Week 1 of my new training schedule behind me and I can say that there were some good moments and some very painful moments. Par for the course, I suppose. I don't expect the entire journey to be smooth sailing but I'm hoping that I can learn from the error of my ways and avoid some of the pitfalls of the 'non' runners mistakes.
For those of you that ever consider attempting this fool-hardy venture that I'm about to undertake, you might be interested in my schedule. For those of you sane enough to stay on the couch, you'll enjoy watching from afar with amusement the torture I'm inflicting upon myself for no other reason than to add this accomplishment to my list.
My schedule currently looks like this;
Run: Sun,Tues, Wed,Sat; approx 40-50 min's each time (this will increase as the weeks go on but presently I stay on this schedule for a couple of weeks)
Cross Train: Thurs; this consists of a dvd video that incorporates resistance and cardio
Rest: Mon and Fri: This may shift as my out of town travels pick up
So far this schedule has kept me accountable to myself. I have days that I don't necessarily feel the need to rest but I make myself take it off so that I don't go into 'burn' out mode. I'm notorious for over do'ing it so I'm telling myself; REST!!!! even when I don't necessarily feel that I 'have' to.
I've been keeping a photo diary on Facebook which has kept me accountable to myself. I also plan to create a scrapbook of the journey when it's done and documenting the little steps along the way will hopefully bring it all back for me clearly.
So on to this last weeks trials and adventures.
Saturday and Sunday I went out for runs and had interesting results. I tried to 'ease' into these runs knowing that it had been awhile since I'd been out. Saturday the weather was cool but I found myself feeling really great throughout the whole run. I didn't document my time or how far I ran because it wasn't 'officially' my training yet. All I can say is that it was a beautiful run for my first time out in many weeks. That left me feeling like I could conquer the world (not that I was QUITE ready to scream from the Titanic ala Leonardo DiCaprio). The life of a wanna be runner has a way of humbling even the best of us with a follow up run that makes you feel like it's the first time you've ever let your sneakers hit the pavement. Wheezing and side cramps and aching legs (particularly the area around my hips seem to be groining more loudly than ever) made for a seriously miserable run. I want to explain that while running is a challenge to me, I do it for the side effects that bring a thrill to my day. The endorphine rush and the sense of accomplishment coupled with the knowledge of the benefits it brings to my body. Sometimes while I'm running, I can't bring to mind a single one of these benefits because all I can think about it WHY THE HELL AM I OUT HERE WHEN NOBODY IS CHASING ME! I had these thoughts racing through my head several times this week but just like giving birth, a woman tends to push the painful thoughts out of their head when they think about the possibility of doing it again. The ever attainable perfect run is always in the forefront of the wanna be runners mind.
Last week ended with a 5K run that I had high expectations of completing better than my previous 5K time of 37 min. Earlier in the week, I found myself battling with some severe allergy symptoms which settled into my chest making it difficult to breath. Something that comes in handy when you are trying to go any distance let alone run it at a pace that exceeds your normal every day movement. Determined not to let this get me down, I set out for the race but found obstacle after obstacle hurled before me. Forgetting to drink a multitude of water before I left the house and not armed with any of that liquid gold, I discovered how essential it is to fully hydrate myself at about mile 1. Side stitches coupled with a tricky course (running on the beach sounds WAAAY better than it actually is to run) left me feeling very defeated. My time came in at 38min's which means that I did a little under 12minute miles. Not breaking any records with that time but considering all the issues, I was relieved to see it wasn't a bad time.
Lessons I learned: When you are not feeling well to start a race, don't forget to hydrate... heck no matter HOW you feel... hydrate.... but not feeling good contributed to a difficulty in my breathing. Remember how hard it is to run on the upturned sand your race peers have traveled on before you and try to prepare yourself to 'practice' this portion of the race if you plan to run this same race again.
That being said. I'm glad that I challenged myself to run this 5K this early in my 'training'. It has helped me to see what I need to work on and has also given me insight on what I will do differently. I am planning to run another 5K the end of May and then a 10K over July 4th weekend. I'm not expecting to win any awards but I am expecting to beat my personal best.
This is a new week and Sunday I ran despite still feeling pretty crummy. Sometimes I have to remind myself that every run is unique and just adds to the moving forward philosophy of a runners training... just keep moving forward is what I tell myself each and everyday and hope that I actually BELIEVE myself....most of the time!
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