Getting Ready for Tomorrow

I did an hour on the elliptical machine this morning. Decided to stay off the treadmill one more day, as I'll be running in the Jingle Bell Run in the morning. It looks to be a chilly, but pretty morning! The race starts at my old high school in Raleigh, so I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

A reader asked if I listen to the Phedippidations running podcast. What a conincidence, I just subscribed a couple of days ago and listened to this week's podcast yesterday! I really enjoyed hearing about this runner's experience with the 2007 Philadelphia Marathon, as I'd love to be able to run a marathon someday. He beat his last marathon time by several minutes, but was very disappointed that he didn't hit his big goal of breaking the 4 hour mark. He missed it by about a minute and a half---oh, so close! I felt that way with my last race, when I hoped to break 40 minutes and missed it by 13 seconds.

We'll see what tomorrow brings! I'll write a race report later this weekend.

No Running Today

I did 50 minutes on the elliptical this morning. Decided to take a break from running, since my leg muscles were feeling slightly achy, and my plantar fasciitis foot a little tender. Just felt like a "something different" kind of day.

Last night I watched a couple of videos of an Ohio high school cross country meet, where a girl was so determined to finish that when her leg popped (that was her leg BREAKING!), she fell to the ground, but continued crawling to the finish. She tried to get up and her leg broke again...she ended up with several breaks by the time she got to the finish line and got picked up and taken to get medical help. It turns out she'd been injured a couple weeks before, likely with stress fractures in her leg. She's been billed as determined and courageous, definitely true, but I'm sad for her that some adults didn't step in and discourage her from running that race. It was, I believe, the last cross country meet of the season, but she was also planning to run spring track, and that's out of the picture now.

I had a dream early this morning that I was running in a 5K race and nearing a PR (personal record) when I came across a building along the course with a restroom in it, so I popped in. While I was in there, someone pointed out where the race expo was, but I didn't stay and look because I wanted to get back out and finish the race. When I got back outside I didn't see any runners, so I ran ahead and discovered I'd taken a wrong turn! I followed the other runners down the right trail, worried that I'd really fallen behind! My alarm went off before I finished the dream, so I don't know how the race turned out. I hope this wasn't a premonition of Saturday's race! ;-)

I listened to a running podcast yesterday that talked about weather. In one instance, it started snowing before a winter-time race, but after they'd marked directional arrows on the road. The first-place runner took a wrong turn, but corrected himself in time to win the race anyway! That wasn't happening to me in this particular race. :)

Good run

This morning I spent 20 minutes on the treadmill for 1.74 miles, a record for me this fall. (The last time I ran longer on the treadmill was back in June.) Running a 5K on the treamill seems like a realistic goal again! I've run 3.46 miles for the week so far, already beating the 5K/week goal, so I think it's time to shoot for a steady 5 miles/week. (I'll nail it this week with the mileage from this Saturday's 5K.)

I also did 45 minutes on the treadmill! I'm still feeling strong and pretty awake, not as tired as yesterday.

More running

Today I ran 15 minutes for 1.3 miles on the treadmill, then 35 minutes on the elliptical. I felt a little out of sorts on the elliptical this morning. Because my normal machines were full at the time, I started on another elliptical that I don't like as much. Went for 5 minutes, then noticed one of my favorites was open, so I switched, only to find the TV monitor wasn't working on that one! Oh well, I wasn't going to switch AGAIN! I had my iPod.

I'm feeling tired now after my workout, even though it's been 4-5 hours. Part of it's probably a short night's sleep, some of it's probably the running, which is a little longer than I've done normally, outside of a race. I'd like to make 30 minutes of running the norm, though I'm still a way from that level. It's a little discouraging, but I know I'm making progress. It's hard to see the progress day by day sometimes, but when it comes to the 5K races, I can really tell a difference. Now I need to remember to start getting plenty of rest leading up to this Saturday's Jingle Bell Run 5K!

Another Hour

It was another hour on the elliptical machine this morning, and it felt good to get back to "normal." I missed running this morning, but want to be careful about my foot and the plantar faciitis, and not aggravate it too much before the next 5K, coming up this Saturday, the 1st. I'm really looking forward to this race, with high hopes of getting under 40 minutes.

Almost a Day of Rest

This morning I pushed out 15 minutes of exercise, just couldn't do any more. I did 5 minutes on the treadmill for .42 miles, and 10 minutes on the elliptical. I went to the Rice House afterward for medical check-in and breakfast, and my blood pressure was 80/50, a little lower than usual for me. Maybe that had something to do with it. Perhaps I'll get some more exercise in tonight, but certainly I'll be back in the swing of things tomorrow.

I'd hoped that yesterday's big variety workout would keep me refreshed, but maybe it played a part in tiring me out a little. I do feel a little out of sorts for not having a longer workout today.

Varied Workout

This morning I ran 20 minutes on the treadmill for 1.72 miles, then did 20 minutes on the recumbant bike (cross country program), followed by 25 minutes on the elliptical (weight loss program). Funny, I'm not as tired as usual! Part of it might be that I went by breakfast at the Rice House first, and I'm used to working out before breakfast. I feel great!

A Little Shorter Today

This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical, a little shorter today. I felt the need for a bit of rest, both for my foot and in general. I miss hitting 60 minutes, though, so maybe I'll get some more exercise in on my day off here.

I'm currently reading a book called The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michaal Pollen. I'm learning a lot about what goes into the food we eat. Right now I'm reading about farms and corn. I'm less than 1oo pages into it, but so far I'd recommend it.

In Training

This morning I ran 20 minutes on the treadmill, for 1.7 miles (11:45/mi. pace)! It's been months since I've run twenty minutes outside of a race, so I'm excited about the progress. I've been looking at my running log on Cool Running, and have noticed that my mileage on non-race weeks is less than a 5K, so I've decided to run at least 5K (3.1 miles) per week to start building my mileage base. I've been wanting to increase my mileage, but since I hadn't put a number on it, it wasn't happening yet. So, I've run 3.46 miles already this week. Hmmmm, should I make it a 5-mile minimum per week? I haven't hit that mark since May and June, when I got sidelined with the plantar fasciitis. My foot is feeling a little sore this morning, probably because I've run three days in a row. I'll go light on the running for the rest of the week and see how it goes.

I also did 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning. I've noticed that when I run first, my heartrate is up on the elliptical, and I tend to sweat more. I feel like I'm getting a better workout. I did raise the resistance to 9 during my elliptical workout for a little boost, while doing one of the gluteal programs. (I also did a .5 incline for part of my treadmill run.) I'm trying to get stronger for hills during races.

Jingle Bell Run 5K!

I registered for the Jingle Bell Run a little while ago, am excited! I really want to break 40 minutes in a 5K soon, so I decided to go ahead and get another race on the calendar. This one's on December 1 in Raleigh.

Running Increase

This morning I ran 16 minutes on the treadmill for 1.35 miles, then another 35 on the elliptical. Felt pretty strong, though still kinda tired during my workout. Looking forward to more sleep tonight.

Short Workout

This morning I ran 5 minutes on the elliptical for .41 miles, then did 30 minutes on the elliptical. I'm feeling especially tired today, eventhough I was in bed at 11:00 last night, not horrible. (Okay, not great either, but I've done worse.) Hoping I'll get some rest tonight (after finishing up some homework assignments).

Mixing it Up

This morning I did 21 minutes on the elliptical, and decided I'd had enough, so I switched to the recumbent bike for another 40. Although I didn't burn as many calories as I would've with an hour on the elliptical, it felt good to switch off.

Back to Normal

This morning I did an hour on the elliptical machine. I'm surprised my muscles aren't sore this morning, but I do feel like I pushed my body yesterday. I went to bed about 8:30 last night, and think I was asleep by 9:00! I'm feeling more refreshed this morning, but still slightly pooped. I could've used a nap yesterday, but had a meeting from 1-3.

I still feel some tenderness in my right leg today. I asked Dr. Rosati about it at the Rice House this morning, and he said it was tendonitis. The usual rest and ibuprofen stuff. I'd already done my hour on the elliptical. Oh well. ;-)

Apex Turkey Trot Race Report

This morning I ran in the Apex (NC) Turkey Trot, which started and ended at the Apex Community Center. The path went around a 50+ acre lake, and was quite pretty! The fall leaves made it even prettier. The race started at 10:00, still plenty cold, but I was thankful that it didsn't start any earlier! (I wore leggings and a couple of short sleeve t-shirts, and felt comfortable, temperature-wise, in no time.) It was a fairly flat trail, for which I was thankful! The worst hill was near the end, and it wasn't that bad. There were signs at each mile, but no one giving splits, which I missed. (I know, I know, I need to wear a watch!)

At the end of the race, I got a high five from a big 6-foot turkey, who beat me! The Chick-Fil-A cow was at the start of the race, but I didn't see him at the finish line when I got there. Perhaps I beat the cow! ;-)

I was pretty excited to cross the finish line in 40 minutes, 13 seconds, a new personal record! This is also the first time I've averaged under 13 minutes per mile, and that's a milestone too. I am a little disappointed that I didn't break the 40 minute mark today, though. While I was mainly hoping to beat my last race time of 40:54, finally getting below 40 minutes would've been sweet! Oh well, maybe next time!

Both of my feet held up well in this race, but my right leg started bothering me some, on the outer part of my knee, plus down the outer part of my leg a little. Will take some more ibuprofen and see how it feels tomorrow.

Laura, my niece, wasn't able to run with me as planned. I missed her, but George came along for moral support, and that was great! I also made a point of chatting with several other runners before, during, and after the race, and that added to the fun experience. Runners are a friendly bunch! :)

I've enjoyed having two races (and two PRs!) this month. I need to sign up for another one soon. There are a couple in December that I'm thinking about.

Are you a race runner? If so, what's your next race?

UPDATE: Official results have been posted, and I finished 235th out of 244 running in the competitive devision (using chip timing). I finished 11th (and last) in my age group.

Pre-Race Day

This morning I overslept again, still feeling a little sleep deprived, so I did a 30-minute workout on the elliptical machine.

My next 5K is tomorrow, the Apex Turkey Trot. 5Ks are still a big deal for me, especially since I'm still working on improving my finish times and hitting landmarks. Tomorrow I hope to finish in under 40 minutes, and as I've learned from my weight loss journey, it's always fun to hit a new "decade." People in my age group tend to have finish times in the 20s to fairly low 30 minutes, so I'll feel like I've made even more progress when my finish time starts in a 3 too. Still, I'm excited about the progress I've made so far.

I was hoping my niece could run with me tomorrow, but she can't after all, as she's heading home early for Thanksgiving.

Look for a race report sometime over the weekend.

Hour on the Elliptical

This morning I did an hour on the elliptical, despite the fact that I was up past Midnight (thanks to a school assignment due at Midnight), so I got a little less than 5 hours of sleep. Yawn! I've been tired all day, and am looking forward to going to bed early tonight.

I'd hoped to get more running in this week before Saturday's race, but at least I've kept up the cardio workouts.

Rest

I overslept this morning, so I only got a 45 minute workout on the elliptical in. I hope to get a 15 minute walk in this afternoon.

Meanwhile, I've created a new Yahoo group called Triangle Roadrunners, for folks who want a free alternative to the local running clubs, North Carolina Roadrunners and Carolina Godiva Track Club. It's only three members strong, but perhaps it will grow! :-) Runners and runner wannabees of all levels in the Triangle are welcome to join.

I'm thinking about saving for a Garmin for running. Any suggestions about which model I should get?

Back to Elliptical

This morning I spent the whole hour on the elliptical machine, my way of "taking it easy" today. I'm feeling a little tired from pushing myself recently with the recumbant bike and treadmill.

I'm still enjoying the iPod a lot, going between podcasts and music. In addition to adding some running podcasts, I've also added some genealogy podcasts, in addition to various NPR shows.

Increase in Running

This morning I ran on the treadmill for 15:01 minutes for 1.26 miles, felt good! Followed it with 45 minutes on the elliptical. Worked up a good sweat.

Longer Workout

This morning I did 60 minutes on the elliptical, then 15 minutes on the recumbant bicycle. I felt like I got a really good workout this morning, though I'm not really sore now. I'm aware of my thigh muscles, but not sore.

This week I'll do some running to get acclimated a bit for next Saturday's 5K.

Back to an Hour

I only did an hour on the elliptical this morning, although I was hoping to get some running in. I did sleep as well last night. Again, rest is a factor I really need to pay attention to!

My arms are a tad sore from the weights yesterday morning.

Small Upgrade in Workout

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical machine, then 5 minutes of upper body weight training. I felt rested and pretty strong, though my left foot (with the plantar fasciitis) twinged a little. I'd like to have more time for weight training, at least some days of the week. something to work toward.

Even with plenty of cardio, I haven't done any running this week, need to start working that back in. Meanwhile, I've been running vicariously through a couple of running podcasts, The Extra Mile, and Running from the Reaper. In each podcast, contributors actually make segments on the run, while training, so you can hear the panting and the cars in the background through the microphone. This whole iPod thing is great! Funny, though, I tend not to listen to my iPod while I run, but I do enjoy listening while I'm on the elliptical and other places.

Back to an Hour

I did an hour on the elliptical again this morning, was glad to get back to "normal," eventhough I forgot to set my alarm and overslept a bit.

I'm beginning to feel the need to vary my workouts a bit, but I'm not willing to give up my cardio time yet. To get more weight and core training in, I'll have to get to the gym earlier, or make some time in the evenings.

Tired

I had a feeling I'd get some rest soon, and this was the morning. I woke up "gut tired," so I slept in a bit, and did a 30 minute workout on the elliptical machine. I was ready to get off after 30 minutes. I missed the longer workout, but I could tell I needed to give my body a bit of a rest. Still, 30 minutes is okay.

More Running

I stretched my running this morning, doing 15 minutes on the treadmill for 1.22 miles. (I'm especially happy about that!) Then I put in 35 minutes on the elliptical. Felt pretty strong through all of it, but I'm still feeling a little sore from the road race and subsequent workouts. I'll get more of a rest soon, but I'm enjoying feeling stronger. I think part of it was getting that extra hour's sleep on Sunday. Amazing what sleep can do!

Another Good Workout

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical again, pedaling forward and backward using the ques from the machine. It feels good to be working different muscles, and to be breaking out of what was becoming a ho-hum workout. I also did about 5 minutes of free weights on my arms. I need to do more, but it's a start.

Latest Progress Pictures from the Rice Diet

Check here for the latest shot of me from the Rice Diet Program. It's been a great "diet" program for me. I feel so much better!

Morning Workout, Plus Official Results

This morning I did 65 minutes on the elliptical, and actually followed the instructions for the #2 Gluteal" program I was doing on the machine, going forward for 15 minutes, pedaling backward for the next 15 minutes, then forward and backward again. The final 5 minutes was a programmed "cool down." I was still a bit sore, and now I'm even more sore, but it's a good sore!

The official results are in from yesterday's 5K, and I was right on the money about the time of 40:54. I finished in 410th place out of 601 people in the competitive division (768 participants in all). I expected to be farther back in the pack, but I think there were a lot of walkers who decided to wear a timing chip. In my age bracket of females 40-44, I placed 20th out of 35 women. Usually I'm the last one. The top three in my age group for women all finished in less than 23 minutes--wow! I'll be glad to finish in under 40 minutes--definitely my next goal!

Free to Breathe 5K Completed!

This morning I ran in the Free to Breathe 5K in Raleigh, NC, which started and ended at Ravenscroft School. This was a "1st annual" event, with proceeds going to lung cancer research. The cause has meaning for me, as my father was diagnosed with lung cancer a few years ago, and is doing great!

I was glad to have pre-registered, as the race day registration line was long. (The unofficial count was over 700 runners, a pretty good sized race.) When I walked up to the table to get my race number, the kid with the stack of numbers found my number, and asked the fellow behind him (who as handing out the t-shirts) what "J" meant. The t-shirt guy replied, "Jumbo," and handed the number kid my XXL t-shirt. This little exchange caught me off guard, having "jumbo" announced as I get my pre-race goodies! Decided to shake it off, and show them how "Jumbo" runs a 5K! It did make me think again about how my body image is still a little out of whack, eventhough I'm in a smaller shirt size. I was glad for the bigger shirt, though, because I was cold enough in my single t-shirt that I put the new tee on top of the old, and felt much more comfortable!

The race itself started just a little late, to let the late registrants join the race. We ran from Ravenscroft School into a residential area, then back to the school. There was one water stop during the race, at the halfway point, but I didn't stop. There were some pretty good hills, but nothing too bad. Still, both feet bothered me some during the race, one due to plantar fasciitis, the other due to falling arches. I adjusted my gait a little and was able to finish in good shape with a personal record in this rebirth of my running "career!" Between my feet and the wind (it was gusty at times), I was happy for that! My unofficial time is 40:54, will be looking for the official results on runnc.com in a few days.

The post-race refreshments looked great! I had some orange slices, but passed on the pastries and cheese pizza slices.

I was sad to hear that a runner died this morning at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City. It's another thing that has me rethinking my goal of running a marathon. I may cut that back to a half-marathon. Of course, thousands of people run marathons every year and finish. We'll see.

Anyway, I'm excited about running the Apex Turkey Trot with Laura in a couple of weeks! Perhaps I can run another personal record!

Short Workout

This morning I only did 30 minutes on the elliptical. Got to bed late, but for a good reason. I picked up sister and her youngest daughter from the airport. They're in town for the weekend for Parents Weekend at Duke. (My oldest niece is at Duke.) It was fun to see them last night!

I'm excited about the 5K tomorrow morning, but must get to bed early tonight. Got to!

No Running Today

I did do the elliptical for an hour this morning. I'm trying to save my foot (with the plantar fasciitis) for the 5K on Saturday now, though I probably shouldn't be worried, with the small amount of running I'm doing these days! I hope I'm ready for Saturday! In reality, I know I can finish. I have expectations of beating my last time of 42 minutes, so that gives my butterflies a little. At least I know I have the endurance for it.