Falling behind without wanting to!

Guys, school is getting in the way! And so is being sick. I have been sick since Wednesday, so while I was good last week on Tuesday and went to run (which was hard after not running for a week because of school), I have been sick sick SICK since then and haven't run again! No bueno!

But I'm feeling much, but yet not totally, better now, and hopefully tomorrow I will A) feel well enough to run, and B) have time to run. I have a very busy day tomorrow, when usually I have Tuesdays off since I have a simulation day at school, then hopefully I get out early enough to go run before going to a meeting at 5:15, otherwise, I'll try to go after that. Which will be late but I feel like I have to. I cannot fall off the wagon! Gotta keep running. 131 days till my race.

Last weekend when I was at Disneyland was the Disneyland Half Marathon, and it was so great to see the runners finishing their run up Disney Way, and then seeing all the finishers in the park throughout the day with their race medals and their "I did it!" shirts! And I WANT THAT. So it was some good motivation. Just gotta get back to it.

Tomorrow. If I'm not dying. *cough*

What doesn't kill you...

So I broke up with boyfriend yesterday, who I'd been dating for almost four years, most of that time being long distance. It was really hard, but it was a long time coming, even though I didn't want to think so and tried so hard to hold onto something I should have let go of a long time ago. I still really don't want to talk about that, and I really only bring it up for one reason:

Today before I went for my run, my mother said to me, "Today you'll run faster than ever." To which I replied, "Or slower than ever, you never know," since I'm still recovering, obviously.

My mom was right. She always is, as it would seem.

I ran a mile in less than 11 minutes. ME. WHAT is HAPPENING.  I am a RUNNER now. This is probably the LAST thing I ever expected I would be. I mean. Seriously. Me. I run. I run sort of fast! At least not slow. But really the speed doesn't matter so much as the fact that I am running at all. I can't believe it.

I ran 5 miles on Sunday, and ran my fastest mile ever today. I will do 6.5 on Sunday this week and I seriously still cannot even begin to fathom the idea that I am a runner. But I am. And will be. Forever.

My half marathon is 157 days away. Bring it on.

Champion!

Guys I ran FOUR MILES yesterday! Four! More than three, less than five, FOUR! This is the second time I've done that many miles, but I did it FASTER this time! Not by a lot, but by enough. When I first did it, back about almost exactly two months ago in May, I did 4.06 miles, in 50:54, with an average speed of 12'31" per mile.

Yesterday, it was 4.07 miles in 48:36 and my average speed was 11'55" a mile. BOOYAH!

Also, I love my Nike+ app, it gives me little badges whenever I break a record! I broke three yesterday! It's like I'm at the Olympics or something!

But I felt really good about it, because I pushed myself really hard. Normally, this is how I run: I do one lap (1/10th of a mile) around the track walking to warm up, then I run for a mile. Then I walk a lap, then do 3 running laps, and repeat that pattern till I'm done. This time, I started the same with one walking lap and one mile running, and then kept up that pattern, of one walking lap and then running till I hit the next mile! IT WAS CRAZY. The thing I noticed most was that I was thirsty, so I think I just need to hydrate better beforehand.

So that's all. I am very excited that I did so great. Excited to keep going.

Little post

Woo! Two whole weeks! I have been running and working out constantly, 3 times a week, and I am feeling great. I have lost 2 pounds, which isn't a lot, but it's a start, and I can feel my muscles getting stronger and woo. Today began the third week so I decided to up my weights by 5lbs each! Yay for building!

Anyway, today was not my best run, I felt a little like I wasn't breathing totally right, and so it made me a little slow. But I got through it, and I feel really good about it.

So really that's about it. THE END GOING STRONG.

Running again!

Oh hey there running blog! I'm so sorry I've abandoned you for so long! I really didn't mean to except STUFF HAPPENED. But here's the good news. I ran all through May! Woo! I got a monthly pass to my rec center and was keeping up with Galloway's training program like I said I would, and I even ran FOUR MILES all at once! Go me!

 

But then at the end of May, I had to go to Florida with my sister to help her move for the summer, and then spent a week at Disney World, so there was no running then. After I got back, it was a lot moving grandmothers around and helping them recooperate (which I'm not sure is a word, but my mom uses it), and then we went to DISNEYLAND for the opening of Cars Land which was awesome. And then another week or so went by and really my only excuse for not running then was because I was BROKE because DISNEY MAKES ME WANT TO THROW ALL MY MONEY IN ITS FACE. 

Speaking of throwing money at Disney, I threw them $160 so that I could sign up for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon! Yay! So I'm officially signed up. And gonna do it!

But anyway, then I went to Disney World AGAIN, but now I'm back and have been running again ever since getting back! GO me! I have run since last Thursday, three times a week again, and am about to go to run right now. Just thought I'd update you first. Today my goal is 3 miles, so we'll see how long that takes. I did 2.5 on Thursday and it was about 30 minutes, so I'm guessing around 40 some. And then my work out.

Actually I better go like NOW since they close early today cuz it's Sunday. OFF I GO!

I-ah-ah I work out!

So it's been another month. Boo. I got so wrapped up in school and finishing my final exams, and then with some family stuff that took over, and then, when I finished the semester, I had this overwhelming desire to do absolutely nothing! Which was lovely and everything but I needed to get off my butt!

And yesterday, I did just that! YEAH YEAH YEAH. I had all sorts of inspiration to get up and go. First of all, it was the first of the month, which like I said last month, the beginning of the month is always a great time to start anything. Next there was a post on Facebook by the runDisney page that reminded those who had signed up for the Disneyland half marathon (not the Tinkerbell that I am planning on doing in January) that it is three months out, and that it was the day to start doing the Jeff Galloway 3 month training programs. I took a look at it and it seems extremely reasonable and doable, so I decided to use it as a guide for the next few months! Then there was a video posted by Funny or Die of the cast of the West Wing advocating the benefits of just walking, which was entertaining and also good inspiration. And then I read the blogs of my good friends Bonster and CowboyChaser, who have continued running and I knew I had to get out again too!

But now, it is WAY too hot outside to run outdoors, so I had to find an indoor option. And I did! I went to the rec center by my house, and I actually love it. It's nearby, and it's small, so it's not too busy or crowded, but they have a small indoor track (10 laps = 1 mile) and a good selection of workout machines and I can get a monthly pass for just $30.

So I went and I spent about an hour there! First I ran for 35 minutes, since the Galloway plan says run for 30 minutes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the plan it says to like run for 10 seconds, then walk for 50, then up it to 15/45, then 20/40 and then to 30/30, but that just seems like too much calculations, so I just did one lap walking as a warm up, then did a mile jogging pretty good, then for the rest of the time I would continue jogging and when I felt too winded, I would go a lap walking. And I did awesome! My first mile was only 7 seconds slower than my fastest mile, 11 minutes, 48 seconds! I could hardly believe it. All in all I ran 2.55 miles, super proud of me!

And I didn't stop there! I actually WORKED OUT. Like on the machines! Wooohooo. I did crunches, and torso rotations, arm presses, and leg extensions and hip abductions and adductions! It was awesome. I'm a bit sore, my ab muscles especially, but it's good, that's progress!

So I will go back tomorrow. Gonna get my month's pass and go at least three times a week. Maybe someday I'll bump it up to more days, but I feel super good. HUZZAH.

Even a bad day is better than a day without running at all

So now it is April. And sadly, it has again been like week and a half since I ran. Mostly that was because I was busy, but also sometimes lazy, and sometimes had all the good intention of going to run but then I fell asleep. So there's that.

But I ran today! And am determined to get back into my rhythm. Because it's the beginning of a new month and that's always a good time to re-resolve things right? I will do this. Yes, yes I will.

Today's run did not go so great though, for a couple of reasons. First of all, my ankle started to really bother me part of the way through, but towards the end, and I thought I could push through it, but that made it hurt more, so I cut out the last loop around the cul-de-sac and just went home. It was still close to my usual 2 miles, but it was just 1.75. I was also just slower than usual, I think my first mile was something like 13 min and something seconds, which is probably my worst time since like my first or second week back in February. I attribute this to it's being HOT outside, because now it is spring time in Arizona. I will definitely need to find an indoor running option.

I also partially blame my little sister, who came running with me. Now this is unfair because A) she is ten years younger than me, B) plays volleyball, C) is taller aka has longer legs than me, and D) is a skinny fit little thing. She kept getting like way farther ahead of me, and that was okay, but I had to keep telling her to stop and slow down because I didn't want her to go around any corners without me where I couldn't see her. So I wasn't able to just run comfortably at my own speed, you know? So it was no bueno.

But hey, at least I got off my butt and RAN right? It's a (fresh) start.