…”this life is more than just a read through”

So, I was going to set out for a mind clearing mountain bike ride down the dirt road in the woods - BY MYSELF - no kids. I cleaned the house all day, and yesterday too. I was all set to go and all I had to do was utter the word “bike”. That was all it took, I ended up with a 7 year old riding with me. Which meant a lot of looking behind me to be sure she didn’t get hit by a car, and a lot of walking up the big hills on the way home. But, she enjoyed it and I did too. She is good company and quite a sport.

I am sore from running as much as I did yesterday. But, I am still inspired to work out every day.

P.S. I know that I did not ride 240 mph - not sure why it is saying that ; ^ )

Workout:

• Type: Cycle
• Date: 03/30/2008
• Time: 17:45:00
• Total Time: 00:30:00.00
• Distance: 2 miles
• Average Speed: 4 mph

The baby is sick and had a fever all day, he was up at 4:00 this a.m. screaming for me. Tonight, my husband said, “go ahead, up to the treadmill” and made dinner, what a guy! I walked for about 2 minutes and then proceeded to run 1 mile straight without stopping (a feat I have never accomplished before). I then walked for a bit and ran another 1/4 mile and walked the rest of the 2 miles. It felt good. I am questioning my breathing though. My throat burns when I run. I need to find out how I should be breathing. I try to focus on the breathing and then it just doesn’t feel right. It was like during hypno-birthing classes that I attended in preparation for my children’s births. I always got “caught up” on the breathing part and lost focus of the hypno-birthing exercises. Needless to say, it didn’t work for the births!

I breathe through my nose and mouth, I have a deviated septum so I think that that causes some trouble.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/29/2008
• Time: 18:30:00
• Total Time: 00:27:47.00
• Calories: 317
• Distance: 2.03 miles
• Average Pace: 13:40.05/mile

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/26/2008
• Time: 16:00:00
• Total Time: 00:21:00.00
• Calories: 230
• Distance: 1.52 miles
• Average Pace: 13:51.41/mile

Can running just 1.5 miles make someone feel so great and optimistic? Wow, I feel good. When I get off of the treadmill, I can’t wait to get back on again. I don’t know if it is the challenge of the training, the fact that I could never run before and now I can. Or is it the results that I am seeing on the scale and that the number is going down, and not just remaining the same each day.

I have moved on to the next step for the 5k training, which is a fast 5 min. walk, then 90 seconds running and 90 seconds of walking at a fast pace for 20 mins. It felt fine, the knee is handling it like a pro!

I love blogging, it makes me feel accountable. If I get that “oh, it’s 4:00, dinner needs to be made, dishes in the sink, laundry to be folded” feeling, I think: what will your activity log look like for this week if you skip? Put on your running shoes, lazy bones!

The baby was in his pack & play while I did my training and when I finished I pressed “stop” - the baby said “awesome - good job”! Sooooo funny, since he is only 21 months old. My little cheering squad!

Is it bad for me to run every day? Do I HAVE to take a day off in between? Anyone?

Back to training - it’s hard to train when you feel like you are going to cough up a lung! My friend said that she runs when the cold is in her head, but not in her chest. I think I will adopt the following: I don’t run if I don’t feel like it. That works for me. It felt good getting back on the treadmill though. I pushed for faster speeds when I was running. Walked a fast 5 mins, ran 1 min, walked 1.5 mins, run 1 min, walked 1.5 mins, etc. for 20 mins.

I will move to the next phase of my 5k training tomorrow.

Workout:

• Type: Walk
• Date: 03/24/2008
• Time: 17:30:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00
• Calories: 203
• Distance: 1.4 miles
• Average Pace: 14:17.14/mile
• Max Pace: 10:54.55/mile

Just rolling around on the site this morning and checking out people’s blogs. While reading Brad Hefta-Gaub’s blog on “Barefoot Running Drills” and re-learning to run - I came across someone’s comment and the info. re: the Pose Technique and went to the website. It seems to make some sense - TONS of info. though! When I am running, I feel like I am leaning forward too much, maybe not landing right, maybe not holding my arms correctly, I always wonder if my posture is correct. And now with the knee surgery I want to do the right thing. The Pose Technique sounds like it would be the way to run for my knee’s sake.

So, should I not be running with my new wonderfully padded Saucony Running shoes, should I be running in running flats on the balls of my feet or should I be running barefoot?!?!? Wow. Is the technique only for experienced runners or does it make sense for me to learn now instead of getting used to a “bad” running technique? HELP.

I didn’t run today because I feel yucky, kids were up all night coughing. More snow today - Ugh!

I wasn’t supposed to run today (according to my training schedule) - but I couldn’t help it. It was like the treadmill was calling to me . . . . .

So, I got in 1 mile with a screaming toddler in the pack & play behind me throwing things in the general direction of the treadmill. I did the usual walk/run, but I ran faster when I ran today. It felt fine on the knee.

I know it was only a mile, but hell - it is 150 calories gone!

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/17/2008
• Time: 04:00:00
• Total Time: 00:15:14.00
• Calories: 149
• Distance: 1.02 miles
• Average Pace: 14:55.52/mile

Wow, I actually look forward to my training. This is really cool since I always thought of getting on the treadmill as a chore. I think that slowing the pace of my training is definitely helping A LOT! Trying to push your body to do something too quickly that it isn’t used to is not a good thing.

I an looking forward to a Mother’s Day 5k. That will be my first race - ever. This is huge. Before I was pregnant with my first child I smoked a pack of cigarettes a day, for 17 years of my life. I have been cigarette free for 8 1/2 years now and the fact that I can run for more than 10 seconds without feeling that my lungs were going to explode is amazing! I am really proud of myself, how silly is that!?

I am really happy.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/16/2008
• Time: 01:00:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00
• Calories: 164
• Distance: 1.3 miles
• Average Pace: 15:23.08/mile

Feeling good, knee isn’t pinching as much as it was the first few times back on the treadmill. I think it may be o.k. LOVE my new running shoes. Enjoying the training more and more.

Workout:

• Type: Run
• Date: 03/14/2008
• Time: 16:15:00
• Total Time: 00:20:00.00
• Calories: 164
• Distance: 1.25 miles
• Average Pace: 16:00/mile

So, I have a training plan now for the 5k I plan to do in May. I found out that I was pushing it way to hard and fast to start out. So, I feel a little more centered and ready to train. I start on the training plan today - slow and steady.

My knee is feeling a bit pulled on the inside (the knee that had surgery less than 2 months ago). I hope I didn’t tear it and it is just aggravated with me for running.

Keeping the shoes, my friend has the same ones and she said to give them a chance. I am used to a tighter fitting pair, so they feel pretty big in the toe box. I am going to try them again today and see how they feel.