Snowy Day

I had to go to the gym and run on the treadmill today.  Downside = it's incredibly boring and it's pretty easy to stop at any time.  Unlike running outside, it's not like you have to get home.  Upside = I didn't wear knee braces and nothing hurt.  Shock absorbent treadmill is pretty great.  Also, you know just how fast you are going.

I started with a minute warm-up then one 7 min / 2 min split and then 8 min / 2 min splits.  I went a total of 2.57 miles.  Which is weird because for my second two splits I was running pretty fast (for me).  For the entire third 8 min I ran a 10 minute mile.  Maybe I should drive my route and see if it's the same as google says.  But then again, why mess with happiness?  I don't want to find out I'm running less outside than I think I am.

I'm going to buy a new scale and start tracking my weight in the new year.  I'm pretty sure my old one doesn't work well, that's gotta be the problem.

5K again!

Slowest 5K ever I think, but this one was pretty much exactly 5K.  It took me 34 min and 45 sec, so actually, I broke 35 minutes, so maybe not THE slowest ever, just sometimes it felt like it.  Esp in Powder House Circle when this gazelle ran across my path and zipped away.

According to MapMyRun, this route (a new one that goes into Powder House Circle - Past some really amazing smelling restaurants in Ball Square) has 66 feet of elevation gain.  the Ras na Eireann has 79.  I did 8 min / 2 min splits, which I may have to do for a week or two, it was killer!  When I got home, nothing hurt, which was so weird, I didn't know where to put the ice.

I hope I can keep running outside for a while longer.  I'm dreading having to go on the treadmill.

First 5K!

It turned out to be more than a 5K, more like a 5.32K or 3.3 miles in 38.45 minutes.  And about 30 of those were running!  I should do it out on Map My Run to see how fast I was going there, but it might take off some of the buzz.  I did 7/2 splits again until until 27 minutes, then I ran for 5 minutes until the big downhill, walked down that, and ran the rest of the way home.

Right hip was sore, that's a new one, but at least the knees were ok.  I've got an icepack on my ass.  It was so quiet out, I saw like 3 other runners, a few people walking their dogs, and a guy smoking.  I hope the weather stays nice enough to run outside, because I think it's way better than inside will be when it's too cold.

OK, just checked, it's 11:46 min mile.  But that includes the walking parts.

Registration is opened for the Ras na hEireane and I tried to register last night, but it wouldn't let me for some reason.  Hope that's not a sign.  Wouldn't it be lame if I actually could run 5K but the damn thing wouldn't let me register?

Bronchitis

Missed over a week with bronchitis/cold/disgusting viral thing + a migraine.  What a waste of time.  But, on the bright side, it gave my knees time to recover.  I went running today for the first time in about 10 days and it was a bit painful.  I did 5 minutes/2 minutes.  It started out really hard and got easier at the end, I think maybe because the end is more downhill.  I did a slightly longer route, 2.95 miles, but in 33 minutes.  In 30 minutes I did 2.64 miles.  In the end, I did a total of 24 minutes of running.

Then I met a friend for drinks in Davis Square after, and decided that I couldn't drive the 1.25 miles after going for a run, so I walked another 2.5 ish miles.  Of course, I ate this really delicious flat bread pizza with pumpkin, cheese, fig, and prosciutto,  and had two drinks, so I guess that's a wash.

It's fun looking at the Christmas decorations.  What makes someone put a plastic snowman and reindeer on one side of their yard, and the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph in the other side?  It's like they couldn't make up their mind if they should go commercial or religious and went with both.

7 min/ 1 min

I did 7 minute splits with a minute walking between them, sort of.  The first two were def 7 min, the third was 7 min, but there was a traffic light pause in there (not my fault).  And the fourth was a little shorter because I was running out of gas.  I'm getting so fat, I can't stand it, you would think my body could burn some of the excess.  But instead I just feel tired and want to eat grilled cheese.

2.67 miles, which is good.  Knee is sore, only a little in the cramps.  I think the insoles are helping!  I should just take it a little easier.  Which I could do easier if I would stop eating grilled cheese.

Side note, Adele = good to run to.  Some of the other songs on my playlist, not so much.  Gotta revise.

20 minutes running!

Woo Hoo!  For the first time I think I might actually be able to run 30 minutes straight.  I almost did it.  I got sidelined at minute 20 by stupid cramps and had to walk for a couple minutes.  But, I think I pretty much ran for 27 of the 30 minutes of today's run :)  Mapping it, I notice that I only went 2.54 miles, so about the same distance as every other time.  Pacing myself.  And I got stuck at a light for about 30 seconds - the one at Sycamore and Medford, so I guess I thought I was more done than I was.

Stats: First 1.78 miles in 20 minutes - pace = 11:14 mile.

The secret was I went the other direction, a gentle uphill to start instead of downhill and then a big uphill.  Oh, and I pooped right before I left, thought it would help with cramps.

Next time I'll try 7 min/1 min maybe to keep from cramping.

Cramps ruining my run

I was doing pretty well, thinking I would go to Cedar St and make my loop bigger, when I got felled by cramps at mile 1.7 by cramps.  I did my first 2 full 4 minute splits pretty well, was feeling good (as in I was still running) and thought I could go further.  But then the cramps hit. Thought I could run through them.  But then I had to end split number 3 at three minutes and walk through split number 4.  I wound up running for about 17 minutes, going for 32 minutes.  2.7 miles (so not much less distance).

Also got shoe inserts, we'll see if this helps the knee.

This must be the most boring blog ever.  :P

First Minute Feeling Like a Real Runner

Coolish, slightly rainy December run, but better than going to the gym.  Gave the knees the week off.  That will show me - no two days in a row running for now.  I'm giving the knees 6 months I decided, and then I'll assess if the running plan is really a good one.  I hope they will get used to it.

I did 4 min running/2 min walking today.  Weirdest, coolest thing happened for about a minute on the second  running jaunt.  I was breathing really hard, having a hard time getting enough air, thinking I might need to slow down or walk for a bit, but my legs just kept going.  It was like when you hit the gas pedal by accident in the car and for a sec you can't figure out how to make it stop.  I felt like a real runner.  Then my four minutes were up and this dude walking a hotdog that looked like it was 16 or so passed me.  But it was a nice minute.

2.5 miles.  I felt a little desire to puke salad towards the end.  Must let food digest.

New Route

Due to sore knees and a little laziness I decided to do the last 3 min/2 min today.  I wound up going 3.6 miles, though I took a flatter route through East Somerville.  It was a tough run from a cardio perspective, I felt like I was really puffing along - though I guess I went pretty far for me.  IDK if I will ever really run for 30 min without stopping.  Maybe I'll look back at this post one day and smile, but right now, I'm not convinced.

(Ooop, guess that's 2.6)

Jumping up!

I got a little overenthusiastic today, thought it was time to move to 4 min/2 min instead of day three of 3 min/2 min.  So, I actually ran for 20 minutes.  I feel a little bit like throwing up, a little bit like taking a nap, and a little bit triumphant.  It was tough, especially because there were some hills in there, but I did it!  For some of my running I think it's possible that one of the nuns from the rest home was trying to pass me.

Total run, 2.55 miles.  Knees don't hurt too much, but still I have ice on them.

It was snowing a little.  First run in flurries!  Other than a couple bridges where I was afraid I would wipe out on the downhill bits, it was pretty awesome.