Guitars and Great Runs

After 12.7 mile run between my husband and I (I did 4.5, he did 8.2), we are jamming in our guitars to Beatles songs.  Love long runs on Saturdays and relaxing family jam time at home.

Windy 3.5 miles today

Windy 3.5 miler today!  I literally was swept off my feet and struggled for balance.  While it was nice to feel the wind helping me up the hill, going back, it was like pushing a mountain.  I had to walk at one point because it was faster to walk than it was to run!

The run felt ok because of the wind.  Shoes feel great!  Getting used to landing on my midfoot instead of my heels.  ITB feeling a little better.

I Ran Like A Mother today!

After 2 not-so-great runs, I've been determined to just keep moving to get my fitness level back to where it used to be.  So today I had to get creative.  With my oldest home from school because of a virus and a scheduled training run, I was bumming out in the beginning until my bookend boys (first and third babies) asked to go outside to play.  As I watched them ride their bikes around and around the culdesac, I thought, "Hmmm....running laps?  Oh!  I can run laps!"  So I dashed intside to get my running shoes, measured the lap around the culdesac (1/10th of a mile!) and started running!  You'd think I had won Boston if you saw me with all smiles running around and around and around while watching the boys play.

After the 12th lap, it got really boring.  How in the world do track runners do it?  I didn't get dizzy, I just got bored.  In the end, it was better than no run at all.  I am excited at my discovery today, and proud to run like a mother!

First Run Since.....January!!!!!

I took my Nike Air Pegasus for a run today!  My first run since January!  Very easy 3 miler to get started back up again.  It was a great morning, slightly warmer, and boy has my body forgotten to run for a bit there!  I rolled my ITB, stretched, and warmed up, and I couldn't believe my body was tiring at mile 1!  Yikes!  I slowed way down and ended up having to walk twice during my second mile.  But I managed to finish 3 miles despite my disappointment at starting all over again (it seems).

And the shoes?  They felt ok.  I didn't feel like my feet were in heaven, so just ok.  Not so sure about them.  My ITB was aching though, so that kinda dampened my first run.  Sigh.  Hopefully the next run will be better!

Signed up for my first 10K!

Signed up for my first 10K race today!!!!  And I don't even have running shoes yet!  What is that saying - putting the cart before the horse?

Well, the inactivity over here is killing me.  I HAD to sign up to get motivated.  Looking at the calendar, I should have started my training yesterday.  Where are those darn running shoes.  It's been weeks.  I'm antsy.  I want my shoes! (whine whine).

 The race I signed up for is the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond.  It's on April 2.  I found a great training plan for it, and I can't wait to get started.

Before today, I've only signed up for 5K races and never moved up to pile more miles.  I think I thought I had to run a fast 5K before moving up to a 10K.  I made up that rule for myself, I guess, thinking I'm not worthy of a 10K.  Weird, huh?  I didn't start running more than a 5K until last October.  I was training for the Race for Breath 5K in Virginia Beach, running 3 miles two times a week and doing fartleks once a week.  My husband thought I should start doing longer runs on the weekend, past 3 miles.

So one weekend, I thought, ok, I'll try it.  Once I settled into a nice easy pace, I surprised myself when I found out I've run 4 miles!  Wow, this is easy!  What a rush!

Of course I got way too excited and (cringe) increased my mileage by 1 mile every weekend.  A big no-no for a newbie like me because we know where that puts you - on the injured list, which sadly, I ended up in after my triumphant 7 miler on Jan 2, 2011. 

So now I know better and I'm approaching this 10K race as a novice, slowly piling the miles wisely because I do not want this ITBS to get worse or get a whole new other mess of injuries.

While I'm basking in this big jump into 10K races, I'm passing the time (until I get my shoes) by reading everything about running.  Trying to psyche myself up and get pumped up for my next adventure.  Yeah!