6.08.2012

Running Update!

Guess what? I STILL LOVE RUNNING! Yay!

My running group is finally hitting its stride! I felt AMAZING Sunday helping the people in the group doing Couch to 5K! It's so fun seeing them hit new milestones that they never could have imagined! It doesn't hurt that I remember doing the very same thing less than a year ago. Memories!

The weather on Tuesday??? AMAZING! When I saw the forecast, I said uh.... I know I was going to run 11 miles but I just want to enjoy the weather so 12 it is! The weather was every bit of amazing! I still need to work on pacing myself in early miles so I'll have more left to give in later miles. Those last few miles were a STRUGGLE!! Oddly, mile 9 was one of my fastest! Part of that is because there's a huge downhill section but no matter! LOL Every few mile markers and therefore every few weeks (I step up my long runs a mile per week for three weeks, then step back for a week), I have had a difficult run where at the end I ask myself, "Why do I do this???" Since I thought that after the first time I ran 8 miles a few weeks ago, I was okay with feeling that after 12. Can you believe 8 miles isn't that terrible to me anymore?????

It amuses me when people say an easy (insert your mileage here) and it's something outrageous. The more unfamiliar you are with running or running at that distance, the funnier it is. It used to be funny to me when people say they're going to run an easy 3 [miles]. A month ago it amused me to hear experienced marathoners say an easy 5-7 miles. Now I can somewhat comprehend an easy 5-7. Sometimes people mean an easy pace which is cool but having run 7 or more miles 8 or 10 times, it still doesn't quite fall into the easy category but it's certainly in the realm of possibility! And 6 definitely no longer stresses me out. So awesome!

I did my first speed work on the track last week. I did 400 meters 5 times. I really need to work on my consistency. I felt kind of weird about it then I saw that my rest interval between runs wasn't long enough so I wasn't properly recovered. Makes sense. This week, I felt so great about it that I wanted to keep going! My former running partner was with me and complaining the entire time before she quit after 2/6 intervals. Yeah... that's definitely not going to work. I've gotten very used to pushing myself in my solo runs and I don't want to have to push anyone else. I like pushing people in the C25K runs but I have my own runs so I don't have to push anyone else. I'm so excited about the prospect of getting faster! I also like that someone else has started up a Saturday morning long run (medium long for me now at 6 miles! eeee!) and I can just go and get pushed instead of having to do the pushing!

My least favorite running question: Did you run the whole thing? If I say no, does that mean my run doesn't count?? I have to return my 9-mile run to the run police if I walked for a total of 2 minutes? And it's mostly non-runners who ask this. Everyone has to develop their own philosophy on racing and running, but try to race or run and actually DEVELOP a theory first. Joyless elitist runners also ask this question to show you their superiority. Both of you have a seat. One of the things I preach (Oh yes! I've become a running preacher!) is you have to run your own race. There will always be someone faster than you somewhere out there. That doesn't matter. DO YOU! Beat yourself! Have I told you lately that I love running? :)

Have you started running? Continued running? Do you want to start? Let's go!

5 comments:

Sparkling Red said...

The whole "did you run the whole thing" controversy reminds me of climbing. Climbs have difficulty levels that are numbered. The easiest ones are like climbing an irregular ladder. The hardest are not comparable to any regular everyday experience. Anyway, some climbers didn't let you say that you'd finished a climb until you'd "cleaned" it, i.e. you hadn't fallen off or purposefully sat back into the safety harness to rest at any point. I thought that was a fair way to judge completion, but not everyone agreed.

SimplyB said...

I quit my c25k program after 4 weeks. I really want to get back into running because it helps with stress. I want to eventually love running as well.

Great update! Keep us posted.

Anitra* said...

The did you run the entire thing is always going to come up... From a non runner it's more of an ok they're human like me and just because I can't run it all doesn't mean that I won't ever get there. Use it to encourage them to keep going. From the runners...IONO. Might be a competitive thing. Either way people are just trying to find their encouragement - through your inspiration or competition. Keep up the good work!

Jameil said...

red... perspective is such an interesting thing. I think I'd feel accomplished if I made it to the top but might still want to be able to say I cleaned it. I'm just competitive like that. When I first started running I was more of the mindset that I wanted to get to the point of running the whole thing. The longer I run, the less important that becomes to me. I might circle back. I'll probably circle back. But this is where I currently stand.

simplyb... I hope you try again! I love running now!

anitra... Thank you! I never considered that before. I like that better than too much of what I've experienced-- I have had people come straight out and minimize my run if there were any walking breaks. Not cool.

1969 said...

As a triathlete (love saying that), people always ask me how long the distances are. When I tell them, they say "Oh, that isn't far."

I always say..."Oh, so you do triathlons too?"

*crickets*