Monday, November 30, 2009

2.5

Thanksgiving and some bad headaches are to blame for my lack of running last week, but I'm back on track this week and ready to roll! :)

This morning was pretty cold and rainy, so I decided to run at the rec center.  I feel like running on a treadmill is cheating for some reason, but I knew it'd be better then nothing.  I actually enjoyed running on the 'mill because I could keep up with my pace and timing really well.  I ran at a 12 minute mile pace, which I know is slow, but speed really isn't my focus (yet).  It was tough for me at some points, but once I finished I felt like I could have kept going.  Even though I'm not running a lot right now, I've come a long ways!  It wasn't long ago that running even one mile was all I could do.

I'm so excited to keep progressing, and I'm really looking forward to the 5K we have coming up in a few  weeks!

Miles: 2.5
Time: 30 1/2 minutes

Miles this Week: 2.5
Miles this Month: 20 miles -- what a nice way to end the month!!

Monday, November 23, 2009

2.25

Today was cold (45 degrees) and misting rain, but I still got out there and did it!  I thought about going to the rec center to run on the treadmill, but then I decided to make the best out of the weather conditions.  The inside of my shins are REALLY sore right now, and so that made it really tough to run.  Mathis assures me that this is normal for someone who's a total beginner.  I'm trying not to let it get me down, but it's slightly annoying -- I don't want to push it too hard at the beginning and make the soreness worse, but I'm also a little frustrated with how hard it makes it to run.

On a more positive side, I've spent the past few days reading lots of running blogs for encouragement.  I've listed a few of them in my sidebar to the right.  I absolutely LOVE to read people's experiences and thoughts about running.  It really motivates me when I read about others who have accomplished their running goals. :)

Miles: 2.25
Time: 28 minutes

Miles this Week: 2.25
Miles this Month: 17.5

Saturday, November 21, 2009

2

Mathis really motivated me to run tonight.  I hadn't ran since Wednesday (I skipped a long walk on the training yesterday), so it was a little tough to make myself go tonight.  I did alright -- the inside of my legs are sore, but I know it's typical for me to experience this at the beginning.  My time is still slow, and I still have to push myself to keep going, but I think I'm doing alright.

I snapped a quick picture of myself this afternoon before I headed out...



Right now I've been running the loop in our neighborhood.  It's so nice that I can just step right out the door and go.  One loop around is 3/4 mile.  When I start running longer distances I will likely run somewhere else, but right now it's nice to run close by.  Here's a picture of what it looks like where I'm running.



Miles: 2
Time: 24 1/2 minutes

Miles this Week: 5.5
Miles this Month: 15.25

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

1.5

I expected today's run to be really easy, but it was tough again at times.  Still working on my thoughts and my breathing.  My pace was all over the place and I know that made it tough today.  I caught myself sprinting a couple of times, and then I also walked some too.  But my time is improving so that's good!  And most importantly I got out there and did it. :)

Miles: 1.5
Time: 16 1/2 minutes

Miles this Week: 3.5
Miles this Month: 13.25

Monday, November 16, 2009

2

It was tough to run this morning.  My legs were a little sore from Saturday's run, and it was COLD -- I think somewhere around 37 degrees... there was still frost on the ground, I know that much!  I think running first thing in the morning is tough on me for some reason.  I had to walk a couple of different times, but I still managed to have a slightly better time then on Saturday.

Miles: 2
Time: 24 1/2 minutes

Miles this Week: 2
Miles this Month: 11.75

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Jingle Bell 5K

Today I signed Mathis and I up for the Jingle Bell 5K Run on December 12 in Roanoke.  I am excited to run a race to keep me motivated, and I think it will be a fun way to celebrate the Christmas spirit out here before we travel home to Texas! :)  I had my eye on this race for awhile, but now we're definitely committed.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

2

I hadn't ran in nearly a week due to tons of rainy weather and feeling a little under the weather.  But tonight I was back!

Mathis and I went running together right as the sun was setting.  It was great having him along -- definitely motivated me towards the end.  We ran a solid two miles (maybe a little more?), and it felt great!

Miles: 2
Time: 25 minutes

Miles this Week: 5
Miles this Month: 9.75

Sunday, November 8, 2009

GYRO with Sarah

I hadn't planned on running today, but my friend Sarah who just completed her first marathon asked me to go running with her.  I was VERY intimidated to go running with her, but excited at the chance to have such a great motivator!

We ran on the Huckleberry Trail, and Sarah showed me the mile breakdowns of the trail.  We ran a full two miles, walked some more, and then ran again.  I think we ran close to 3 miles and did a total of 4 miles with walking.  It was TOUGH, but I feel so great now.  I know the only reason I kept going is because I had Sarah next to me.

My breathing was all over the place -- I was huffing and puffing like crazy, but I did it and it felt great!  I will continue to work on my breathing, but I didn't have any cramps so that's good!

Sarah was a great encouragement to me along the way.  She taught me a few "tricks" and we talked about how so much of running is mental.  She also told me that the Charlottesville marathon I was thinking about running is NOT a good race (very hilly), so Mathis and I are now thinking about running a half in March in NC.

Miles: 3
Time: 34 minutes-ish

Miles this Week: 3
Miles this Month: 7.75

Saturday, November 7, 2009

1.75

Today's run was tough.  It was much warmer outside, and I think that was tough on me.  I had to walk for a few minutes, but I realized that even though I walked my time improved! :)

Miles: 1.75
Time: 20 minutes

Miles this Week: 4.75
Miles this Month: 4.75

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

1.5

My run today was easy again, but I realized that I'm running pretty slow.  I'm not focusing on my time right now, but obviously at some point I'll need to step it up. :)  The weather is cool this week, and it has made my runs really nice.  I'm trying to stretch well so I don't get any injuries, and tonight I went walking at the mall with some friends so hopefully that helped stretch me some too!

Miles: 1.5
Time: 19 minutes

Miles this Week: 3
Miles this Month: 3

Monday, November 2, 2009

1.5

This morning's run was GREAT! I ran the entire time, and I felt great!! Hope this continues! :)


Miles: 1.5
Time: Forgot to start my watch...

Miles this Week: 1.5
Miles this Month: 1.5

Sunday, November 1, 2009

New Month, New Start

Ok, so I got off track with midterms and my friend Laura coming to visit. But it's a brand new month, and I've got a brand new start. Mathis and I aren't going ANYWHERE this month, and we're not having any visitors either so there should be no excuses! :)

I revised my running schedule this afternoon, and I'm still hoping to run this race on Thanksgiving. Here we go!