Update!

It's been a while since I've posted, but honestly... nothing too exciting has been going on! I'm still running and race day is quickly approaching (4 weeks and counting). I'm very excited and yet very nervous... at this point I just want race day to get here.

I'm at the point now where I'm tryng to maintain my mileage. I'm doing short 4-5 mile runs during the week and then my longer runs on the weekend. Tomorrows distance will be 11 miles... wish me luck!

Weeks 9, 10, 11

I'm officially into the second half of my training regimen and the goal is to consistently run 10+ miles next week on out. I'm very excited, but also very nervous. It's been a while since I've written on the blog, but things have been pretty standard... running, running, running. Unfortunately, life has gotten in the way of some of my sessions, so my schedule has been jostled about somewhat. Hopefully, things will start to smooth out and I can get back on my steady schedule. More to come!

Race Day is 62 days away...

Week 8

Almost half way there! I can't believe it. This whole experience has been eye-opening and I'm really proud that I've stuck with it for so long.

Obviously I ran this week, so I won't bore you with those details. But I realized this past week how "in shape" I am! I first noticed this when I went out for my Monday run. Mark decided to accompany Andrew and I since this run was only going to be about 4 miles (ha, I LOVE that I can refer to 4 miles as "only"). As we were running I could hear Mark breathing kind of heavily about half way through... yet I was barely feeling any kind of stress. It was kind of funny. He made a crack about my "in-shape ass" and I thought to myself, "you know, he's right. I am in pretty damn good shape right now!". In his defense, Mark hasn't been running with us on a regular basis and it had been about 4 good weeks since he's been out, but he did finish the run :o) This new found fitness has really made me feel good about myself and to be honest, sometimes I feel a bit superior when I see people out trying to outrun me (I get this a lot surprisingly, mostly from men). I just say to myself "yeah, you're running pretty fast now, but you won't be able to keep that up for long and I WILL outrun you". Then about a mile down the road I see them bending over gasping for air... told ya so!

I'm really starting to get excited about the race in September... I'm convinced I can actually finish it without having to stop and rest which is soooo far from what I thought when I first began all of this. Looking forward to hitting the half way mark (I told myself if I made it to week 10 I would treat myself with day at the spa) and continuing on to my goal!

PS... as of now I've only lost about 2lbs! Yes, that's it, but my thighs are getting to be rock hard, so I guess I'm building muscle mass in my legs. Just a word of advice to people... if weight loss is your ONLY goal, you're not going to make it very far. I haven't let the lack in weight loss get to me as I now see I am more physically fit than I've been in years! That's good enough for me :o)

Week's 6 and 7

It's been kind of busy, so I missed last week's update (on vacation for the holiday, so I had to get back into the swing of things!).

The past two weeks went well. My new running schedule seems to be helping my shins a lot and I haven't had any leg pain for awhile now. I'm currently running Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays so that I have rest time in between runs. Before, I would do a back to back run on Wednesday and Thursday, but I think my shins really need a rest day to recover properly. As of now, I'm running 7.2miles which I think is crazy! I remember when the idea of doing a 3 mile run would make my stomach churn with dread, but now I don't fear the distance quite so much. I'll be honest, the thought of running 13.1 miles still seems daunting to me, but I'm halfway there and stillhave 3 months of training to complete. I'd say I'm well on my way!

I've been keeping a training log on RunnersWorld.com (which I highly suggest. It is a great site) and as of yesterday, I've run 85.1 miles since I started!

This week, we're planning to crest the 8 mile mark... should be interesting.

Week 5... 25% of the way there!

It's now week five and I'm 1/4 of the way through my "journey"! I can't believe I've stuck with my program for this long! I'm very proud of myself because there were a few times when I wanted to just kick a rock and say FORGET IT! But I've been able to stay focused and have come a long way in the past few weeks.

Week 5 had its ups and downs. It started well with a solid run. I felt good, my legs weren't in pain and I was able to kick up the pace a bit (which left me winded at the end, but it was good). In the middle of the week I had a light cross training day just keep my legs strong with a run the following day... and that's when the trouble hit. My shins, again, tightened up around 1.25 miles into the run and i had to stop! SOOOOO frustrating. It's kind of funny, before this, I would look at people running along the side of the road and say to myself either " they're crazy, its too damn hot to be out here running" or "wow, look how motivated they are". Now I find myself cursing them for being able to run with out nagging pain in their shins (or at least it appears they have no pain) because I want to be out there too! With the run cut short, I dragged myself home to ice down and look to that weekends long run.

Saturday morning came and I was up and at 'em by 8am. I started to stretch around 9:00am and was ready to go by 9:30am. I met up with Andrew and we set out on our long run.... which went remarkably well. No pain in the shins whatsoever and I was able to complete our 6mile run (although my legs felt like jelly afterward). It was very rewarding but at the same time baffling. Why am I able to run 6 miles one day and barely 2 another. I can't spot any differences in my warm up routine, so I really don't understand what's going on. It's very weird.

I'm now at the point where, at least for me, I'm running some serious miles. This week's goal is to hit 8 miles on the long run. INSANE! Keep your fingers crossed that I make it through :o) And don't forget... race day is September 6th, so mark your calendars. I'm going to officially register next weekend and then there's no turning back!

Week 4 a.k.a. HELL

So as you can tell from the title of this entry, week 4 was awful. I'd begun to have some intense tightening and pain in my shin (this started last week and gradually increased) and as a result was unable to finish my run on Monday. In all honesty, it felt like my shin was about to detach from my leg and this time, I cried. Yes, I cried on the side of the road with all the cars whizzing by... but that's ok. Needless to say, I had to take it easy this week. Instead of running on Wednesday, I did an hour on the stationary bike so that my legs would stay strong. I also spent some time icing and heating my shin in order to relieve the pain. Thursday, I did a short 2 mile run on the treadmill at about a 12:30 minute pace... still leg pain! I pushed through it, but was feeling very depressed about potentially having to shorten or cancel my long run on Saturday. In the meantime, I'd been doing some research online about how to relieve my shin pain and what might be causing it. Let me tell you, the internet can be overwhelming when trying to self diagnose. I found about 25 different potential troubles and ailments that might be causing my problem. Ultimately, I attributed it to my bad feet, which leads to a bad stride and also weak shins. I found an exercise that is supposed to help strengthen the shins and have been doing that everyday, twice a day. You basically use your toe as a "pen" and write out the alphabet. Pretty easy, and I can do it while I'm watching TV or sitting at my desk. Eventually, Saturday morning came along and prior to the run, I did about 30 minutes of stretching and applied a hot towel to my shin in order to warm it up and stretch it out. I don't know if it was the warm towel, the ABC exercise or the attempt to correct my stride, but I was able to finish the whole run (a little shy of 5 miles) and my leg felt pretty decent.

I feel like I'm starting to get back on track and hopefully this rough patch is over. It was beginning to get really frustrated watching all the other runners in my neighborhood bound about like gazelles while I was struggling with shin pain! Looking forward to the upcoming week and putting in some good mileage.

Week 3

Week 3 really put me to the test. Overall, I felt like this was a bad training week and on more than one occasion almost cried. I think my body finally caught on to what I was trying to make it do and basically staged a mutiny. Through out the week, my knees were killer sore and my shin... well let's just say my shin and I are not on speaking terms right now! The frozen peas in my freezer have also become my new best friend...

This week, I had runs on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with a short (1 Mile) speed run on Thursday morning. All three days I ran a little less than 5 miles but again, this week was just hard. I am now beginning to realize the "mental element" that goes along with distance running. At this point, I know that physically I can run 5 miles without stopping... but I've gotten to points in my run where I feel like I just want to stop. I mean really, who would know if I walked a few blocks in between, right? Well this is where I literally have to start talking to myself (and out loud sometimes) and convince me to push past the temporary aches and keep moving. It actually must look pretty funny to the passers by, who hear me practically yelling at myself to buck up and get through this! I can only imagine...

Not a whole lot of new stuff to report this week. I'm getting into my groove and at this point, I'm just trying to add mileage during each run. Later on, I will focus more on speed and trying to get my pace up.

Until next time...

Week 2

I've concluded week 2 and I'm still standing. Whoo Hoo! This week was an interesting one. Due to some "over-indulgence" on Saturday night, I was unable to eat much of anything on Sunday and therefore had to cancel my Monday's run. All was not lost though... I reshuffled my schedule and was able to get my runs in throughout the rest of the week (although having 2 days of back to back runs was NOT fun). Also, Andrew came down with a case of strep throat, so he was unable to run with me for a little bit... Mark stepped in and did a fair job as running coach.
Tuesday and Wednesday I did 3.5 mile runs, one outside and one inside. My outside run was good. I felt pretty strong throughout and my inside run was great... it almost felt easy. I was able to run a good pace without any stress or pain. Needless to say I felt like superwoman on my way into Friday's run. Well let me tell you... Friday was, in my mind, a disaster (although I was assured by Mark and Andrew that it was not a bad run). To give you a little background, it's been getting gradually warmer and warmer here in good ole NC and by the time Friday rolled around, it was well into the 80's and peaking over 90. We decided to do our run as scheduled, but shortened it to 2.5 miles because despite the fact that it was around 5:30pm, the sun was still pretty hot (I think it was around 84 outside). The run started ok... I felt the sun on my back but it wasn't too much to bear. Unfortunately, by the halfway point I was miserable and my energy was draining fast. I didn't think I would make it the last .75 miles. We ended up cutting the run down to 2 miles and I had to take a short walking break near the end. I knew the sun could be bad, but this was BRUTAL. I've never felt so exhausted. On top of that, there was no breeze whatsoever and all the sweating I did just stuck to me like a moist towel instead of evaporating and cooling me down. Yuck! On the way home, I felt very defeated as if I had failed. It seemed as though I had taken a step back after making so much progress. I've learned that these feelings are normal and you should not let them get the best of you! All runners have bad days, but at least you got out there and gave it a go. Looking back, I still have lingering feelings of disappointment, but I know that I tried my best and my body just wasn't going to get me through that time. It happens, you know...
Saturday morning came and I was ready to redeem myself for the previous day. We got started at 9:45am and ran 4 miles. Overall, it was a very good run. I was able to run solidly throughout and felt pretty good when we finished. The route we ran was challenging too, so it made me feel good that I was able to get through it. Our path took us through the Brier Creek Country Club development and there are lots of hills -- one particularly big hill at the end that kind of made me its bitch but I was able to get to the top (albeit, with a lot of pain in my thighs... a deep burn if you will). It's a picturesque run, so that made it easy to kind of zone out for a while and just focus on the lush surroundings.
In the end, this week went very well... I'm pleased that I'm still sticking with my regimen because honestly, I figured this wouldn't last too long! Not that I'm a quitter, but its hard getting into a routine and sticking with it. Usually, life happens and you start to stray and before you know it, you're back at square one. I've made lots of progress and am proud to say that in 2 weeks time, I've gone from running a 13 minute mile to running 4 miles at about an 11:00 minute pace! One side note... my knees have recently begun to get a little sore. I was told that this isn't anything to worry about, as long as the pain isn't extreme. I've begun icing my knees after runs for about 15 minutes which is helping. Again, it's not really pain, but more of a soreness.

18 more weeks to go!

Week 1

Well one thing is for sure, "they" are right when they say the first couple of weeks are the toughest. Week 1 kind of kicked my butt in the beginning, but I was able to make it through... and I haven't had any thoughts about quitting!
Monday was the official start of my training. We did some light running on the treadmill in the gym just to get my body into the whole running thing. BTW, I'm not doing this alone. A friend of mine here (Andrew) is serving as my training buddy/coach. He's run half marathons before and has been really good about keeping me motivated and on track! Anyways, Monday was pretty simple. Tuesday was a rest day from running, so I did some weight training in the gym and a little cross training on the stationary bike... again, nothing too intense. Prior to all of this, my gym workouts were mainly on the elliptical machine and some light weight lifting, so I'm not completely out of shape. But as you know, running is very different from the elliptical machine (and apparently running on the treadmill is a LOT different from running outside on the roads, which I would find out the hard way later!).
Wednesday was another day in the gym, but my run was more intense. I'm currently running at about a 12:30 to 13:00 minute mile pace. This run was only for 2 miles, but still, it was kind of kicking my butt a bit at the end. At the end of our workout, Andrew informed me that we would be taking our run outside the next day. "Ok" I'm thinking, this shouldnt be too bad... I mean, if I can run inside I can run outside, right? Well, let me tell you, running outside is a lot more demanding than running on a treadmill! Which brings us to Thursday.
Now I had been kind of dreading Thursday. I knew it would be at this point that I would start to want to give up. So I pretty much spent all day worrying about the Thursday run and if it would be too tough for me. Once we started though, I felt pretty good... until about 3/4's of the way through. Then my legs tightened up on me and every step was a fight. Unlike the treadmill, the road outside doesn't help you along by moving for you :o) Although I was supposed to run the whole thing, I ended up having to walk at a brisk pace for about a minute just to give my calves a break (sad face). After that, I was able to press on and finish up the run. We were supposed to go 2 miles and by the time I reached the end, I thought my calves were going to fall off!!! As I'm nearing the finish, Andrew pulls out a piece of folded paper and tells me to open it up once I stop. I get to the flag pole, open it and it reads "Congratulations! You just ran 3 miles!". That sneaky little bastard! He'd upped the mileage on me! Oh well, I'd finished and I felt great about it... but I did learn one very important lesson. NEVER underestimate the need for stretching! My calves seized up becuase I hadn't adequately stretched them! You really need to take your time and get in a good LOOOOONG stretching session before you run and you need to stretch after as well. It can make or break your run, seriously.
Friday was a much needed day of rest before heading into the first "long run" of my training. Saturday at 9am Andrew, Mark and I met up to stretch and get going. Prior to this, I spent about 25 minutes stretching in my apartment, paying particular attention to my problem spots (calves, shins and ankles). I don't have any arches in my feet and as a result, my foot pretty much slaps the ground with full force, creating a lot of impact on my ankles and knees. I wear inserts in my running shoes, which helps a lot. I also over-pronate, which means that my ankles roll inward when I walk or run. Most people's feet aren't perfect so I highly suggest that before you start a training program, you go to a running specialty store (and no, not like a Foot Locker, but a place where the staff are runners and have an in depth knowledge of running shoes) and get a good pair of sneakers that address your specific needs. I have a great pair of shoes that I purchased about a year ago, but clearly never ran in them! They help keep my ankle stable and drastically reduce my chances of injury. You need a good running shoe if you're going to put in this kind of mileage every week... DON'T SKIMP!
Anyways, back to the run! So, we head out and my only goal for this run was to not stop running! I was going to get through the whole thing! Well, I felt really good... surprisingly good and strong! I wasn't going to let those hills kick my ass today! My legs felt good, my calves didn't turn on me and I was able to get through the run! I even felt like I could have run some more! I don't know if I was experiencing the runner's high or if I were just really excited about finishing, but I felt giddy as we came to a stop outside of our complex. I'd gotten out there and put in a pretty damn good performance! Ha! And it felt great. Afterwards, I rewarded myself by hanging out at the pool with friends and enjoying the beautiful day.
Sunday was a day for rest and reflection. I'd completed week 1 of my training... and for the first time, I actually felt like I could do this. I mean, up until this point, I was still telling myself that this was borderline crazy. But after Saturday, I really started to believe that doing this was possible! I'm hoping that will carry me through week 2 (which I'm sure willbe tough) and onward to my goal.

Quick Update

I'm going to give a full Week One report on Sunday evening, but I just want to say... I had my first outdoor run yesterday (the first few days I was inside on the treadmill) and my legs are crazy sore! Damn North Carolina hills!

More to come...

Pre-Training Stats

Weight Loss - N/A


Waist Measurement -37.0"

Thigh Measurement - 24.25"

Bicep Measurement -11.5"

Longest Run - N/A

Mile Pace - N/A

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare." -Juma Ikangaa, 1989 NYC Marathon winner

In The Beginning...

I'm doing it... I'm taking the plunge and along the way, fulfilling one of my "ultimate life goals". For years I've talked about running a marathon - and the closest I've gotten was volunteering at the New York Marathon for the past 2 years. Well, this past year, as I was standing there handing out cups of water to the runners, I had a sudden realization... I'm a complete SLUG! I mean really, here were 80 year olds bustin' it out for 26.2 miles and the best I could do was hand them a half cup of watered down Gatorade and yell "ONE MORE MILE" as they streaked past me to the finish. Yeah, way to dig in and accomplish something. So I've decided, it's time... I'm going to take the first step in accomplishing my goal! I am signing up to run a half marathon this September (Labor Day weekend to be exact). Yeah, I'm not crazy and won't be jumping right into the full marathon, but the half should be a nice way to ease myself into competitive road racing (and by ease I mean SHOCK my body and by competitive I mean I just want to finish with a semi-respectable time).
This blog will be my journal as I take on the challenge of building my body up from lowly invertebrate to lean muscle, ass-busting road racer! Along the way I'll be keeping track of my stats, both on the road and physically. That's right I'm putting it ALL out there -weight, waist line, everything! So come along and join me on my ride... or should I say run, because if I can do it, so can you!

Here I go...