I’m a believer!

Last year when I was training for that half marathon and got injured, I posted about how much I disliked cross training. Mostly this had to do with not feeling like I was getting as much of a workout from cycling/swimming as I do from running, but since my injury I’ve been forced to take on other forms of exercise (either that or gain twenty pounds). What I’ve found is that the more I do those other types of exercise, the more I like them.

I’ve been doing spin class at the gym, which finally taught me that I can sweat just as much (if not more!) by cycling as I can with running. I’ve also finally added in weight training three times a week and a swim or two here and there, along with rock climbing and tennis at least once a week. As I’ve said, my running has been toned down to about three short, easy runs per week because I’m so afraid of getting those shin splints back. So far, I’ve been in good shape on the shin splints. Luckily, I haven’t really had any reoccurences of shin splints and I think that’s due to having so many cross training activities mixed into my week.

But what really made me a believer was the 5K I did last week. My pace has really been increasing lately, despite my running less and less each week. I thought this was just because I was doing shorter runs (usually 2 miles), but when I ran that 5K on Thursday I beat my best 5K time by almost 2 full minutes – down to 30:20 from 32:01. My pace has never been consistently below 10:30, but lately I’m typically running at about 9:45. I truly believe this is because of the cross training. Last summer I couldn’t figure out why my times weren’t getting much better each run. Now, I think the reason was that I was running every day and not giving my legs a break in between. My legs were still doing the work, but I think they were too tired to try their hardest. When I get to run these days, my legs are pushing harder and harder each time because they’re rested and ready to work. It was seriously a great feeling to get so close to that 30-minute 5K time. It’s something I’ve been wanting for awhile but never thought I’d get. Now, I’m so close, and I definitely think it’s thanks to my cross training. I am seriously one of the biggest fans of cross training now that I’ve actually tried it.

What about you? Has cross training helped you in your running?

Hitting a personal milestone

I can’t believe how long it’s been since I posted to this blog. I’ve been super busy with grad school and what-not, but I am definitely still running. I’ve been putting in about 10 miles per week, which is a huge step down from my training days, but it’s the only way I can continue to run without getting shin splints. I haven’t done any races in a while though, so that’s going to be one of my goals in the next couple of months. I really want to get excited about running again and I think that signing up for a couple of races will be a great way to do that.

For those of you who live in Sacramento, there’s going to be a FREE 5K at Sacramento State on April 16th. I love anything free, so I’ll definitely be doing that one. I’m also signing up for the Nike Women’s 5K at the capitol again this year. It was one of my favorite races last year AND they have tons of great goodies. I use the gym bag I got there last year all the time.

Even though I haven’t been running quite as many miles, I’ve had a breakthrough in my running: I finally beat the 10-minute mile. Never in my younger years did I think I’d ever run faster than a 14-minute mile, yet here I am running a consistant 10:30 and finally beating that 10-minute marker that has plagued me for months. I think I posted about running a 9:59 a couple of months ago, but last week I ran a 9:36! For you faster runners this may not seem like a huge deal, but for me it’s mega huge. I’ve always been a slow runner and I take these milestones with me like trophies. Anyway, I’m super excited to still be improving my pace even with only a couple of 3-mile runs per week.

How about you? Any new milestones in your training?

Running to the music

I finally got in a really good run yesterday, after about two weeks of not running. It felt so great to be out in the fresh air and the sun was so bright and warm yesterday, which just made it that much better. One thing I noticed was that the music I was listening to really effected my pace. When a song came on that I really loved, I picked up the pace, so I started shuffling through my songs as I was running. I think it slowed me down a bit to be paying attention to my iPod instead of my run, so I’ve decided to put together a couple of different running mixes for my iPod. I figure if I have at least three different mixes I won’t get burnt out on the music too quickly. I’ve already put one together of angry girl music (great for breakups, yes?), including Pink, Kate Nash, Carrie Underwood, Lily Allen, and the new Beyonce song. I’m really excited to try it out. Here’s the mix, if you’re interested:

1. So What by P!nk
2. Merry Happy by Kate Nash
3. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It) by Beyoncé
4. Wheel of the World by Carrie Underwood
5. Smile by Lily Allen
6. Here It Goes Again by Ok Go
7. American Idiot by Green Day
8. Foundations by Kate Nash
9. Life’s Too Short  by Kellie Pickler
10. Let’s Dance to Joy Division by The Wombats
11. Happy Ending by Sugarland
What do you listen to when you run? Do you have any suggestions for a good running mix?

Reflecting on Running as a Destressor

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. My life has been a bit tumultuous lately and I haven’t had the energy or the motivation to run. But I began reflecting today on the reasons why I haven’t been running and realized that it’s been a huge mistake to take out that portion of my life just because I’m “too busy.” Normally, my first repsonse to stress and life changes is to go out and pound the pavement. This is because running has always helped me to sort through my thoughts, while also making me feel better about myself and making me more motivated to continue being positive and doing healthy things. Running is such a great destressor, and really should be the first thing I do when life gets “too busy.” Anyway, I’m glad I took the time today to reflect and I’m excited again to get back out there.

What about you? Why do you run? Does it help you destress? Sift through thoughts?

Commitment 2009

Since I’ve been out of the game for awhile I thought it would be a good idea to get a jump-start on my training for next year, which I’m calling Commitment 2009. This all really started when I found out that my university gives free fitness tests and does free nutritional analysis for students. What?! Yeah! Pretty awesome, right?

So I went down and got my fat tested, aerobicized while hooked up to a machine and kept track of my food intake for a couple of days. And I got my results today. Let’s just say, it wasn’t pretty. Apparently my couple of months without running has done worse for my health than I had thought. Granted, I have still been getting a little bit of exercise and have been running regularly for a little over a month now, BUT my healthy eating habits over the summer are LONG GONE. This translates to 32 percent body fat, an extra 10 pounds, and exceeding my calorie intake by about 110 calories a day.

On the plus side, taking out 110 calories is SIMPLE. And how excited am I that I was that close?! Most Americans are far worse at estimating their daily caloric intake so I should be ecstatic, right? However, I’m not as thrilled about the 32 percent body fat. My goal is going to be to get down to at least 22 percent which puts me in the 50 percentile range for women (middle of the road). I’d also like to lose about 25 pounds, but I’m going to be realistic and put that at 15 lbs. And, of course, I want to FINALLY take down that half marathon I’ve been talking about all year!

So my goals for this month are to a) get in touch with the fitness counselor so he can set me up with a routine that will help me reach my goals for next year, and b) run at least four times a week (I’m currently only averaging two runs per week). Hopefully this will get me in the groove so when Commitment 2009 really gets started I’ll be ready to take it all on!

What about you guys? Have you already been setting goals for next year?

Gear Review: Timex Ironman Watch

A couple of weeks back I bought my first watch since I was about 12 years old. What I bought was the Timex Ironman Sleek Triathlon 50lap watch. I needed a watch because when I was running and biking it was really inconvenient to bring along my cell phone for the time. My iPod has the time as well, but I’d have to pause the program to check the time. So I bought a watch – and I love it!

As I said, I haven’t worn a watch in probably 15 years or more so I thought it would take some getting used to having a watch on. But this watch is super comfy. The band is really soft and has a clippy thing for the leftover armband so it doesn’t slide out and flop around or get caught on things. There are also lots of fun buttons for timing. I haven’t quite figured them all out yet, but once I do I’m sure they’ll come in handy. The good thing is that the product manual can be downloaded from Timex’s website so if I lose the paper one I can still figure out how to use everything.

Anyway, just thought I’d share in case any of you are looking for sports watches. I tried a couple of others too, but this one was the best fit for me. There were some Nikes that were really comfortable and very fashionable looking, but they had the numbers in weird places and were difficult to read quickly. I bought my Timex for $65, but it looks like they’re on sale now at their website and I found it on Amazon for only $36 (next time I should probably think about looking on the web instead of at a specialty sports shop, yes?).

OK then, hope all of your training is going well now that the cooler weather has set in. I know I’m loving the cold air (although the rain isn’t super fun).

-B

First run of Fall

My run yesterday went really well! I did three miles with my new friend Suzanne. I had to stop and walk a couple of times, so I probably really only ran about 2/2.5 miles of it and my pace ended up being only 13.24, but still it was great to get out there and get my sweat on. It felt great too because the weather was perfect. It wasn’t hot out, but it wasn’t cold either. There was a slight breeze that cooled us off but the sun was still hot enough to keep us warm. My legs are super sore today, but I still packed up my running stuff for tomorrow. Hopefully I won’t overthink it and I’ll still get out there and run. I’m so excited to be running again! It’s the best feeling in the world. And hopefully within a few weeks I won’t have to make Suzanne walk anymore… Yay!

New Running Partner

I’m really excited because I may have a new running partner. Most of my grad school classes have all of the same people in them and I’ve managed to make a few friends. One woman either swims or runs before our last class because we have a 90-minute break between it and the class before it. We’ve been talking a lot about training and what-not, and then yesterday she asked me if I’d like to run with her on school days! Woohoo! I’m hoping I’m not too slow for her since she’s been training for awhile. I think I’ll do OK though and I’m so excited because this will give me more motivation to start running again (I haven’t been getting out there much lately). Tuesday will be our first run together and I’m super stoked!

Fall…

It’s now officially fall here in Northern California and I’m so grateful for the cooling weather. I don’t think there’s anything more inviting for a runner than a cool morning run. I’m so looking forward to really getting back into running now that the seasons are changing. I love, love, love running along the river and seeing all of the trees changing colors and losing their leaves. This is, and always has been, my most favorite time of year. I’m still taking it light and easy with the running business, but I’m hoping to start doing some serious running again soon. I’ve been really timid about it though for fear of re-injuring my leg. Or, maybe I’m just looking for an excuse for trading in my running shoes for some nice warm slippers and a good book…

I did something stupid…

So, on Sunday I decided to go for a short run (only 2 miles!) to get my shoes a little more broken in before the big race on Sunday. And, well, now my shin is hurting again. Yesterday during my swim workout every kick of my breast stroke pulled hard at my shin and hurt. I’m sad about this on so many levels. I’m worried I’ll never be able to run well, or long, again. I’m upset that I lost $50 on registration when I likely won’t be able to run the race. Most of all I’m just disappointed. I’m going to go in and see if I can change over to the 5K and at least get that in on Sunday, but I think it’s a really bad idea to attempt 13  miles when my shin is hurting from doing just two.

I guess there’s always next year. If I start training at a quarter of a mile right now, I might be able to make it to race day next year injury free…