Quick update - and....GO!

Ok, I don't have a ton of time to update and I realize it's been days since my last.

I ended up going to the step class with Marisa tuesday night, sending my shoulders into a MELT DOWN. YOUCH! But that's ok because at least we got a workout in. Wednesday night I had a soccer game so that was a bit of exercise there. Then everything went downhill and I did not work out again until today, ugh.

I went to the gym this morning an ran 3 miles and in a few hours I am driving home to take a bikram yoga (heated room to about 100 degrees yoga!) class with Ari. Sounds good to me.

I hope to get in the gym or workout more then the 3-4 days I did this past week. I definitely need to run more because I only got a few runs in this past week and I am still nowhere NEAR running 10 miles.

Argh, I am beginning to get frustrated with that and thinking maybe April is too soon and too big a task and maybe I should run a 10mi next year and focus on shorter races this year.

I think my eyes were bigger then my stomach on this one... :(

I don't wanna!

I brought my gym bag to work this morning with the full intention of going to the gym tonight and as of now (3:56pm) that is the last thing I want to do. My shoulders/neck are killing me because of a stressful day at work and I'm tired and complain, complain, complain. All I want to do is get into bed with my heating pad, some good music, and my book (which I don't even know what is going on in because it's been that long since I've sat and read it!!).

Maybe I will go straight home after work and hang out for a while and then hit the gym around 8 or 8:30. Maybe. I need to see if Jenny is going to go tonight too, that would be more motivation to get my ass off the couch. Maybe I won't run tonight and do an exercise class instead....

*checking gym class schedule*

Everything sucks and doesn't work with my schedule. Maybe I can convince Jenny to take body step (step aerobics) with me at 8.

Stay tuned to see if I did or didn't psych myself out.

New running buddy!

So I've recently found out that my coworker, Louis, goes to the same gym that I do and coincidently is into running as well! Can you say extra motivation?! I think so! :) Tonight was the first time we actually ran together [well, not together, we didn't even start/end together, but it was somewhat at the same time and just seeing him running in front of me was motivation enough].

I had a pretty good run tonight. I did about 4.24mi all together, but that included a 5 minute warm up walk, another 5 minute walking break, and a 10 minute sprint on 6.5 (and yes, that did me in, YIKES!).

Anyway - I think those are all the updates I have. I'm looking forward to getting outside with the weather getting a lot better!

Stay tuned!

Wake up, foot.

Ever since I started running, I've had a problem with my right foot falling asleep 20 minutes in. It's really quite annoying and can get painful at times making me stop when I would have otherwise kept going. I've been chalking up the whole thing to needing new orthotics, but those are going to cost me a pretty penny...which I don't exactly have right now. I also just got new running shoes in October, so that could be the issue also.

I decided to do a bit of research and apparently I am not the only one with this problem (thank god). I've read it has to do with conditioning, shoes that are too tight, shoes that are too tight in the wrong area, socks that are too small, socks that get pushed backward towards your heal...somehow, just restricting blood flow to your foot or pinching a nerve or something to that effect.

I've read enough though that I think I should probably go back to my podiatrist and get it checked out, which is such a pain in the ass. I might as well throw more money away and get those $500 orthotics. :(

You go Glen Coco!!

Marisa & I after the race.

Susan & I before the race.

Race day has come and gone and I have to say I am SO proud of myself! My first 5k and I got through it without stopping!! Although, I must admit upon hitting the finish line I definitely thought I was going to vomit (Proud to say I did not!! But next time I will definitely not be drinking 2 beers the night before, no matter how nervous and depressed I may be feeling). I finished the race in 29 minutes and 20 seconds, that is 5-6 minutes BETTER then I ever had in the gym!! Roughly meaning I ran a 9.4 minute mile and that is NOT half bad! :)

It was such a good time, minus freezing feet and a 45 minute delay so everyone running the 20k could get their shit together. I felt really good watching the 20k-ers run by before our race and cheering for them and even better when I dragged my butt over the finish line and had Marisa & Susan cheering for me. They both finished a few minutes before me and I am SO happy that I had them to run with.

Marisa and I are still dead set on running the GW Classic on April 25th, meaning we are seriously going to have to step up our training. Ten miles is an awfully long time considering I was dragging after the 5k. But we still have 3 months left to train. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!!

I also found an AWESOME race/obstacle course/music festival called Run a Muck. It's another 5k, but you run in teams of 2-4 and through all these obstacles like mud and hills and rediculous crap. You can also dress up, if you choose to! Plus, there is live music playing all day and vendors. I just think it sounds like too much fun to pass up and I can going to try to convince Marisa to run it with me! Cannot wait.

CANNOT WAIT!!

Game Day.

Tomorrow is the big day. Granted, it's not an intense race. It's not even a very long one. But it's my first one and it's something I've been looking forward to for a while now and that is pretty awesome. I'm really proud of myself for the last month or so, especially for the days I really didn't want to go to the gym because I had to pick Eddie up and come home and then go back out.

I've managed to work out at least 3 days a week since I've begun this process (a lot of running [inside & outside], cardio, soccer, etc) & I feel like my stamina is in a pretty good place. I'm also finding that I look forward to getting in the gym and going on a 30-45 minute run and that running outside in the [FREEZING] cold isn't all that terrible. I've also come to enjoy working out later in the evening, 7:30pm/8:00pm? Gym time.

Anyway, with all that being said I will leave this post with the quote that I started my blog with (because sometimes my positive affirmations are not appreciated on facebook).

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

Now let's just see if I can finish ;)

Frustrated.

So with the bit of motivation I had after work, picking up Eddie, hanging around the house for a bit I got to the gym last night...only to find out my knee has picked the PERFECT time to start acting up. Awesome. I don't know what caused this. I didn't fall or twist anything the wrong way. It just hurts. And I'm not even 100% sure it's my knee because it's right below my knee so I'm really hoping my shin splints aren't acting up again. When I ran indoor track in highschool we used to run inside the school when the weather was too bad and that's when it really started to bother me.

I really hope it starts to feel better soon because it was really painful to even walk upstairs last night...and this morning. :(

Exhibit A.

Chariots Of Fire.

Every time Marisa & I run outside with AAR (and by every time I mean, the 2 times we have ever done it) I am reminded of the Chariots of Fire theme music & running in slow motion. We are incredibly witty those mornings actually, possibly steming from the fact that it's 8:30am on saturday and we are both quite delirious.

Reason I bring this up is we had an AWESOME run this past saturday morning and I was really proud of us! It was icey, snowy, and COLD that morning (I believe it was in the teens). The group ran from the key bridge (VA side), over the bridge, and down along the water on the DC side. It was supposed to be 3.5 miles out and 3.5 back to make 7 in total. Marisa and I made it 5 of the 7 miles non stop! Which is pretty awesome for first time runners, I have to admit. Not to mention the wind was coming at us, which made it a hell of a lot harder to run.

We celebrated that night by going out with Becca (my cousin) & Jenny and getting sauced. :)

The race is this saturday morning and if this past saturday is any indicator I think I will do alright! I may not get the best time ever, but at least I know I can do it and finish in some sort of reasonable time-frame. I'm very excited.

Here is my workout/running breakdown for the week:
Monday - take Eddie to doggie daycare, work, pick up Eddie, drop Eddie off, gym (Running), grocery store
Tuesday - take D to daycare, work, pick up D, Gym (maybe)
Wednesday - Soccer
Thursday - Work, Gym (Light cardio)
Friday - Work, Rest
Saturday - RACE DAY!!

After this 5k there's only 4 more months till the GW Classic (10 miles) so keep sending positive vibes my way! :)

So far, So good.

2 out of 2 days isn't bad! I ran 4 miles on saturday and another 4 on monday, then 2 yesterday along with some other random cardio [because my body was just not feeling running], and I have a soccer game tonight. I have to make it to the gym tomorrow too or else I just won't feel good & then I will break on friday or do some light cardio, & run with AAR saturday morning.

I'm really liking having a running plan for the week. I should make these more often, because then I have something to stick to.

On a different topic, because blogs are supposed to be creative outlets, what is with all these people [and their new years resolutions to get fit] invading my gym?!? I finally have the motivation to go all the time and I find it completely unacceptable that on monday night at 6:30pm I spent 40 minutes looking for parking at the ballston golds gym before giving up, going home, and coming back again at 8pm. I was SO furious & frustrated that at one point I actually screamed out loud in my car! I would have gone to the tysons golds [which is almost never full], but I had to pick up Eddie from daycare and drop him off at home, which meant I was in arlingon anyway. I was ready to kill someone. AND to make matters worse, it was still a mad-house when I got there at 8pm and I almost didn't get a treadmill!! WTF!! - Ok. I am done venting.

Completely random thought: I really like it when I get on the treadmill, the person next to me gets on after me, and then gets off before me. :)

12 days and counting...

So the race is in 12 days and I'm feeling ok about it. Aside from the fact that I will probably freeze my butt off, I feel like my stamina is alright and I may even be able to get through the whole thing without stopping, that would be my personal goal. I'm not so much concerned about what time I get right, just completing the race in general.

To make things easier for myself, here is my running breakdown for this week (jan 4th-10th).

Monday: Bring Eddie to daycare, Work, Pick up Eddie from daycare, Dinner, GYM (Running)
Tuesday: Work, Jammin' Java to see Diane's DJ friend, GYM (Cardio, but not running)
Wednesday: Work, Soccer Game
Thursday: Work, Target to get running clothes, GYM (Running)
Friday: Work, GYM (Cardio, but not running)
Saturday: 8am run with AAR
Sunday: Rest

I hope I can stick to it - I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

I'm starting to really enjoy running. Runners high is probably the best thing I have felt in an awfully long time. Last week I hit a brick wall where I went to run at the gym and couldn't even run for 15 minutes straight (read last blog post about feeling pathetic). I need to understand that I can't run every day and some days it's ok to do other cardio works outs.

Anyway, stay tuned and keep sending positive thoughts!