This morning was the muggiest day I've had since I got back to Austin. This morning was also the earliest morning I've had (jet-lag window excluded). I got up at 6am for an easy run along town lake. I did a little over 2 miles at a comfortable pace, sweating profusely as I penetrated the thick morning fog. I hear it was 85 degrees out today. Summer's going to be hot.
Goals for today:
- Run before work
- Go to bed by 11pm
- Eat my last meal two hours before bedtime
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water
- Drink tea or coffee or diet pop or WATER instead of alcohol
I started a new weekly running schedule for no greater reason than to establish some structure in my new life. I'm following Hal Higden's 5-K training plan for advanced runners, courtesy of Runner's World Magazine. Although I do not consider myself an "advanced" runner, I also don't consider myself a beginner. I think this plan suits where I am. The only day I may tweak is the long run days, due to be chronically ailing ankle.
I started today's interval run 8 hours later than I had intended (it's not easy getting up at 6am for a run before work). But I went after work and for that I am proud. I've been feeling sluggish all day, still digesting the weekend's chile bomb, perhaps? I knew the run was going to be an effort, but I also knew that I'd feel much better physically for it. Sure enough, the run was pretty intense, but not as bad as I thought it would be. After about 10 minutes I felt pretty energized and my digestive woes had left my mind. I was sweating like crazy by the time I got to the house. I refueled with a blueberry tofu smoothie and a bottle of water. The liquid fuel never tasted so good!
To do:
- Go to RunTex for an ankle wrap.
- Sort out resistance training schedule.
- Buy a watch.
- Research stretching guidelines
i was dead set on getting up before dawn this morning. i knew that tim and i would be running no matter what, and i can't deal with running in the sun. the oppressive austin sun: it makes my head feel like it's going to explode.
the alarm went off at 6am. there were a few snooze sessions, but i finally came to at around 6:20. the pizza i so stupidly chose to eat at 11pm last night was still making it's way through my body. UGH - what a horrible idea. i love the parlor but if i'm going to eat something that's not full of fat and carbohydrates, i'd rather have it be something nicer and more moderate. i'd have felt much better this morning if i'd gone out for pasta and had a couple glasses of wine instead of going out for pizza and beer. why is that? i guess i'm more apt to binge on pizza and beer. when tim and i were playing pool last night, i felt like i could stay out all night. bars suck me in like that.
but back to this morning.
we got to town lake by 7am... a little late but the sun was still low. i barely noticed the run because i was focussing on not thinking about my creaky innards. i thought about shopping - how girly of me! but it worked. turns out we did really well. i think tim and i are starting to pick up the pace. it's been three weeks, and i think we're ready for some new challenges.
Tim found this beginner's training schedule at the Runners World website. We'll be starting at the week three point. The program looks fun, incorporating speedwork and fartlek!
It's been a long week of running...
I started on June 20th, and have run ten times since. Is that all? Time goes really slowly when I'm waiting to capillarize!
Last Sunday, Tim and I spent about a little over an hour at Town Lake, spending 42 of those minutes running. I'm pretty proud of myself - that's my longest run yet! Longest in time, that is. I'm not focussing much on distance yet. Right now, it's all about pacing.
On Tuesday, we did 30 minutes at Town Lake. After that, I was incredibly BEAT. Tired all day. Didn't go into the gym for my weight workout. I don't know what was up.
This morning, we took an easy 20 minute run around the intramural fields. Well, it should have been easy, but it felt like a bitch. This freakish Austin sun makes everything harder. Oh, but I bought a VISOR, which helps tremendously. I'm so cool.
I've registered for my first 5K!
Last Sunday I went to RunTex here in Austin, Texas. I got fitted for running shoes, which was a far less technical exercise than I thought. My feet pronate (roll-in slightly) so I tried on some shoes that corrected this. Many thanks to Tim for hooking me up with a new pair of Asics GT-2090's.
I've never been fitted for running shoes before (I always bought the gym shoes that "looked cool" and used them for everything) but the Asics make quite a difference. We took em' out for a 30-minute test drive around Hyde Park. I had been having some ankle pain, which came back towards the beginning of the run but went away quickly and never came back. I'm hoping that's the end of that. Overall, the shoes are really comfortable and my feet were unfettered by the run.
I enjoy playing sports - soccer, hockey, even basketball's alright. My primitive mind is motivated by the pursuit of a well-defined goal. And when it comes to exercise, motivation is all I need, and often all too hard to find.
This is why I probably loathe running. It's never done it for me. I've tried running on a track, on a trail, in my neighborhood, on a treadmill, at night, in the morning, in the middle of the day. But there's no goal, no immediate satisfaction, and I quickly grow bored and disdainful. I did alright running in Audubon Park (NOLA), where I had Mike and Brett to run with, and the promise of a cold shower in the middle of the run. But still, I was always more eager to throw the frisbee around or play football or have a watergun fight.
As I train for the apocalypse, I can't help but come to grips with the necessity of running in an end-of-civilization type situation. There will inevitably be a speed/endurance benchmark for survival, and I intend to be ready.
It was also slightly convenient that Tim stepped up to the plate to be my running partner. His presence has made running far more enjoyable, mostly because I have someone else to keep me company and help me with my pacing.
Right now, the running is pretty casual. We're running extremely slowly (about 13 min miles) for 25-30 minutes. But it feels pretty good to be doing it.
Always in search of a goal, I have my mind set on running the Keep Austin Weird 5k on August 28, just 3 days before I fly to London. It will be awesome to cap off my time in Austin with fitness success. Also, adding a social element to running seems to keep me at it.
no, not me. i will probably never run a marathon due to my strong distaste for running and general inability to commit to long-term relationships, er, goals. however, i think people who run marathons must be determination gods, and it gives me great pleasure to learn that my friend, dennis, is training for his first marathon. i was reminded of lia's tales of toenails falling off as a result of her training. a quick internet search found a useful article on this common condition in marathon runners:
Injury Archives: Black Toenails
