with another 3 months I'll be able to run for 40 minutes.  "Unless I get hurt or sick" I thought.

 

So Sunday night, after being on my feet all day, my ankle started to hurt. It kept me from easily falling asleep Sunday night, restless and tossing with the pain. But I woke up much better, so Monday at the gym I jumped some, and I felt the ankle a bit, and by Monday night I didn't want to put any weight on it at all.  What's up with this? Did I do this to myself by thinking about it?  I vaguely remembered having hurt my ankle before and having a brace. When I looked in my drawer I had four ankle braces! I wore one Tuesday, and a different one on Wednesday. That and ibuprofen seem to be bringing down the pain.

 

My normal cycle of running again Tuesday or Wednesday mornings were both out of the question. I was really bummed. I want to keep pushing my body to that hard place where the heart is pounding, the breath is loud, and sweat is everywhere.  I've found I really like that, and only running gets the heart rate really going like that.  Lifting weights at the gym is hard, and doing crunches and leg lifts are hard, but they are not that sustained aerobic rush I'm beginning to really enjoy.  And it's really easy to take the excuse to do nothing.  It's really easy to sink back to couch potato.

 

By Thursday morning, today, I went to my gym session and did all no-impact things.  I had time before leaving on a business trip to try out the treadmill, and I got two five minute jogs in before I decided I had better stop.

 

I have no experience with sports injuries. I don't know when to push on through the pain because it's transitory, or when to back off and try to heal. I do know that older folks will take longer than the young guys to heal.  

 

Now I'm at a beach resort and spa for the night. When I first planned the trip I got all excited about the short time in Florida-maybe I would be up to running on the beach?  Now it turns out I'm expected to join the others for a working breakfast at 6:45 am. Once again, eating for my country. Never let it be said I couldn't do my duty when called upon.  But I still want to get out there to the beach and do at least a short Kennedy-esque jog.  It'll have to be at 5 am so I had better get to sleep now. Ibuprofen, do your thing.