This week is the first official week of the sixteen week training. I started Monday with a three mile run. There is a mile long service road near the plant where I am doing training this week. I used this as my route. The scenery was breathtaking. There is a golden field just adjacent to the road with cattails and bails of hay along its borders and there are rolling hills surrounding it. The gray clouds lay low in the sky with the sun just peeking through. I couldn't have asked for a better setting to run.
The service road is blocked off at one end so there isn't really any traffic. I took full advantage of this fact and ran in the center of the road. I didn't start in the center but I noticed a slight slope in the road and the training guide warns that running on a slope can lead to injury. As I ran down the center line of the road I looking out at the beautiful scenery I couldn't help but think that I rule that road. My kingdom may be small, but it is mighty!
I've noticed that my body is starting to have small reactions to actually moving for extended periods of time. Again, I had issues with my right foot. This time the whole foot went numb and didn't ease up until long after my stretches. Another notable quirk is the build up of phlem in my throat. Dispite my internal protests I have resorted to spitting. On Monday I realized one of the reasons why I don't like to spit. While running down hill with the wind in my face I tried to clear my throat and accidently spit on my jacket. Ugh! But it doesn't matter, I'm training for a marathon.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Off the Juicer
About three years ago I heard of a diet that was recommended by Robin Quivers. Robin had lost something outrageous like sixty pounds on the 21 pounds in 21 days detox diet. I was convinced that this was my ticket out of the extra twenty pounds I've been carrying around. So at a time when Sam and I didn't really have any extra money to spend I convinced him that we should buy a high tech juicer. We splurged the $160 and got a really nice juicer. For the first few days we were juicing everything. Tomatoes, carrots, celery, grapefruit, apples, you name it. But the diet never really got off the ground. The problem...there was no actual food for 21 days! At the end of the day I simply didn't have the will power to even start the detox.
The juicer is one of many gimmicks that I've started and never finished in my quest to become thinner or healthier. They range from belly dancing classes to the Wii fit that I haven't used in six months to the bike that I bought when I first moved back to Columbus. Sadly, the bike was stolen from my back porch. The upsetting part was that I have no idea when the bike was actually stolen because it sat unused on my back porch for so long.
My point is that even though I have a good track record of sticking with and achieving things in my personal and professional life, something stalls when it comes to following through on my health. So I have decided to approach my marathon in a different way. Completing a marathon is a momentous event for someone like me. I'm doing this not because I want my giggly bits to quit giggling, but because I want to know that I have the ability to prepare my self both mentally and physically for a marathon. On Saturday, Sam and I ran at Franklin Park again and I felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished our run. If I felt that great after completing a thirty minute run what will it be like to cross the finish line after 26.2 miles? I can't wait to find out.
This week I start distance training. Sixteen miles total this week.
P.S. No cramps or numb toes since my last post!
The juicer is one of many gimmicks that I've started and never finished in my quest to become thinner or healthier. They range from belly dancing classes to the Wii fit that I haven't used in six months to the bike that I bought when I first moved back to Columbus. Sadly, the bike was stolen from my back porch. The upsetting part was that I have no idea when the bike was actually stolen because it sat unused on my back porch for so long.
My point is that even though I have a good track record of sticking with and achieving things in my personal and professional life, something stalls when it comes to following through on my health. So I have decided to approach my marathon in a different way. Completing a marathon is a momentous event for someone like me. I'm doing this not because I want my giggly bits to quit giggling, but because I want to know that I have the ability to prepare my self both mentally and physically for a marathon. On Saturday, Sam and I ran at Franklin Park again and I felt a sense of accomplishment when we finished our run. If I felt that great after completing a thirty minute run what will it be like to cross the finish line after 26.2 miles? I can't wait to find out.
This week I start distance training. Sixteen miles total this week.
P.S. No cramps or numb toes since my last post!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Aches and Pains
On Saturday I bumped up my training again. This time I ran fifteen minutes, walked five and repeated. Sam and I ran at Franklin Park on Saturday and even though the weather was damp, gray and cold the run was great and I felt fantastic after. It was really nice to have a running buddy.
This week I am in West Virginia and the hotel I am staying at surprised me when they said they have a work out room. The facility is...well let's just say it is not state of the art. But who am I kidding I don't need anything fancy so I dove right in. I am really disappointed with my run though, my calf cramped up in the second half of the run and I couldn't finish. Frustrated, I limped off to my room.
I could use some advice from my runner friends. How can I avoid this in the future? Are there stretches I should do? Drink more water? Or Gatorade?
This week I am in West Virginia and the hotel I am staying at surprised me when they said they have a work out room. The facility is...well let's just say it is not state of the art. But who am I kidding I don't need anything fancy so I dove right in. I am really disappointed with my run though, my calf cramped up in the second half of the run and I couldn't finish. Frustrated, I limped off to my room.
I could use some advice from my runner friends. How can I avoid this in the future? Are there stretches I should do? Drink more water? Or Gatorade?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
spandex is my new plaid
If you know me very well, you are aware of the fact that after eight years of Catholic school I melted my plaid skirt in a fire pit behind my parents house when I was fourteen. Yes, I said melted. That is what happens to polyester in fire. Nearly fifteen years later I am finally exiting my "plaid makes me mad" phase and I've added a plaid top to my wardrobe.
Today I realized that spandex is my new fashion enemy.
As I mentioned in my previous blogs I have been running in the workout room at the hotel I'm staying in this week. Today was particularly crowded. When a young kid moved the weight bench directly behind me I decided to sneak a look at the mirror and was terrified! I caught a glimpse of myself...running...from behind. At the risk of humiliating myself I will simply say it isn't a pretty sight.
To make matters worse, a slim middle aged man was running like a gazelle in glorious royal blue spandex shorts to my right. I have to admit that my confidence was in the crapper. But who am I kidding? I'm sure Constantina Dita didn't start out as a hard bodied Olympian. Well maybe that wasn't a good example, but my point is that I can't expect to be in marathoner shape in the first week of my training. With that thought in my head I pushed through the pain in my thighs, convincing myself that the pain was a sign that I was getting stronger and finished twenty minutes of running.
Still, I haven't thought of a clever catch phrase to describe my new found disdain for spandex.
Today I realized that spandex is my new fashion enemy.
As I mentioned in my previous blogs I have been running in the workout room at the hotel I'm staying in this week. Today was particularly crowded. When a young kid moved the weight bench directly behind me I decided to sneak a look at the mirror and was terrified! I caught a glimpse of myself...running...from behind. At the risk of humiliating myself I will simply say it isn't a pretty sight.
To make matters worse, a slim middle aged man was running like a gazelle in glorious royal blue spandex shorts to my right. I have to admit that my confidence was in the crapper. But who am I kidding? I'm sure Constantina Dita didn't start out as a hard bodied Olympian. Well maybe that wasn't a good example, but my point is that I can't expect to be in marathoner shape in the first week of my training. With that thought in my head I pushed through the pain in my thighs, convincing myself that the pain was a sign that I was getting stronger and finished twenty minutes of running.
Still, I haven't thought of a clever catch phrase to describe my new found disdain for spandex.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Pre-Training
I started my training this week. In order to begin the 16 week program I need to be able to jog thirty minutes continuously. When I decided to take on this challenge I was unsure of how much running I would be able to do without stopping. In an attempt to start slow I began at step five of the pre-training program. At this step I had to run for five minutes, walk for five minutes and repeat two times. I am happy to report that I was able to run this with very little trouble, so this evening I decided to jump to step six. Step six is to jog for ten minutes, walk for five and repeat.
The running hasn't been the challenge, yet.
The challenge has come from being forced to train inside due to the cold temperatures. There is an unspoken etiquette that goes with running in a gym or work out room. For example, singing along with my iPod didn't seem to impress the other occupants. I've suppressed my urge to belt out The Arcade Fire by substituting it with peppy songs sung in Spanish by Shakira and Celia Cruz. Who knows...learning Spanish could be a fantastic side effect!
Sam started the pre-training as well. He creatively avoided training in the cold by running the stairs and jogging laps. The dogs hated it.
The running hasn't been the challenge, yet.
The challenge has come from being forced to train inside due to the cold temperatures. There is an unspoken etiquette that goes with running in a gym or work out room. For example, singing along with my iPod didn't seem to impress the other occupants. I've suppressed my urge to belt out The Arcade Fire by substituting it with peppy songs sung in Spanish by Shakira and Celia Cruz. Who knows...learning Spanish could be a fantastic side effect!
Sam started the pre-training as well. He creatively avoided training in the cold by running the stairs and jogging laps. The dogs hated it.
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Starting Line
I once heard that you are 70% more likely to accomplish a goal when you write it down and I've tried this practice for the last several years with some success. It wasn't until last year that I decided to set deadlines on achieving my goals. One of those deadlines is to finish a marathon by May 11, 2011, my 30th birthday.
Why now?
It seems as more and more marathoners have been entering my life recently. Most influential is my father. To date he has run ten marathons in his quest to run a race in every state. I started feeling a bit ashamed that someone that was almost twice as old as me was able to achieve a goal that to this point I've only talked about.
If I was going to reach this goal I wanted two of the most inspirational people in my life to be there with me. Sam, my amazing and supportive husband, has agreed to take on this challenge with me. And of course my dad will be next to me at the starting when the gun fires.
Running in a marathon with my dad has actually created the first of what I'm sure to be many challenges. Since my dad has decided to run fifty marathons he understandably does not want to add another just for the sake of running alongside his willful daughter. Because of this I need to find a race that will give us enough time to train will not be cost prohibitive to travel to and is in a state that my dad has not run yet.
The result? On May 16th we will be running the Delaware Marathon in Wilmington, DE.
It's just shy of twenty weeks to the race and I plan to use the training guide provided by The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by Whitsett, Dolgener and Kole. This blog will be a record of the challenges and accomplishments of this journey.
Why now?
It seems as more and more marathoners have been entering my life recently. Most influential is my father. To date he has run ten marathons in his quest to run a race in every state. I started feeling a bit ashamed that someone that was almost twice as old as me was able to achieve a goal that to this point I've only talked about.
If I was going to reach this goal I wanted two of the most inspirational people in my life to be there with me. Sam, my amazing and supportive husband, has agreed to take on this challenge with me. And of course my dad will be next to me at the starting when the gun fires.
Running in a marathon with my dad has actually created the first of what I'm sure to be many challenges. Since my dad has decided to run fifty marathons he understandably does not want to add another just for the sake of running alongside his willful daughter. Because of this I need to find a race that will give us enough time to train will not be cost prohibitive to travel to and is in a state that my dad has not run yet.
The result? On May 16th we will be running the Delaware Marathon in Wilmington, DE.
It's just shy of twenty weeks to the race and I plan to use the training guide provided by The Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer by Whitsett, Dolgener and Kole. This blog will be a record of the challenges and accomplishments of this journey.
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