It took forever but I finally completed week 7 of the couch to 5k program. 2 more weeks to go. On this New Year's Eve, I'm disappointed that I didn't meet my goal of finishing the program by year end and I'm disappointed that I didn't run a complete 5K in 2010 (by that I mean running it from start to finish without walking). I ran out of time. I blame it on a late start to training this go around. I blame it on the weather – I don’t run in rain, snow, wind or extreme temps. I blame it on the mojo I lost when I no longer had a race to train for. I blame it on me. The training has gotten harder. The intervals are gone, replaced by a brief warm-up walk and then all run. Sometimes I can do it. Sometimes I have to walk. Sometimes its a mental challenge. Sometimes its a physical challenge. Sometimes its both. But in my disappointments and challenges, there are also accomplishments that I didn't imagine this time last year. I set out to run one race and I participated in four. And my … [Read more...]
Why I Love Runners
I reluctantly showed up at the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I hadn’t sleep well the night before and had told myself that if it was raining, I wasn’t running. It wasn’t raining. It was wet but not raining. So I laced up my shoes and headed to the race. I was surprised by the number of people participating. There were easily 1000 or more people running, probably the biggest group I’ve run with. Yet, in that crowd of 1000, I felt incredibly alone. I knew people running but didn’t see any of them there and none of my family had come to cheer me on. I struggled in the beginning, my emotions getting the better of me. But then I hit my stride and realized that I wasn’t alone. I was part of a community of runners who… …stand on the sidelines, when they cannot run, and cheer …stop to help when one of their own has fallen on wet pavement …coach their children and hold their hands across the finish line …and offer encouragement afterwards when the end result was not the desired … [Read more...]
Running Inspiration
I just want something beautiful -- Need to Breathe Last Saturday, I completed Week 5 of the Couch-to-5K program with a 20-minute run on the boardwalk at the beach. It was just what I needed. I needed something beautiful to carry me on the longest run I’ve attempted yet. I know that’s not very long and I didn’t run that far but it was an accomplishment that I didn’t think I would achieve. You see, it wasn’t my first attempt at a 20-minute run. Fresh off my 41-minute finish (40:59 to be exact – and I was aiming for 44) at the No Place Like Home 5K, I set out with confidence to conquer the 20-minute run at the end of week 5. Didn’t happen. I ran about 10 minutes and had to stop. I finished the workout with a combination of walking and running. I maybe ran a total of 15 minutes. Not good. On Friday, I went to the shore for a work event. There I met a fellow runner who suggested I run on the boardwalk. She had me at board. :) Not exactly an even surface, but at least it was … [Read more...]
Not So Ready for Race Day
Tomorrow, I’m running the 1st Annual There’s No Place Like Home 5K. Or, rather, I’m going to attempt to run I knew when I signed up for this race that I wouldn’t be ready. I knew I would not have completed the Couch to 5K program. But I thought I would have been farther along -- I’m still on week 5. Last Sunday, after successfully completing day 1 of week 5 – and feeling really good about it – I was confident that I’d be ready to run the race on week 6. And then I got sick. My voice started to go Sunday night and by Monday it was gone, replaced by a deep, persistent cough -- my stomach muscles are getting quite the workout. I’m still coughing but at least I can talk above a whisper now. I was hoping to finish tomorrow’s race under 44 minutes. I came in just under 45 minutes the last time I ran a 5k. Now, I’ll be happy if I can get through it without igniting a full-blown coughing fit. I’ll let you know next week how I did. … [Read more...]
Couch to 5K Week 4 is Mental
It took me a week and a half to complete week 4. One reason was scheduling. The other reason was overcoming the 5-minute run mental hurdle. I wasn’t expecting the 5-minute run when I started week 4 – just like I really wasn’t expecting the 3-minute run in week 3 – I don’t usually look ahead to the next week to see what’s coming My first thought was, ugh! Three minutes was hard. How was I going to run for five? But, the first time I ran for five minutes, I hit a stride after three (I might have been going downhill at the time, though). The second 5-minute run in day one was more challenging and that’s when I realized how much more important mental strength is than physical strength when running. I shied away from running in the past because I don’t consider myself athletic. I have asthma and I think I’ve used that as an excuse. I don’t think its because I don’t have the ability. When I wanted to stop, I told myself to keep running. When I thought I couldn’t run any farther, I … [Read more...]
