I love running. I really do.
Even when I hate it, even when it's a million degrees or less than 35 degrees, even when my legs ache and my toes look ugly, I love it.
It's really hard to pull me away from it. Every day I don't run is a day...well, that I didn't run. I wasted too many years being sedentary. I take days off and immediately regret them.
So it was really difficult for me to not run at the gym today. Since I joined my new gym, I've been looking at the spin area jealously. But for one reason (excuses...ahem) or the other, I hadn't taken a spin class until TODAY.
I loved it so much!
The class was challenging, but not impossible. When we were finished, I felt like I had actually done something. But I still had enough left to run six miles this evening. I'm not overly sore this evening. I'm not hobbling around. I just feel nicely fatigued.
And I've decided that I really need about five more hours in the day to fit in all the exercise I want to do. I want to start riding bikes now and taking more spin classes than the two a week I plan to get in. But then that will cut into my running and I really don't want to give that up!
So yeah, a few more hours in the day and I'll be good!
---
I am continually amazed that I am truly, seriously enjoying all this exercise.
This is not the Beth who routinely failed the Presidential Physical Fitness Test.
This is not the Beth who had a running disagreement with her mother about reading vs. going outside and playing.
This is not the same Beth who weighed more than 200 pounds.
Thank goodness.
---
Gah. I am having such the crisis with my dang headphones AGAIN. I got wireless headphones for Christmas two years ago. Loved them. Cherished them. Would have married them if marrying headphones were legal in my state and if I weren't already married.
One day, they just stopped working. Then a few weeks later, they started working again. At this point, my husband pointed out to me that a Web site was offering them for CHEAP. So I bought TWO pairs.
Well, now none of them work. And I can't find any that I like. And I am so frustrated and tired of this. I don't like earbuds. I can't find any that I like.
I have to solve this issue this weekend. It is imperative.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the...Treadmill
There are a few reasons why I have hated the treadmill in the past:
1. BORING.
2. BORING.
3. Did I mention...BORING?
Yes, there are TVs. Yes, I have an iPod. It's just awfully mind-numbing, only in a bad way. When I run outside, I usually get to a numb space, where my body is just running while my mind drifts off, but it's different. Maybe it's different because a part of me has to stay alert in case of a car or a dog or a crazy kidnapper person. Maybe it's different because I'm running truly alone.
I don't know. But I did know that I had to conquer that boredom in order to conquer the treadmill. One day, I randomly Googled "treadmill workouts" and unlocked a treasure trove of them.
Only have 45 minutes? There's a treadmill workout for you. Want to go by mileage? You can find those, too. Calories burned? Bingo.
These workouts push me to run harder and faster. They have forced me to use the incline past 1%. I leave the gym with shaking legs and sweat-soaked clothing.
And a smile on my face. :-)
---
I aim to run 40 miles a week. Most of the time, that means on Friday and Saturday, I'm putting in some long runs, just to meet my goal.
Not this week!
Thanks to my gym and the wonderful (yes, you heard me correctly) treadmill, I got in my 40th mile last night, a full two days ahead of my usual plan.
How?
Well, for starters, I had a Sunday where we didn't have a lot to do, so I got in 8 miles.
I was off on Monday, so I got in 8 then, too.
Tuesday, I went to the gym at lunch and did 5.5 miles, and then that night, I did 6 more at home.
Wednesday, I did 3 at home, and Thursday I double-dipped again, running 5 at lunch and 4.5 at the gym that night, for a total of FORTY!
I'm not going to rest on my laurels...er, butt for the next two days, but knowing that I've already made my goal puts less stress on me to make it happen.
1. BORING.
2. BORING.
3. Did I mention...BORING?
Yes, there are TVs. Yes, I have an iPod. It's just awfully mind-numbing, only in a bad way. When I run outside, I usually get to a numb space, where my body is just running while my mind drifts off, but it's different. Maybe it's different because a part of me has to stay alert in case of a car or a dog or a crazy kidnapper person. Maybe it's different because I'm running truly alone.
I don't know. But I did know that I had to conquer that boredom in order to conquer the treadmill. One day, I randomly Googled "treadmill workouts" and unlocked a treasure trove of them.
Only have 45 minutes? There's a treadmill workout for you. Want to go by mileage? You can find those, too. Calories burned? Bingo.
These workouts push me to run harder and faster. They have forced me to use the incline past 1%. I leave the gym with shaking legs and sweat-soaked clothing.
And a smile on my face. :-)
---
I aim to run 40 miles a week. Most of the time, that means on Friday and Saturday, I'm putting in some long runs, just to meet my goal.
Not this week!
Thanks to my gym and the wonderful (yes, you heard me correctly) treadmill, I got in my 40th mile last night, a full two days ahead of my usual plan.
How?
Well, for starters, I had a Sunday where we didn't have a lot to do, so I got in 8 miles.
I was off on Monday, so I got in 8 then, too.
Tuesday, I went to the gym at lunch and did 5.5 miles, and then that night, I did 6 more at home.
Wednesday, I did 3 at home, and Thursday I double-dipped again, running 5 at lunch and 4.5 at the gym that night, for a total of FORTY!
I'm not going to rest on my laurels...er, butt for the next two days, but knowing that I've already made my goal puts less stress on me to make it happen.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Believer.
When I first started running several years ago, I bought a pair of $35 Nikes at Macy's. Given my propensity for starting something and then giving up, I didn't want to invest too much in my new interest. If I stuck with it, then I'd put a little more into it.
For my birthday that year, my husband and kids got me a pair of Nike Airs with the shocks in the heel. I wore those for about six months, and then I switched.
I tried Asics, New Balance and Saucony before settling on Adidas for a few years.
After two-and-a-half years ago, I switched to Nike Run Free. Not sure why. They weren't pink, for starters (No. 1 running pet peeve is when manufacturers only make women's running shoes in pink). And I had just read Christopher MacDougall's Born to Run about the Tarahumaras and how they run in very minimalist shoes. I didn't want to go bare and I didn't want to go Vibram, but I would go Nike Run Free.
So that's how it's been for the past 30 months: I wear a pair for about three months or so, waltz into the nearest shoe store and get the same style, same size in a different color.
I've never had a problem with my feet. They're small, but otherwise, there's nothing extraordinary about them. I never saw a reason to go to a specialty store to get fitted.
Until now.
I've been having some pain in my ankles. Not enough to stop me from running, but more than the usual almost-41-year-old aches and pains. I've foam-rolled them. I've done stretching exercises. Still painful.
Today, I went to the running store in town...my last stop before getting an ankle brace.
The guy told me to take off my shoes and walk.
As I approached him, he asked, "Do you have flat feet?"
What? Me? Flat feet?
I held up my foot and showed him the arch. It's not awesome, but it's there.
Apparently, when I walk, my arches collapse, causing my ankles to roll.
I needed shoes with some stability, with arch support. In other words, the exact opposite of what I'd been wearing for the past couple of years.
Yeah.
So he brought out seven or eight pairs of shoes and I tried them each on before deciding on the Brooks Ravenna 3. The second I put them on, I knew.
I took them on a test drive this evening and they feel great. They're supportive, but not too heavy.
---
I managed to run 44 miles this week, in large thanks to the treadmill.
The weather has been dreary and cold and rainy, but thankfully it cleared up by the end of week. I had such success on the treadmill this week that I was kind of scared to run outside.
But run outside I did. Twelve miles last night!
For my birthday that year, my husband and kids got me a pair of Nike Airs with the shocks in the heel. I wore those for about six months, and then I switched.
I tried Asics, New Balance and Saucony before settling on Adidas for a few years.
After two-and-a-half years ago, I switched to Nike Run Free. Not sure why. They weren't pink, for starters (No. 1 running pet peeve is when manufacturers only make women's running shoes in pink). And I had just read Christopher MacDougall's Born to Run about the Tarahumaras and how they run in very minimalist shoes. I didn't want to go bare and I didn't want to go Vibram, but I would go Nike Run Free.
So that's how it's been for the past 30 months: I wear a pair for about three months or so, waltz into the nearest shoe store and get the same style, same size in a different color.
I've never had a problem with my feet. They're small, but otherwise, there's nothing extraordinary about them. I never saw a reason to go to a specialty store to get fitted.
Until now.
I've been having some pain in my ankles. Not enough to stop me from running, but more than the usual almost-41-year-old aches and pains. I've foam-rolled them. I've done stretching exercises. Still painful.
Today, I went to the running store in town...my last stop before getting an ankle brace.
The guy told me to take off my shoes and walk.
As I approached him, he asked, "Do you have flat feet?"
What? Me? Flat feet?
I held up my foot and showed him the arch. It's not awesome, but it's there.
Apparently, when I walk, my arches collapse, causing my ankles to roll.
I needed shoes with some stability, with arch support. In other words, the exact opposite of what I'd been wearing for the past couple of years.
Yeah.
So he brought out seven or eight pairs of shoes and I tried them each on before deciding on the Brooks Ravenna 3. The second I put them on, I knew.
I took them on a test drive this evening and they feel great. They're supportive, but not too heavy.
---
I managed to run 44 miles this week, in large thanks to the treadmill.
The weather has been dreary and cold and rainy, but thankfully it cleared up by the end of week. I had such success on the treadmill this week that I was kind of scared to run outside.
But run outside I did. Twelve miles last night!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Changing my mind about something, and other stuff
I've documented here more than a few times how much I totally, completely, overwhelmingly HATE the treadmill.
Maybe I just needed a new perspective.
I joined a new gym last week, just in time for the bottom to fall out. It has rained here for approximately 120 days, y'all (OK, maybe I exaggerate). When the weather permits, I have been able to log in some miles outside. But when the weather has been insane, I've run on the treadmill.
And I kind of like it.
My new gym has TVs on each treadmill, so I can watch anything I want. My old gym had a bazillion TVs mounted on the wall. That sucked for so many reasons -- my neck hurt from craning to watch, if I couldn't get a treadmill in front of a show I was interested in, I was stuck watching "Teen Mom" or something, etc.
When the weather became unpredictable yesterday, I ran six miles at the gym while I watched the Texans suck it up in Foxboro. Their misery completely took my mind off mine.
I won't be relying completely on the treadmill for my runs. I still prefer running outside, and I think running outside prepares you better for races.
But in January and February, I'll take what I can get.
---
I did my long run on Friday night, so I hit the gym Saturday morning for a class and some extra mileage.
The class focused on the core, and OMG, did it focus on the core.
I was able to do all the moves in the class with little trouble, and I worked up a sweat. I felt great afterward, and ran my five miles without a problem.
Saturday night was a different story. Getting off the couch was a multi-step process filled with pain. Walking was filled with pain.
And Sunday? Well on Sunday morning, I sneezed multiple times. Unbearable.
I'm going back this evening! :-)
---
During the Christmas break, I decided to organize my running stuff. I had previously kept all my sports bras, shorts, tights, skirts, socks and shirts in a laundry basket in the corner of the living room. My reason for doing this was that I didn't want to wake up my husband by digging for workout clothes when I got up for early-morning runs.
(Yes, I could get my stuff ready the night before. I also could veg in the recliner watching crime procedural shows. You guess which one I chose...)
My laundry basket wasn't organized, though. I wasted a lot of time digging for my favorite pair of shorts or my most comfortable socks or whatever. Plus, did I really need all those race t-shirts? All those really gross, sweat-stained-beyond-sweat-stained sports bras? All 50 pairs of socks when I really only like to wear about three of them?
No.
I tossed a bunch of stuff, bought some new stuff, and organized it all in a three-drawer cart that I placed in my laundry room. Easy to access, easy to put stuff up right out of the dryer, and a good landing place for my often-wet-and-gross shoes when I come in from a run.
Maybe I just needed a new perspective.
I joined a new gym last week, just in time for the bottom to fall out. It has rained here for approximately 120 days, y'all (OK, maybe I exaggerate). When the weather permits, I have been able to log in some miles outside. But when the weather has been insane, I've run on the treadmill.
And I kind of like it.
My new gym has TVs on each treadmill, so I can watch anything I want. My old gym had a bazillion TVs mounted on the wall. That sucked for so many reasons -- my neck hurt from craning to watch, if I couldn't get a treadmill in front of a show I was interested in, I was stuck watching "Teen Mom" or something, etc.
When the weather became unpredictable yesterday, I ran six miles at the gym while I watched the Texans suck it up in Foxboro. Their misery completely took my mind off mine.
I won't be relying completely on the treadmill for my runs. I still prefer running outside, and I think running outside prepares you better for races.
But in January and February, I'll take what I can get.
---
I did my long run on Friday night, so I hit the gym Saturday morning for a class and some extra mileage.
The class focused on the core, and OMG, did it focus on the core.
I was able to do all the moves in the class with little trouble, and I worked up a sweat. I felt great afterward, and ran my five miles without a problem.
Saturday night was a different story. Getting off the couch was a multi-step process filled with pain. Walking was filled with pain.
And Sunday? Well on Sunday morning, I sneezed multiple times. Unbearable.
I'm going back this evening! :-)
---
During the Christmas break, I decided to organize my running stuff. I had previously kept all my sports bras, shorts, tights, skirts, socks and shirts in a laundry basket in the corner of the living room. My reason for doing this was that I didn't want to wake up my husband by digging for workout clothes when I got up for early-morning runs.
(Yes, I could get my stuff ready the night before. I also could veg in the recliner watching crime procedural shows. You guess which one I chose...)
My laundry basket wasn't organized, though. I wasted a lot of time digging for my favorite pair of shorts or my most comfortable socks or whatever. Plus, did I really need all those race t-shirts? All those really gross, sweat-stained-beyond-sweat-stained sports bras? All 50 pairs of socks when I really only like to wear about three of them?
No.
I tossed a bunch of stuff, bought some new stuff, and organized it all in a three-drawer cart that I placed in my laundry room. Easy to access, easy to put stuff up right out of the dryer, and a good landing place for my often-wet-and-gross shoes when I come in from a run.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
2013: Keep on keeping on.
I know it's been a while since I've blogged.
I've been busy. My husband has been working some crazy hours, so it was up to me to get the Christmas shopping done in addition to my usual traipsing kids here and yon, cleaning, doing the laundry, cooking, working, and oh yeah, running.
I've found over the years that when you think you have the least amount of time to exercise is when you should make the greatest effort to do it!
So I did, and I haven't regretted any of it. I've run every day except for four in the past month.
---
And because I love stuff like this, my 2012 stats:
Miles run: 1,952.45. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't make it to 2,000.
Most miles run in a month: October, with 195.5 miles.
Least miles run in a month: November, with 129.2 -- I take off essentially 10 days for marathon prep and recovery.
Time spent running: 333:49:24. This is incomplete because it doesn't take into consideration the times I ran without my Garmin and when my Garmin crapped out because of battery issues, but close enough!
Calories burned: 167, 598. Can't argue with that.
Races run: Six: The Gusher Half, Fort Worth Zoo 10K, Galveston Sand Crab 10K (won my age division), Livestrong 5K (second in my age group), San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon, and the Turkey Trot 10K.
---
For 2013, I intend (because I don't make resolutions, I make intentions) to run a race every single month. Since I'm not running a marathon this year (holding off to try to get into Houston for 2014), I want to have some fun with my races. So far I have races lined up for February (Cowtown Half with my BFF Michele!), March (Gusher Half, here in town), and I want to run the Austin 1020 (10 miles, 20 bands) in April (have to check my schedule and make sure that's possible).
But January has me stumped. There's a 5K in The Woodlands in mid-January, and I may have to do that one by default, if my schedule permits. I'm still researching options, though!
I intend to get faster, run harder and run more than I ever have.
I've been busy. My husband has been working some crazy hours, so it was up to me to get the Christmas shopping done in addition to my usual traipsing kids here and yon, cleaning, doing the laundry, cooking, working, and oh yeah, running.
I've found over the years that when you think you have the least amount of time to exercise is when you should make the greatest effort to do it!
So I did, and I haven't regretted any of it. I've run every day except for four in the past month.
---
And because I love stuff like this, my 2012 stats:
Miles run: 1,952.45. I'm kind of bummed that I didn't make it to 2,000.
Most miles run in a month: October, with 195.5 miles.
Least miles run in a month: November, with 129.2 -- I take off essentially 10 days for marathon prep and recovery.
Time spent running: 333:49:24. This is incomplete because it doesn't take into consideration the times I ran without my Garmin and when my Garmin crapped out because of battery issues, but close enough!
Calories burned: 167, 598. Can't argue with that.
Races run: Six: The Gusher Half, Fort Worth Zoo 10K, Galveston Sand Crab 10K (won my age division), Livestrong 5K (second in my age group), San Antonio Rock N Roll Marathon, and the Turkey Trot 10K.
---
For 2013, I intend (because I don't make resolutions, I make intentions) to run a race every single month. Since I'm not running a marathon this year (holding off to try to get into Houston for 2014), I want to have some fun with my races. So far I have races lined up for February (Cowtown Half with my BFF Michele!), March (Gusher Half, here in town), and I want to run the Austin 1020 (10 miles, 20 bands) in April (have to check my schedule and make sure that's possible).
But January has me stumped. There's a 5K in The Woodlands in mid-January, and I may have to do that one by default, if my schedule permits. I'm still researching options, though!
I intend to get faster, run harder and run more than I ever have.
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