Steamy Shower

You know how it feels when you walk into the bathroom when someone is taking a ridiculously long, hot, steamy shower? You know, that almost breathless feeling because it's soooo humid and the air feels super thick? Well that was what came to mind when I opened the front door this morning for my run...ugh! When I stepped outside I could barely breathe. Not quite the weather I was hoping for. I think I could have handled it a bit better if rain would have poured down on me throughout the run, but no such luck. Anyway, you get the point. On to the run...

Well, when I was greeted with less than perfect running conditions I immediately thought to myself that there was NO WAY that I would ever make it through W8D1. I set my i-pod to play Carli's week 8 podcast anyway so I could have some new tunes to listen to and I started the warm-up (haha! As if I needed to warm-up in such sweltering conditions!).

When it was time to run, I did just that. Again, I was thinking I would never survive the whole 28 minutes. Throughout the run I set mini-goals. I'd say to myself, "If you can just make it to the end of the road, then you can stop." When I made it to the end of the road I'd say, "Now, if you can just make it to that mailbox, then you can stop." So you get the point. I did this multiple times and even slowed my pace 2 different times instead of completely stopping. And you know what? My little mental game worked (and the Rocky theme during the last portion certainly didn't hurt)! I completed W8D1 and even went above and beyond with an extra 3 minutes!!

I continue to amaze myself (and my husband too). On multiple occasions now I have overcome the seemingly impossible and pulled through! I'm sure you all have been doing the same in your own runs. We deserve to be proud of ourselves. I know I am.

I hope you all have a great week. Happy running!

You Did What?... Seriously?

Yep, seriously. I got up as promised this morning and did my W7D2 run+. What's the "+" for? Well, I did the 25 minutes of running that was scheduled plus I continued to jog through the five minute cool down! I know, crazy. Right?!? I'm shocked and amazed too.

My alarm rang as usual. I laid in bed for another two or three minutes trying to wake up some more. Then I got up and got ready. Over the last few runs I have changed my routine a little bit. Instead of drinking some water while I get ready I've switched to juice. This morning it was raspberry/cranberry. Yum! I don't know if it's just a mental thing or if it really makes a difference, but I seem to feel better with a few calories on board while I'm out there.

I hadn't planned on running the extra time this morning, but at the end of the run Cari comes on to give you a one minute warning and to encourage you to "push it" through the last little bit. I didn't sprint or anything but I definitely widened my stride and picked up the pace a little. Once the minute was over I didn't feel like I should just slow immediately to a walk, so I dropped back to my original pace. After a few minutes I slowed a bit more, but continued to jog. Before I knew it the cool down phase was over! I had just completed 30 minutes of jogging without walking a single step! This is big stuff people. I haven't done that in years!

If I can do this I know that you all can too! Keep up the good/hard work. Happy running!!

W7D1 or W6D3 Repeater?

Either way you look at it, I nailed it!! 25 minutes of continuous running two days in a row...holy moly!! Today proves that yesterday's run wasn't just a fluke (thank goodness). I really can do this! Wow!

I finally clocked my run today. I tried to do it on the Google Map Pedometer site (which is really cool, by the way) that someone on the C25K Facebook page linked to, but apparently I live just a little too far into "the country" to get an accurate assessment. So this afternoon I hopped in the car and drove the route. Turns out that I'm running somewhere between 2.3-2.4 miles in 25 minutes. This is better than I thought. There's certainly room for improvement, but at this point I'm just happy to have completed 25 minutes (TWICE!!!).

Hope you all are continuing to do well. Keep me posted on your progress.

Happy running!

Walking on Sunshine

Remember the song Walking on Sunshine from the 80's? You know the one that goes something like this:

I'm walking on sunshine...whoa,
I'm walking on sunshine...whoa,
I'm walking on sunshine...whoa, and it's time to feel good!
Hey, all right now, it's time to feel good...yeah, oh yeah.
And it's time to feel good!

That song fit my run today for a couple of reasons. Much to my dismay when I first walked out the door this morning it felt like summer had already arrived. It was hot and humid at 7am...yuck! I did my 5 minute warm-up, took a couple of minutes to stretch, and I started in on the run. Right off the bat it felt like I was running on sunshine (quite literally). It was so stinking hot that I must have been running on the sun or really close to it.

Secondly, that was the final song that played during my cool-down today following the 25 minute run (non-stop, I might add)! And, man was it a great song to end on! That's exactly how I felt. I had just completed my first 25 minutes of continuous running and I was soooo proud!! I felt like I was beaming and walking on sunshine.

Overall, the run went well today. I think that stretching after warming up helped to loosen my muscles for the running portion (thanks for the advice Theresa). Carli from www.runningintoshape.com kept me motivated with some good tunes and encouragement at the 5 minute mark, halfway through, with 5 minutes to go, and at the final minute. I kept my thoughts pretty positive and when I felt like I needed a break I changed my pace from tortoise to snail. After a minute or two at that pace I'd kick it back up and continue at my regular, slower than slow pace (do you get the picture...I run SLOW!). It worked. I finished the entire thing without any walking.

Good-bye week 6, you've been good to me but I'm moving on!

FYI for those of you who listen to Carli's podcasts--I found it easier to use the week 7 music for W6D3 because it doesn't have all of the interruptions that are necessary for W6D1&2.

Happy running!!

Victory!!

It's a small victory for me, but nonetheless I'm proud of myself! I completed the baby monster (W5D3) this morning without walking! I finally crawled out of bed at 6:50 this morning after a little snuggle time with my alarm clock (aka-my daughter). I took my time getting ready this morning and even took a few minutes for a good stretch. Let me tell you, it was nice having a little extra time to wake up a bit before heading out. During the week I basically roll out of bed, get dressed, brush my teeth, and head out the door. I love my sleep, but I'm definitely going to have to consider getting up just a few minutes earlier during the week for a little extra wake up time. I really think it made a positive difference.

Anyway, on to the run...During my 5 minute warm up I really focused on keeping my thoughts positive and taking some really deep breaths to fill and open up my lungs. As I started the run I felt pretty good. I noticed that it was a little warmer and more humid than my morning runs have been up to this point, but I wasn't about to let that bother me. Somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes into it my thoughts started to veer to the negative side. I started thinking too much about my breathing and how my mouth was feeling really dry, despite the gum I was chewing. Then I noticed that my knees were hurting ever so slightly. So I told myself something similar to what I saw someone write on the C25K Facebook page: "Your legs haven't fallen off yet and you haven't coughed up or lost a lung. You're doing fine and YOU CAN DO THIS!!" I realized that I really didn't have that far to go and I just needed to suck it up. I changed the channel in my brain and left the whiny attitude behind.

During the last little stretch I saw my neighbor jogging up his driveway and out of the woods. That was all I needed to kick myself in gear. Suddenly I started to move a little faster and my form improved. It's funny how simply seeing other people out and about is enough to make you step it up a notch. I finished strong and felt really good about it. Obviously I had my moments, but overall I think I did well. I honestly haven't looked ahead to see what week 6 entails. Maybe I'll check that out today. Either way, I know that I can handle it!!

Getting Ready for the Baby Monster

So tomorrow's the big day...my first time (in years) to run 20 minutes without stopping! Notice I said "to run" not "attempt to run." I plan to attack it and not look back. I must admit though, I am a little nervous. Due to my work schedule I have had 2 days off. I'm not too sure how this is going to affect me. I'm hoping it works out to be a good thing. Nonetheless I'm moving forward.

I plan to get my clothes out and ready, i-pod set, shoes and knee brace by the door, and take off shortly after waking up. Chances are this will be sometime before 7am. My daughter makes a wonderful alarm clock and she seems to be waking up earlier everyday (today it was 6:15 as I was preparing to take off for work).

I will be back to let you know how it went. Until then, I'm off to prepare and then get some much needed rest. Happy resting and running!