Should be:
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times.
I actually did:
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
Since I only made it through 8 repetitions on Monday (should have been 10), I decided to do the full 10 repetitions today. I really wasn't looking forward to it because it went so badly on Monday.
The weather was perfect - not cold, but there was a good strong wind so I didn't get too hot. I warmed up a little (some squats and leg lifts), and then stretched really well. I did the stretches on this website as well as some favourites from when I took yoga classes. I tried to reduce impact as much as possible by running smoothly and sticking to the road or grass. My shins didn't start to hurt until near the end of my run when I was on a busy road and had to stick to the sidewalk for a while.
I wouldn't classify it as an easy run, but it was definitely a successful run. I feel much better about myself and my capabilities.
Another achievement: I ran around a strange subdivision and didn't get lost! It was a near thing, but I made it out alright. Made me think I had better find a better way of carring a phone/money or something. I tie my house keys to my shoe laces (the apartment building key on one shoe and my door key on the other, so they don't jingle), but no idea how I would carry anything else. Fanny packs aren't my style - maybe a little backpack? I will have to look into it.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Week Three, Session Two
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times.
Well, it was an easier one today, and it went much better. I guess that's how this program thing works - at the beginning, running for 2 minutes at a time was a harder run. Now I look forward to it. I ran at night (with the dog for safety) so I wouldn't have to deal with my insecurities about how I look or what other people think. The only downside to this is somehow waking up and getting to work the next morning.
Nothing really spectacular happened, it was kind of a non event. My mom told me that the big dog has been having trouble getting up sometimes, so I'll have to be careful with him. She's going to bring it up with his vet when he goes this weekend, so that will give me a better idea of how far I can push him. He's still happy to go and energetic throughout the run.
Well, it was an easier one today, and it went much better. I guess that's how this program thing works - at the beginning, running for 2 minutes at a time was a harder run. Now I look forward to it. I ran at night (with the dog for safety) so I wouldn't have to deal with my insecurities about how I look or what other people think. The only downside to this is somehow waking up and getting to work the next morning.
Nothing really spectacular happened, it was kind of a non event. My mom told me that the big dog has been having trouble getting up sometimes, so I'll have to be careful with him. She's going to bring it up with his vet when he goes this weekend, so that will give me a better idea of how far I can push him. He's still happy to go and energetic throughout the run.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Week Three, Session One
Should be:
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 8 times.
Today was a Bad Day. I had a pretty active day out at the barn - wrestled with a 1900lb draft horse as well as chased a yearling who has realized that sitting in the field all day is tons better than working with me - so I wasn't exactly fresh and full of energy. I was full of self doubt - if running 2 minutes makes me tired, how can I up it? I really didn't feel like running (more so than usual).
I was panting and running inefficiently. My shins hurt, my feet hurt, my legs hurt. I stumbled a couple of times, and I was frustrated. I was SO TIRED I almost started to cry a couple of times. I couldn't take my normal route because it was early in the evening and there were tons of people in the park for a baseball game (this meant I had to run for a long time carrying a smelly bag of dog poo, because I couldn't loop past the garbage cans without running through a crowd). I know I look stupid when I run. I turn bright read, probably have an awful facial expression, and I look like a total noob. I was terrified that a "real" runner would see me and laugh at my efforts (kind of funny: as I was turning down my street about 15 minutes after stressing about this, I saw a running team with matching T shirts coming towards me. Someone has a sadistic sense of humour!)
I stopped back at home to make the dog switch (switch from the Golden Retriever to the Shih tzu). As we're running away to do the last 3 rotations, the damn cat starts following. Just picture it: A chubby, sloppy runner slapping along with a Shih tzu beside her and a tabby cat trotting behind, bell jingling away. I figured I would just run around the block a couple of times for the end of my run, but when we got to the end of the street kitty decided she had gone too far, so she sat down and started meowing as loudly as she could. I coaxed her to keep coming and we ran for a little bit more. As we started back down the other side of the crescent my parents live on, she sat down and balled her eyes out again. Apparently she didn't realize that we were actually CLOSER to home than when she spazzed out the first time. I said screw it, went back and got her, and we all walked home together.
That is the story of why I gave up after only 8 rotations when I was supposed to go for 10.
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 3 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 8 times.
Today was a Bad Day. I had a pretty active day out at the barn - wrestled with a 1900lb draft horse as well as chased a yearling who has realized that sitting in the field all day is tons better than working with me - so I wasn't exactly fresh and full of energy. I was full of self doubt - if running 2 minutes makes me tired, how can I up it? I really didn't feel like running (more so than usual).
I was panting and running inefficiently. My shins hurt, my feet hurt, my legs hurt. I stumbled a couple of times, and I was frustrated. I was SO TIRED I almost started to cry a couple of times. I couldn't take my normal route because it was early in the evening and there were tons of people in the park for a baseball game (this meant I had to run for a long time carrying a smelly bag of dog poo, because I couldn't loop past the garbage cans without running through a crowd). I know I look stupid when I run. I turn bright read, probably have an awful facial expression, and I look like a total noob. I was terrified that a "real" runner would see me and laugh at my efforts (kind of funny: as I was turning down my street about 15 minutes after stressing about this, I saw a running team with matching T shirts coming towards me. Someone has a sadistic sense of humour!)
I stopped back at home to make the dog switch (switch from the Golden Retriever to the Shih tzu). As we're running away to do the last 3 rotations, the damn cat starts following. Just picture it: A chubby, sloppy runner slapping along with a Shih tzu beside her and a tabby cat trotting behind, bell jingling away. I figured I would just run around the block a couple of times for the end of my run, but when we got to the end of the street kitty decided she had gone too far, so she sat down and started meowing as loudly as she could. I coaxed her to keep coming and we ran for a little bit more. As we started back down the other side of the crescent my parents live on, she sat down and balled her eyes out again. Apparently she didn't realize that we were actually CLOSER to home than when she spazzed out the first time. I said screw it, went back and got her, and we all walked home together.
That is the story of why I gave up after only 8 rotations when I was supposed to go for 10.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Week Two, Session Three
Should be:
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
Since it is Sunday and I don't work, I ran in the morning for the first time. I certainly have a lot more energy (both physical and emotional) when I haven't worked before my run. Since the Session Two run that I ended up doing was similar to the run I was supposed to do today in Session Three, today I did the run that I was supposed to do in Session Two.
I didn't bring any dogs today, just went out by myself with my iPod. I did kind of miss them - they're so cute and happy when they run! Having music to run to is awesome, although I'll need a better playlist if I do it in the future. Switching the song so often is distracting.
Today instead of looping around a subdivision like I normally do, I did an "out and back" run. I just ran out until I hit the halfway point, and then turned around. It's surprising how much ground you can cover! I didn't think about it until I turned around and took a good look at where I was. Kind of neat.
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
Since it is Sunday and I don't work, I ran in the morning for the first time. I certainly have a lot more energy (both physical and emotional) when I haven't worked before my run. Since the Session Two run that I ended up doing was similar to the run I was supposed to do today in Session Three, today I did the run that I was supposed to do in Session Two.
I didn't bring any dogs today, just went out by myself with my iPod. I did kind of miss them - they're so cute and happy when they run! Having music to run to is awesome, although I'll need a better playlist if I do it in the future. Switching the song so often is distracting.
Today instead of looping around a subdivision like I normally do, I did an "out and back" run. I just ran out until I hit the halfway point, and then turned around. It's surprising how much ground you can cover! I didn't think about it until I turned around and took a good look at where I was. Kind of neat.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Week Two, Session Two
Should be:
Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times.
The run itself wasn't too bad, other than my shins hurting more than normal. After a while I started thinking about other things, which made the time fly by. Kind of.
Run 1 minute. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times.
I actually did:
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times.
I was bad! This session was supposed to be on Wednesday - and it's Friday. I had Wednesday off and was having a nice relaxing day, so I chose to skip that day. I figured I would do my run on Thursday, Session Three on Saturday, and then still have a rest day before running on Monday. Except then I fell asleep on Thursday night. So, here I am - late is better than never! I don't want to give up my rest days, so it looks like it will take me about a week to get back on schedule. In the future, I will do my best not to skip days because I just don't feel like it.
The run itself wasn't too bad, other than my shins hurting more than normal. After a while I started thinking about other things, which made the time fly by. Kind of.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Week Two, Session One
Run 2 minutes. Walk 2 minutes. Do this 11 times.
This week has double the amount of running, with the same amount of walking. It was harder, but still managable. The walks are a life saver. Overall I end up doing much more running than I could do if I just went out and ran for as long as possible. Which I guess is the point of this program.
It was chilly again, but I didn't have as much trouble. I wore a thermal turtleneck that I got for riding in the winter. When my throat started burning I would pull the turtleneck up over my mouth and nose to get some warm air, and it seemed to help. I also tried to breathe in through my nose more. (I have some sort of facial structure issue that makes it difficult for me to breathe enough air in through my nose without at least supplementing it with mouth breathing - when I exercise I tend to abandon nose breathing altogether). It seemed to stop my throat from hurting as much.
One thing that I have noticed, and I'm not sure if it is good or bad: The first time I ran, I was sore the next day. Two days after, I almost fell on my face when I got out of bed. I could really feel it - Really. Every other time, I haven't been sore at all. I don't know if my first workout was more intense and now I'm not pushing myself as hard (I don't think so), or if I did something wrong the first time out and now I'm using myself better. I can't imagine that just one run would make that much of a difference in my fitness, so that can't be it.
This week has double the amount of running, with the same amount of walking. It was harder, but still managable. The walks are a life saver. Overall I end up doing much more running than I could do if I just went out and ran for as long as possible. Which I guess is the point of this program.
It was chilly again, but I didn't have as much trouble. I wore a thermal turtleneck that I got for riding in the winter. When my throat started burning I would pull the turtleneck up over my mouth and nose to get some warm air, and it seemed to help. I also tried to breathe in through my nose more. (I have some sort of facial structure issue that makes it difficult for me to breathe enough air in through my nose without at least supplementing it with mouth breathing - when I exercise I tend to abandon nose breathing altogether). It seemed to stop my throat from hurting as much.
One thing that I have noticed, and I'm not sure if it is good or bad: The first time I ran, I was sore the next day. Two days after, I almost fell on my face when I got out of bed. I could really feel it - Really. Every other time, I haven't been sore at all. I don't know if my first workout was more intense and now I'm not pushing myself as hard (I don't think so), or if I did something wrong the first time out and now I'm using myself better. I can't imagine that just one run would make that much of a difference in my fitness, so that can't be it.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Running With Dogs
So, I've been running with my dogs so far. When I took them the first time, the Shih Tzu had a time of it (I ended up carrying him for some walking). The Golden Retriever loved it.
The next two times I took the Golden for the entire run, and planned my route so that I would pass by the house about 3/4 through the run to pick up the Shih Tzu. That seems to work well. Both dogs have a blast. They can definitely use the exercise, they're as chubby as I am. It makes me feel better to know that at least ONE of us is having fun! The pups are definitely motivating. Having the big dog with me also makes me feel safer, especially for my night run. He's big enough to make any opportunist think twice.
They're kind of a pain in the ass, though. They will insist on pooping when you walk. This makes it difficult to maintain a good pace and keep the energy up - and who likes to run with a bag of dog dirt fluttering in the breeze? And this wouldn't be true of all dogs, but mine have good days and bad days behaviour-wise. You have to direct some of your thought towards keeping leashes untangled, not stepping on paws, keeping an eye out for birds and bunnies, and so on.
I haven't decided if I am going to include them in my running program long term. They live about 10 minutes away (at my parents' house), so that adds time to the whole routine. It has to be all or nothing - if I don't bring them along from the start, then I won't be able to drag them out every once in a while for fun (unless it's a low intensity run, which I will hopefully be beyond before too long!). It wouldn't be fair to them.
They can use the exercise, but I don't want it to be at the expense of MY exercise. For now I am going to keep running with them for as long as it's convenient. If I get to the point where I am setting serious athletic goals, I'll re-evaluate that. Since my current goal is just to get active, I think they're doing a good enough job at motivating me that having to put up with all of the other crap (pun intended) is worth it!
(A tip: I sort of focus my run around a big schoolyard/park that has a few garbage cans. If a dog does his business, I head there as quickly as possible, dump the evidence, and continue on my way.)
The next two times I took the Golden for the entire run, and planned my route so that I would pass by the house about 3/4 through the run to pick up the Shih Tzu. That seems to work well. Both dogs have a blast. They can definitely use the exercise, they're as chubby as I am. It makes me feel better to know that at least ONE of us is having fun! The pups are definitely motivating. Having the big dog with me also makes me feel safer, especially for my night run. He's big enough to make any opportunist think twice.
They're kind of a pain in the ass, though. They will insist on pooping when you walk. This makes it difficult to maintain a good pace and keep the energy up - and who likes to run with a bag of dog dirt fluttering in the breeze? And this wouldn't be true of all dogs, but mine have good days and bad days behaviour-wise. You have to direct some of your thought towards keeping leashes untangled, not stepping on paws, keeping an eye out for birds and bunnies, and so on.
I haven't decided if I am going to include them in my running program long term. They live about 10 minutes away (at my parents' house), so that adds time to the whole routine. It has to be all or nothing - if I don't bring them along from the start, then I won't be able to drag them out every once in a while for fun (unless it's a low intensity run, which I will hopefully be beyond before too long!). It wouldn't be fair to them.
They can use the exercise, but I don't want it to be at the expense of MY exercise. For now I am going to keep running with them for as long as it's convenient. If I get to the point where I am setting serious athletic goals, I'll re-evaluate that. Since my current goal is just to get active, I think they're doing a good enough job at motivating me that having to put up with all of the other crap (pun intended) is worth it!
(A tip: I sort of focus my run around a big schoolyard/park that has a few garbage cans. If a dog does his business, I head there as quickly as possible, dump the evidence, and continue on my way.)
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