Truant

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

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.

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Today: Walk 30 minutes √

117

Get Yer Inspiration Here!

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.

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Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Training in Chicago

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! :-)

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Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Working It Into My Schedule

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...

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Today: Walk 30 minutes √

Photos, Bios and Up On Our Toes

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.

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Today: Walk 20 minutes √

115.5

Before or After?

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.

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Today: Walk 20 minutes √

On My Own

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.

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Today: Walk 20 minutes √

We're Off and Walking!

Day One of training is over and done with. I didn't really know what to expect, but can I say it was fun? It was! Not too tough yet, other than I found out I don't walk right. You might think that I'm upset to find this out, but I'm actually not. Here's what happened...

We started out by walking around the gym for ten minutes, concentrating on keeping our core muscles contracted. I'm a naturally fast walker and worried that my fellow walkers would think I was trying to walk fast, but I wasn't. In fact, I was making myself go slower than I normally walk. I suppose I shouldn't really worry about things like that.


Jamey walked over to me and asked if I realized that I swing my left arm more than my right when I walk. Nope. Never noticed that, but he's right, I do. I thought maybe it was because I have less range of motion in my right shoulder due to the problems I've had with it and the bulging discs in my neck. I developed that as a result of 25+ years of doing dental hygiene and probably not using the best posture when doing it.

He thinks I do it because of the mechanics of how I walk. My hips move up and down, due to weakness in the muscles of my left hip. I've had pain in that hip joint for quite some time now and tonight was no different. When Jamey held onto my hips as I walked, the pain disappeared. Amazing. If I can get rid of that pain by strengthening those muscles and changing the way I walk, I will be one very happy woman!

This isn't going to be easy, this change. I just walk, you know? Who knew that doing something that comes so naturally as walking could be so easy to do wrong and you not even be aware of it? I'll have to really concentrate on doing it the right way until it becomes second nature. Less pain will be a great motivator!

Then we did some core-strengthening exercises. I recognized a number of them from my Pilates DVD. By the time we finished with those, our hour was up. We'll be back again on Thursday for more of the same.

I headed north to Target, where I purchased a heart rate monitor. I looked at two of the Sportlines, including the one I pictured yesterday, but I settled on the less expensive 910 model. I also bought a pedometer, which I'd been wanting to get for awhile now anyway. As I walked to the checkout, I noticed the Easter candy and grabbed a bag of malted milk robin eggs - the kind with the hard shell that turn your mouth blue. Hey, I can only get those at Easter!

As I drove home, I noticed my body felt GOOD. My muscles were tingling, no doubt from being asked to do things they weren't used to, but it was a good feeling. The day may come when I'm not as enthusiastic and feeling as good about things as I do right now, but I'm going ride the wave as long as I can.

113

In Search of a Heart Rate Monitor

As legendary as my dislike of exercise is my superb ability to shop. I can find the best deal on just about anything. But if you had to pay me by the hour for as long as it takes me to do research on whatever I'm buying, you could buy ten of them at Sak's. It's the thrill of the hunt, I guess.

I'm looking for a heart rate monitor. Ideally, it would have these features:

• · Monitor with no chest strap
• · Can check heart rate while running
  
• · Tells time (Duh.)
  
• · Gives speed and distance covered
• · Stopwatch
• · Is petite in size (I have the wrists of a child)
  
• · Has fashion styling (subjective, I know)
• · Costs $50 or less (you can stop laughing now)

So I've spent considerable time looking online at monitors and there are a couple that I could live with. I don't necessarily want to buy the cheapest one out there nor one that has all those features (because I don't want to spend that kind of money). I just want to get the best deal on whichever one I choose.

Right now, this one is the front runner :