I guess I run now

Day 21 Week 6, Day 2 On the menu today…two ten-minute runs separated by a 3-minute walk. I managed the walks at 3.6, runs at 4.2 (I think could be the first was 4.4). First two miles clocked in at 15:30 each, third at 16:30, for a 3-mile total of 47:30 and a 5K at 48 and change. I had to throw a few 3-minute runs in there to get the timing right and a 2-minute (maybe more) run to round out the full 5K, but I’m proud of this time. Then another cool down walk at 3.2 & I pushed forward for a nice, even 3.5 miles in 56 minutes.

Day 20 Week 6, Day 1…Day 20? I guess I should celebrate 20 days running, right? Yay! Okay, that’s done. I’m beat, wore down, maybe getting sick. This usually happens at the end of the semester; my body says, “wow, now it’ll be okay to get sick,” and boom, I’m sick. So I managed to do 2.56 miles today in 40 mins. First 2 miles in 30 mins, but that third one was clearly going to clock in around the 18 minute mark. Walks (except the last) at 3.4 & runs at 4.4. No .6s today…to damn wore out…except for the cool down and additional walk at 3.6. I’ll try to finish the 3.1 miles tonight, but now I have a letter of rec to get in the mail & grading, grading, grading. & this poor dog really needs to run for 30 mins at the dog park. Wish I had his energy today, but I really just want to pop in a movie & fall asleep in front of the TV. aaarrrggghhh!

Day 19 Week 5, Day 3…you’re not the boss of me! So instead of the 20 minute run that was on the menu for today, I chose to do a variety of runs and walks. All runs on 4.6, all walks on 3.6. Warm up for 5 mins, run for 5 mins, walk for 1 min, run for 5 mins, walk for 2 mins, run for 5 mins, walk for 5 mins, run for 3, walk for 5, run for 3, walk for 2, run for 3…somehow, all that got me to 3 miles in just under 45 mins (so three 14:50 minute miles) and the full 5K at 46:15. Then a cool down walk at 3.4 until I hit an even 50 minutes. It wasn’t what I was supposed to do, but it felt right
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Day 18 Week 5, Day 2 (the sequel) First 5K today! Yay me! Since I decided to stick with day 2 again, I figured I needed to challenge myself somehow. So I did the full 3.1 miles. Stats pretty much what they were last time, except I did the cool down and additional walks at 3.6, ran for about 3 minutes towards the end, and cooled down for only 2 mins on 3.2. I averaged a 16-minute mile for all three miles, which I’m still going to have to admit I’m pretty proud about…sure, people can walk faster than that, but with luck I’ll run farther on land than on the treadmill. I guess I’ll move on to day 3 on Friday…feeling like a big wuss, but I’ll just let myself lower speeds periodically if I start to get too winded. I’m pretty sure the young man lurking around my treadmill today was thinking he’d get a chance to put his CPR training into practice, but I fooled him & didn’t stroke out after all. Ha!

Day 17 Week 5, Day 2 So the whole campus lock down has me in a grey funk right now & I had a lot of trouble focusing on my running…didn’t help that 4 of the TVs had at least one story about the threats while I was there. Anyway, I did the warm up on 3, the first run on 4.2, middle walk on 3 again, second run first 4 minutes on 4.6 and last 4 on 4.4, 3.5 on the cool down and an additional 8 minutes (for an even 40) then 3.3 for the last 5 minutes. I’m doing about a 16-minute mile for twomiles, much slower with the extra cool downs, obviously. A 16-minute mile seems like a miracle to me. But maybe not to the super athletic woman running in front of me today…her runs were set on 7.5, she did a fast walk to take a break at 4.2 (how humiliating that one woman’s walk was this woman’s –my–gasping run), and ran for a little over 5.25 miles. Will I ever get to that point?…I wonder.

Day 16 Week 5, Day 1 Today’s run was 3 five-minute runs broken up by two 3-minute breaks. I did the warm up on 3.2, all runs on 4.2, middle walks on 3.0, cool down and 5 additional minutes at 3.5, and 7 more minutes on 3.3. Beat when I finally got home, but I felt okay, even good while running.

Day 15 Week 4, Day 3 A nice run; a genuinely nice run. Did the walks on 3.0 except for the last, runs on 4.2, 5 minute cool down on 3.5, additional 8 minutes on 3.5, and 3 mins on 3.2. I’m ready to move into week 5, which looks pretty challenging.

Day 14 Week 4, Day 2 Holy guacamole! mmmm guacamole. I love guacamole. Anyway, this was my first day running at a gym, first day running on anything other than my treadmill at home. Frankly, I was terrified to run in public because I huff and puff & it’s terrible & I can barely finish the 5 minute runs & I’m wondering when all this is gonna get easier & I’ll actually feel like I can run a 5K in May. Well, I think the problem wasn’t me: it was my treadmill. So I went to the student rec center cause the only thing I fear more than looking like a complete ass in front of college kids who wear size 2 spandex on their “fat” days is not running & losing what little progress I’ve made. WOW! I’ve been running on treadmill that no one has any business running on. I did the walks (except the last) at 3.0, the runs at 3.8, except the last minute of the last run I had it on 4.2, the cool down on 3.5 & an additional 3 minutes at 3.5 for an even 35 minutes. And I felt great the whole time. Unbelievable! So now I’m going to do all of my runs at the Y, except when it’s nice out I’ll run outside. My treadmill is fine, even great, for walking, but that’s it.

Day 13 Week 4, Day 1 So my exercise plan didn’t work out the way I wanted it to…work kept getting in the way & wearing me down, so I’m back to runs on Fridays. That’s okay, after my meeting this afternoon, a run was just perfect! Did the walks (except last) at 2.8, slow, but I wanted them to be really restful; first 3 minute run on 3.8, and all runs after that at 3.6. Did the 5 minute cool down at 3.4, an additional 8 at 3.4, and another 5 minutes at 3.2 for a total of 45 minutes. The last 5 minute run was tough, but I guess I’m tougher than it.