C25K W7D1 Finished

Ran/walked in Brier Creek today, but turned the opposite direction from my usual route. Today's run/walk interval was the same as Saturday's, but a little bit faster today. Nice to see some progress, even though this morning's route had less hills.

I can tell the heat and humidity are on the rise around here. Wish we could bottle last week's weather!!

Saturday Long Run

This morning I hit the American Tobacco Trail for my long run, and it felt so good to run outside again. I decided to try a run/walk ration of 5:1, and that worked out really well, by and large, for the first 6 miles. The plantar fasciitis in my left foot has been acting up again, and at mile 6, it hurt bad enough that I needed to do more walking. Bummer. Even still, I ended up doing 8.1 miles in 2 hours, 22 minutes, an average pace of about 5 seconds faster than last week's long run. I'll take that mini-victory!

I discovered that the Circle K convenience store/gas station does not have public restrooms, but the Rite-Aid drugstore does! Woohoo! I used it both on my way out and on the way back. It's only a mile into the run from where I park, but it sure did come in handy. The Solite Park restrooms, at mile 2 from where I park, are closed for the season. These are good things to know!

I noticed a couple of running groups out on the ATT, both of whom passed me. I'll be glad when I'm fast enough to join a regular running group! While running, I thought about forming a running group for people my speed (who want to speed up too!). Hmmmm.

Back on the Treadmill

I ran a 5K (3.1 miles) in 40 minutes on the treadmill this morning, with some incline (.5% and 1%). It felt pretty good, no foot pain today.

It's still dark during the majority of my workouts now. The seasons are changing, for sure. I'm kinda missing the possibility of running outside in the mornings. Oh, well, at least I'm okay with the treadmill.

I had a checkup yesterday, and was glad to hear my diabetes is still under control with diet and exercise. (Two years ago, I was taking four insulin shots for Type 2 diabetes!) She encouraged me to do the half marathon rather than the marathon at this point.

Outside Walk

I slept in a bit this morning after celebrating George's grandfather's 94th (!) birthday last night in Cary. I was hoping to run this morning, but didn't have the mojo, so I decided to walk outside around the neighborhood. I got in 1.73 miles in 36 minutes. It's a pretty morning, so I enjoyed being outside. Nice change of pace. Maybe I'll get some more exercise in later today.

A Little More

This morning I decided to run outside, which was a nice change of pace. I felt tired, though, from yesterday's activities, so I thought I'd go a mile and see how I felt. One mile turned into three, in 45:16. Though you'd never know it from my time, I did more running than usual. Eventhough I was tired, the hills felt a little easier this morning.

My muscles are a little sore from yesterday's run, but it still felt good to run today, partly to have some time to myself. While I enjoyed yesterday's meeting and dinner, it was a lot of "people time," so I needed some time to myself. Now that I think about it, that's probably why I ran outside this morning, rather than going to the gym where there were other people. Though I'm still tired, I do feel better.

Second Wind

I continued to feel tired all morning, but around midday I started feeling better, so I ended up joining the North Carolina Roadrunners Club's Thursday Trail Series at Bond Park in Cary. I did this run a couple of weeks ago and got lost a couple of times, so I was the last one in. This time, I ran a shorter distance (2.72 miles) while most of the group ran about 5 miles. Several of us ran the shorter course, so I didn't feel like a loner on a group run this time, and I enjoyed socializing with the other runners as people came back to the starting area. It turns out there were several Galloway runners there tonight, so it was nice to meet some people from other pace groups and talk about various races.

Another thing that made it fun was that I was a winner in the drawing again! (Last time I won a hydration belt, and I thought the group was trying to tell me something, since I was still on the course when I won it.) This time I won a cute wicking t-shirt! It's a little small for me, so I can swap it at the New Balance running store in Raleigh, I'm told. Sweet! :)

Long Run with Galoway Group

This morning I joined the Galloway training group again for our weekly long run. Different people are running different distances now, based on their target races and how they're feeling. I ran with the 14/15 min. pace group again, and was glad I did this morning, as I needed to pace myself pretty slowly for the scheduled 14-mile run.

Most of the pace group did 10 miles. At the end of the 10-miler, the only other person who wanted to go farther was Kathy, one of the group leaders. After a restroom break at Crabtree Valley Mall, the two of us took off again. (Unfortunately, I forgot to restart my Garmin Forerunner at first, but I remembered eventually!) I enjoyed talking with Kathy some more. She was good company for the extra 3 or so miles. My Garmin clocked 12.83 miles in 3 hours, 36 minutes, for a 16:50 average pace, pretty good considering we did a run/walk/run the whole way, except for the last mile or so, which we walked because my left leg was bothering me a bit again.

I'm feeling pretty decent, but need to take a nap this afternoon since George and I have plans tonight.

Bond Park Run with NC Roadrunners

I decided to join the Thirsty Thursdays July Trail Series of the North Carolina Roadrunners Club for their run at Bond Park last night. It was a 5K run for everyone last night, but it turned out to be a little longer for me!

I started out being able to keep the last person in view, but then they rounded a corner, and on down a bit, I totally missed a turn! By the time I figured out which way to go and did some backtracking, they were long gone. I was relieved to see the white arrows again periodically.

A while later, I saw another arrow that turned, but I didn't know if that was supposed to be the direction we took after the nearby tunnel, or if it meant to turn around. I went through the tunnel and made a left--for a while. Turns out I was supposed to turn around BEFORE the tunnel--and head BACK! Ack!

I did have a map, which wasn't very helpful for my first time running Bond Park. Thankfully, there were others out running and walking as well, so I asked for directions a couple of times to make sure I was heading in the right direction. I did enjoy the park when I wasn't worried about catching up or finding my way back to the boat house. I even spotted a bunny rabbit. :)

Needless to say, I was the very last one of the group to finish, so much so that someone from the group came looking for me. Funny thing is, I actually won one of the door prizes they were offering--a cool looking hydration belt! Figures that my name must've been called and I was STILL out on the course. ;-) (Guess they figured I needed some extra hydration if I was going to be running that long!)

I ended up running/walking 3.74 miles, thanks to the missed turns, in 54 minutes.

I'm trying to decide whether or not to go back next week. If I do, at least I'd know better which way to go! What would you do?

Can't Believe I Ran Again!

I got to my car this morning, intending to drive to the gym, but I ended up turning toward Brier Creek instead. I fired up my Garmin Forerunner and ran/walked 4.36 miles in 1:05:00! As much as I enjoyed being around people at Friday's race and yesterday's group run, I really enjoyed running by myself this morning.

Three days of running in a row, probably not so good. My legs feel suprisingly good today, considering.

Another Run/Walk Morning

This morning I headed back out for a run/walk, against some better judgement, considering I had a long run 24 hours earlier. I felt a little better about yesterday's run with time, but I needed to prove to myself that I could stretch myself, especially without someone else setting my pace.

I decided to drive to the park for the run. The gates were already open when I got there at 7:30, a little late for me. The signs say the park doesn't open until 8, so I was surprised that I didn't have to park along the road and jog in. At first I thought, "Oh cool!" But I ended up have to share the roads with some cars and the air with a few swarming buggies. It felt good to get a good run/walk in though, 4.05 miles in a little over an hour.

For good measure, I stopped at the gym on my way home and got 20 minutes in on the recumbant bike. It was nice to show myself I still had some energy left.

After being a bit out of sorts over yesterday's long run, I really enjoyed running on my own. My introverted running self got recharged.

Some Running

This morning I finally got back to running--yay! I was tired this morning after a busy evening yesterday, so I didn't really feel like running when I started. Once I got my legs moving, the fog cleared from my head, and the running felt pretty good. The weather helped-a very pretty morning, if not a little humid. I ran/walked for 40:32 minutes and 2.61 miles. Afterward, I hopped on the recumbant bike at the gym for another 15 minutes.

Umstead Park Run

I returned to Umstead Park this morning for a run, as I wanted to be able to take a break from running tomorrow before Saturday's long run. Yesterday's run was a little blah, so I was wondering how today's run would go. I ended up going 3.05 miles in 43:31 minutes, two minutes per mile faster than yesterday's pace. :-) I feel good about being able to pick up the pace today!

I think one reason I've been feeling some blahs with my running lately is that my target race is in November. I need goals a little closer in. One of my next goals will be to run a 5K without walk breaks, like I used to be able to do before the injuries.

Another Run/Walk Morning

This morning I ran/walked for 40:11 minutes, going 2.47 miles--not a stellar pace, but I got out there. I ran outdoors in a nearby neighborhood, and it felt cooler this morning--very nice!

Another Galloway Long Run

I joined the Galloway running group again this morning, and according to my Garmin, I went 10.41 miles in 2:45:01. I started out feeling strong, but was feeling tired and tight in my left leg by the end. A couple other group members walked the last mile or so with me, and I really appreciated that. We ran in Cary this morning, including two loops around Lake Pine, near where George used to live. (Since I've been home this morning, I've discovered a neat blog about Lake Pine, which includes some wonderful pictures. I'd recommend checking it out!)

How can I make these long runs easier? Is it just a matter of doing them, and building endurance as I do the base mileage? Perhaps I should look at nutrition and stretching throughout the week, too.

The social part of the Galloway running group is getting me up on Saturday mornings--and getting me through the distance, too. I don't always want to be the caboose, though. I know, I know, it's not about who's first or last, so part of what I need to work on is mental toughness, perhaps.

Nice Outdoor Run

Yesterday I did 15 minutes on the recumbant bicycle, and 25 minutes on the elliptical. Had a busy day, too rushed to blog in the morning, and too tired last night!

This morning I decided I needed a change of routine, so I got going a little earlier and drove over to Umstead Park for my run. It was so peaceful! I even saw a couple of deer, in addition to the birds and squirrels. The rolling hills were a pretty good workout, to boot. I went 2.58 miles in 41:24.

Another Long Run-Yay!

I ran with the Galloway group again this morning. I was worried about the heat beforehand, so on the way to Raleigh, I listened to my workout playlist on the iPod to get pumped up. I also had my new wicking tshirt on and new water bottle in hand. We met at the Omega store at North Hills, which I'd never been to, so it was fun to see that area. It's a very nice outdoor mall, and it happened to have a farmers market going on by the time we finished our run, which was a nice touch. (I didn't do any shopping, since I was tired and had just gotten some goodies at the Duke Farmers Market yesterday.)

With all the prep shopping and things I did remember for this morning's run, when I ran into Susan I realized I'd forgotten my Garmin Forerunner! Argh! Thankfully, Susan allowed me to bug her periodically for distance updates, plus the final distance and time.

Our 13-minute pace group took a couple of long rest/water stops at the restroom area at Shelley Lake, plus what seemed like a couple of long walk breaks (where there were a lot of hills). I think our total time (2:18:40) for the 8.25 mile run would've been shorter if we'd run more. I was eager to keep going when we were stopped for the restroom breaks, but didn't mind walking the hills too much. The area under my toes on my right foot was bothering me again today. I was able to run through it, but my runs would be a lot more comfortable if that pain would go away.

Thanks to Susan, I tried some Sports Beans for the first time today, and they were yummy! I must get some myself!

I decided to pass on the Run for the Quay 5K this morning. I enjoyed running it last year, but decided to keep on track with the longer run this morning. I hope to get a race or two in this summer, though.

Slow Trot

This morning's outdoor run was a bit tough! It's getting warmer and more humid, even early in the morning-ick! So I did more walking than usual, and ended up going 2.9 miles in 50:11 minutes. I'm glad I got out there, but it wasn't a very satisfying run. I wonder if I should start running on the treadmill during the week. Hmmm.....

For the past two days in a row, I've measured my walking to/from my car, plus some walking breaks, with my Garmin, and I've walked over two miles each day (in the heat), in addition to the morning workouts. I wonder if that's part of the reason I'm feeling a little sluggish this morning.

Run Outside

I hit the roads this morning in a nearby neighborhood, running 2.24 miles in 31 minutes. I'm still feeling a little tired from weekend workouts plus a meeting after work last night (got home about 9:30-ick!), so I was on the fence about running. I'm glad I did, even if it wasn't a very fast pace (13:51 avg. min/mi), even for me. After listening to a couple of podcasts on my iPod, I switched to my workout playlist, and that helped perk me up a bit.

Outside Walk

This morning I was heading to the gym, but just couldn't get in my car just yet, so I ended up going for a really nice walk (1.81 miles) outside! It was a beautiful morning, so I enjoyed it a lot. Since I'm still tired from yesterday's hard workout (just a day after Saturday's long run), it was nice to have a fairly easy walk.

I ordered a wicking shirt for running from Amazon.com last evening. (Amazing what you find on Amazon!) I hope it makes it here before Saturday morning. I have a busy week, and in-store shopping isn't normally one of my favorite things (unless it's a bookstore!).

Back Outside

This morning I decided to run to the nearby neighborhood I usually drive to run my morning run. Part of the way there, I ran in the grass, which was damp and a little "icky," so I was glad to get back on pavement. Otherwise it was a pretty good run, 2.93 miles in 40 minutes. I felt a little sluggish at first, but once I warmed up, it went smoothly.