Stop Giving Up and The Power of Facebook

I saw this on a friend's facebook page and wow - simple truths!

I have a few friends on facebook that are pretty athletic. They are inspiring and often post little things like this that make me stop and think. They motivate me - whether directly (by challenging me personally) or indirectly (by merely posting their activities and goals). It's a simple thing for me that has a lot of impact and these sayings often roll around in my head when I'm feeling like giving up or when I need an extra push.

Another Milestone

Today I conquered three miles. Although "conquered" is a little misleading. I had a hard day running. I wasn't sure I was going to get one, let alone two, let alone three miles done. I've realized that Wednesdays are difficult days for me - running-wise. I'm still recovering from Monday's run and here I am pushing myself to do even more! It was probably the most shuffling and sloppy run of my life. It was by far the slowest too. Not only that but about half way through my toe started hurting. Turns out the nail of one toe was gouging another toe. I also have a big old blister. With all these wounds and the state of my aching muscles you'd think I just finished a marathon.

Good Run

Today was a good run. I think it had to do with the nice cool breeze and non-sweltering temperatures. It also could have been because I was coming off a two or three day hiatus and was well rested. If time hadn't been an issue, I think I could have run for quite a while. But, I had to get back home so my husband could get to work. Instead, I ran two miles. And two miles is becoming the norm for me. Time to push it to three! The difficulty with three though is finding the time to do it. I'll need at least a 45 minute time slot to accomplish it.

Speed. I Am Speed.

Ok, not really. I've decided to set a goal to get my speed up to a respectable level. I feel I have the mile pretty much conquered. Now to get to it a little faster.

Tonight, since I wasn't able to get out until well past dark, I decided to stay close to home and run a 1/4 mile stretch back and forth while working on going a bit faster. That was a lot harder than I thought it would be.

Through this process of running I've learned something: even though I may set a goal for myself that does not mean that I will quickly meet that goal. And if I don't meet the goal right away, I'm not a failure. It's just something to continually work toward.

So, tonight was my first time out working on speed. I started off fast and confident. That soon withered to slow and huffing and puffing. But, even those few seconds of fast running got me closer to my more respectable mile time. I'll continue to get stronger and faster.

I'll continue.

I Could Weep

I honestly did not think that my crooked little feet could carry me a mile. But they did. And tonight they conquered something bigger than a mile . . . they conquered TWO miles. For the first time in my life, I ran 2 miles.

I RAN 2 MILES!!!

The Best Time to Run

I honestly love the idea of running first thing in the morning. Here's why:

1. Getting out the door when the rest of the world is just waking up
2. Accomplishing something at the start of day
3. Doesn't interfere with family time since they're still sleeping
4. Getting it done right away so that you don't spend the rest of the day talking yourself out of it
5. It's cooler

However, I've come across a few really big cons to running first thing in the morning.

1. I worry that I'll wake someone up in the morning while I'm getting ready and that makes me anxious.
2. My mind seems occupied with all I have to accomplish that day.
3. I have absolutely zero energy causing me much frustration at my lack of progress
4. This is the biggest con for me: my blood sugar is super wonky in the morning. Sometimes I'll be fine, other times I'll have the shakes, dizziness and nausea that I'll have to forgo the run. Typically when I run in the morning, the first thing I do when I get up is grab a piece of cheese and some juice to munch on while I'm getting ready. But I don't have the time to wait for the juice to kick in to get my blood sugar back up.

Last week I decided to try an evening run. I've held off on running in the evening because, well, it's darker outside. But I loved it! Why I loved it:

1. The day is over, no chores or errands hanging over my head. A great time to unwind.
2. I have energy. Usually I'll have eaten an hour or so before hand giving me an extra boost (and no blood sugar issues).
3. It's darker. Yes, this could be a pro or con. But I honestly like the anonymity it gives me.
4. Darker=cooler. Important in Arizona!
5. The kids and husband are usually unwinding as well. Chores and homework are all done. Dinner has been eaten. Everyone is just chilling and I don't feel like I'm taking away from or missing anything that's going on.

And the cons:

1. It's darker outside. I try to go before it really gets dark but if that doesn't happen I'll just stay close to home, making the running not as fun.
2. BIGGEST con to date: The smell of everyone's dinner cooking. Neighbor BBQ-ing, neighbor's spaghetti, etc. And it makes me want to puke. I just don't want to get a whiff of that stuff while I'm running. It literally turns my stomach. (On the other hand, my neighbor has a beautiful rose bush that I often pass - heavenly!)

The Ups and Downs

As you saw from my last post, I had a pretty bad run.

Then last night happened . . . a mere two days after the bad run.

I ran the entire mile (a nice portion of it was uphill)! And I could have gone further, except I felt I didn't want to set myself up for failure. Eh. I have low self-esteem or something.

I did end up running another half-mile though. But that happened after I walked a wee bit and caught my breath.

I was really really proud when I finished my mile. And in fact, I ran as fast as I could for the last 100 yards or so.

**Favorite thing about running: isn't exactly the running part but instead coming home, taking a shower and crawling into cozy pj's.**