See Kylee Run . . .

Will I Be Running Again?

2009-02-21T23:53:00.004-05:00

As some of you may or may not have noticed, this blog seems to have been abandoned. Only temporarily!

I've been a slug all winter. But spring is coming and Romie and I intend to get back with the running program as soon as there is a break in the weather. No, we didn't join a health club for the winter, as we'd once considered. No, we haven't done anything to keep up our level of fitness. (Old habits die hard.) But soon, all this cold and snow nonsense will be a thing of the past and we'll once again don our running shoes and start the process of getting in shape once again.

Would I have done this before last year? No way. I hated running, remember? I can't say that I've fallen in love with it, but it does appeal to me in a way that has taken me by surprise. My training last year is beckoning me to do a repeat performance. Maybe not as disciplined as I was, but I'm determined to run several 5Ks as soon as I am in shape for them. I know there will be some popping up around here, come May or thereabouts, so as soon as it warms up a bit, I'll be hitting the road.

Shocking, isn't it?

One Week Post-Race

2008-10-06T23:34:00.000-04:00

It was strange to see myself on the Indiana's News Center Fort4Fitness commercial all last week. And I've lost count of how many people have told me they saw me on TV, either the day of the race or in the commercial.

So now it's been more than a week since the race and I've not walked more than a mile or so on any given day and even that was just a couple of times. I didn't intend for it to be that way. It just happened.

I can see the value of having a goal. Without a goal, there is no purpose to anything. We set goals for ourselves all the time, whether they be tiny or gigantic. I think it's just the way we humans are made. We seem to need that carrot dangling in front of us all the time in order to accomplish anything.

My friend Diana is going to hold me accountable to my walking though. We're scheduled for a get-together at the Greenway this weekend, where we plan to do 10 miles - so she says. We'll see!

It's hard for me still, this not being able to run. I think if I knew that all I could do forever was walk, I might be okay with it, but since I know that at some point in the future I'll be able to run again, somehow walking just doesn't hold the appeal to me. Yet, I have to stay in shape somehow so that when the day comes that I am allowed to run, I'll be ready for it. My next eye exam is December 2nd and I'm hoping that I get the okay at that time.

I'm having second thoughts about doing the Fort4Fitness half-marathon next year. I'm happy that I have managed to get myself in pretty good physical condition over the course of this past spring and summer, but I don't really have the desire right now to work towards another long-distance race. Maybe I'll feel differently when next spring comes along.

I do still want to keep working on that 5K distance though.

Par-tay!!!

2008-09-30T23:06:00.000-04:00

Many of us from the training group gathered at Linda's last night for a post-race party. Words were not in short supply as we recounted our experiences not only of race day, but of the entire experience of training for it.

It was obvious that while she shared this common bond and had similar feelings and experiences, we also had those that were unique to each one of us. I think I was most touched by Rhonda's story, as she likened falling into Jamey's arms at the end of the race as a glimpse of what it will be like as we enter heaven. Not that we ran the fastest or best, but that we ran the race, with the guidance of our leader, who didn't expect perfection. He accepted our weaknesses, never giving up on any of us, and gave us a "Well done" when we finished.

Though not everyone that was in the group was there physically, all were in our thoughts as we reminisced about "the early days." Days when we thought running even a mile without stopping was just not going to happen. Oh, we'd come SO far...

Jamey talked with us about the possibility of each of us doing some group training of our own in preparation for next year's race. He would guide us and groups would meet with him from time to time, but we would be the weekly leader of our own groups of runners. We're to think about this and get back to him, as planning for next year's race will begin soon.

We had a great meal of Mexican Pile-up, tossed salad with strawberries and poppy seed dressing, and cake.

It was rather hard to say goodbye when the evening was over, as we knew we'd accomplished the goal that brought total strangers together, but we left knowing that close friendships had been formed and it wasn't the end. I hope we do stay in touch, because we all were a big part of each other's lives for the last seven months. We know things about each other that...well...never mind. ;-)

Front L-R: Barb, Linda, Rhonda, Me
Middle: Esther, LeeAnn, Margaret, Terry, Bill
Back: Kevin, Monique, Jamey, Roger

Words of Inspiration

2008-09-30T01:35:00.000-04:00

"Believe in yourself. Dare to be remarkable"

- inscribed on a bracelet given to me by

my mom the morning of the race

The Day I Walked 13.1 Miles

2008-09-29T17:20:00.008-04:00

4:00 AM Alarm went off. Got into a hot bath to get the muscles loosened up. Got dressed. Hair and makeup fixed.

4:30 AM Ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Drank a Fresca.

5:00 AM My groupies arrived and we headed to Fort Wayne.

6:00 AM We parked in the parking garage and walked to the Start line, where Channel 21's Jeff Bowman (cameraman) and Mary Collins (news anchor) were ready for broadcasting.

Seven months ago, I would never have believed I would be standing on a street corner in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, at 6:30 in the morning, excited at the prospect of walking 13.1 miles as fast as I can walk it. I wanted to be running it, but at my eye doctor appointment yesterday, I got the no-no for that.

As members of our training group trickled in, we were all smiles and ready to go. We'd been through so much as a group - moaning and groaning as Jamey put us through our paces, sweating as we used muscles we didn't know we had, encouraging each other in the down times and rejoicing with each other over the many milestones we passed along the way. Now we were putting all of that together as we prepared to walk/run either 4 miles or the full 13.1 mile half-marathon in the first ever Fort4Fitness event.

The race registration reached its limit of 2000 for the half-marathon and another 1000 for the 4-mile weeks before and next year those numbers will be doubled. I have no doubt they will reach that, given the comments heard after today's race.

Mary began her coverage of the race at 6:30, and she interviewed our group somewhere around 6:50. She didn't talk to each of us, but I was one of them she did. I don't recall a single thing she asked me or what I said, with all the excitement coursing through my veins; I just hope it was somewhat intelligible.

We did some stretches, then headed to our starting areas. We were to place ourselves in the corral that corresponded with our expected pace. My walking partner Diana and I guessed at 12:00 minute miles, although I knew that was probably optimistic. It didn't really matter being that far back, because the serious runners were yards in front of us anyway. It turned out that most of the rest of our training group started at this point, too.

The crowd started to move forward and in a few minutes, we passed the starting point.

We wore timing chips on our shoes and as we passed over the starting line, the blue pads detected our chips and recorded our official start time.

There were large crowds lining both sides of Main Street as we headed west, just as the sun was coming up. My family and some friends that were there to support me were sporting yellow t-shirts, designed by our older daughter Kara.

Jim, a friend from Chicago, had brought a large orange sunflower so I would be able to find them along the route. I have to say that helped a lot, as I looked ahead several times on the route for that sunflower, knowing there would be smiling faces and cheers of encouragement when I got to it.

For about three miles of the race, the 4-milers and the half-marathoners shared the same route, but then the two groups split, after going through historic West Central neighborhood and rounding through Swinney Park. We headed north at that point, and I wouldn't see my groupies until the end of the race. They had taken a donut break before attempting to meet me around mile eight and they missed me. I have to say that I missed them, too, as I was expecting to see them somewhere around that point.

I didn't begin to take advantage of the water/Gatorade that was offered until halfway through the course, wanting to stay hydrated, yet not wanting to have to take time out for a bathroom break either.

We went by the beautiful University of Saint Francis campus. I especially enjoyed the scene to our left as we passed the Bass Mansion overlooking the lake.

We then headed north towards Franke Park and I was glad to get to the port-a-potties. That took a minute or two, which would prove to be just enough to prevent us from meeting our time goal. :-(

All along the route, there was so much encouragement from those that lived along the route and those that made an effort to be there to cheer us along. The police department did a great job of patrolling the streets that had been blocked off and they also shouted out encouragement to us as we passed by them.

There were several people that had cow bells they rang as we went by, and one woman in particular moved along the route as we progressed and whooped it up with her well wishes. We saw her several times.

Somewhere around the 12-mile mark, my right thigh began to cramp up. I tried to relax it as I took my steps forward, which required a lot of concentration, but it didn't help a whole lot. I felt myself falling behind the pace and no matter how hard I tried to make my legs move faster, I just couldn't. I almost felt like I was walking in slow motion. I tried to ignore it, knowing we were nearing the end.

At this point, we met up with Bill, one of the members of my training group. As we rounded the last corner, Diana's brother met us, having finished about an hour before us and he went the final .4 of a mile with us. Also at this point, I encouraged Diana to go ahead and run in for the finish, which she did, although being the sweetheart she is, she was reluctant to do so.

I was never so glad to see that finish line up ahead and even happier as I saw my family and friends along both sides of the route. At this point, there were even more people cheering as I finished, since my first name was on my bib and there weren't that many people coming in around me. That felt great as I approached the blue mats at the finish.

Once I was over the line, Mary Collins was there to give me a hug and the emotions just came rushing out. Mary was crying and then I was crying and I just don't think I can find the words to express how all of that felt. Mary said to me, "You did it! I wish you could have seen the look on your face as you came to the finish line. You were beaming!" I was. I don't know which hurt worse - my legs or my cheeks from smiling so much.

Jamey then came and hugged me too and at that point I just collapsed into his arms. Had he not been holding me up, I would have been on the ground, because my legs just gave way.

Romie then came up from behind and he held me and told me how proud he was of me, followed by the rest of my family and friends. It was just such a great moment! I'm actually tearing up as I write this.

I went on to the tent beyond, where they cut my timing chip off my shoe and I received my medal. Then I got an apple, a bagel, and some pretzels, along with a bottle of water - all provided free by the race committee. It all tasted wonderful.

In that last mile of the race, we had passed near the Perfection Baking Company and we talked about how the smell of bread baking was making all of us very hungry.

Mary was interviewing each member of our training group as we finished, and once again, I don't recall a lot of what I said, but I do remember that it was hard to talk. I was quite emotional, my voice was cracking, and it was just hard to put things into words at that point.

I remember I commented on how our training group made all the difference in the world in my meeting this goal. I told her if you have even just one person to go through it with you, it helps immensely. I would have quit twenty times had it not been for the group.

Barb and I walked past the Healthy Food Expo booths, where many Ft. Wayne restaurants offered food for sale. Past those, at the east end of Freimann Square, was a tent where the official times were posted. I finished the 13.1 miles in 3:02:02. Not bad, for walking. That gave me a pace of 13:54 per mile or about 4¼ mph. I'm capable of walking faster than that, but to maintain a faster pace for thirteen miles is another thing altogether.

Now that it's over, I'm not sure I realize fully what it is that I accomplished just yet. It doesn't seem like such a big deal, yet 13.1 miles is about how far it would be from our house to Van Wert. Walking or running to Van Wert just seems ridiculous, yet that's in effect what I did. Maybe I'll realize it more in a few days.

I'm asked if I'll keep running. I didn't think so a few weeks ago, but Romie and I talked and we want to run a couple of miles three or four times a week to stay in shape enough to do some 5Ks together. And after doing this half-marathon and not being able to run it, I really think I want to do it again next year and hopefully run it. Kara has told me she and Adam want to do it next year, so we'll likely make it a family affair. We'll encourage Jenna and Joe to join us.

I've learned a lot about myself through all this. You can do things you don't think you can, if you do them in the right way and you have people to encourage you along the way. I'll try to be more of an encourager to others, now that I know what it takes to get from Point A to Point B.

One of the reasons I signed up for this was to hopefully find a way to improve my fibromyalgia pain and fatigue. As far as the pain is concerned, I don't feel that it helped in that respect, although an unrelated hip pain that I'd experienced for about three years disappeared shortly after I began training and hasn't returned. (Yay!) But I haven't had many of those "totally wiped out" fatigued days that I had so many of before I did this.

No doubt my cardio-pulmonary condition is greatly improved and I know my muscle tone is 200% better than it's been in decades. You just can't train like that and not experience a dramatic effect. I didn't gain or lose any weight throughout this, but Jamey didn't think I'd experience much of a change in that respect, other than perhaps a slight weight gain as I built up muscle.

I spent the rest of race day taking it easy for the most part. I was incredibly sore all over and walking was pretty painful. On Sunday, it was a little bit worse, but Romie and I took a leisurely walk of a little over a mile to help prevent more stiffness and soreness. I still limped a little, with my right hip joint and thigh muscles giving me the most problems. That was where I experienced the cramping during the race.

This morning, things were better. No more limping, and the soreness has diminished to a very specific couple of spots, mainly my gluteals. (That's butt cheeks, in case you don't know.) I know it will only get better and rather quickly I would imagine. It was worth every bit of it though. I will schedule a full massage later today for sometime this week with a gift certificate given to me on Mother's Day this year by Kara and Adam. That will feel wonderful!

I want to say a big thank you to those of you who have followed along, giving encouragement via comments on this blog or by e-mail or personal encounters. You have no idea how much each and every one of them meant to me. You all were an important part of my experience.

I also want to thank Mary and Jamey for choosing me to be a part of this very special training group. Not only would I not have done this without you and them, but I've made some great friends that I will stay in contact with long after this race is history. I know that I was given an incredible opportunity and I don't take that lightly. Thank you.

There will be a party at Linda's tonight for our group and it will be fun to talk and compare notes about our experience. I can't wait to hear what everyone has to say about their own personal journey. Everyone has a story!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Edited to add: Mary's interview with me can be seen on the Channel 21 web site here. Scroll down the page and click on my name and the interview video will begin.

The Night Before the Big Race

2008-09-26T23:27:00.003-04:00

I worked this morning, then had my eye doctor's appointment in the afternoon. While I was hoping my report would be that I could once again run, I was told that it wouldn't be in the best interest of my eye for me to do that. So I'll walk it.

This evening, Fort4Fitness festivities began with the Health Fair being held at the Allen County Public Library. Various health-related businesses and organizations were set up in the halls and under a tent outside.

We walked around a little bit, and ran into some familiar faces - people that I wasn't aware of that were running this thing. I also spoke with Jamey and a few of my fellow group runners, a couple of which I hadn't seen in awhile. We had looks of trepidation, calm, excitement - pretty much the gamut of emotions showed on our faces and in our conversations.

This is it and now I'm off to bed to try and get a few hours of sleep before the alarm goes off at 4:00 a.m.

Anticipation

2008-09-26T07:09:00.000-04:00

Well. Here we are, just 24 hours away from race day. This time was so far off when we started this thing in February that it seemed like it was a day that would never come. But the reality is that for the past seven months, we have been training for September 27th - a day that we will for the first time in our lives, run/walk 13.1 miles. A half-marathon.

It's been hard work. Just as difficult as the physical aspect of it has been the mental. I can't say how many times I thought, "My body is willing, but the flesh is weak." There were times when I just didn't want to run even one mile, let alone the four or five that was on the schedule. I cried a few times, knowing that wasn't going to get me down the road any further. Still, I needed the release that the tears brought. Then it was back to business.

As Channel 21 News revs up for coverage of the weekend's events, I'm getting excited. I've been asked if I'm nervous. I'm not - not at all. I am looking forward to being with 3000 of my closest friends, hoofing it around some of the best parts of Ft. Wayne on a beautiful fall day. I'm grateful for the opportunity that was given to me and thankful for all the wonderful support I've received.

I don't know that I'll ever be a runner, but I now know that I can be if I want to be. I ran three 5Ks this spring and summer and I enjoyed them all. I never thought I would say that, though I've always liked the feeling of being totally spent, totally exhausted, sweat and all, and that's what it feels like after running 3.1 miles. I had some measure of success doing those - two firsts and one second in my age group - and a real feeling of accomplishment, mainly because I never thought I could ever or WOULD ever do such a thing. Right now, I won't rule out running just enough to stay in shape to do a few of those next summer. Just a couple of miles a few times a week would do it. We'll see...

I've been asked if I "feel better" (physically) because of all this. In some ways, yes. Undoubtedly, my body is in much better condition. I feel the firmer muscle tone just about everywhere, not just in my legs. When I was actively running, my cardio was fabulous, with my resting heart rate running in the high 40s, down from my usual 55. So the benefits of regular exercise have been proven by me. And shortly after I began training, the hip pain I'd experienced for about three years disappeared and hasn't returned.

Is it enough to keep me doing it? Well...knowing myself, I'm not making any promises, but I know it's been hard work and I'd hate to lose all that progress just by being a slug all winter. If I don't run, I'll certainly do something on a regular basis to stay in condition. For me to want to do that is a real accomplishment in and of itself. You have no idea how much I have always hated exercise and have never done it before now.

So, just 24 hours until the gun goes off, signifying the start of the race, the adrenalin is already pumping. Tonight, I'll be downtown at the Health Fair, picking up my race packet and participating at the Channel 21 Indiana News Center booth. I plan to soak up the fun and hopefully will get a decent night's sleep tonight, if I can relax enough for that to happen.

The news station will be providing coverage starting at 6:30 tomorrow morning. The race begins at 7:30. Information can be found here regarding all aspects of the weekend events, including race results.

Stay tuned!

Turnabout

2008-09-21T22:04:00.000-04:00

This morning was just about perfect for a nice, long walk and that's exactly what I did. This time, Diana drove over here and we walked to Paulding. We had to take some quirky turns to make the distance total 10 miles, but that just made the walk that much more interesting.

We passed the reservoir, the fairgrounds, the nation's first county Carnegie Library, and the first house Romie and I lived in after we got married. We shouldn't have gone by the fairgrounds because the Flat Rock Festival was going on and the traffic was horrible. It isn't a whole lot better to deal with on foot than it is in a vehicle.

Romie met us at Subway, where we picked up lunch and brought it back home to eat. When we finished, my thighs and hips were aching and the second toe on my left foot felt like the toenail was going to fall off, but by the time we got home, my legs didn't hurt anymore. In fact, I felt pretty good.

We'd completed the ten miles in exactly 2.5 hours and we hadn't walked it particularly fast. So we both decided we could do the 13.1 on Saturday in just under three hours. That's what we're going to try anyway!

Happy Birthday to Me

2008-09-19T22:24:00.000-04:00

I'm 51 years old today. If you'd told me a year ago that I would be running or walking a half-marathon at this age, I wouldn't have believed you. Yet that's what's in store for me in just eight days. And I actually signed up for this by choice.

It's a good thing. (So says Martha.)

Walking Through Johnny Appleseed Park

2008-09-08T23:03:00.004-04:00

We had training tonight at a new location on River Greenway. We met behind Wizard Stadium and took off towards the west through Johnny Appleseed Park. It's so named because not only did John Chapman travel through this area, he is buried at this park.

The Greenway follows the river through this wooded area on the north side of Ft. Wayne and is just as great a place to train as it is in New Haven. There were seven of us altogether, and we walked/ran four miles. I walked alongside Linda while she ran and amazingly enough, I was able to keep up. This is not to say so much that Linda runs slowly, but that I walk very fast.

I walked the four miles in 50 minutes. This actually was encouraging to me, knowing that I could keep up with some runners. I always have walked fast and yes, I was pushing it tonight, but that's what I've been doing while training. Even though I'm walking this thing, I don't want to be the last to come in.

I left the training session feeling better about things.

I've Met My Match

2008-09-07T21:51:00.002-04:00

I've been working at University Park Research a few days recently, and there are some of my co-workers there that are going to do the half-marathon on the 27th, too. One of them - Diana - asked me to come walk with her and today was the day. I drove to her house in the afternoon and we walked the country roads of northern Allen county.

Though I walk about as fast as anyone I know, Diana walks faster. Oh my. And she made it look like she could go even faster. She's even about my size. No longer legs or anything.

We chatted non-stop and it made the time and distance (7 miles) go very quickly. We laughed about how on race day we'd probably get to the end and say, "What? That was 13 miles already?"

Timing Is Everything

2008-09-03T21:36:00.001-04:00

Since Labor Day is on a Monday and that's our usual training day, we switched it to Wednesday this week, again at Moser Park in New Haven. I got there around 5:10 and no one was there. It wouldn't be the first time that I missed a message about time and place, so I figured I was late.

I started out on the trail, walking my fastest, hoping I'd catch up to the group, if they'd started out at 5:00. Since I was walking and they were running, it was more likely that I'd meet them on their way back. I'd gone nearly two miles, which is the turnaround point for us, and no training group. It started to get dark and was thundering, so then maybe I thought I'd missed a message that training was canceled due to an approaching storm.

I turned around, and walked quickly back to Moser Park, just as it started to sprinkle. It was there that I saw our group. The meeting time was 5:30, not 5:00, and they'd sat under the pavilion talking, not running. While they were talking, I was walking, completing four miles in 53 minutes. Jamey said it wasn't bad and that I'd do just fine come race day.

:-)

Controlling the Urge

2008-08-27T23:43:00.003-04:00

Now that I've had to alter my training strategy, I've found that I have to change my way of thinking as well. Last night I fast-walked two miles just to see how long it would take me. I thought I could walk faster than I did - 4 miles per hour - but even at that, Romie couldn't keep up with me.

The hard part wasn't the way I pushed myself to go faster, but that I had to stop myself from breaking into a run. I guess someone telling you that you can't do something just makes you want to do it all the more. I just wanted to go FASTER! Running would have felt good.

This evening, Romie and I set out on our bikes and rode eight miles. At times, we were moving along at a good pace of 14 mph, but then we turned a corner and the wind was in our faces at a good clip and we dropped back to 2.5 mph! It was a good workout though and my legs were feeling it for awhile afterward.

I've received some encouraging e-mails and messages from fellow runners and friends. I appreciate that and they further bolster my resolve to do this, come hell or high water.

"I am so sorry to hear about your eye problem. I have lived vicariously through your blogs... You were always my inspiration to keep going, because reading your blog was much the same way I felt when you were suffering, but when you had your triumphs, it was wonderful, and it made me feel like I had to keep going. Just know that I am proud of you, and keep us posted on your progress."

~~~~~~~~~~~

"I have to admit that your blog made me think--a lot--about how I really shouldn't complain and that I should be much more motivated and that I should surround my brain with happy thoughts rather than critical thoughts.

I cannot even imagine walking 13.1 miles, Kylee. I admire your tenacity and your positive attitude and your determination. You are a far better person than I. I admire your spirit. I shall include you and your vision in my prayers."

Those are just a couple that I received, and really, how can I help but have a little more spring to my step after reading things like that? These are just proof how encouragement and communication between runners and those who support them can help. People who don't run can't imagine even thinking of doing what we're doing, but only when you've trained for it do you really understand what a big undertaking it is, and messages like these mean a LOT.

I'm so grateful for the opportunity that this has been for me. I've learned much about myself and my body and my health. I have already done things that I never dreamed I would do. I could never have imagined these words would ever have come out of my mouth:

"I think I'll just run three miles tonight."

*giggle*

Be Careful What You Wish For

2008-08-26T14:24:00.006-04:00

It's no secret that I've been struggling with my running in the last few weeks and I've done a sufficient amount of whining to cause some people to wonder if I'd last until September 27th. But there was never any question as to whether I would be doing the half-marathon. It was just an issue of the manner in which I would be doing it.

I never expected to run the entire thing without stopping. I've played around with various plans such as running 10 minutes (about a mile), walking for a minute, running another 10 minutes, walking a minute, etc. But no matter how I end up doing it, the end result will be the same. I will cover 13.1 miles in a single effort.

It's been a blessing that I've not experienced injury this entire time and very little soreness. That's a testament to Jamey's excellent plan of attack with people who have never run before. Nice and easy does it.

About a month ago, I jokingly said if someone gave me an out, I'd take it in a heartbeat. On the other hand, I also said I would be really upset if something happened late in the game to prevent me from doing the 13.1, such as getting the flu, having an injury, or the like.

But I sure never figured on this...

Yesterday, I was working in the garden and I brushed a clinging spider away from the right side of my face. I'm always running into a web and having tiny ones dangle there in front of me. But this one wouldn't go away no matter how much I tried to wipe it away. I'd developed a floater in my eye.

I've had them on occasion before, but they never lasted too long or were this large. This was annoying because every time I looked this way or that, the 'spider' followed my line of sight. By evening, I still hadn't become accustomed to it and told myself if it was still there by morning, I'd call our optometrist.

This morning, it was still there, and I recalled how for the last couple of weeks, I'd noticed seeing a "ring of light" when I walked upstairs in the dark to go to bed. These two things combined made me call the office and they wanted me to be seen today.

I've just returned from there, and what I have is a posterior vitreous detachment, which isn't all that uncommon to people in their 50s and older. Usually it's not significant, but it can be an early sign of retinal detachment. After a very thorough examination, I am to return to have it checked in four weeks, then again at three and six months. Follow-up is important.

What this means in regard to my running is that I'm not supposed to do it. At least not until I'm rechecked in four weeks. (No heavy lifting either, or anything that would affect the pressure in my eye.) While the chances of this being a further problem are slim, they do exist and my optometrist takes the "better safe than sorry" approach.

My appointment is for Friday, September 26th, the day before The Big Day. I may get the okay to run then (or not), but even if I do, I won't be able to train via running, in the remaining time until the race.

Wow.

So...how to find the silver lining in this? Here's my plan: Terry remarked that when he ran a 5K a couple of weeks ago that there were some girls who fast-walked the race and they walked as fast as he ran. I noticed as I walked next to him during group training a week ago that I could do the same. I can fast-walk the 13.1!

Even better, if at my appointment the day before the race, I get the okay to run, even though I will not have been able to train by running in the weeks before the race, I should be able to run some of it. As further training, I'm going to be riding my bike on the days I'm not fast-walking. At least my legs will stay in shape, if not so much my cardio.

So while this isn't what I expected would happen and I wish it hadn't, where there's a will, there's a way. I will do the 13.1 miles on September 27th. It's just going to take me a little longer.

As a friend put it, "Down, but not out!"

_________________________
*Yes, that's a photograph of my eye, taken by my optometrist earlier this year at my routine eye exam.

Bad Girl, Me

2008-08-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

I have not run in a week. My excuses?

Tuesday - not supposed to run since I ran four miles on Monday.

Wednesday - spent all day on the road to Cleveland and back.

Thursday - worked in Fort Wayne and went shopping afterwards.

Friday - worked in the gardens all day because I was supposed to have a visitor (who ended up not coming) who has never seen the gardens and they were a mess after being too busy to tend to them. Was then too exhausted to run.

Saturday - just didn't want to.

Sunday - ditto.

Five weeks left until race day. Today is the day I get back on track. Group training tonight.

Chasing Monique

2008-08-18T22:37:00.000-04:00

Group training tonight was at the easternmost starting point of River Greenway. This is where I used to run with Ashley after work. It's a lovely place, with the trail meandering through the shady woods and following the Maumee River. With the hot temperatures we've been having, shade is a good thing!

Our group has seemed to dwindle down to just a handful, but I hope it's just that most of us just can't make it to group training. Tonight, it was Kevin, Linda, Bill, Monique, Terry, Margaret, me, and of course Jamey. Jamey assured us that most of us were still on board, although several have opted to run the four-mile course on September 27th.

While it's tempting to downgrade my goal, at this point I can't see me doing that. I signed up for the half-marathon and that's what I want to do. It might take me forever and a day to complete it, but that's okay. If I do any less, I will let myself down and regret it for a very long time.

Margaret and Linda couldn't stay to run, but the rest of us headed out. Monique, Jamey and I ended up running together until Jamey had to turn around at the one-mile mark and return back to the park, due to other obligations. We'd gotten a late start. Monique and I decided we would do four miles, so we kept going until we reached the two-mile mark, then turned around and headed back to Moser Park.

Shortly after the turn, I had to stop and walk a bit, so Monique stopped too, even though she didn't need the break. We eventually caught up to Terry, who was doing two miles since he'd already run earlier that day. I stopped running and walked alongside Terry for a bit while Monique continued on.

When I took up running again, I could still see Monique up ahead and decided I would try and keep running at least enough to keep her in view, if not catch up to her. Catch up to Monique? HA! She's the "natural runner" in our group.

We all made it back to the pavilion and did our stretches. We talked about staying in touch after the race is over in September and even discussed doing a team triathlon! Bill's a swimmer, Monique's the runner, and I would bike it. Sounds like fun!

But back to the task at hand...

There's Hope

2008-08-14T23:21:00.001-04:00

In my search to add more silver to my lining, I think I found some. After exchanging several e-mails with Jamey (our trainer) and several in my running group, I think I'm once again in a frame of mind to continue onward toward completing the half-marathon next month.

He said we were supposed to feel fatigued at this point. (I do vaguely remember him saying that way back at the beginning.) As far as my body aching all the time goes, even some of that is normal. But since my heart rate has been higher as of late, this indicates that it's taking my body longer to recover from the training I'm doing, so he suggested I take it easy for a few days, then get back at it by running shorter distances for awhile.

The entire group got an e-mail from him last night, encouraging all of us to keep at it. He also reminded us that it doesn't matter if we WALK the entire 13.1 miles, our goal is just to finish. Come to think of it, walking that far is something I would never think I could do all in one day. However, I don't envision walking most of it.

We're so close now to the end. Apparently, there have been some of our group that have dropped out altogether, either due to injuries or some other reason. I hate hearing that. Even though I have felt like quitting, that has never been an option for me personally. Jamey has offered the option of doing the 4-mile Run/Walk that will also be going on that day, but for me, to do anything less than the 13.1 will be letting myself down. And barring injury or illness, that's just what I'll be doing, whether I run mostly or walk mostly.

And speaking of injury or illness, I will really be upset if I get all the way to September 27th and something prevents me from doing this race. That would really bite.

So, I'm cutting myself some slack since I'm allowed to, and this evening Romie and I walked. He didn't walk as far as I did, since he worked all day and then installed our new dishwasher AND he still hasn't been released from the doctor following his heart catheterization. I covered a little over three miles, which is the distance I was supposed to run. I did run a little - just half a mile - and fast-walked the rest of it. It took me a little less than 45 minutes to do that, which really isn't that bad.

My legs were tired and tingly all over when I finished, but I recovered much more quickly. It will be interesting to see what my heart rate is tomorrow morning. This morning it was 56, which is nearly ten points higher than it had been running. I don't know that I expect a huge change, but I hope it's lower when I check it tomorrow.

I feel grateful that I haven't experienced any injuries yet and I hope I don't. There are several in our group that have, and I feel bad for them. Some are attempting to run again after taking some time off and they have my utmost respect. If I had an injury, I don't know if I would have the determination to keep going like they have.

So I'm done with all the gloom and doom and I'm going to keep going and I WILL run on September 27th - and walk, too! That doesn't mean it will ever get easier, but I've been through much worse, and I'll make it through this, too.

Thanks to those of my fellow runners that have offered encouragement and empathy, and of course, Jamey, who always has words of wisdom. As he said to me last night -

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Amen.

Discouraged

2008-08-13T12:14:00.002-04:00

Ever since I ran the Matthew 25 5K on July 19th, my running has been a real struggle. Not a single run - not even the short ones - has felt good. I don't know what the problem is. And in recent days, not only has the run not felt good, but I haven't felt good long after the run is history.

I ran four miles last night, as per my schedule, and couldn't move when I got done. Romie massaged my legs really well and I was in bed well before my normal bedtime. I found it difficult to get out of bed this morning and as I've tried to get busy with all the work I need to do here, both inside the house and out, I find each step painful and difficult. It didn't feel like this a few weeks ago when I ran four miles.

This feels just like I felt a lot of the time last winter, when my fibromyalgia was in full force. Is that what this is? Maybe. And what do I do about it? I don't want to fall behind in my running, not with the half-marathon just six short weeks away. But I can't move. Ask me to run a tenth of a mile right now and I absolutely could not do it.

I want to quit, and have for some time now, but I won't. I'm not a quitter. But this does not feel good. I can't imagine that anyone who likes running would keep putting themselves through this if they felt like this. If so, that just solidifies my opinion that runners are a special sort of crazy.

People always say, "Listen to what your body is telling you." Well, my body is telling me, "Alright already! Enough is enough!" There's a reason for this, but I'm not sure what it is and that's frustrating. If it were a temporary kind of pain and fatigue, that would be one thing, but it's lasted a very long time now. While I try to keep my whining to a minimum, and have refrained from expressing negative thoughts I've had recently, I've reached my limit and well, there it is.

Some of us have discussed how none of us have been runners before and if we'd really wanted to be "real" runners, we would have been before this point in our lives. So why did we willingly apply for this in the first place? I don't think any of us realized just how tough this was going to get. You don't know what you don't know.

For me, it was that I wanted to go through the training to get in better physical condition. I'm there now. I can tell. My body looks different and feels different. My heart rate runs in the high 40s, which is down from my normal heart rate of around 55. My three-year hip joint pain hasn't shown itself in months. But I never dreamed that this training would get this tough at this point.

When the goals were shorter, say three miles or so, that seemed doable. It was something that we couldn't imagine doing when we started, but as we worked our way towards that level, it did seem within reach. But now that the goals are bigger and longer (and tougher), doubts have crept in as to whether we would actually be able to do the 13.1 miles.

I'm sure I can go 13.1 miles, but how much of it will be spent running is another thing altogether. No one says we have to run it the entire way and I can assure you that I won't. But I'd like to run most of it.

Am I inspired by Terry, who at 68 is the oldest member of our group and has kept right up with the schedule and maintains a good attitude? You bet. But that doesn't make it any easier. In fact, it makes me wonder - what's wrong with me? If this is just a "wall" or a normal phase I'm going through, both mentally and physically, then fine. I'll wait it out. But I sure wish it would hurry up and skedaddle. It's just about gotten me down for the count.

Water, Water Everywhere ...

2008-08-12T22:37:00.005-04:00

... and I didn't drink enough. How do I know? I ran seven miles Sunday evening, but the next day my butt and everything above and below it was dragging. I worked, and all I really wanted to do was find a couch and plant myself on it. I kept going and my co-workers were none the wiser, but I was very glad when the day was over.

I worked today too, so I spent last night at Jenna and Joe's where I put my jammies on right after I got there and after eating some supper, I never moved from the couch until I woke up at 10:30 and went up to bed.

I had a raging headache and on Jenna's advice had been drinking water all evening, but I could tell it was going to take awhile before my fluids were sufficiently replenished. When I woke this morning, I still had the headache.

More water.

I talked with Dr. Milliman at work, who is also a runner, and he said too that it was probably dehydration that caused my lingering fatigue, soreness, and the headache. He's been there and done that, and recommended a couple of drinks that have helped him when he's running the longer distances - Accelerade and Endurox R4.

It can't hurt to try either or both, in addition to drinking more water. I sure learned my lesson about staying hydrated though. Dehydration is no fun at all.

Seven. Finally.

2008-08-10T22:09:00.001-04:00

We were gone all weekend, starting Friday afternoon, and I knew that I wouldn't get any running in. That seven-mile run just kept nagging me. No matter how busy we were or what we were doing, it just kept popping into my thoughts and I knew the only way to get it out was to just do it.

Sunday, after we returned home at 3:30, I was pretty tired, so I laid down for a nap. Two hours later, I woke up and started stretching a bit and tried to get into the proper frame of mind that would allow me to do the seven.

I started out, not quite sure which route I would take. I first went north, but after just one-tenth of a mile of the 20 mph winds in my face, I quickly turned around. I turned east at the first intersection and decided to keep going that way for a few miles. Though I didn't relish the idea of running into the wind, my aunt and uncle's house was about three-quarters of a mile north and I decided I would take a bathroom break there. Besides, I hadn't seen them in awhile and knew they would be surprised to see me show up unexpectedly.

I was right. While I needed to make my break short, I ended up staying about half an hour, most of which was spent on their living room floor stretching all the while that we talked. Finally, I said to them, "I hate to pee and run, but I need to keep moving." They laughed, wished me luck, and I was back on my way.

At that point, I had just two more miles to go. I was 3.5 miles from home, so I called Romie and told him I was heading south for two miles and for him to come with the car and pick me up in about 20 minutes. He got there in ten and let the car coast beside me for the last mile.

I was never more glad to get in that car and get home, where I promptly showered and collapsed. I was totally spent. I'm glad I reached seven, but that means next weekend, I'm to do eight.

This running stuff isn't for wimps, that's for sure.

'Round the Square

2008-08-06T21:02:00.002-04:00

Time for a regularly scheduled four-miler. I decided to go around the square, which is usually four miles, but the two possible squares we live on are either 3.8 miles or 4.1 miles, due to a jog in the road. I chose the 3.8 and added .2 once I got all the way around. Romie had figured out how much further I needed to go awhile back when he was on his bike.

Since he can't run or ride at the moment, I was on my own. I took the iPod, which helps, but from time to time it stops and won't start again until I stop running for just a bit. I'm not sure what the problem is, but it's annoying.

I struggled to finish the four. I don't know why this seemed so hard. My running seems to be taking big steps backwards.

*sigh*

The Spirit Is Willing . . .

2008-08-04T21:38:00.002-04:00

...but the legs (and lungs and stomach) are weak. I wanted to knock off that 7-mile run tonight. I had been planning for it all day at work. I was really psyched for it. The day had been cooler, even raining a bit, and when I got home, I changed into my running attire and got ready for the road.

The plan was to run to the Grange and back (2.8 miles) and then all the way around the square (an additional 3.8 miles). An additional short run to the edge of the northern neighbor's property and back would put me right at seven. Piece of cake.

. . .

By the time I got just one mile from home, my plan had started to fall apart. My chest felt heavy, my legs were dragging, and sweat was already dripping down my forehead, through my eyebrows, into my eyes. Sweat stings.

I got to the Grange and turned back towards home. I'd already walked some, which is unusual for me at this point in the game. I struggled to run even five minutes at a time without stopping to walk. I began to wonder if I would even make it back home. Walking.

But once I got there and had put in 2.8 miles, I figured I might as well make it an even 3.0, but once I finished that, I was finished period. My clothes were soaked through with sweat, my face was hot, my head was throbbing, and my legs threatened to throw me to the ground.

Now just why couldn't I go more than that? I wanted to, I really did! I had visualized my running the course I'd set for myself and what I had seen was so far from the reality.

There will be better days than today for running. Each day presents a new opportunity to reach a goal, no matter how large or small. Besides, running three miles is better than running no miles.

Right?

What's On Your iPod?

2008-07-31T23:25:00.004-04:00

Roundabout by Yes

+

Happy by Amy Grant

+

You Can't Lose a Broken Heart by k.d. lang and Tony Bennett

+

More Than a Feeling by Boston

+

It's My Life by The Animals

+

Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones

+

At Seventeen by Janis Ian

+

Immigrant Song by Led Zeppelin

+

It Don't Matter To Me by Bread

+

Ventura Highway by America

=

4.8 miles

By the way, just what are "alligator lizards in the air" anyway?

113

On the News

2008-07-30T09:28:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow morning, our training group will be formally introduced to the public on WPTA-TV Channel 21 (Fort Wayne, IN), the ABC affiliate. Mary Collins will be the host and some of us will be interviewed during the short segment. It should be airing around 6:30 a.m.

After a Race

2008-07-28T22:29:00.002-04:00

For some reason, in the week or so after I've run a race, I just don't want to run much. I can't figure out why that is, but I've noticed it every single time. And after Wednesday night's six-miler, my desire didn't improve. But I'm determined to see this thing through, so somehow I'll keep pushing myself toward the half-marathon goal.

Jamey had told us early on that we would encounter a hurdle right around the 5-6 mile mark - that we would struggle to run more, once we reached that distance. So I'm guessing that's what I'm experiencing right now. Hopefully, I'll get over it soon and it won't be so difficult.

One of the questions that I'm asked most often regarding this running venture is if I'll continue to run after the half-marathon. Right now I'd say yes, but not anything more than two or three miles at a time, three times a week. I can run three miles in 30 minutes or less and that's a good length of time for a workout. That also would keep me in shape for an occasional 5K race. I do enjoy running those!

I'm not sure what I'll do once winter gets here. I don't enjoy running on the treadmill, but I may have to do that. There's a health center fifteen miles away, and I'm considering joining that for the winter months.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to worry about just getting out there to run on a regular basis NOW so that I'll be ready to run 13.1 miles in just two months.

I ran two miles last night, which took me exactly 20 minutes. Tonight, Romie and I power-cycled around the square at 12 mph, which is twice as fast as I run, and was a pretty good workout for my legs. Tomorrow, I'll run again.

Six Miserable Miles

2008-07-24T13:22:00.003-04:00

Time for some whine, me thinks. Maybe some wine, too. Throw some cheese at me too, while you're at it.

Last night was the first time I'd run since the 5K on Saturday. Even now, after a good night's sleep, my recollection of a certain 75 minutes last evening doesn't make the list of all-time favorite experiences. It's on that other list.

I'd not yet run the six-miler that was on our training schedule (ten days ago), so I decided last night was the night. We'd had a beautiful, cooler summer day and the evening was just about perfect for running. Romie accompanied me on his bike to verify mileage, although where we live, that's usually not necessary, with the roads being laid out in mile squares.

First mile: Looking good. Breathing well. Legs moving fine. I can do this.

Second mile: Oh, look! A deer! How pretty. Starting to get a sideache, for only the second time ever in this whole running adventure.

Third mile: Sideache turns into severe abdominal pain. Anticipating reaching the home of friends at the end of the mile so I can use the lady's room.

Halfway point: Friends aren't home. Well, now what?

Fourth mile: 2½ miles from home, not a living being in sight except for Romie. Cornfield to the right.

*skip this part*

Fifth mile: Getting dark now. Walking as much as running. Enjoying the lightning bugs. Dreaming about taking a shower. Thinking of stopping short of six miles by turning into driveway as I go by it on the way to the last corner.

Sixth mile: Corner isn't that far away. Can walk back to house. Decide to go for it.

Okay, so I ran/walked the six miles, but it wasn't pretty and it wasn't fun. I had thoughts of chucking this whole thing altogether. I won't ever be able to do 13.1 miles all at once. How do these people DO this??

They must be insane. I must be, too.

Matthew 25 Health/Dental Clinic 5K Race

2008-07-19T16:29:00.007-04:00

I really wanted to do this race since I'm a dental hygienist and have treated some of the patients from the Matthew 25 Clinic over the years. The office where I used to work took referrals from the clinic now and then. Plus, I knew Dr. Phillip O'Shaughnessy, in whose memory the race is held.

There was a 10K race that started at 7:30 and a 5K that started at 8:30. For a moment, I'd considered running the 10K but thought better of it and after the way things went today, I was so glad I hadn't chosen to run the 10K. It was one of those "off" days as far as running goes.

Jenna lives not far from Foster Park, where the race was held, so she drove over and was the official photographer and support team for her mom. It was the first time that anyone had ever come to see me run a race and I was so glad she was there.

A few familiar faces were in the large crowd, but that didn't surprise me, given the dental community that I've been a part of for so many years and this being a benefit for the clinic. I ran into Dr. Milliman, who just this week became a dad to a little girl with his wife Kim. I had talked with him and Kim earlier this year, shortly after beginning training. They both run and had offered encouragement to me.

I checked in, got my runner number attached to my shirt and the timing chip put on my shoe, then did some stretches. We lined up at the start and the gun went off. We weren't given much warning, so when it went off, it startled me a bit.

The first five minutes or so of running is always the worst for me. My legs don't want to move. Once I get into a good breathing rhythm, everything else usually falls into place though and then it's almost like I'm on automatic pilot. But today, that just didn't happen.

My legs got adjusted, but my breathing never really did. I noticed I was breathing at a faster rate than normal, maybe because of the humidity.

The first mile went by at the usual rate, but the next two seemed twice as long as they were. I kept looking ahead to see where the runners ahead of me were, and if they'd made a turn yet, but it seemed like we just kept getting further and further away from the start line. I knew we were going to have to run all that way back eventually.

About three-quarters of the way through the race, I came up by a young woman and I heard her say, "Hey!" I looked over and it was Caitlyn, my patient that I'd had a couple of months ago that I also encountered while running in New Haven on the Greenway. She and her sister were running, as well as her mom. We chatted a little bit, then she hung back to wait on her sister while I went on. Shortly after that, I could see the blue pads of the finish line ahead and what a welcome sight!

As I neared it, there was one runner ahead of me, and I decided I would try to beat him to the finish. I did accomplish that and unbeknownst to me, Jenna caught that sequence with the camera.

I was so intent on passing him that I didn't notice the young lady down on her hands and knees a few yards from the finish, vomiting. I saw her later after the race and she was just fine.

I have to say that I understood perfectly why she got sick like that. After I crossed the finish, I had to lie down flat on the ground or I was going to do the same thing. I had started to feel it the last half-mile or so. It only took a minute or two of laying there before the wave of nausea went away.

Jenna and I walked up to the pavilion to await the race results and to find Caitlyn and her family. We found them and we discussed how we thought the race went.
We listened to the awards being given and when they came to Female 50-60 and they announced that I had gotten first in that age group, I was absolutely shocked. I didn't feel like I'd had a good run.

My goal for today was to run it faster than I had before and to do it in under 30:00. I accomplished the first - I ran it 20 seconds faster than I ran the Canal Days 5K - but at 30:15, I went over the 30-minute mark. Oh well. A goal for the next time!

Greenway Goodness

2008-07-16T22:54:00.002-04:00

Romie had his yearly skin cancer exam in Fort Wayne today, so I suggested when that was done that we go to Moser Park in New Haven so I could do my running on the Greenway. He hasn't been running much lately, so he put his bike in the van and after his appointment was over, we headed over there.

At 4:30 in the afternoon, it's close to being the hottest time of the day, so I was glad for the shaded trails. It didn't take me too long to get into a good rhythm and before I knew it, I'd reached the two-mile mark on the trail and turned around to go back into New Haven.

Shortly after turning around, I met another runner coming at me whom I'd passed early in my run. This time I asked him how far he was running, to which he replied, "Thirteen miles." I told him I was going to do that in September and he said, "So am I. See you there!" That entire conversation took place without either of us missing a step and both of us yelling to be heard as the distance between us grew longer.

When we'd completed the four miles - me running and Romie cycling - I felt like I could have run another mile or two, and maybe I should have, but I've got to run a 5K on Saturday, so I didn't want to take a chance of overdoing it so soon before a race.

It's days like this that make me really glad I'm doing this running thing.

Does Hiking Count?

2008-07-14T01:16:00.001-04:00

We spent the weekend in Hocking Hills (Ohio) attending LilyFest on Friday and hiking all over the Hocking State Park. The Hocking Hills are the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and have many beautiful caves and waterfalls, with the most well-known being Old Man's Cave and Cedar Falls.

On Saturday, we hiked from Old Man's Cave to Cedar Falls and back, which is a part of the Buckeye Trail. It's not a flat hike and you need to be careful, or you might fall. I know this from firsthand experience. The soil there contains a lot of sand and this sand on trails that are heavily rock-infested can make for an accident waiting to happen. I didn't have to wait too long, falling on Saturday morning, after slipping on a sand-covered rock and landing with my backside on that rock. Ouch!

At the end of the day, we had hiked about seven miles and it wasn't flat ground, so I allowed myself a by and I didn't run the six miles that were on the schedule. Sunday was spend taking a leisurely time of heading home, with several stops along the way, and by the time we got home, I just wanted to plop on the couch, so I did.

As Scarlett O'Hara said, "Tomorrow is another day."

Another Goal Met

2008-07-09T22:16:00.004-04:00

Early in this venture, I set one of my goals as running from our house to my home town. It's not a huge goal, and I kind of forgot about it until I tried to figure out some different ways of meeting my mileage. When you live smack dab in the middle of farm country, telephone poles and expansive fields can get boring.

So tonight I suggested to Romie that we run to town. He hasn't been running much so he wasn't very excited about this idea, but I'd worked it all out in my mind ahead of time.

We have a tandem bicycle so I thought Romie could ride the tandem alongside me while I ran, and once I'd completed my required four miles, then we could ride home together. He liked it, so off we went.

It was hot and a little breezy, but none of that seemed to bother me. The wheat was golden and smelled yummy. The farmers would be cutting it soon.

I figured it was 3.2 miles from our house to the old train track bed on the west edge of town. Once I made it to town, I kept running for a few blocks, trying to decide if I wanted to go further or not. I was hot and tired and Romie mentioned that he wanted to try running, so we traded places.

He ran for about a mile and a half, then we rode the rest of the way back home together on the tandem. Now that this goal has been met, I need to set a new one: run to town and back. That would be a little over 10K (6.2 miles).

I've temporarily gone back to wearing the first pair of running shoes I bought because that little blister I developed over the weekend still bothers me when I wear the shoes that I was wearing when I got it. Socks matter.

True Confessions

2008-07-07T22:57:00.002-04:00

We had group training tonight and I just had to get something off my chest. I felt guilty about it and just needed to confess. I'm not sure if confessing it did a whole lot for me, but I just felt the need for full disclosure.

I haven't done a single core strengthening exercise since we last did them in group training at the ASH Centre. That was a very long time ago. I don't mind doing them, so I'm not sure why I'm not doing them.

Maybe it's because my running seems to be going fine without them. Maybe it's because I'm a very active gardener with multiple large gardens, and I do a lot of lunging and stretching and believe me, my core gets a pretty good workout. Maybe it's because the gardening tires me out, especially in this heat, and I don't have the energy to do those exercises.

The truth is I just got out of the habit and you know how hard it is to get back into a routine once you've broken it several days in a row. The rest of the truth is that this has been my problem my whole life when it comes to exercise. Even when I find a form of exercise that I like a little bit, for some reason, it tends to go by the wayside pretty early on. In fact, I can't believe I've actually stuck with this half-marathon thing.

Up until a month ago, if I had been given an "out" with this thing, I would have taken it, I think. Although when it comes right down to it, I'd feel guilty if I didn't see this opportunity that's been given to me all the way through to the end. It would feel sort of like stealing. Stealing an opportunity that someone else could have been given.

So I keep going - struggling at times - because it's for my own good and because Jamie has given so much of his time and expertise to expertly lead us through this. I never could have done this any other way.

Lost in Michigan

2008-07-05T23:59:00.004-04:00

We were invited to my brother- and sister-in-law's lake home today. Sort of a "4th on the 5th" kind of holiday celebration. Romie suggested I wait and run my five miles up there, since it would be a different location and the scenery might help me make it through the run.

It's about a 90-minute drive to Long Lake near Reading, Michigan, so we started out early and geocached our way up there. We also stopped to see the farm where my parents used to live just outside Reading. I remembered seeing it as a child once, but I never lived there. They only lived there a year and that was before I was born.

Once we arrived at the lake, we visited a little bit, then around 4:00 Romie and his sister got on their bikes while I put on my running shoes. Joan said it was about five miles around the lake, so I decided to take that route for my running today. Joan went a little ways with us and gave us directions for the rest of the way, then she headed back to get food ready.

Southern Michigan does have some rolling hills, and for someone who's used to running on tabletop flat terrain, even a little hill presents a challenge and requires more exertion. I tried to run up every little hill I encountered and only walked a short distance as I neared the top of a couple of them. The first real challenge for me though, was running to the end of Long Lake Road. They don't call it Long Lake for nothin'!

With the little hills, as I got to the top of each one and looked ahead, I directed my gaze toward the left side of the road, looking for the next road where I would turn left. But all I kept seeing was another little hilltop ahead. WHERE WAS THAT NEXT ROAD??? For some reason, making a turn motivates me and fools me into thinking I'm closer to the end of the run than I sometimes am.

Finally, there it was. We made the turn and this leg was much shorter than the last and when I got about three miles into my run, we stopped at a small store so I could get something to drink and go to the bathroom. I thought I'd get water, but decided on a Diet Coke. I drank three-quarters of the can, handed it to Romie and we continued on our way.

We made the next turn, which after a small discussion decided it was the wrong one, so we backtracked out to the road and continued on. Detour = .2 mile. On Blair Road, we once again found that it was another long, straight run. I reached five miles and was glad to stop and walk, because with a quarter-mile left to go, my right butt cheek started getting really tight and sore again.

Now I'd completed the five miles, but looking ahead, we saw no road that turned left. We walked/rode some more and up ahead we saw a road, but we could also see that it was quite some distance before it got remotely close to the lake, so after another discussion, we turned back and hoped that a family member back at the house would come looking for us. At this point, we'd been gone about an hour and a half, well past the time and mileage we should have been back to the house.

We got back to the dead end road where we'd made our first mistake and Romie rode ahead to ask if we could get to our final destination via that road, while I took pictures of wildflowers. No, we'd been on the right road in the first place and yes, it was more than five miles around the lake.

There was a kind group of people we talked with and asked if we could use their phone to call for rescue, but they insisted on taking us back themselves. Such nice people they were! As we drove up, brother-in-law Butch had just headed out to look for us.

Everyone was pretty well done eating, but thankfully, they saved some food for us. We took a boat ride later and enjoyed chatting with family, some of whom we hadn't seen in quite some time.

Regarding the run - it wasn't really that bad, even though a good deal of the time I was running on gravel or sand, and there were those hills. I got my first blister of my running career, thanks to my poor choice of really low ankle socks, which allowed my shoe to rub on the underside of my ankle. There was lots to distract me however, so it made it go much faster and I wasn't as tired as I thought I might be when I was finished. In the end, I had run five miles and walked over two more. I hope running six miles next weekend goes this well.

P.S. After I got home, I put the route around Long Lake on Google maps just to see how long it actually was: 6.6 miles. "About five miles" apparently is an arbitrary distance...

Out In the Country

2008-07-03T23:03:00.002-04:00

This was one of those days where I just kept putting things off and when 8:30 rolled around, I knew it was now or never. I missed a running day somehow this week and needed to run a four-miler before attempting five miles on Saturday. Romie stuck his head in the door and asked, "Are you running tonight?" and I went upstairs and changed clothes, put my shoes on, got myself psyched for running and we were off.

I tried to focus on things other than the running and how far I had yet to go before completing four miles and this is what I noticed:

* The smell of ripening wheat - It's pleasing enough just to look at those "amber waves of grain", but the smell is pretty darn good too.

* Two deer leaping through the bean field - We see deer on a regular basis here, but somehow it's different when you don't have a windshield between you and them. Later, on the way back home at about the 3-mile mark, we saw another one leap-frogging its way through the three-foot tall wheat. First we'd see it, then we wouldn't, then we'd see it again, then we wouldn't. It was the picture of grace.

* Wild roses - They are in full bloom right now at the edges of the woods and along the ditch banks. As a flower lover, it makes me smile when I see their beautiful bubble gum pinkness.

* The cardinal's song - Probably the most recognizable song of all the birds here, except for the Killdeer. The cardinal is our state bird and no wonder - we have lots of them. Red is my favorite color and I like that in a bird.

* A glorious sunset - I hope I never take for granted the oodles of beautiful sunsets we see here. Living out in the flat, open land like we do, there is nothing to get in the way of the shades of oranges, pinks, reds, violets, and yellows that make up a Midwestern sunset. No photo I take can even begin to capture the sky above the western horizon as I run towards it.

* No traffic - It took us 46 minutes to run four miles tonight and during that time, not a single car went by. Once we ran from the cluster of houses where we live, there were only two houses located on the rest of the way. There is something strangely calming about that kind of solitude. Alone, yet not.

I only stopped to walk for two minutes during the run tonight. It was a good run.

Whenever I need to leave it all behind
Or feel the need to get away
I find a quiet place, far from the human race
Out in the country.

Before the breathin' air is gone
Before the sun is just a bright spot in the nighttime
Out where the rivers like to run
I stand alone and take back somethin' worth rememberin'

Whenever I feel them closing in on me
Or need a bit of room to move
When life becomes too fast, I find relief at last
Out in the country...

~ Three Dog Night

Keepin' On Keepin' On

2008-07-02T22:56:00.002-04:00

I'm just running right along now. I've missed a day here and there, but for the most part I'm keeping up with the running schedule. I've had several days of running two or three miles and last weekend, it was four again. This coming weekend, it will increase to five miles.

It's not been all that difficult, but I'm finding that my butt cheeks are feeling tight and sore at times. I keep trying to stretch them out and it hasn't become unbearable, but I can't seem to overcome it altogether. I've been checking my pulse in the mornings and it stays right at 46-50, so my body seems to be adjusting to the increased distances.

We didn't meet as a group this week, so it will have been three weeks since I've seen the group when we get together next Monday. I wonder how everyone else is faring.

114

It's Official!

2008-06-25T13:10:00.003-04:00

Jamey sent out an e-mail to the group to let us know that we could officially register for the Fort4Fitness Half-Marathon. Thanks to Indiana's News Center, Channel 21, the registration fee of $35 has been waived for us.

I'm registered! Woo hoooooooooooooo!

Four Miles!

2008-06-22T12:45:00.003-04:00

As we are training by distance rather than time now, we are doing long runs on the weekends. I wasn't able to do mine yesterday, so today I ran the four miles that was on the schedule. Romie followed on the bicycle, since he's still having back issues, although they are much better.

I waited until evening to run - around 8:30 - which is a great time for me. It has cooled off by then and the wind has died down, making for a very pleasant way to spend the time running. Did I just say that? And did I just run four miles?

YES! And YES!

We have been training for nearly four months now and when I look back on how I was "back then," it is truly an amazing thing to behold.

I cannot stress how much this has helped me in so many ways. When I gotthe e-mail stating "Congratulations! You have been chosen..." my first thought was, "Oh crap. Now I have to do it. What was I thinking???" And in recent weeks, I now truly believe that I CAN run a half-marathon! This is HUGE!

I have hated exercise for DECADES. Can I say I like running? Ask me before I go out or in the first five minutes or so, and I'll say no. But ask me once I'm "in the groove" and I'll tell you how good it feels to be running. And when I'm finished with a run --- oh, if I could just bottle that and sell it, I'd be a rich woman. And I absolutely LOVE how my body feels! So fit and toned and healthy! It's really, really amazing, especially when I think that in 1999, I was told that it was a miracle I was even alive and that I might never walk again.

I am thankful to Jamey for donating his time and talents and professional services so that we can do this. We have to be a challenging group to deal with, and without Jamey, I'm sure that none of us would be where we are right now, wherever that is in the training process. The fact that Jamey believes in us has given me the confidence to stick with it, knowing if I quit, I was not being fair to myself or to anyone else who had hoped to be a part of our group. Outside of the race, I have met some wonderful people and have enjoyed the fellowship with them.

The four-mile run felt good, even though I'd not run since my Monday run with Kevin. I was tired by the time I was done, but that was understandable. Except for a three-minute bathroom break in the middle, I ran the entire four miles.

We're to run four miles next weekend too, then the distance will start increasing again, by a mile each week.

Changes

2008-06-18T23:57:00.000-04:00

I lost my Wednesday running partner today. I work with Ashley, a 25-year-old ball of fire that amazes me with her energy. Was I like that 25 years ago? Yeah, she's half my age, and the same age as my younger daughter Jenna. But we get along great at work and on the running trails, in spite of the age difference.

But Ashley and I won't be running together anymore. I was let go from my job today. Not because I didn't do a good job (I was assured that I did) nor because I was hard to work with (my employer told me I always put a smile on his face because I was so upbeat and pleasant). No, it was because of reorganization, you could say. I work part-time and he wanted all full-time employees. He offered me full-time, but I declined. Two other part-time employees were also let go.

My work was a half-hour drive away, and as much as I'd like to, for me to make the trip in to run with Ashley isn't economically smart, with the price of gas being so high.

I was supposed to run three miles tonight, and I was all set to go down to the Greenway and do just that. I felt like it was going to be a good running day. But after taking a detour sitting on the other side of my employer's desk, I lost my enthusiasm and just headed home.

I'll miss running with Ashley, and I'll miss my job. Working half a day might seem trivial to some, but it provided me with spending money and I enjoyed my coworkers and my patients. It also kept me active in my profession. I'll still have the opportunity to sub for the remaining hygienists there, but it won't be the same.

This too shall pass...

Target Heart Rate

2008-06-16T23:14:00.002-04:00

I worked this morning, and since we had group training at 5:00, I stayed in town. High gas prices, you know. ($4.15 a gallon, today) I took the opportunity to visit a new (to me) plant nursery, Arbor Farms, where I found a nice witch hazel tree. A few more errands completed and I headed to Aboite New Trails, where we train now.

A power nap sounded good, as I was about 45 minutes early, but then Kevin pulled into the parking lot and we decided to run. It was pretty warm, so we worked up a good sweat early. I ran two loops around Jorgensen's, which was 2.6 miles, I think. I walked just a little bit about halfway through.

Kevin and I were done by the time the rest of the group had arrived. Jamey is in North Carolina for the week with USA Baseball, so Brian was there, along with a few girls to answer any questions we had about target heart rate. I had missed that group session.

The Karvonen Formla can be used to determine your target heart rate, and in my case, works out like this:

Maximum Heart Rate = 220 minus 50 (my age) = 170
170 - 47 (Resting Heart Rate) = 127
127 x 65% (low end of heart rate zone) = 83
127 x 85% (high end of heart rate zone) = 108
83 + 47 = 130
108 + 47 = 155
Target heart rate zone = 130-155

We are to keep track of our heart rate first thing in the morning, about a minute after waking up. If we see a rise in this number, it indicates that our body is having to work harder to recover from our training and we need to cut back.

Running Between the Raindrops

2008-06-13T09:44:00.003-04:00

We've had quite the summer of storms so far, and it's not even officially summer yet. You'd never know it by the temperatures. It's been unusually hot for June, and while I enjoy hot weather, this is ridiculous. And I definitely don't enjoy the severe storms that have been coming our way.

The National Weather Service says we are in for it again today, so I did something I usually don't do - I got up and ran my two miles first thing. I was done by 9:00. It had thundered and rained a little bit before that, but there was a break before the real storms were due to arrive, so I got out there and sweat a good one.

My run today was a little better than Monday's, but still, my legs seemed to be protesting a bit the entire run. My cardio-pulmonary system is working oh so efficiently, but my legs seem to be reluctant to get with the program lately. Past experience has taught me that this will pass, though.

I wasn't supposed to run at all today, but I missed running on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, so I needed to run today. And now that I have, I can put that out of my mind until tomorrow, when I will run for three miles. Just like last Saturday, except that I'll be doing it alone, instead of with a hundred other people.

Two Long Miles

2008-06-09T01:44:00.000-04:00

I missed group training tonight, but I ran two miles like I was supposed to. We'd had some strong storms roll through around supper time, but once I was sure they had moved eastward and there was no chance I would be struck by lightning, I started my run down the road.

The first five minutes of a run are the toughest for me. Right now I'm not having a hard time getting out there to run, which is a major accomplishment, but the first steps are not fun. My legs feel tired, heavy, and stiff. I stretch fairly well before I run, and that helps, but I can't wait until I'm warmed up and settled into a rhythm.

Tonight, I just never got settled in. The entire two miles was a struggle. I was breathing fine, but my legs just did not want to be doing what I wanted them to do, and I was glad when two miles were behind me.

Tomorrow is a 0-2 mile day, and I will be running two miles, because on Wednesday, when I'm supposed to run two miles, I'll be on a bus headed for Chicago Botanic Gardens. I'll get plenty of walking exercise that day, but no running.

New Haven Canal Days 5K

2008-06-07T22:31:00.004-04:00

A Rough Start...

Our air conditioning isn't in working order at the moment, so I slept on the couch in the cool basement last night. I'm not sure where Romie slept, because I fell asleep before he went to bed, but he's an early riser, unlike me.

Around 7:30, I awoke to the sound of someone banging on the back door. I went upstairs to find Romie just outside the door, leaning over a garbage can, obviously in pain. I opened the door and asked him what was wrong. He'd been picking up sticks from the storm we'd had the night before and when he bent over, he hurt his back. He really hurt it.

He's had problems before, and rest and muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory drugs helped it. But this time was different. He just couldn't move his left leg without severe pain. It was almost as if he'd had a stroke. He tried to make it move, and he couldn't. He painfully got down on his hands and knees to crawl into the house and he pretty much had to drag his left leg along, moaning in pain the entire way.

We'd planned on running the New Haven 5K together this morning, but he obviously wasn't going to be running it now. I asked if he wanted me to take him to the ER, and he said no. I massaged his back for awhile and then asked if I should stay home with him. No, he wanted me to go ahead and run, and he was very disappointed that he couldn't run, too. This would have been his first 5K and his first race of any kind.

I got him all settled in on the family room floor after getting him some food and meds, then I left for New Haven. I called Jenna, who works for ONE (Orthopaedics Northeast) as an athletic trainer, and left a message for her to call him to see how he was and offer suggestions for what he could do.

The Race...

I got to New Haven High School around 9:15 and found Barb and Terry, who'd already picked up their t-shirts and were wearing their race numbers. Barb said to me, "Wait until you see what your number is." I guessed that maybe it was 13 and she said, "No..."

I walked over and the entrants were numbered alphabetically. Amazingly enough, no one running the race had a last name starting with the letter A, so my number was 1! I wonder if that gave me a little psychological boost? LOL.

Guen showed up a little bit later and Terry's wife Cindy took a couple of pictures of us before the race. We all stretched and then all the runners walked from the high school to the Lutheran church further north on Green Street, where the race would start. At 10:30, a whistle was blown and we were off!

We preceded the parade, so there were lots of people sitting in lawn chairs watching us run. As the race started, my primary thought to myself was, "You have to pace yourself. Don't go too fast." It's easy to do a jackrabbit start because so many other people do just that, and you get caught up in their momentum.

I very consciously had to slow myself down and before I knew it, I was at the back of the group. That was okay, because I merely wanted to maintain a slow, steady pace for the entire race. I had two goals: To run the entire race without stopping, and to improve on my time from the other 5K I'd run at the end of April (33:11).

The weather was absolutely perfect for running. Cloudy skies, light breeze, temperature around 70°. Once we finished running down Park Street and turned south onto Werling Drive, the number of spectators dropped dramatically. Now I could concentrate better on my running form, pace, and breathing.

I think my breathing rhythm has been a huge factor in the success and character of my runs. The faster I settle into a nice slow breathing rhythm, the better I feel about the whole thing. I don't get out of breath and my lungs don't burn and my heart doesn't feel like it's about to beat right out of my chest.

About halfway through the race, we passed a water station and a lady with a hose. I tried drinking my water and running at the same time, but that wasn't very successful, so I stopped long enough to drink two swallows of water, then passed through the water mist from the hose and got back on my way.

A couple of times I passed by some residents sitting in their driveways and I heard them yell out to me. I've worked in New Haven since 1977, so I know quite a few people who live there. One of my patients that I'd just treated about a month ago recognized me as I went by her house and she shouted to me, "Kylee! You're looking good! I'm so impressed!" What a boost that gave me!

A little over the two-mile mark, I encountered a young girl who was running her first race ever. We chatted a bit and offered encouragement to each other for the next half mile or so, then I went on ahead. I was feeling pretty good at this point, and decided to see if I could step up my pace without killing my legs. I didn't do an all-out sprint by any means, but did run a little faster all the way to the finish.

Barb was the next member of our group to come in, then Guen, then Terry. It was so fun when we all stood and talked about our experience. The feelings that showed on our faces were well understood by us - we'd finished, we'd done well, we'd done it together.

Terry joined his family, who was all there, while Barb, Guen and I walked around for a little bit before going back to the table to see what our times were. I'd accomplished my goals. I ran the entire race without stopping and took about 2½ minutes off my previous time, with a new personal best of 30:35. Next time, I'd like to get it under 30 minutes.

The winners in each age group were to receive certificates later in the mail. When we looked down through the official results, I saw that I'd won my age group (50-59 Female) and Barb came in second. As she said, we dominated our division! (We were our division...LOL) Terry won his age group, too.

I jokingly said as we were standing there, "I won my age group; I want a trophy, too!" The race's organizer reached around into a box and came up with a trophy! They'd had one extra. Then Barb said, "I got second," and he pulled the top half of a trophy (a female running figure) out of the box and handed it to her. It was a giggly moment.

What a fun way to spend a Saturday morning. You can't help but be energized by all those runners and to be able to run this race with some of my fellow Fort4Fitness trainees made it all the better. I just wish my hometown running partner had been there with us, too.

New Shoes

2008-06-04T23:39:00.005-04:00

Ashley and I had planned to run the New Haven Canal Days 5K course today after work, but my training schedule wouldn't allow it, so we drove to the River Greenway. The easternmost end of the trail system begins in Moser Park in New Haven, so that's where we always start when we run there.

The trail is marked every quarter-mile and it winds through woods, which was a definite advantage today. It was very humid and hot and I'm not used to running in that. I don't run in that if I can help it. We both had good, uneventful runs.

After we parted ways, I headed west to the Three Rivers Running Company to see about getting a Fuel Belt. Because of a little problem I have when I run, Jamie said I need to watch my fluid intake prior to heading out for a run, and hydrate during my run. Since there are no water sources along the route I run when I'm at home, I need some way to carry water with me, and the Fuel Belt takes care of that. It does look rather dorky though.

When I first walked in the door, I noticed a sign announcing a shoe sale. Shoes? Sale? Lead me to 'em.

I talked with Casey and he recommended the Mizuno Wave Creation, which is a neutral running shoe. I pronate, so my inserts will go in these as well. When I bought my New Balance shoes in April, I didn't know that you were supposed to buy your running shoes half a size larger than normal. Now that we're running longer distances, I'm noticing the relative shortness of the New Balance shoes.

The Mizunos feel amazing and they were such a good price! They were originally $110, and were marked down to half off at $55.00. SOLD! I'll start wearing them for my shorter runs and break them in before wearing them for the long distances.

47

2008-06-03T22:16:00.001-04:00

I had my yearly check-up at the doctor's office today. All went well and when the nurse checked my blood pressure, it was normal for me: 100/68. Then she read my pulse: 47. Normal for me is in the mid-50s. After she told me what it was, she asked, "Are you a runner?"

A smile washed across my face and I told her that yes, actually I was. It still doesn't feel natural to admit that I'm a runner. Yes, I run, but it's not really a way of life for me yet. I don't know if it every really will be, but time will tell.

If I don't end up being a runner after the half-marathon in September, I will do something to maintain this level of fitness that I will have achieved. It's been too much work to throw it all away. Cycling maybe, walking for sure. But maybe, just maybe, I will run.

I Got Scolded. Sort of.

2008-06-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

When I arrived at group training tonight - a little late, due to horrendous traffic through a couple of construction zones - Jamey made me go in front of the group and had them tell me what the running schedule was for today. Two miles. Not three or four. Two. No more.

Regardless of my having run two longer distances in the last week, I'll be more than happy to only run two miles! Especially when it's in the 80s and very humid!

When we began training, the goal was to run for 30 minutes by the end of May. I never thought I'd make that, but I have. Running for pretty much 30 minutes straight takes me a distance of nearly three miles, so I didn't think I was doing anything wrong by running the distances I did. In fact, last Wednesday, I did run just 30 minutes and went 2.8 miles.

But this week starts our transition to running by distance, not minutes. If it takes us 45 minutes to cover two miles, so be it. We're just to cover the assigned distance on the schedule and no more. There will be plenty of opportunity to run longer distances when we do one long run a week, on the weekends.

Our new running schedule:

*If you click on it, it will open a larger version.

We ran two miles at the Jorgenson YMCA, out on the Aboite New Trails, which is where we will be meeting as a group once a week from here on out. It was hot and humid and I sweat buckets. But the run itself went well for me. We did some chatting afterwards, then I drove home and finished up some gardening chores.

113

Doing Better

2008-06-01T23:52:00.002-04:00

The last few times I've run, things have gone well. The experience has been pretty consistent:

· The hardest part is putting on the running shoes and putting one foot in front of another.

· I've learned to slow my natural running pace way down, especially at the beginning, until my legs get used to moving and supporting my weight as I move on down the road.

· I'm making a conscious effort to get into a breathing rhythm which seems to help get me into a running rhythm, too.

· Once I've got the breathing going and I concentrate on keeping my core stable and using my thighs more than my calves when pushing off, it's almost as if I'm a machine.

Tonight, after working in the garden most of the afternoon and attending a family graduation party (Congrats, Adrienne!), Romie and I decided to make a run. We started around 9:00 p.m., and it was perfect for running. It had been a pretty warm day (77° and sunny), but by this time of night, it's cooled off enough to make it pleasant.

We weren't sure how far we were going to go, or for how long, but we ran to the second stop sign north, which is about 1.3 miles, then turned around and ran back home. I continued on, because I wanted to run for the time I had run the 5K back in April, which was 33.11.

I was going to stop when my watch showed that time, but in order to make it easier to figure out the distance I had run, I wanted to go back to my starting point. When I got there, my watch said 36:30. I got in the car to see what I had run, and it was 3.3 miles. Except for a 30-second walk break at 14:30, I had run the entire distance, and it actually felt even better than when we'd run the 2.8 on Wednesday night.

Running seems to be becoming easier than I ever thought it would be. Oh, I know I'll still have some running days that don't go so well, but they're becoming fewer and farther between, and that's encouraging.

Aboite New Trails

2008-05-29T23:19:00.001-04:00

Tonight, we had our group training at Aboite New Trails (ANT). Their association wanted to do a photo shoot of how people use the trails. So, we ran up and down the sidewalk that is a small part of the wonderful trail system there, while Gail took many photos that will be used on their website.

What a great trail system and parks the community has on the southwest side of Fort Wayne! For all the advantages that we have living the quiet country life, I wish we lived close to this. I would definitely take advantage of the trails by not only using them for running, but also for walking and cycling.

Next week starts a new phase in our training. We'll only meet once a week now, at the Jorgenson YMCA on Monday evenings.

_________________
Photos by Gail Herendeen

An Open Letter to Carolyn

2008-05-29T14:14:00.003-04:00

Dear Carolyn,

Thank you for responding with a comment to my last blog post. I thought about answering it with another comment of my own, but what I have to say to you got to be quite long, so here it is in blog post form. I hope you don't mind.

First of all, stick with it! I have to tell you, if you haven't guessed it already, I don't like running either. Never have. BUT. I signed up for this because I wanted to get in better physical shape and that is happening. It's a very well-known fact that I have done no form of regular exercise for many, many years. So many that I have to stop and think and count.

I used to get out of breath just running up the stairs. Many days, it was an effort just to breathe. Oh, I still have an occasional day like that, but they are far fewer in number. And you know that 2.8 miles we ran last night? Never was I gasping for air, in fact, Romie and I carried on an occasional conversation as we ran. Who would have guessed we would be doing this after only three months? Remember, we started out walking just 20 minutes a day.

If you can find someone to run with, it makes it so much more enjoyable. I can't stress this enough. You encourage each other and you have someone who understands your pain. You can whine all you want to a non-runner and they'll say, "Oh, I could never do what you're doing," yet if they've never run before, they don't even know what it is that they could never do. I know, because I was once like them.

Does that mean it's all unpleasant? No. Does that mean that you'll never have a bad running day or even a bad running week? No. Last night, I was so pleased with myself, it made up for several bad days. Maybe running makes you bi-polar. LOL.

The highs are high, and the lows are low, but in the end it's all about what you want for yourself, and for me, that's a healthy me. Plus, it will feel good to say that I completed a half-marathon, even if it's the only one I ever run. I already feel good that I've been able to run a 5K and I'm getting ready to run another one next Saturday. The good will outweigh the bad and keep you going.

A couple people (I'm related to them) have remarked to me that my running blog has so much negativity in it. For sure, I've been very open about how I feel at various times and it's not all good. Normally, I'm a very positive person, but even positive thinkers have down times. The difference is, we don't let it defeat us or divert us from our purpose.

I include those not-so-positive experiences because it's kind of like when I had my first baby. Romie and I took Lamaze classes and our instructor was excellent, but I came away from there thinking that the breathing techniques would take away the pain of labor, and that there would be no pain at all between contractions. I wish someone would have told me that just isn't true! It wouldn't have come as such a shock and disappointment.

Would I have decided not to have another baby after going through that? Well, Jenna is proof that Kara would never be an only child past the age of 2½. The hard work that feels as though it will never end was eventually worth it in ways that I can't even count. And so it is with running. I don't know if I could even list all the ways that this has been a good thing. But I also want people to know that the negative aspects of it are a normal part of things. I don't think you'll come away from my running blog disillusioned.

That being said, everyone's experience is different. My pain is different from your pain. Everyone has a different tolerance for that, as well as for fatigue and endurance and each has different levels of energy, drive, and motivation. Outside activities get in the way and there will likely always be something else you'd rather be doing. But make the time to run.

If you truly want to be a daily runner, accept that it won't be easy to reach that level. You know what they say, nothing worth doing or having is ever easy. But you've mastered the first step: - you've got the desire and that will take you places and sustain you through the tough days.

My goals change as my body dictates. I listen when it says I've overdone it and I rest for two days rather than one. If I'm still feeling a bit sore, I cut back the time of extended running to maybe 10 minutes, walk one, then 10 more, and so on. I'm at a fitness level now that in just a few days I feel like I'm back to normal and can run like I did before. No one said you have to do it a certain way and not stray from it.

You know what you want, and I know you can achieve it. It's good to have a goal like you do, but don't beat yourself up if you don't get there when you thought you would. You will get there, and I don't think the world is going to end before you do, so hang in there and I'll bet one day you'll look back and be amazed at what you've accomplished. Every little thing you do towards your goal is something you didn't do before. YAY!!

So don't mind me if I whine now and then. I have to do it somewhere and I know the runners that read this totally know where I'm coming from. We're all in it together, no matter what level we're at, aren't we? If I can do this, anyone can.

Keep running!

Kylee

Grab Your Partner, Do-Si-Do...

2008-05-28T21:52:00.002-04:00

One of my goals has been to eventually run around the square. In our part of the country, the country roads are laid out in mile squares, so running around them is four miles. The square we live on is a little less - 3.8 miles - due to part of the road being diverted around a creek.

Ashley and I didn't run after work today because she had a softball game, so shortly after I got home, Romie and I ran together. The temperature was perfect and it was a nice sunny day, so we decided to do the Square Dance, which is what I call this "running around the square."

The light wind was out of the northeast, so we headed north first. About .3 miles later, we turned the corner and headed west. Our first goal was to make it to the end of that mile without stopping. With the wind behind us, it wasn't too difficult, although Romie mentioned he wasn't having much fun.

We both made it to the corner, turned south and about .25 into that mile, I knew Romie's attitude had changed when he said to me, "I'm in the zone now." I knew exactly what he meant. We set our next goal as the next intersection. That would mean that we had run 2.3 miles without stopping. No problem!

We turned the corner and headed east. Now the wind was in our faces, but it was pretty light, so it wasn't much of a factor. Fatigue was making its appearance, so we set a shorter goal of reaching the "Stop Ahead" sign (for the stop sign we'd just passed). We made it to that, then added first one telephone pole, then another, until we neared the only house on that road.

At this point, I looked at my watch and it was nearing thirty minutes, so we decided to stop when thirty minutes were up. That brought us to the house, where we stopped and walked the rest of the way home.

WOW. We both had run thirty minutes without stopping. Oh, we could feel it when we stopped to walk, but a few minutes of walking and things felt pretty good. Had we pushed ourselves? Yes, but time will tell if we did too much. Neither of us was very winded, but we could definitely feel it in our legs.

When we got home, we got in the car to see just how far we'd run without stopping. TWO POINT EIGHT MILES!! That's very nearly a 5K, which is 3.1 miles. I just can't believe it. I can remember days when Romie and I thought we were getting good exercise by riding our bikes around the square.

The bar has definitely been raised.

114.5

Beautiful Day For Running!

2008-05-24T09:43:00.000-04:00

This was such a beautiful day - blue skies, warm temperatures, light breezes. It doesn't get much better than this for outdoor activities.

It's Memorial Day weekend and we've been working like crazy people in the garden, but at the end of the day today, Romie and I changed into our running attire and took to the road. I'm so thankful that he runs with me sometimes. It's so much better running with someone than running alone.

We were pretty tired starting out, so we set goals of running ten minutes, walking one, running ten, walking one. Romie had to stop at five, since he hadn't been running much in the last couple of weeks, but I actually made it to fifteen minutes before stopping. After walking for one, I ran ten more minutes, then we both walked the rest of the way home.

The Metric System

2008-05-22T22:46:00.002-04:00

We had our last session of training at the ASH Centre tonight. We'll continue with our training at the Jorgenson Branch YMCA on June 2nd and be meeting just once a week from then on. We'll be transitioning to training by distance rather than minutes, with the culmination of all of this being completing 13.1 miles on September 27th.

Jamey introduced some new training exercises tonight called plyometrics. For a detailed explanation of plyometrics (read: more than you wanted to know), check it out on Wikipedia. These involve jumping in place - on both feet, on one foot, scissoring our feet as we jump, etc. Jumping rope is a plyometric exercise. They require coordination and balance, and I don't have much of either one of those, but maybe I'll develop some by doing these.

We won't meet on Memorial Day, but next Thursday we'll be doing our training outside at Aboite Trails. There will be photographs taken which may be used on their website. It will be fun to be outside running together as a group.

After training tonight, Romie had run to the Centre from Jenna and Joe's apartment, and we ran back there together. They're in Mexico on their honeymoon and we cleaned their apartment for them so they could come home to a nice clean home.

The Greenway

2008-05-21T22:51:00.000-04:00

Ashley and I got back to running together after work. Bad weather or prior obligations on Wednesday evenings had prevented us from it for three weeks. Though I'd been back to regular running for a week or so, I struggled as much as Ashley, who hadn't run at all for the last two weeks.

We ran down to Moser Park, where the River Greenway path starts. We ran until we'd passed our halfway mark of 15 minutes, then turned around and headed back to the office. It's beautiful along the Greenway, and we decided we'll just drive down there the next time and do all of our running along it.

I told Ashley I was going to run the New Haven Canal Days 5K and she said she wanted to run it, too. It's good to have a purpose to running and since that race is on June 7th, this will help motivate us to stick with our regular runs, both on Wednesdays and the rest of the time in between.

I don't do well with long-term goals. I'm a "I want it and I want it now" kind of person when it comes to things like this. I want to be a runner that is in such good shape that it's not a struggle to go out and run a few miles every day, and it's not like that yet. But when I look back on how it was the first few weeks of starting this adventure, I can see the progress I've made and it's amazing.

Refocusing

2008-05-19T22:25:00.000-04:00

In the past couple of weeks, my attentions have been flitting from one thing to another and I'm not good at switching gears. I do best when I can concentrate on one thing, to the exclusion of everything else. Unlike many women, I don't multitask well.

Now that Jenna's wedding is over, I can devote more of my thoughts and efforts to getting back on track with my running. It's taken me longer to rest up from the festivities of the weekend than I expected, but I'm not sure I will ever truly be rested.

I drove to Jenna and Joe's apartment prior to training, did some stretching and ran to the ASH Centre. It took me about 10:30 to get there, and once I was there, I kept right on running, doing laps in the gym. After another ten minutes of running, I took a break. The rest of the group got there shortly after, and as usual, we ran/walked for ten minutes to warm up. I ran it, which meant that I'd done my 30 minutes for the day.

We then went through our core strengthening exercises together, then talked about the Warbird 5K that several members of our group had run on Saturday. It sounds like it was a good experience for everyone, better than most expected it to be. Barb E. even came in third in her age group and got a trophy!

Jamey said we were going to begin to transition to training by distance rather than time in the next couple of weeks. We'll also only meet once a week as a group, on Mondays, beginning in June. He said if we knew of a 5K event and wanted to run in it, to go for it. Barb mentioned a 5K being held during New Haven Canal Days that she wanted to run and I told her I'd run it with her. That's on June 7th.

I left to run back to Jenna's, but I didn't run it without stopping this time. I walked for a couple of minutes, and made it back to her apartment in 11:30. I was exhausted, but glad that I'd had a good workout.

113

Warbird or Lovebirds?

2008-05-17T10:13:00.000-04:00

Today, some members of our training group are running the Warbird 5K as the first organized race we've run as a group. I so wanted to participate, but something more important was planned for the day. Our younger daughter Jenna is getting married.

Last weekend, I'd asked her (in jest) if she would be upset if I ran a 5K the morning of her wedding. She turned to look at me with that look that shoots daggers and said quite loudly, "Mom, I think my wedding is a little more important than your running."

Ya think? ;-)

The Morning News

2008-05-15T21:46:00.005-04:00

This morning, I awoke at 4:00 a.m., a time I rarely see at the beginning of my day. (I'm a hopeless night owl.) I had to leave home by 5:00 a.m. to be at Jamey's office in Fort Wayne at 6:00, for taping of a running tips segment for Indiana's News Center Channel 21, the ABC affiliate in Fort Wayne that is the sponsor of our training group.

I was joined by Terry and Rhonda while Jamey demonstrated some ways to use a big ball to help with core strengthening exercises. The whole segment didn't take more than a couple of minutes to do, and was filmed live with a several seconds delay.

Click on photo to go to Channel 21's page of all fitness
videos, then click on the one you want to view.

Once we finished, we walked across the street to Starbucks, where Jamey treated us to a drink. I don't like coffee or tea, so what do you get to drink in a coffee shop like that? I chose a delicious carbonated clementine drink called Izze.

Due to the ever-rising cost of gas, I chose to stay in town today since we also had a training session later. Jenna lives nearby and is off work until after her honeymoon. She and Joe will be married on Saturday, so we spent the day running necessary errands that needed to be done before the wedding.

We returned to her apartment around 3:00 p.m. and I took a short nap. Around 4:30, I decided I would run from her apartment to the ASH Centre, where we train. I ran there without stopping, which took 10:33. Brian led us in station core training for the next hour, then I ran back to Jenna's. It took me 10:22 going back.

I'm not sure if I'll do any running or not, until after the wedding this Saturday. We'll see how things go. I'm just not going to stress myself a whole lot by trying to fit things into my schedule that really don't fit. It's not every day that your baby girl gets married.

The Morning After

2008-05-14T09:45:00.000-04:00

Legs tired. Not sore though. Taking the day off...

Decisions, Decisions

2008-05-13T23:45:00.001-04:00

It was a beautiful day today, and likely the only nice one suitable for gardening left in the week. So, I had a choice to make: Run early alone, while I had the energy for it, then do my gardening work, or do the gardening and wait for Romie to run with me when he got home. He had wanted me to wait.

I tried to pace myself in the garden, so that I didn't completely exhaust myself, but I had a shrub to plant, sod to remove, soil to amend, other plants to plant, deadheading, weeding, applying fertilizer, mulch to spread, and so on and so forth. To add to things, I hadn't slept AT ALL last night; I only had gotten a few 10-15 minute naps in, as I tossed and turned all night. It wasn't looking good for the running. Again.

I revisited that nagging fear that I was too easily going to slip back into my recent bout with not running, before I'd even gotten back into running on a more regular basis. Before I knew it, Romie was home and gave me the choice: gardening or running. I needed his help with some things, so once again, running got put on the back burner.

*sigh*

Around 7:30, we started putting the tools away and headed into the house to get cleaned up for the night and find something to eat for supper. It was nearly time for American Idol, which I didn't want to miss, so I didn't have time to get a shower before it started, and I waited.

As I sat there watching Idol and eating grapes, I thought to myself that I could run after Idol was over. It wouldn't be that dark, the temperature was perfect (65°), the earlier wind had died down, and best of all, I knew if I ran tonight I wouldn't have to run tomorrow, when we were expecting rain.

So while David Cook wrapped up his final song, I stretched. As the credits rolled on the TV screen, I strapped on my watch and headed out the door. Romie had already showered and eaten, so he didn't run, but he accompanied me on his bike.

I headed north, which meant there would be not a single thing to occupy my mind except counting the telephone poles along the way. Farm fields on either side, a few road signs ... just the straight road ahead of me, with no end to it in sight.

I quickly got into a rhythm of breathing (which was back to normal, thank goodness) and concentrated on keeping my core stable and pushing off with my thighs while relaxing my calves. I'd discovered a few weeks ago that I could run better and farther by doing this, which is what Jamey had been trying to teach us all along. But as I get tired, I find myself relying more on my calves for strength and have to concentrate harder on using my thighs. Bigger muscles can handle it better.

I passed the second stop sign, which meant I'd run about 1.4 miles without stopping. I looked at my watch and was surprised to see what time it displayed. I kept going nearly half a mile more, until I thought it best to stop and walk a bit. I'd skimmed the road a couple of times with the toe of my shoe as I brought my right foot forward in my stride and I knew that I was tired and in danger of tripping.

My watch read 17:00.

At this point, I was feeling pretty good about myself. I turned around to go back towards home, walked for two minutes, then took up running again. It was hard. I felt like I wouldn't make it more than a few minutes, but soon got into a rhythm again. Setting a goal of six minutes, I made it to ten. I walked for another minute, then ran for another.

It was at this point that Romie cautioned me not to push it, and I knew he was right. I walked the rest of the way home, which was about half a mile, and immediately went upstairs to a hot tub of water. I did some of my stretching in the bathtub and by the time I was done, I seriously could have fallen asleep and spent the night there.

This was the longest continual run I've ever done outside, this 17 minutes. Not even during the 5K had I run that long without stopping to walk. It felt pretty good, too. I remember what Roger had said to me last night at training, "You look like you could just run forever." Tonight, I almost felt like that.

I Just Put On My Big Girl Panties

2008-05-13T00:33:00.000-04:00

I think I've got my head on straight again. Once I realized that it's okay to have little setbacks as long as I don't let them get me down so much that I want to give up, it was a huge relief to me. For the past week or more, I've been fighting with myself. There's been this nagging voice in the back of my head saying, "Get out there! You've got to run today! You'll fall behind if you don't!" and all it accomplished was to make me want to scream, "NO. I don't want to! Be quiet!"

Several of us talked last night at training about how many of us were raised with such a work ethic that if you don't give 110% to whatever you do, it's not enough. I've always felt if I can't do something well and be one of the best at it, then why do it?

Dental hygienists are notoriously perfectionistic. Nine times out of ten, they're overachievers and always have been. Anything less than an 'A' just won't do. They tend to follow the rules to a fault. Now Jamey would argue that I haven't always followed them, and well, it's true - I did run a 5K before I was supposed to, but it's just that the opportunity presented itself and I treated it as just another running day. I didn't try to win it, I just wanted to run it. (How's that for justification?)

But this whole running venture is another thing altogether. It's okay to want to win, but that isn't why I wanted to be a part of the training for the half-marathon. It wasn't for the race that I applied, it was the training. Just being physically fit enough to run/walk the half-marathon will be the reward of the hard work we are all putting in up until that time.

Without Jamey's direction, expertise, and encouragement, none of us would be where we are, no matter where each of us is in our training level. We are each individuals and we will reach our own personal goals at a pace that our bodies and minds allow. For me, I feel like it's my mind that has been giving me the most trouble lately.

However, once I stopped being so hard on myself and realized that I will eventually 'get there,' even if it's slower than I like, it was like a load off my mind. It just took me a couple of weeks to figure that out.

Whew.

New Strategy

2008-05-12T14:01:00.003-04:00

Here's my new tack - act like I'm a runner. Play the part. Dress the part. Be the road. (What?) I'm setting new goals for myself and putting them on the refrigerator where I can see them. Short-term goals, like what I want to accomplish by the end of this week, not the end of next month.

Since I've been lazy - no...wait...I take that back. I've not been lazy, just busy doing other things. I've been doing physical labor, just not running as much as I'm supposed to. Since I've not been running, I'm going to have to start over, kind of. I haven't lost all the ground I've gained, but surely some of it, so I'll scale back my expectations to something a little more realistic so that I don't get overly discouraged.

Today I decided to try running before noon. I'm not a morning person by any means, but once I'm up, I'm up. I'm not one of those people who stumble around with a gloomy face, grunting when I'm asked a question. No...when I'm up, my mouth is open. Big shock, huh? It used to drive my girls NUTS when we were all in the bathroom getting ready for work or school. Neither one of them is a morning person.

"Mom! How can you always be in such a good mood???" I asked them if they'd rather I always be in a bad one. But yeah, I'm sure it was annoying to them when I was trying to carry on a full-fledged conversation at 6:30 in the morning.

Anyway ... it was in the 40s and windy here this morning, so I decided I would do my running on the newly-repaired treadmill in the cool basement. That would be a little easier on me anyway and maybe I could do more. At 4.6 mph, I ran for nine minutes, while watching I Love Lucy on TVLand. It was tough, and I was drenched with sweat (steroids again?), as well as rather winded, but I made it. I walked two minutes, then started running again. I wanted to quit at three minutes, but persisted until I'd finished seven.

At that point, I could barely breathe and my chest was burning. My hair was soaked with sweat, my face felt like it was going to explode, and sweat was running down my legs. (Yes, it was sweat. LOL.) I walked a little bit more and decided to call it a day. I'd done more than I really felt like doing and tomorrow, I'll attempt to do even more.

At least I'm doing something, and I've got a plan. One way or another, I'll get back on track.

113

Woe Is Me

2008-05-10T17:43:00.001-04:00

It was a pretty day today and Romie and I had a lot to do before the girls came home later in the day for Mother's Day. So a little while after breakfast, we both took to the road for a run. I hadn't gone 30 seconds and I was winded. What was going on??? Thursday night, in the rain, I didn't feel like that. Even though I felt like I was wheezing, I could still breathe pretty well. Not this morning.

I persisted, and we ran five minutes before I had to stop and walk for a minute. I started back up and ran another three before I just had to stop. Romie tried to encourage me to push myself, but I knew I couldn't. I just couldn't get my breath. I felt like someone was choking my lungs. I have never breathed so fast and so hard, not even when I first started out.

Yesterday was kind of a lost day, because I felt sick all day. Not an ounce of energy, couldn't get comfortable in any position, coughing due to chest congestion, didn't sleep well the night before due to sweating (likely from the steroids I'm taking for the poison ivy), and the fibromyalgia was in full force.

But I actually felt much better this morning, so I was shocked at how awful the running went. My legs felt fine, but I just couldn't breathe. I've never had an asthma attack, but if I could imagine what that is like, that's how I would have described this.

So what did I do? I had a pity party for Kylee right there on the road, out in the middle of nowhere. Romie had continued running on ahead, and I ran behind him on and off, in an effort to catch up, crying all the way. I was just so frustrated and discouraged.

Do I want to quit? NO!!!! That would mean I'm giving up and I will NOT give up. That's not an option. That would mean all the progress I've made - even if I don't feel like it now - would be for naught.

For sure, the fact that I've been lax on my running in the last two weeks hasn't helped. Nor the chest congestion. What this has shown me is that you can't afford to skip a training day just because you're too busy or don't feel like doing it, because something can always come along that really prevents you from training and if you have been cheating like I had been, then you're in trouble.

Time for some serious self-talk and mind games. Whatever gets me through the night...and training.

Three Rivers Running Company

2008-05-08T21:29:00.010-04:00

Tonight the group met at Three Rivers Running Company on the north side of Fort Wayne to be advised about shoes, socks, fitness wear, and other equipment. It was good to be with the group again, since I'd not seen them for a week and a half. I hate missing training because being among my fellow runners is in a way motivating, even if we're not actively training.

Casey explains the basic construction of a running shoe.

Here at Three Rivers, you can have your running analyzed by digital filming as you run on the treadmill.

Justin has his running style analyzed.

They look at your running style, mainly whether you pronate, supinate, or are generally neutral as your foot strikes the ground. I had no clue what I did, but a quick analysis showed that I pronate (shown in photo at right).

I had already purchased shoes about a month ago - New Balance 661 - just because I needed a pair, so I was interested to know if the pair I'd bought were okay for me. I found out that they were generally neutral and decent shoes, although it would have been better had I purchased a size larger than my usual 8½. To help with my pronation, I purchased inserts that help stabilize my arches.

I also purchased a pair of thin socks, which I prefer anyway, and they will also help create just a smidge more room in my shoes. We learned that socks make a big difference when running long distances. Actually, each little component adds up to a more pleasant running experience - shoes, clothing, socks.

We also learned about fabrics and how they can help wick away moisture (mostly known as sweat). While cotton is good for absorbing the moisture, it's not very good at helping it evaporate away, so most running attire is made of polyester or nylon, or a blend, because of their excellent moisture control properties.

I spoke with Casey, one of the managers, about how I'd been struggling with getting out to run, and he reminded of one of the methods that I'd actually used before, but had forgotten - that of setting a short goal as I got out on the road or on the treadmill. I'd tell myself I'd just run five minutes and see how I felt after that. Then I'd set another small goal, then another, and before I knew it, my time was in. I needed this reminder to jump start my routine again.

When I got home tonight, I came right in the house and immediately went to the basement to run on the treadmill (after stretching). The treadmill wasn't running right. I got mad. Here I was, ready to get back on the horse and the stupid treadmill wouldn't go any faster than 2.5 mph.

Nothing like a little anger to get you outside in the 48° rain to run. I didn't feel well, either due to the poison ivy, the steroids, the fibromyalgia or all three, yet I just had to get started again, or it was just one more day that I didn't run.

I managed to run 9 minutes, walk two, then ran just 7 more minutes before the rain and the wind got the better of me and I came in. I was really nauseated by the time I finished, so I don't think I could have completed the regular run anyway, even in good weather. After stretching, and a hot bath, I felt a lot better. And I had run. Even if it was only 16 minutes. It's a lot of steps in the right direction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Footnote: Romie got the treadmill fixed two minutes after I'd left the house to run in the rain. The variable speed pulley was stuck.

One More Reason

2008-05-07T21:51:00.003-04:00

I never thought I'd use this reason not to run...

All day today, I have felt physically sick, including chilling and breaking into a sweat. I got a Medrol dosepak tonight and have just finished taking the sixth and final tablet for today. Five more days on it, and we'll see if this gets cleared up in time for the wedding. Right now, I just want to feel better.

Life Can Get in the Way

2008-05-05T22:17:00.000-04:00

Wasn't it John Lennon that said, "Life is what happens while making other plans"? I feel like I'm living that life right now and I feel like my running schedule has suffered.

Gardening
Running
Gardening
Writing
Gardening
Fibromyalgia
Gardening
Bridal Shower
Gardening
Writing
Gardening
Working
Gardening
Running
Gardening

It's kind of like that. And I'm exhausted. But that's usually the case this time of year. We have large gardens and this is an extremely busy time. This will be over soon, and I can get back to some sort of normalcy.

I missed a couple of days running although I'm still current with the training schedule (Run 9:00, Walk 2:00, Repeat, Run 8:00). I noticed that my lungs and heart didn't suffer from missing those days, but my legs did. They just felt more tired. I'm not very good at multitasking and changing gears is really hard for me. As I'm immersed in one thing - mainly gardening, at the moment - I find it difficult to stop doing that and do whatever else needs doing. Like running. I do it, but mentally, I'm somewhere else.

The training group is going to run a 5K on May 17th - the Warbird Brewing Company 5K. Our daughter Jenna's wedding is that day. I don't think she'd be too happy with me if I tried to squeeze the 5K in. But I do hate missing running with the group.

117.5

Top Ten Reasons Not To Run Today

2008-05-04T22:32:00.001-04:00

10. It's too windy.
9. I'm too busy.
8. I'm too tired.
7. Missing one day won't hurt.
6. I've got a headache.
5. It's too cold.
4. It's too hot.
3. My legs hurt.
2. I can do it tomorrow.

And the number one reason not to run today: I just don't want to.

For some reason, I'm having a real mental battle with myself. I want to do this, but I don't want to do this. Whether I'm running on the treadmill or out on the road, I'm having to fight for every minute to keep going. We talked about this with Jamey last Thursday and he tells us it's normal. He also said as we set larger goals for ourselves, it will continue to be difficult. Anything worth working for isn't easy.

I love how much more physically fit I am. My abdominal muscles are hard as a rock when I tense them up. It's been a very long time since they were like that. My leg muscles aren't as flabby as they once were either. And the fact that I don't get all that winded when running (like I used to) tells me my cardio-pulmonary health has improved, too.

So, regardless of all those reasons not to run, there are much better ones telling me to keep it up.

On The Road Again

2008-04-26T15:11:00.011-04:00

Jamey has told us that he doesn't want us running any organized races until after May. I can understand his reasoning, because when you're running in a race, there's that competitive factor that insidiously creeps into your thinking. And it does affect your running. You'll push yourself more than normal and the possibility exists for overuse and injury to occur because of it.

But when Romie brought a flyer home from work a few weeks ago for the YMCA of Van Wert County 5K Race to be held on April 26th, I kind of wanted to do it. At that point, I was already running/walking at least two miles or more during my 30-minute workouts, so what was one more mile? I'd just use the 5K as my training for that day.

I talked to Ashley and Kerrie about it at work and they both said they wanted to do it too. So last week, I got us signed up and paid the $10 entry fee. We'd agreed that if nothing else, we'd have a t-shirt, even if we ended up not doing it.

Last night, I spoke with Kerrie on the phone and she told me she wasn't going to be able to run the 5K with me. Ashley had already told me on Wednesday that she couldn't either, so now I was on my own. I'd had a pretty exhausting day yesterday and when I woke up this morning, I hurt all over and it was cold and windy and I decided I wasn't going to do the race either.

I lounged around until about 11:00, then got dressed so I could go pick up our t-shirts before the race started. Somewhere around 11:07, I decided I would go ahead and just run. Why not? I needed to run today anyway.

But I went about this all wrong. I hadn't run since Monday. I hadn't done anything since Monday, except for working in the garden. I'd had nothing to eat or drink. I wasn't entirely convinced that running the 5K was a smart thing to do. Mentally, I was wishy-washy about it. But I opened a jar of peanut butter and shoved a big scoop of it in my mouth, grabbed a couple of granola bars and a bottle of water and headed out the door.

The race started at 12:00 at the entrance to Camp Clay on Liberty-Union Road west of Van Wert. We went south to Old Tile Factory Road and turned west. O.M.G. There were 30-mph headwinds as we tried to cover that mile and so many horrible thoughts went through my mind at that point - "What the heck was I thinking?" "I have NO business doing this." "I want to just go over to the side of the road and sit in the ditch right now." "Oh please, let a car come by and pick me up."

Then I started to think rationally. I ran for a couple of minutes, then walked a couple until I caught my breath. Ran a couple, walked a couple. In the two places where there were trees and a house to break the wind a little, I tried to take advantage of that and I ran. I knew once I got to the corner and could turn, it would be easier running.

I turned the corner at Richey Road and now the wind was blowing from my left. This was a great improvement and I ran more like I'm used to running. At the halfway point, they had a water station set up and I stopped for about 15 seconds and drank a little water. I finished that half-mile stretch of road by running/walking, then turned the corner and headed east on Tumbleson Road.

Now the wind was at my back! I was good and warmed up by this point and it actually felt good running. I set a goal for myself of running that entire mile without stopping. I'd not ever run a full mile straight before, but with the help of that wind, I thought I could do it and I did. That brought me back to Liberty-Union Road and the home stretch.

I continued to run the couple tenths of a mile to the entrance, where I turned right again and headed toward the finish line. The last tenth started out with a slight incline and I walked a little bit of that, but wanted to finish by running. That was much more difficult than I ever expected - running that last little bit. As I crossed the finish line, I was given a tongue depressor with the number 47 on it. That let me know that I was 47th overall. The time on my watch showed 33:20. (My official time was 33:11 - I didn't stop my watch right away when I crossed the finish line.)

I walked up to the building where everyone was congregating, eating snacks and drinking water and waiting for the results. Most of the people there had been running for awhile and many of them knew each other. I did see and talk to several people that I knew and I was surprised to learn that they were runners.

Time for the race results and awards! They started with the youngest age group and worked their way up to the oldest. The top two male and female runners in each age group were awarded a medal and there were also awards for the top two male and female runners overall.

No one was more shocked and excited than I was when they called my name for placing second in my age group. I'd won a medal! I thought I was going to cry. Before the race, I told several people that I didn't care if I didn't win a thing (and didn't expect to). I just wanted to finish without collapsing. But I have just enough of that competitive spirit in me that deep down I really was hoping I could win one of those medals. Being 50 years old didn't hurt, because there weren't that many female runners aged 50-59.

So, Jamey, while I know you're not happy with me right now and I fully expect to receive a tongue-lashing from you, for the moment I'm going to bask in the glow of my medal.

Two months ago, I can guarantee you I would have laughed in anyone's face if they'd told me I would be running in a 5K race, let alone coming home with a medal. Runner's high? You bet.

See Kylee Not Run

2008-04-24T22:33:00.004-04:00

I've been bad. I've not run since Monday night. This is a horribly busy time for me. When the weather is nice, as it has been for awhile now, I work like a crazy person in the gardens. We've got big ones and are in the process of expanding several of them. There are several projects we're working on, too. And of course, Jenna's wedding in four weeks.

Last night after work, neither Kerrie nor Ashley was able to stay and run and when I got home, I got busy with outside projects and I didn't stop with them until after dark. By then, I was exhausted.

The same thing happened tonight. I worked outside all day, digging out grass so I could make a dry bed that will hopefully help with the flooding that occurs there whenever we get heavy rains. And after I got it dug, I shoveled rock and hauled it from the back of our property up to the house and put it in the bed.

I won't be able to run tomorrow either because Mom and I are driving to Columbus to pick up plants for the Smiley Park Children's Garden and we'll be gone all day. That means I won't be running until Saturday - five days since the last time I've run. That's the longest time I've ever gone without running.

I may not have run and I missed group training tonight, but let me tell you this - removing sod and leveling compacted clay soil, as well as shoveling and hauling stone, is GREAT for strengthening those core muscles.

TAKE. MY. WORD. FOR. IT.

Tricking the Terrain

2008-04-21T23:32:00.001-04:00

I got a phone call from Jenna earlier today, and she wanted to know if I was going to run after group training tonight. She lives just nine-tenths of a mile from the Ash Center where we train and I'd mentioned running to her place after training last week. She's getting married on May 17th and she's decided she would look better in her wedding dress if she lost five pounds. So she suggested I drive over and we'd run together.

She was a super athlete in high school (basketball, softball, golf) and played golf for all four years at Manchester College. She's got a slim, very athletic build and is one of those natural athletes that can do almost any sport well. She didn't get that from me. She's now employed as an athletic trainer and I know she goes through phases of working out, but apparently not recently.

After group training tonight, which consisted of walking/running for five minutes then two rounds of station core exercises, I drove to Jenna's. We walked the short distance to Wildwood Park, then started running. I'm at the end of week 7, where we run 7:00, walk 3:00, and repeat two more times for a total of 30 minutes.

Wildwood Park is an idyllic city neighborhood in Fort Wayne, at least as far as I'm concerned. Most of the homes there are unique, oozing with character and class, and are surrounded by lots of trees and beautiful landscaping. There are even rolling hills and the streets aren't laid out in grid squares, instead meandering and winding in and around and through.

We started our run and as we moved along, I expressed my concern to Jenna about those hills. I've not run on anything but flat terrain because that's all we have where I live. And when I say flat, I mean flat. Like a tabletop. She assured me there was a way to get around the hills. Her former roommate, Mel, was a runner and she had it all figured out how to run on the flat or downhill parts and take the walking breaks on the uphill parts.

About halfway through the second 7-minute run, Jenna hurt her ankle. She's had problems with it before, but it had been a few years, so she was surprised that it bothered her today. She tried to go easy on it, but had to stop and walk and even that was fairly painful. She felt bad that she couldn't run with me and I felt bad that I couldn't slow down for her. I told her to just rest and I would run a ways then turn around and come back to her.

I did end up having to run up one hill, and it was at the end of the third and final run. Could it have come at a worse time??? But I pressed onward and upward and met back up with Jenna and we walked back to her place.

The change of scenery helped the 30 minutes fly by. The magnolias were in bloom at about every other house and the weather was just about perfect, too, with temperatures in the low 70s with sunny blue skies. I think I'll try to do this as much as possible after group training and hopefully Jenna's ankle won't give her permanent trouble.

I've found that I'm not all that winded anymore after running and can even talk while running. It's just amazing to me how good this feels (most of the time) and also how far I've come in just eight weeks. There's still much work to be done, but I now feel confident that what once seemed impossible is actually doable.

117

Running By Moonlight

2008-04-18T23:57:00.001-04:00

When I got up this morning, I was so stiff and sore that I wasn't sure what I was going to be able to do today, running aside. We'd planned a moonlight "stroll" for tonight, which was to include our son-in-law, Adam.

We worked all day outside in the yard, planting and cleaning the yard and gardens and I wasn't feeling much better by the end of the day than I had at the start. I still had to clean the house for Jenna's bridal shower tomorrow afternoon, but planned to do the bulk of that job in the morning.

I was so dirty from working outside that Romie suggested I take a bath even though I'd get sweaty if we did our planned run. That was a really good move, not only because indeed I did need a good clean-up, but the soaking in the hot water did much to temporarily relieve the soreness I was feeling.

When I got out of the tub, I felt pretty good and got dressed in running clothes. Adam and Kara arrived a short time later, and around 10:00 p.m., Romie, Adam and I took to the road.

BEST RUN EVER!

It was good in so many ways. Let me set the scene for you... The temperature was around 70° and there was no wind. We don't live on a heavily traveled road, and in the half hour that we were out there, we didn't have a single car go by.

It was so quiet that the only sounds were those of our six feet padding rhythmically along and our exhalations keeping time with our feet. Off in the distance we could hear a chorus of spring peepers. Stars dotted the black sky and there were only a few clouds streaking across, made visible only because of the nearly full moon. The spring night air smelled good and was enhanced by the fact that our neighbor had mowed his yard that afternoon.

We ran for 11 minutes, then walked for three. We started running again and it felt so good that I challenged Adam to go another 11 minutes without stopping to walk, instead of the 7 minutes that was the recommended time to be running at this point in the training schedule. Romie was taking it easy since this was his first time out after taking some time off to allow the pain in his hips to subside.

When the 11 minutes was up, I was still feeling pretty good, so I asked Adam if he wanted to go another minute longer. I think I could have talked him into running around the mile square if I'd wanted to. We stopped at 12 and walked our way back to the house.

We all agreed that we loved running like this on a beautiful warm spring night, with the moon lighting our way. I think we'll be doing this again!

Happy Spring!

2008-04-17T23:23:00.000-04:00

I didn't intend on missing group training tonight, but it happened that way. Romie was whining about me going with him to Van Wert to help pick out materials for a couple of projects we're doing here. Since those projects are for me, I thought I'd better indulge him and go along.

The weather is absolutely fabulous. Summer-like. The high for today was 75° and it was sunny with a light breeze. It just doesn't get any better than this! I worked in the garden most of the day and got a lot done. Then this evening, around 9:30, we both came in for the night, after planting a magnolia tree by moonlight.

I suggested that we go for a moonlight run, but Romie was just too tired, so we have that planned for tomorrow night. Our older daughter and her husband are coming to spend the night because our younger daughter's bridal shower is here on Saturday. Adam has started training too (inspired by ME!) and he's going to run with us. Should be fun!

118

Conversation With Self

2008-04-16T13:38:00.000-04:00

Worked all day instead of just the afternoon. Ashley is gone for the week and Kerrie couldn't stay to run. Worked in the garden when I got home from work. Beautiful day, but kept putting off running...

Some days are like this. I can find every excuse in the world not to run. It doesn't matter if the weather is perfect (which it was) or that I've got the energy to run (which I did). I just didn't want to run, so I had to do some self-talking.

Me: I don't want to run.
Self: But it's your day to run.
Me: I know, but I don't want to.
Self: If you don't, you'll fall behind with your training and your stamina.
Me: Yeah, I know, but I still don't want to run.
Self: Yeah, I know, but you still have to.

It's a losing battle with my Self, this arguing about running. So I just did it. I had put it off so long that it was dark outside and I had to run on the treadmill, and that's a whole other thing. Ever since Jamey told me that my running 25 minutes on the treadmill converted to about 10-15 minutes of outside running, I've been in competition with my Self.

I had another conversation with my Self about how long to run on the treadmill without stopping. I had set the speed at 4.5 mph and started running. I told my Self that I'd run two 15-minute runs. As I got near the 15-minute mark, I felt really good, so I kept going. When I got to 20 minutes, I decided I might as well try for 25 minutes again. And that's when I told my Self that I needed to run at least 26 minutes, because as I said in the previous paragraph, I'm competing with my Self.

So I ran 27 minutes.

Drill Sergeant

2008-04-14T23:51:00.002-04:00

The last several times in group training, Jamey has put us through drills. You hear a lot of complaining about some of them and we tease Jamey that he's mean and sadistic, and while that may be true, (just kidding, Jamey!), we know that he knows what's best for us. He's just trying to help us build up core strength and strong legs which will help us achieve the level of fitness we need to run 13.1 miles in September.

We started out running tonight, before the drills, and I ran the entire ten minutes straight, without stopping. It felt good. Then we did two circuits of drills, and by the time we were finishing up with those, my blood sugar was taking a dive. I was shaky and I wanted food NOW.

I worked out this session in new shoes that I had bought on Saturday. They're New Balance 661 running shoes that I bought at Kohl's for a great price. They were originally $64.99, marked down to $44.99, plus I had a 30% off coupon, making the final price $31.49.

117.5

Oprah's Big Give

2008-04-12T23:17:00.001-04:00

As part of Oprah's Big Give, Fort Wayne Trails was given $10,000 to try and turn it into much more. The Fort Wayne area met the challenge and turned it into over $1,000,000, and the celebration was held today at Headwaters Park. Our running group was a part of the celebration, by being at both the Indian Trails location in the morning and at Headwaters Park in the afternoon.

L-R: Terry, Kevin, Me, Barb, and Monique

In the morning, a member of our running group - Barb - was interviewed by the Oprah filming crew. They were present at Headwaters Park, too, where over 3000 people joined in the fun. A local band played, prizes were given, a belly dancing troupe performed, kids got their faces painted, and there was food and other freebies handed out by various organizations that had table displays set up.

Indiana News Center's Mary Collins emceed the event, which included Mayor Tom Henry speaking and issuing a proclamation for the day. But the real crowd pleasers were Indianapolis Colts Coach Tony Dungy and several of the Colts players, including Bob Sanders.

Even though the day was ugly weather-wise, with temperatures in the 30s and rain then snow, the turnout was great and spirits high.

The events here in Fort Wayne will be highlighted on Oprah's Big Give on Sunday, April 20th, at 8:00 p.m. on local ABC affiliate, WPTA-TV Channel 21. (Note the NEW TIME.)

It Was a Day

2008-04-10T19:41:00.010-04:00

For the first time since we started training, I missed a group session today. It was a strange and busy day, starting out by getting up when it was still dark outside. I'm a night owl and unless I have to work in the morning or go somewhere early, I rarely see the sunrise.

The reason I was up early today (5:00 a.m.) was because Mary Collins and Jamey were on the morning news, which runs from 5:00-7:00 a.m., giving running tips and talking about our group. Kevin, one of my fellow runners, was on also, sharing his thoughts about what we're doing and how it's already helped him.

Then at 9:00, I got a phone call from our vet. Yesterday, I'd taken the latest addition to our cat family - Barney - to be neutered and immunized. Before they would do the surgery today, they did a test for FeLV (Feline Leukemia Virus). Unfortunately, it was positive for the virus, so I gave permission for Barney to be put to sleep.

Barney was a stray brown tabby that had been making our place his home for several months, and while we didn't need another cat, his affectionate manner would have made him a welcome member of the family.

I had to make a trip to Van Wert that didn't get me home until after 3:00, and there were several things that I needed to get done so I opted to forgo group training. It was a running day today, but since it was pouring down rain, I ran on the treadmill in the basement instead of outside.

It's been several weeks since I last ran on the treadmill, because we've had such nice weather. I prefer to run outside, even though it's a little tougher on my legs. The scenery changes as I make my way down the road, plus Romie can run with me. I set the speed on the treadmill at 4.4 mph and off I went.

I decided I wouldn't look at my watch until I started to feel a little winded or tired. Time went by as I jogged along, watching the evening news. Hmmmm...surely five minutes had passed... Nope. Eight minutes. I still felt really good, so I kept going. The next time I looked at my watch, I had run fifteen minutes and I still felt pretty good!

By this time, it was as if I were in a trance, on automatic pilot. I didn't want to stop, and as I reached 21 minutes, I was starting to breathe a little harder and the sweat started rolling down my face. My legs still felt pretty good and no hip joint pain at all! When my watch said 25 minutes, I stopped running and walked for awhile to cool down before hopping off the treadmill. Heart rate at the end: 138.

Wow. I would have never guessed today's run would go like that at all. Not after three straight days of crummy runs. Now I know that running on the treadmill is easier than running outside on the road, but I can also remember when running three minutes on the treadmill was a real killer. And I can remember when Jenna told me she runs 20 minutes on the treadmill and I wanted to slap her.

So take THAT, Jenna! LOL.

120

______________________

(Run 6 minutes, walk 2 minutes) x 3
+ Run 6 minutes = 30 minutes √

Struggling a Little

2008-04-08T23:54:00.002-04:00

Last night at group training, we walked/ran for about ten minutes, then spent the rest of the time doing the various exercises at several stations around the gym. For some we used equipment, and for some we didn't. Some were new moves, some we had done before. I enjoy these and I was REALLY happy that Jamey didn't have us doing those blasted push-ups. I can't do them anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter.

Today, I thought about doing my running before I started working outside in the gardens, but since I like gardening better than running, I put my gloves on and got to work. BAD MOVE. You'd think I'd learn, after my experience on Sunday, but no. I did remember to eat today, though.

About 6:00, I put my running shoes on and headed out. Romie's taking the week off from running, to try to give his hip joints a break, so he rode his bicycle beside me. He attempted to be my timekeeper, but he kept giving me the wrong times. I know this because I had my watch on too, and was keeping track of the time myself. I fussed at him about this, and he protested, "I'm only off by 15 seconds or so."

Only 15 seconds? When you're gasping for air and your thighs are burning and your hip joints are hurting, fifteen seconds might as well be another minute. I'm not sure why my hip joints were hurting, but they were. Both of them. And I just couldn't seem to get enough oxygen to keep me going. I kept getting dizzy, too.

So, I did what I could, which was to run as long as I could, then walk a couple of minutes and run again. That was 4:30 when I started out, then my times fell drastically after that. There were times of 3:00, 2:20, 1:20, 2:00, and even one that barely made a minute. *sigh*

This makes three times in a row that I've had a bad running day. But I'm hopeful that this is just one of those bumps in the road and the next time I run (tomorrow), it will go better.

120.5

Our Fearless Leader!

2008-04-06T23:03:00.001-04:00

Our running group is being trained by Dr. Jamey Gordon, owner of Fort Wayne Physical Therapy. Now if we aren't fortunate enough that we're being trained by a physical therapist, Jamey is also a runner. He does marathons.

Today, while Romie and I were outside planting shrubs and cleaning up the gardens, Jamey was in St. Louis running 26.2 miles. He did a darn good job of it, too. Out of nearly 10,000 runners, he placed 957th, putting him in the top 10% of all runners. Out of the 4246 male runners, he placed 698th, which places him in the top 16%. Great job, Jamey!

We have group training tomorrow, and I doubt Jamey wants to hear about how much of a struggle it was for both Romie and me when we ran today. But it was. When we got done, Romie said to me, "That was not fun at all." I wholeheartedly agreed.

Romie's been having hip pain, both sides. My legs were just tired and I didn't breathe well. We both only managed one five-minute run - the third one out of the four. The other three runs were broken up into running two or three minutes, walking a minute, then finishing out running so that the running part equaled five minutes.

For me, it probably didn't help much that by 5:00 p.m., when we started our run, the only thing I'd had to eat all day was two oatmeal raisin cookies. Nor the fact that I'd just spent five hours working in the gardens. I didn't forgo eating on purpose, I just was busy and didn't think about it. Serves me right that I had difficulty, but I don't know what's up with Romie's hip pain. He's going to take a few days off to see if the pain goes away.

This too shall pass.

Landmarks

2008-04-04T20:50:00.002-04:00

Another successful running day...

Run 5:00, walk 2:30
Run 5:00, walk 2:30
Run 5:00, walk 2:30
Run 5:00, walk 2:30

It was a little tougher today than Wednesday, but I pushed myself and completed each run in pretty good shape. The weather was a downer when we started out. It was 45° and misting rain, but by the time we finished, that felt good.

When I'm starting to struggle during a run, I present myself with mini challenges. I look at what's ahead on the course and set a goal of getting to a landmark, such as the dead tree. Or the end of the cemetery fence. Or the pothole. And when I reach that, I set another goal. I do that until I am at the end of my minutes.

Works for me!

It's Magic!

2008-04-02T22:46:00.003-04:00

Last week, during group training, a couple of my fellow runners mentioned that they were starting to feel it coming together. In their words, they were "getting their groove on." I stood there thinking, "Whatever that means," because I sure wasn't feeling any of that.

Each and every day that I have attempted running, it has been a struggle. Mentally, for sure, because of how I hate exercise and running most of all. And physically, my body is protesting. Sometimes it's my legs - burning and heavy and tight. Sometimes it's my lungs - burning and inadequate. Sometimes it's muscular - just plain painful, every step of the way. And sometimes it's all three, as was the case last Saturday.

Then came Monday, March 31st. What a great day. Running felt good. I felt good. It was all good. And I was sure it was a fluke.

Tonight after work, Ashley, Kerrie and I ran together. According to the running schedule, we were to run 5:00, walk 2:30, and repeat three more times for a total of 30 minutes. I wasn't sure how it would go, since I'd been struggling just to run three minutes without stopping, up until Monday.

Today was just about a perfect day - right around 50° and sunny, with a light breeze. We headed out, Kerrie and I on the heels of our young and energetic leader, Ashley. She's our timekeeper and she may or may not tell us the correct time we have left when we're running, depending on how we're struggling. She's good at messing with your mind.

But lo and behold, I was able to do all four five-minute runs without dying. Since it's always a full week since the last time Ashley has seen me run, she can see improvement (or not) from one week to the next. She was amazed at how much better I was doing. "You've made a drastic improvement!" she told me.

It's as if a magical switch has been thrown and my body has decided to get with the program. It feels different and I can't tell you how much that has changed how I think about things. I now have an incredible amount of confidence that I will continue to improve and that by September, I will be in pretty good shape for the half-marathon.

Maybe runners aren't as crazy as I thought, after all.

122

Things I Learned Today

2008-03-31T21:40:00.004-04:00

~ Running into the wind is really, really hard to do.
~ Running with the wind at your back is actually fun!
~ Sunshine makes me happy.
~ Flowers make me even happier.
~ A good day running makes you forget about a bad one.

Today, for the first time, I finally am able to imagine that I can run longer than three or four minutes at a time. I actually visualized myself running around "the block," which for me is four miles. We live out in the country in northwest Ohio, and thanks to the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, roads are laid out in one-mile square grids.

After Saturday's disastrous runs and feeling so discouraged, even to the point of thinking I just couldn't do this thing, today was FABULOUS! I was amazed at how good it felt by the time I finished. I wasn't really that tired and nothing hurt.

It went like this:

Run 2:00, Walk :15, Run 1:45
Walk 3:00, Run 2:50, Walk :30, Run 1:00
Walk 3:00, Run 4:00
Walk 3:00, Run 4:00
Walk 3:00, Run 8:08.

See that? I was feeling so good on that last run that I decided to see just how far I could run before I felt just like I did at the two-minute mark on the first run of today. Yes, the wind was at my back, but still... EIGHT MINUTES and EIGHT SECONDS! Then I got in the car to figure out the distance I had run in that eight minutes. A little over ¾-mile!

Life is good.

120

Tough Stuff

2008-03-29T21:12:00.001-04:00

Today's run was torture, all the way around. My legs were dead, I had no air, and everything hurt. I didn't enjoy one little bit of it. And that's all I have to say about that.

I've got one word for the great way the day ended though: LobsterFest!

It Was My Shoes!

2008-03-27T23:59:00.003-04:00

At group training tonight, we started by walking/running for about ten minutes. I wore different shoes than I'd been wearing and to everyone's amazement, my running was much quieter! Jamey had been calling me "Kloppy" because I made so much noise with my running, and he could tell a big difference just with my wearing different shoes.

The ones I wore tonight were Skechers cycling-style shoes and are really lightweight, but they don't have good support for running. So I think this means that I'll be getting new running shoes. We are to have someone come and talk to us about shoes in the next few weeks, so I'll wait until then to start looking for some.

Also tonight, Jamey set up stations where we would do a certain exercise with equipment for one minute, then we would rotate and go to the next one. It was fun doing this. Except for the push-ups.

We had partners and Sharon was mine. In one minute, I think she did fifteen push-ups and I COULDN'T DO EVEN ONE! I could let myself down to the floor, but absolutely couldn't push myself up again. I knew my upper body strength was lacking, but this is pathetic!

I liked working with the big ball the best. The other ones were okay and I didn't have any trouble with those. These were considered core strengthening exercises, but when we were done, I could really tell that I'd given my arms a workout, too.

_____________________________
Photos by Jamey Gordon

The "E" Word

2008-03-27T14:10:00.004-04:00

Do my friends know me or what? LOL!

120.5

Workout Wednesday

2008-03-26T22:00:00.003-04:00

This was the best weather day we've had all year. The sun was shining and the temps neared 60°, making for a great day for running. Ashley and I were infected with a little bit of spring fever, which puts a little more energy and enthusiasm into everything you do. So when work was over for the day, we changed our clothes and headed outside to run.

As usual, Ashley could go longer than I could, but I did manage to make it through a four-minute run during the thirty minutes we were out there. Mostly though, I ran as long as I could, which was right around three minutes, then walked 15 seconds and finished out the four minutes running.

After I got home, Romie wanted to run, so I tried to do a couple more 3-4 minute runs with him. I managed a three, but the second one had me running/walking/running/walking.

It's such a good feeling when I've gotten my running out of the way for the day. I feel almost panicky as the day progresses and I know I've got it yet to do. I can't not do it, but that option always exists in the recesses of my mind, and that's when my self has to talk to me. "It's only thirty minutes..."

Run Some, Walk Some, Run Some More

2008-03-24T22:34:00.003-04:00

Romie accompanied me to group training tonight. I think he would love to be a part of the group, but I'm happy that he's being so supportive and is training right with me at home. It definitely helps keep me going.

We did more drills tonight - different ones. I like the variety that Jamey's presenting to us, because it's this kind of stuff that has turned me off so much about exercising in the past. Not that I like the running part any better, but doing anything as a part of a group helps a great deal.

In fact, I wish we were doing our running together on the days we have group training. I just do better mentally when I know I have to do it. The most difficult thing for me is to stick with it. As we add running time to our workouts, it's becoming more and more difficult to resist just quitting. I know I can't quit and deep down, I don't really want to, but it would be so easy to just give up.

Maybe I'm trying to push ahead too quickly. I'm struggling to finish running the three minute parts and by Wednesday, we're supposed to move ahead to running four minutes, walking two, and repeating that four more times. Unless a major miracle happens, I think I'm going to need to keep working on completing the three-minute runs before I add more time to them.

It was still sunny and nice outside when we got home, although a bit chilly at 39°. I didn't want to run at all, but Romie and I headed out and down the road. He had tried to give me an out, saying we could run tomorrow, but I knew it was supposed to rain then and I don't want to run in the cold rain. We didn't really do the running schedule per se, because I had issues that I won't go into here, but we ran some and walked some and ran some and walked some.

The last time I ran (Saturday) and tonight, I noticed my right foot seemed to be dragging as I neared the end of my running. It's like I don't have the ability to lift it and could be just fatigue and weak muscles.

119.5

Daffodil Days

2008-03-20T23:23:00.005-04:00

I just love group training. It's fun to see and talk with the other runners. We have a common goal and we're experiencing much of the same frustrations and triumphs.

Tonight, we did some more drills - different ones than the ones we did the other night, although we did those, too. After we did the new ones, we tried running using everything we'd worked on. The running felt different - better different. Easier, kind of.

While doing some new core strengthening exercises, I found something I'm good at! I'd not heard of "The Plank" before and it's something I've never done before either. (Remember, prior to this, I didn't do exercise.) You lie down on the floor, on your stomach. Then you prop yourself up on your elbows and forearms. Your feet are in contact with the floor by the toes only. You raise up your entire body until it's in a straight line and hold it that way as long as possible.

I wasn't trying to stay up any longer than anyone else, but that's what I did. Crystal was beside me and she stayed up pretty long, too. Jamey accused me of having a two-by-four holding me up. LOL. I don't know why I found this particular thing to be fairly easy, but I did. Finally! Something I can do well naturally!

My ankle was doing pretty well tonight, but the upper calf muscle on that leg was pretty sore and got more so as we continued. We didn't do our 30-minute run as a group tonight, so I planned to do that once I got home - outside - since it was such a nice day. (51° and sunny when I left to drive home.) Once I got home though, my calf was too sore to run much.

Romie and I walked down to the next mile road and back, which was probably 1.7 miles (based on earlier walks). Romie couldn't keep up with my walking pace, even though he has longer legs. He just couldn't move his legs that fast, so he jogged to catch up every now and then. I did do some running, until my leg started tightening up and hurting. I'll try doing some more running tomorrow to make up for it.

It's Daffodil Days and before we left group training tonight, we were given bouquets of yellow daffodils from the American Cancer Society. To buy these fresh-cut bouquets would cost $10, so I think I'll make a donation. There isn't a single person alive that hasn't either known someone who had/has cancer or that hasn't had it themselves. Romie had his own bout with squamous cell carcinoma last year and my dad had melanoma nearly five years ago (and is still cancer free!).

117.5

One Minute More

2008-03-19T23:03:00.004-04:00

Today - a running day - starts the second week of running for me, and now we're to run three minutes, then walk three minutes, rinse and repeat four more times.

At work, Ashley couldn't stay to run tonight, but Kerrie was expecting me to run outside with her at the end of the day. I told her no way. It was 38°. When Jenna and Kara were in their college golf playing days, they knew I was a fair weather golf mom and as long as I have an indoor facility to do my running, you won't find me outside unless it's nice. Kerrie called me a weenie. LOL.

I got home, was sleepy, so I took a nap, knowing full well that it might affect my resolve to do my running on the treadmill. The call of the couch was just too compelling. I awoke at 7:00, went down to the basement, turned on Wheel of Fortune and got my legs moving.

My ankle felt a little tender, but as long as I concentrated on relaxing my calves and ankles, I was amazed at how far I could go. Three minutes. YEAH! And another three minutes. YEAH! And one more time. YEAH!

The fourth time, I got winded and my ankle was starting to hurt more, so I stopped at 1:45 and walked for :15, then ran for the remaining 1:00. On the final three minute run, I was struggling about halfway through and then the tread on the treadmill slipped and I nearly fell off. That was enough for me to call it a day. But I really felt good that I was even able to run at all. More icing on the ankle tonight and we'll see how it goes tomorrow!

Thanks, Brett

2008-03-18T23:51:00.004-04:00

Last night was a study in contrasts. Sure, my ankle got hurt, but there's something else I'll remember about the night. We had a very special person come and speak to us.

Brett Freiburger is a young man who's a runner. A very good runner. Seeing him run across the gym was like seeing poetry in motion. I'd love to run like he does.

He's worked very hard at it, harder than most. When Brett was a senior in high school, he was injured in a hunting accident. After all efforts to save his injured leg failed, they amputated his left leg below the knee.

A soccer player in high school, Brett was a competitive athlete before his accident. As the mother of a child that was an outstanding athlete in high school who went on to compete in college sports, I understood all too well what he was talking about when he described his personality to us. Determination and dedication are ingrained in people like that. Throw an obstacle in front of them, and they don't whine about it - they just work harder and work around it.

Brett had to learn how to walk with his prosthesis, then how to run. That cannot have been easy by any stretch of the imagination. I know many of us feel like this half-marathon is a tall and steep mountain to climb, but if I remember only one thing Brett told us, it will be this:

"If you think in your mind that you can't do something, you'll never do it. You have to think positively and know that you can." (paraphrased)

He knows what we're going through, big time. I'm sure he had setbacks, but he didn't let them keep him from accomplishing his goals. Brett runs for St. Francis University, where he attends college. He's on the U.S. Paralympic Team and will be competing in Beijing in September.

Wow. Not much room for whining now, is there?

Uh-Oh

2008-03-18T22:45:00.007-04:00

Last night, at group training, things didn't go so well for me. Well, okay, they were fine for awhile. I enjoyed talking with Jane and Monique, and we found that we had some of the very same experiences as we trained on our own at home. Must mean we're normal! (Whatever that is.)

We started out walking for five minutes, then Jamey led us in some drills. Prancing and kicking our butts was fun. Then came the scissory thingies. You know...the kind the basketball players do sometimes. Cross your right leg in front of your left as you move to the left, then the left leg goes left. Then place your right leg behind your left as you continue moving to the left. Repeat. We walked halfway across the gym like that. No problem.

Then Jamey wanted to speed it up. I don't know exactly when it happened, but when I got to the middle of the gym, my right ankle was in pain. Crystal turned to me and said, "I don't think you should keep doing these." I went one more time, and I think Crystal was right.

Next was a two-laps-around-the-gym run and I was in pain just walking. I tried to run and just couldn't. So I sat down and was bummed. I just didn't want this to happen. Not this early. Not ever, really.

Jamey checked it out after the session ended and told me to ice it and stay off of it last night. I did that, took some ibuprofen, and stayed off of it most of today, too. Iced it again this evening. I can pretty well walk straight ahead without pain, but let me turn a corner and ouch.

I did my strength training exercises and stretches this evening and didn't have too much of a problem doing them. Thankfully, it wasn't a running day, but I don't think I would have tried that anyway, even if it had been. I'm thinking as long as I don't do any sideways motion like what caused the strain in the first place, I might be okay in pretty short order.

I don't know why this surprises me. I sprained that ankle a couple of times when I was younger and I never could ice skate because my ankles couldn't hold me up in the skates. Jenna said to ask Jamey about exercises to strengthen my ankles.

Anyway, it's better tonight and while it will probably be a little stiff tomorrow morning, like it was this morning, I'm thinking it will be good enough for me to try running. Tomorrow is a running day and I'm going to wait until evening, just to give my ankle a little more time to calm down.

It's all part of the "experience"!

Running on the Treadmill

2008-03-17T13:02:00.003-04:00

It was pretty chilly outside this morning, so I did my running/walking on the treadmill. I'd not run on it before and I have to say I agree with others in our group, that it's much easier to run the two minutes on the treadmill as opposed to outside on the road. I don't get nearly as winded.

I did find myself leaning forward while running on that though, which put more stress on my calves than I ever notice when running outside. I tried to relax the lower part of my legs, including my feet and ankles and concentrating on letting my thighs do the work. That was helpful as far as the discomfort was concerned, but required a lot of concentration.

Once this weather shapes up for good, I will always do my running outside, because even though it's tougher to do, I prefer it to the treadmill. Mine only has a 12" wide track and it was hard for me to stay on it. I kept losing my balance, which has never been the best anyway.

____________________

( Run 2 minutes / Walk 4 minutes ) x 5 = 30 minutes √

117

In My Dreams

2008-03-16T22:30:00.001-04:00

Does it mean anything that I dreamed about pain pills last night?

Working Up to 2:00

2008-03-15T17:00:00.003-04:00

The weather was decent enough to allow me to run outside today. At 45° and no wind, it was really just about perfect. Romie ran/walked right along with me, which is a huge help. Once again, I wasn't able to run the full two minutes each time. It went like this:

Run 1:15 ... walk :15 ... run :30 ... walk 4:00
Run 1:20 ... walk :15 ... run :25 ... walk 4:00
Run 1:40 ... walk 4:20
Run 2:00 ... walk 4:00
Run 2:00 ... walk 4:00

So, by the last two runs, I was able to go the full two minutes, but I was definitely pushing myself. My thigh muscles began burning at one minute and by the time I felt like I needed to stop each time, I felt like they were going to give way. I was breathing pretty hard, too.

My right ankle, to the right front, just above the ankle is bothering me. That started about halfway through the thirty-minute run/walk. It feels to me like it's from my trying to step heel first, which I hadn't been doing. I don't feel that at all on the left side, though. I'll have to ask Jamey about it on Monday.

My hip pain has been much less though. Yay!

____________________

( Run 2 minutes / Walk 4 minutes ) x 5 = 30 minutes √

I Can Barely Walk

2008-03-14T21:28:00.004-04:00

I don't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I spent the largest share of today sitting in a chair listening to a dentist talk about lawsuits and lichen planus. I have a feeling a day with a little more physical activity might have been better. But I did need the CEUs (Continuing Education Units).

When I woke up this morning I could barely walk. When I got out of my car in the parking garage, I could barely walk. When we had our mid-morning break and I stood up from my chair, I could barely walk. And it didn't get any better as the day wore on. In fact, by the time we left to go home at 4:30, I could barely walk and I was making odd noises as I tried to put one foot in front of another. They sounded like moans to me.

This is the most uncomfortable I've been yet. It seems that every muscle in my body hurts. At this point, I don't know if it's from the running or the fibromyalgia. Probably some of both, based on my fatigue level.

I got home, got out of my clothes, donned a robe and curled up on the couch. For a split second, I contemplated whether I should forgo the nap and do my exercises, but the next thing I knew, I woke up and it was 7:00. I got off the couch and I could barely walk. (Are you sensing a pattern here?)

What is it they say? Something about the hair of the dog that bit ya... Or was it that you should get right back on the horse...

So, I did my exercises, ate some supper, and as soon as I finish typing this, I'm heading to bed, waaaaaay earlier than normal. But at least I can go to sleep with a clear conscience that despite the soreness, despite the fatigue, despite the disdain I have for those exercises, I still did them.

Good for me. Good night.

Building Ourselves Up

2008-03-13T23:28:00.003-04:00

It was interesting (and comforting) to hear everyone comparing notes as we dribbled into the gym for group training tonight. This was our first time seeing each other after starting to do some running and at least half were having problems running a full two minutes at a time. I'm in that half.

We ran together tonight and while it seemed easier doing it in the gym than outside like I did yesterday, there were a few times where I again had to stop running before the two minutes were up. While I was definitely out of breath, the reason I had to stop was because my legs just couldn't do it anymore. I need thunder thighs.

I went to Jenna's apartment after training, because I have an all-day dental meeting at the Grand Wayne Center tomorrow and didn't want to drive home tonight and turn right around and drive back to Ft. Wayne early tomorrow morning. Besides, I like getting to spend some time with my baby girl. I just wish she hadn't told me that she runs 20 minutes straight on the treadmill.

Oh, to be 25 years old again...

____________________

( Run 2 minutes / Walk 4 minutes ) x 5 = 30 minutes √

116

Two Minutes Is a Very Long Time

2008-03-12T22:37:00.004-04:00

I worked this afternoon, as usual. Last week, I talked with Ashley, another hygienist where I work, and she said she wanted to start walking after work on Wednesdays. Kerrie (another co-worker) does too, but she couldn't join us today.

Ashley and I did a couple stretches before heading outside, where it was a chilly 45° but the sun was out and it smelled like spring. We didn't even have to wear jackets since we were going to be exerting ourselves.

Before we got started, Ashley said to me, "You're gonna kill me," meaning she thought what I'd planned to do today was going to be tough on her. I assured her it wouldn't be and it didn't take her long to see that I was right.

Today's schedule begins a week of two minutes running, four minutes walking and repeating that four more times for a total workout time of thirty minutes. All along, I thought two minutes sounded like a short amount of time that wouldn't be too hard to do. Boy, was I wrong!

We walked/ran through the apartment complex that's behind our workplace, which is a good area because of the lack of traffic. The first two-minute run had me sucking air and with jelly legs after one minute, so I stopped and walked for about fifteen seconds, then finished out the two minutes. Ashley kept right on running.

By the time we got to the last two-minute run, I was able to go longer, but still wanted to stop before the two minutes were up. Ashley didn't let me. She kept encouraging me - "You can do it!" - and counting off the remaining time in fifteen-second increments. Except that when there was 45 seconds to go, she told me there was only 30 seconds left. She fooled me into pushing myself a little further than I thought I could go.

I checked my heart rate after the third two-minute run and it was 168, which I don't think is too bad. When we got back to the office to do stretching, I couldn't believe how red my face was, and I don't think it was from the cool air.

Ashley is a really good person to train with. She's so upbeat and encouraging! She's also exactly half my age, at 25. That's probably why it was easier for her to begin with, but I refuse to use my age as an excuse for my lagging behind. She's contemplating running the half-marathon in September, which I'm encouraging her to do.

____________________

( Run 2 minutes / Walk 4 minutes ) x 5 = 30 minutes √

Truant

2008-03-11T23:17:00.002-04:00

I didn't train today. That doesn't mean I did nothing; I just didn't do what was on the training schedule. Mom and I drove to Indianapolis for the Flower and Patio Show. I had my pedometer in my pocket and it said we walked over four miles, so my legs were moving back and forth a lot, just not very fast and there were a lot of rest stops.

It was a tiring day and while I didn't rule out doing something when I got home, it was late enough and I was sufficiently wiped out that once I got home and my butt came in contact with the couch, I just couldn't pry it off.

Back at it tomorrow...

We Run

2008-03-10T21:42:00.002-04:00

Tonight at group training, we ran and Jamey captured the action on video. He is going to analyze our form and talk to us about things we need to correct. We stayed afterward a little bit to look at the videos of ourselves.

Apparently, I run like a girl. That's probably because I am a girl.

Romie has told me that I run on my toes - not tippy-toes, just that my toes touch first. So I tried not to do that tonight and running felt super awkward and clunky to me. I just wasn't comfortable at all and felt like every step was heavy and jarring.

Tomorrow, we start running during our training a little bit. For the first week of this, we run two minutes, walk four minutes, and repeat four more times (total of 30 minutes). We only do this every other day. We'll increase the running time and lessen the walking time each week.

Tomorrow, Mom and I driving to Indianapolis for the day, so I don't know when I'll get my running in. We're going to the Flower and Patio Show, so we'll get a LOT of walking in, but I'm not going to run through the displays there. It depends on how late we get back, and we've been known to return from our jaunts in the wee hours of the morning, so we'll see. If that happens, I may do my running early on Wednesday, which would give me a fair amount of rest time before we run again on Thursday evening.

Several people complained of sore thighs tonight, and that's the problem I had over the weekend, too. Going down the stairs really made me feel it. I think we're supposed to be feeling like this and it's those darned lunges that are to blame. But no pain, no gain, as they say.

I'll bet "they" never had to do lunges.

__________________________

Today: Walk 30 minutes √

117

Get Yer Inspiration Here!

2008-03-09T18:48:00.005-04:00

Someone sent me a link to a news story about a marathon runner this past week. I read it and was amazed. He'd recently completed a half-marathon, for which he set a record, in spite of stopping in the middle of it to have a beer and a cigarette.

Now he's training for a full marathon, to be run in London in April. Drinks a lot, smokes, and he's the father of 17 children, too. I'm not sure which of those things is harder on a person.

I'm going to be interested to see how he does in the London Marathon, because he's trying to set another record, and I'm totally amazed at how a smoker can do this kind of thing so well. I don't drink beer, I don't smoke, I've only had two children, and there's no way I would attempt to run a full marathon. I'll be doing well to finish this half one.

I'd use the excuse that I'm fifty years old, but I think Buster would find that to be pretty lame. He's 101.

Buster's advice to runners:

"Don't think about it too much. Just do it."

Link to story.

__________________________

Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Training in Chicago

2008-03-08T17:43:00.005-05:00

I did my workout here today:

Just kiddin'. (But we did go there.)

We're in Chicago for the weekend and I got to work out in a really cool wellness center that's associated with Delnor Community Hospital in Geneva. What a huge, busy place it was this morning! Romie and I walked together, along with Jim (our host), around their track.

Inside the track was the cardio workout equipment, so while we hoofed it 'round and 'round, others were running and walking in place, cycling, ellipticising, and climbing stairs.

One wall of the center is all glass, so it was kind of fun as we came around that corner and could look out at the ornamental grasses swaying in the breeze over the snow-covered landscape. Another wall was mirrored and I swear it made me look skinnier than I really am. (Maybe they do that so you'll feel like what you're doing is working, if you're trying to lose weight.)

After my half-hour of walking, I did my stretches. Romie lasted about five minutes with those and went off to practice shooting threes in the gym. On the wall, right in front of where I was stretching, was a visual chart of - oh, look - stretching exercises! They were nearly identical to the ones I was doing.

So, we finished there and then stopped in at the nearby Crate and Barrel where I rewarded myself with two new spatulas, a set of shower curtain rings, and some glassware.

I might be on to something here. Every time I complete my training session for the day, I reward myself! This might work! :-)

__________________________

Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Working It Into My Schedule

2008-03-07T23:23:00.005-05:00

I struggled mentally to walk more than ten minutes today. It was too cold to walk outside, so I had to do it on the treadmill in the basement. BORING! I kept looking at the timer on my watch and each time, it was only one minute later than the last time I looked at it.

I think it's because I had so much going on today. Haircut appointment, insurance forms to fill out and get mailed, pack for the trip to Chicago, and be ready to leave by 2:00. I forced myself to stick with it, though, because I knew I'd be upset with myself later if I didn't.

I managed to do most of the stretches at least a couple of times and we were out the door by 4:00. Just a little late...

__________________________

Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Photos, Bios and Up On Our Toes

2008-03-06T21:31:00.005-05:00

Group training today. But before we started, we had to fill out bio sheets and have our photos taken for Mary (Collins) to put on WPTA-TV's website. Some of the women weren't too excited about the photo shoot, because we didn't know about it ahead of time. One didn't have her make-up on and a couple made comments about their hair.

Yes, these things are important to women. It's one thing to come to a workout without make-up once in awhile, but quite another to have it out there for all the world to see. (But I really did think she still looked fabulous.)

Jamey's getting tougher on us. Tonight at group training, he added strength training exercises. These are the very kinds of things that made me give up exercising years ago. If Jamey were not standing right in front of me watching, I wouldn't do them. Or I would only do a couple of them. I hate them. Hate 'em, hate 'em, hate 'em!

I like doing the stretching ones; they actually feel good. But okay, I know I need to do all of them for several reasons. First of all, Jamey says we have to. Secondly, I know that they will get easier the more I do them. Third, each thing we do is a means to an end. And fourth, there's this hip thing I've got going on.

Jamey asked how my hip was doing. I told him it did fine while we were doing our exercises, both the stretching ones and the strengthening ones. Oh, I could feel some pain during those, but it was kind of a good pain. The painful pain comes when I'm walking, and it's in the joint, not the muscles. I really haven't had much muscle soreness, with the exception of my right calf muscle.

We talked some more after the training session was over and he did some further checking of things. What I have has got a name, but I can't remember what he called it. Some sort of gliding or sliding syndrome. Again, my weakness in the hip area on that side is the culprit. Maybe that's why when I tense up my gluts, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the pain disappears.

Ah well, it does feel good to exert myself like this.

__________________________

Today: Walk 20 minutes √

115.5

Before or After?

2008-03-05T22:07:00.004-05:00

I work on Wednesday afternoons. This means I have to make a decision about whether to do my walking before or after work. I would guess that most people given that choice would walk in the morning, and maybe I will when the weather decides to play nicely. But being a night owl (and procrastinator extraordinaire), of course I decided to wait.

When I got to work, I found another good reason to wait until after. I asked if any of my co-workers were interested in staying after work on Wednesdays to walk/run with me. Imagine my surprise when I found out that they had already discussed doing this, starting next week! I'm really happy about this, because it's more enjoyable to do this with someone. The time passes much more quickly and it seems less like work.

I got home from work tonight around 6:00, and Romie and I walked together outside. I like my new watch, because it has a countdown timer, so I just set it for twenty minutes and off we went. It was cold - about 28° - but the sun was still up and the air smelled so good.

We have very little traffic on our road, and not one single car passed us while we were out. Some people might find walking down a country road to be boring, but we don't, and it's way more interesting than walking on the treadmill in the basement.

__________________________

Today: Walk 20 minutes √

On My Own

2008-03-04T12:33:00.004-05:00

It's Day Two and for today and tomorrow, I won't have the benefit of my fellow runners beside me to make the training more enjoyable. At this point, that shouldn't be a deterrent. I'm excited about taking this on, and the training isn't that intense yet. On the other hand, it would be tempting to skip a day, because it doesn't seem like we're doing that much.

If you're an instant gratification kind of person (like I am), or a procrastinator (like I am), this can be a really lethal combination when undertaking something like this. Skipping days then cramming won't work for this like it did when I took Anatomy and Physiology in college.

My left hip is hurting quite a bit today, which doesn't surprise me, but after feeling so good last night after training, I think doing the walking and stretching will help. It's just going to take some time. After all, this is a half-marathon, not a sprint.

__________________________

Today: Walk 20 minutes √