Slow Start

The day after I posted this blog, I came down with strep throat!

So while I posted with every intention of getting my runs in that week, it just didn't happen. I did feel better in time to make my group run on Friday, but I screwed up the location and started in the wrong place. So my 'group' run was done with just my husband and my kids in their stroller. I did about 2 miles and my pace varied. I was trying to use a feature on my Garmin Forerunner GPS training watch that would beep at me if I got too slow or too fast, but I found it beeping at me constantly! So I ended that feature and turned it to simply show me my current pace. I found it far less distracting to simply look down and see what my pace was. If I was slower than a 12:30, I just sped up. That was WAY less annoying.

I liked the location. It was a nice long flat asphalt surface specifically for biking, jogging, and walking. I've scheduled another run there for the Friday of next week (this Friday I'm taking the kids to have professional photos taken.)

This past Saturday was so windy that even though four of us showed up to do our run, we ended it almost immediately. We tried running, but it was horrible. dirt was whipping up in our faces and everyone's eyes were burning. So we quit. I know it sounds like a cop-out, but it really was that bad.

I did run yesterday on the treadmill at work. I did my scheduled 30 mins at a 4.9 pace. This week is the first week at 4.9. I also did my 5 pushups, but my form was horrible, my back felt the strain, and I didn't really go totally down all the way - correct military style. I'd have gotten away with it if the monitor had been lax, but in all good conscience, they weren't good pushups. I'll really have to work on improving that.

Here's my overall schedule for the year to get to that 9 min/mile (6.6 mph) pace and 25 pushups. I started in January doing 4.5 mph on the treadmill for 30 mins.

Date --mph-- Pushups
3/5-----4.9------ 5
3/12----5.0------ 6
4/2 -----5.1------ 7
4/16---- 5.2 ------8
5/7----- 5.3 ------9
5/21---- 5.4 -----10
6/11---- 5.5 -----12
6/25 ----5.6----- 13
7/16---- 5.7 -----14
7/30---- 5.8----- 15
8/20---- 5.9----- 17
9/3----- 6.0 -----18
9/24 ----6.1----- 19
10/8---- 6.2----- 20
11/5 ----6.3----- 21
11/12--- 6.4----- 23
12/3---- 6.5 -----24
12/17--- 6.6 -----25

Yesterady I created and posted a paper on my cubicle wall (hidden from public view by my computer monitor) that's titled "What's Important In Life??"

Under the title it has two images. I used the Lands End Virtual Model to create two models: One is 'me' at 195 (embarassingly enough, it won't go to 200 lbs for a 5'6" woman!) and one is 'me' at 145. The virtual me at 195 is a bit kinder view of what I look like right now. But you still get the idea of how much extra weight I'm carrying right now compared to what I should look like. It's a pretty sobering set of images. I'm using them to convince me that cheating on my diet is not a good plan. I think it's pretty effective.

Under the two images, it says,

"A year from now, all those annoycances and emergencies will have been solved.
-But...
*How will you feel about yourself?
*How far and how fast will you be able to run?
*Will you be healthier than you are now?
*Will you be someone who models healthy habits for your kids?"

And then I have the schedule I outlined above written along the bottom of the paper so I have a constant view of how fast I'm supposed to be going each week.

This paper is in constant site as I sit at my computer. Hopefully it'll be a constant reminder that I need to get out there and make time for my running. It's so easy to let other things get in the way.