Run + Walk = WIN!

I just thought I would sing the praises of the Run/Walk Method for any doubter and for any "wishing on a star" new runners.

This method is truly a great tool for 40+ people looking to take up running or those who have physical challenges including never running before.  This method is not a cop-out nor is it less of a workout.  It simply is the smart way toward endurance running without injury and over-exhaustion.  I also truly believe that is it the glue to keep you running and from quitting because you can't run a long distance or for a long consistent time.

So here are some links that will educate and guide you into a new world of running through the Run/Walk System.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/health/02well.html?_r=1&ref=health

The Leading expert and creator of a fail-proof Training system is Jeff Galloway.  Jeff has a plethora of information through video, articles, blogs, podcasts, apps and downloadable training plans.  You can start at this link:

jeffgalloway.com

With this method there is really no excuse not to run!   Yes I have the fever and I'm determined to spread it!  

I also want to thank my friend, Sarah Urich, who was my first inspiration to do a long distance race and recommended the Jeff Galloway Training!

Mile Marker...

Today I hit ten miles on my long run.  This is a miracle....or not.  Miracles come easily and spontaneously but I pushed and willed myself to the finish line of this run!  

Ten is an all important number for me in my training distance.  It means I am only three miles short of the race distance.  Ten means I am not a novice to long runs. Ten means the impossible is possible.

 I originally was planning to do 9 which was one mile over my last long run.  I was in a tizzy about getting this long run in before the rain came and determined to have a good one because the entire week I had not put in the miles I needed on normal run days.  This needed to be good to beat the hum-drums of  lack of discipline. Before I left the house I read on my Jeff Galloway plan, this week called for 9.5 miles. When got on the track and I hit that I thought what the heck, lets go to ten.  I mean really, after 8 it's all a blur anyway! JK!

This run was one that I also was pushing for a better time. Since my last run with Lisa I was convinced have get into a faster pace and cadence. (This wasn't just because of my long run with Lisa but because I was just getting sick of a year of watching 20 year old young things, 60 year old things and people with bad knees passing me all the time!)

I came out of the gate running fast and strong but  started feeling the effects of that push halfway through and my legs were having issues.  Usually exhaustion in the form of not catching my breath or fatigue gets the better of me, today my muscle strength or lack thereof were my nemesis.  Even my feet hurt.  I could feel the pound of the track and I was forming a blister on my right foot toe. (I think it's time for an investment in better shoes.) However, using the 3 minute run/1 minute walk intervals, the one minute walks literally kept me from cramping up or just falling from fatigue in my legs.

 This one minute walk- which seems like 10 seconds - truly is the life-savor for people who aren't ready to do full out-right runs.  There is NO SHAME in doing this program!  In fact it's the SMART thing to do if you have ANY physical challenges including being over 40, even if you use it as a start to your running life.  It PREVENTS injury during training which can take you out of your race, lets you finish the race stronger and your recovery time afterward is MUCH EASIER!  And for all the doubters and scoffers of the run/walk system -especially those who DON'T EVEN RUN themselves- you are still getting an incredibly challenging training and race.  Running and walking for over 10 miles or two hours is tough no matter HOW YOU DO IT!

One thing that hit me the most on this 10 miler was just how LONG it takes.  Regardless of how fast you  go, it takes a chunk of time to do it.  My time was 1 hour 56 minutes averaging 11.6 minutes per mile. That's two hours of running.  I never have thought of myself as ADH, but this is one scenario where that applies.  I can't tell you how I'm thinking, let's be done with this already.  I actually ran faster just trying to get it over and move on to something else in my day.  Hey, whatever the motivation, use it!

My 11.6 per mile is pretty good especially knowing my first few miles were well in the 10 minute range and knowing without doubt the last two or three were a struggle as my muscles were recovering from the push I put on them.  (The point of reference that makes this good time is the fact my normal mile is 11 minutes in the past and my goal is to shave at least one minute off that for the entire race.)

So today its all about embracing ...

Bayshore Boulevard Run - 8 Miles

I know this is blog is dated October 28th - but I'm blogging about my run last week. It's too eventful to leave out before I blog about my run today.



Last Saturday was my first long run with my Half Marathon partner, Lisa.  We've been training separately and have been anticipating a run together.  We decided to meet half way in Tampa to run on beautiful Bayshore Boulevard.  This is a coveted scenic running track on Tampa Bay.  The sidewalk runs along on the Bayside of the Boulevard for almost 8 miles and the other side is lined with million dollar homes and high-rise condominiums.  We happened to choose the first cool crisp Saturday in October under 70 degrees!

When we met each other in the parking lot we were high on excitement.  The cool weather, the early hour that reminded us of race day, the scenic beauty all got the best of us.  As we shivered we decided not to take our water-belts deceiving ourselves that the coolness would somehow keep us from dehydrating.  I know, that was stupid, but we weren't in our right minds with our giddiness creating a fog-like nonsensicalness.

I set my Gymboss Interval Trainer on our 3/1 run/walk alarm and off we went toward the end of the Boulevard that marked 4 miles.  So, first mistake: no water belts.  Second mistake, we talked non-stop for four miles.    We ran at a slow pace and winded ourselves with the lack of oxygen from talking and laughing.

At 3 1/2 miles we caught a flood of Susan Komen Breast Cancer runners, regretting that we could have done a 5k with them and counted it as part of our training!   The good news was they had a string of porta potties that was placed at just the right mile marker when we needed it!  After that short detour, we realized we were needing hydration and we hadn't reached the end of the Boulevard of 4 miles before our turn around.  That meant NO WATER for 4 more miles!  S-T-U-P-I-D!

You know how it is when you know you CAN'T have something?   You want it even more.  We were so thirsty and not only that we were getting drained from talking, our sugar level was plummeting and we were feeling the dehydration as the sun came beaming down dissipating the crisp cool air.  As we began to calculate our slow pace and the length of time it would take us to get back, Lisa announced we weren't talking anymore!  I announced we needed to pick it up.  THE FUN WAS OVER! LOL!

We pushed ourselves back to our starting point talk only about how to steal passing runner's water bottles!   As we got to the edge of the parking area where our cars were I announced we were cutting through, cheating us .1 of a mile.  We each went into our cars and immediately got out our water bottles.

We chugged our water down and laughed at ourselves, proud we did eight miles, did it together and vowed to learn from our mistakes for next time!

Lisa has been a friend of mine for 15 years through the good, bad, ugly and miraculous.  This training and the race itself will proove to be all of the above!  I'm glad we are doing it together.  Friends make everything better.

This is within my reach!

This is within my reach!

What a revelation!

Especially since four days ago I was thinking there is no way I will be able to run 13.1 miles!

Today I increased my long run by two miles, from six to eight.  This was a major milestone to say the least with 10 weeks remaining before the race. I was needing to see some major headway in my distance and endurance to convince myself this whole half marathon thing is doable.

I had committed to Jeff Galloway's Run/walk system last week                                                                  ( http://www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html )despite the doubts I had about it.  I felt like if I did it I would somehow be in the "Special-Ed" category of marathoners.  I mean seriously- running for just three minutes and then "giving-in" to a walk for a minute over and over?!  But I became increasingly aware that I was having absolutely no progression in my endurance and had to do something to break the barrier.

Jeff Galloway, Olympian Marathon Champion, & RunDisney's Official Traininer

I started this mindset change by doing two workout runs on hills because I felt my legs must be suffering from lack of strength.  It's amazing what little changes and challenges obtained can do to your mental confidence.  I got a new app on my phone that featured a run/walk workout with prompts telling me when to start running and when to walk.  It also allowed me to set it to the pace I needed for my "magic mile" time which worked out to the 3/1 ratio.  With many doubts I did my six mile long run last week.  I finished 6 miles at 77 minutes which I wasn't sure was good or not but I was not tired or hurting when I finished nor did I have ANY muscle discomfort afterward.  This is a perk of the run/walk that I liked.

So this week - I kept with one major hill run and a couple more normal runs with just a little increase to 4 miles and awaited my long run today.  I started my morning having gotten six hours of sleep- blah!  But I was hydrated, full of vitamins and having eaten well the entire week.  I put on my app and concluded I would run eight miles no matter what because I needed to add two miles to gauge my max miles coming with a decrease a week or two before.  I really needed to see myself come up in numbers so that I was well over half way there to my goal.

As I started my first three minutes I was fighting with myself mentally with exhaustion!  I did that for the next 4 intervals until I was well past 3 miles!  You would think running three minutes is nothing - but when you have a battle mentally about how tired you are going in - it doesn't matter if its three minutes or three seconds, you are crying out "just go home"!   The good news is this - when I hit 5 miles I got excited that I was almost at my last long run distance which for some reason made me hit the roof with determination to go eight!   This stuff is 90% mental belief!!!

I finished my 85 minute prompt program at 6 1/2 miles.  Now I was on my own to finish eight.  I quickly put my stop watch on and counted three minutes in my head and a minute to walk.  But when I started back up to run I had such a rush come over me I continued to run the complete eight!  I have to just testify that it was some miracle of adrenaline or mental resilience or "By God Jeff Galloway is a GENIUS the program WORKS".  Jeff states that if you stick with the system you will run your last two miles more powerfully than your first and I CAN SAY THIS IS TOTALLY TRUE!  At least today and for eight!

So I got in my car with my body tingling from adrenaline and endorphines and my mind racing with the thoughts "this is within my reach!"  I only have 5 more miles to add to hit the race length- I can do it!  I can do it!  I can do it! Yay, yay, yay!!!

I am going to wear this medal!

Running to Race

Had a great run/walk this evening following Jeff Galloway training suggestions.  After almost 6 weeks off, I was doubting if I could bounce back, but as I hit my first stride I knew I still had what it took.  As I finished my short training session I was already looking forward to hitting a longer run in the morning.

I thought I would share one of Jeff's blogs on racing runners.  I really like his perspective.  Here it is.

Your First Race

Posted: 2011-07-17 

"I know, you aren’t competitive. You have no need to race. That’s fine.  But the neighborhood road
 races that you see all over the country are primarily for motivation.  The participants in the average
 road race are folks like yourself who are trying hard to stay motivated.  Enrolling in a race is a
commitment to yourself to do the training each week to prepare.

Most runners/walkers who arrive at their first race are surprised to see that most of the participants
are average looking people. Sure, there are always a few lean folks on the front line are going for
 the trophy. Everyone else is there to share the excitement of the event. And to celebrate the
moment of finishing.

Races are fun.  If the energy could be put in a container and used in your car, you wouldn’t
have to buy gasoline for your car for weeks.  Once you have attended a race, you will want to go
 back.  This is one place where almost everyone is in a good mood."

And Jeff is right.  Everyone is there because they want to be and they have trained hard to get there and experience the fulfillment of their training.

RUN DISNEY....

I know this is crazy, but I scratched my November Half Marathon in exchange for an official registration, signed sealed and delivered, in Run Disney's Half Marathon January 7, 2012!   It's been a bumpy ride to a half marathon but I think I have found my fit and the motivation is much higher as well as the ability to commit to a disciplined training program!

This summer I announced defeat with lack of discipline in run training and I am not ashamed to say I quit.  But the key to quitting and not failing is starting again!

All I know is I had such motivation doing my Tri at Disney World and I am counting on my love for all things Disney to be the key to this second success!  I mean really just look at what Disney offers to the "Athlete"  wishin' on a star!



Just watching the many Youtube records of the festivities has gotten me almost wanting to dawn some Mickey clothing to train in...I said almost!

School is coming back into full swing in two weeks along with my 45th birthday...so I will be MORE than MOTIVATED and MORE than back in the GRIND!

So - let's all turn over a new leaf and begin anew and afresh!   Just pretend the last few months never happened.

Hey guess what?  I'm running a Half Marathon!





.

Running can look fashionable!

I love how Heidi Klum has made running look so good!

She has a great collection of fitness clothes.

I know when I look good, I feel good.

Now maybe if I look good, I'll run good.

Let's hope so!

Check the line out.

On a personal note:  Along with two other runs and a pool workout, I put in a run on  the main street outside the neighborhood of my house this week.  A 2 1/2 mile straight run that includes two steep overpass humps....ouch!   Where's Heidi when you need her?  I really could have used a snazzy outfit for that!

The Reckoning...

Today I'm asking myself a lot of questions.

Do I really want to go forward for a half marathon?

What happened to my motivation?

Am I able to commit to this training?

I can answer all those questions with an observational evaluation - I'm Pathetic.  I know.

I started with such enthusiasm- talk about a total fizzling out!   I promised you in the sub-title this is a journey of an over-40 runner~!


So let me tell you how I got to this SLUMP!

Several weeks ago I was in my stride for training when I hit a major challenge.  My schedule changed dramatically.  School was out so there was no official morning grind, with both kids home along with my husband, our home fell into a real lax attitude, with all excuses aside I admit I fell right in with it.  Late nights, late mornings, erratic diet and I let my training schedule go.  My well-guarded, tunneled-vision hour for morning running became a free-for-all and I lost my focus completely.  With my inability to deal with distraction, I did a lot of ab and arm training at home to replace my running and ALAS- the running habit left me.  Though I was glad I committed to working on my abs for the cruise, I  had traded out and when I got home I had no focus or DESIRE to run.

I spent one full week after the cruise doing NOTHING.  Then yesterday it hit me.   I looked around my house steeped in mid-summer disorganization, looked ahead at the 131 days left before the race and made a decision to get my schedule, organization and MY morning run BACK. 

Then I wrestled with the idea that perhaps I'm not up to this kind of race.  I mean, what the point?   Why run a half-marathon? Who cares?  Any sense of reason and motive was so faded I couldn't conjure up why I had even endeavored to do it in the first place.  The need for a goal, a need of accomplishment, a challenge...what was it?  Perhaps I still had the high from my Tri accomplishment - a few endorphins left edging me on.   So with just shadows of desire left - I'm making a head decision to go with what I first decided because of one reason- I'm not a quitter.   I publicized that I was going to - and now I'm held to it.  If that is the only reason I run a half-marathon, then its enough.  Finish what you started, do what you said you were gonna do and cross the finish line!

 I am 131 days out from the race giving me a good 18 weeks to train.  This is several weeks over the proven training plan for a half marathon.  But NOW is the time to commit, focus and settle in my mind to hit the running trails again.  At this point a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do- so I'm declaring martial law in the house and in my personal training.

This morning I swore off "visitors" on my run and went by myself to see what my body would do after its long hibernation.  I was pleased to hit my 10 minute mile but sruggled to finish two.  I have some make up work to do.  

SO HERE IS MY WISDOM TO ALL -IF ANY- READERS ARE LISTENING.   You run- you fall- you get up - you run again.  Pretty simple.  

Bon Voyage!

Headed to Ft. Lauderdale to board for our CRUISE tomorrow.  No time to blog other than to say I'm feeling good about my workout choices!

Here's something to leave you with


It was good to see Heidi pick up the RUN BUG!   Its a process for EVERYONE!!!

Coming back to RUN!

NOT Running...

Yeah, I said it.  This is my running blog and I am NOT running....at all...for almost two weeks!  There, its out!

Why?

Because I am spending my allotted work-out time killing myself doing planks, standing crunches, reverse crunches, lunges, mountain climbers, scissor kicks, circuit training, pilates, with weights, without weights, tank top arm workouts, blast the fat workouts, rip the abs, tone the arms, sculpt the shoulders,  strengthen the back...blah blah blah.

 I wake up sore every morning, have to get up slowly from chairs and I can quote every word Cindy Whitemarsh and Chris Freytag say in their ab and arm workouts on my BrightHouse Exercise on Demand programs!   (Sidenote:  I have purposely boycotted Jillian Michael's workouts after two traumatic endeavors.  I am convinced she is sadistic and wants to see people in immense pain and to die in their homes in the middle of their family rooms on their yoga mats.  She just laughs with that tone with one eyebrow up.)

Nice Trainer.

Mean Trainer! (Jillian)

As I am finally seeing my lifelong dream of oblique lines on my belly, I fear the moment I am going to step on that Cruise Ship and put all that food in my mouth with the idealistic promise I will work out in their gym as often as I can.  I have placed a timeline guess of how long it will take this tight muscle mass I have built up to fall apart into oblivion without my two perky virtual trainers on my TV.  The possibility of me making it successfully toned through the formal evening gown night I think is totally dependent on how much room there is on my cabin floor to crunch and plank and if the drive and desire will be in me to do it.


So for now, I  am not running.   I'm sweating it out in my family room under a ceiling fan on high and I'm loving it!  I miss my time in the park - but this time is paying off.

But I will come back to running!  When I return all tan and relaxed from this big #25 Anniversary Cruise, I am donning my running shoes, with my necklace I bought from my sister's kids baseball fundraiser that says, "13.1" and THUS the training will commence.  No more running according to my day's feel like it preference.  I will have a training schedule and I'm gonna keep it.  I'm gonna reboot myself with a new mantra:

 "13.1  13.1  13.1  13.1" !!!

But for now, it's "evening gown  - bikini, " " evening gown - bikini!" 

Summer Running had me a blast but oh for the summer nights~!

So we are a full week into "summer" at our house.  "Summer" meaning no school, no school schedule, no school discipline, no school getting ready, no school getting dressed, no school making beds, no school diet....no school!  Yay, balloons, confetti, irritating horn blowing and dancing!   AND, just as I suspected, the temptation of pushing my runs later into the morning has commenced.  The battle ground has been set, the perimeters of the fight are defined and I am already waging the war!

So far I have been a real good girl at daily doing something for a workout.  I'm not sure if I have already blogged the announcement of getting ready for my 25th anniversary cruise at the end of June, (I don't read my own stuff), but that is what is consuming my workout mentality.  I still am pushing myself in my running, inching forward in distance and slowly slimming down my per-mile speed, but I am doing a lot of ab and arm workouts on my own and I just have to say, for the first time, I am seeing SOME results. (Blog to follow on the relentless and seemingly no win situation on aging bodies....I promise.)  I can do those workouts anytime in the day when I see the living room is clear of spectators and I've gotten a good motivating look at my stomach, which is a fail-safe motivator!

But running, which I DON'T do inside on a treadmill, must be done outside and for me must be done when I am highly focused and motivated.  Therefore, certain conditions must be in place for me to get my optimum run.  I now see I am what I guess could be described as......A RUNNING DIVA.   Great title for a blog...maybe I'll change mine later.

Running Diva?  Something tells me she doesn't run!

Secondly, the summer has brought me three more challenges....two children and a husband.  I don't think they read this blog.....hehe. My adult daughter home from college, not too much of a problem, other than I stay up a little late waiting for her to get in from her social life.  Not being as young as I used to be I'm just not recovering from late nights like I used to.  My son had a bright and unrealistic thought of going with me last week. He was determined, bless his little 11 year old heart, to run with me two miles.  In addition, my husband, who usually does his cardio at the gym, has announced his desire to walk the trail with me as I run so he can enjoy the beauty of the atmosphere.

 So picture this....my husband takes off on his walk...gone....!  I have my son insisting he will run and be ok if he walks at some point, he'll finish out on his own....in a park...ALONE....all the women know where I'm going.    He and I start to run and....I'm trying to estimate....10 yards in he stops.   Now there I am, on a wooded trail, focused and NEEDING to run two miles hard for speed, with an eleven year old who now will NOT RUN and I am going to just go on? NO!!! DAH!!!

I stop and try to prod, coach, encourage AT LEAST a mild speed walk so I can keep him in my "back of the head eyes."   No good.    I walk with him to the cut through where there is a bench and I can run the fastest mile ever back to him in a "few minutes".   He agrees and I take off fuming that now my mile will be about worrying that he remembers that strangers are bad and how I'd like to ring the man-I- married's neck for being wired to not think like a woman!   I come around the corner at the cut-through...no son.  I continue to the 2 mile finish blocking out the nagging voice in the back of my head that he has been abducted and think if I can get up at 5 am and sneak out the house no one will ever come with me again!   As I round the finish line corner, there he is at the car.  I get him and make him run the hill in the middle of park 6 times with me....revenge~!

So- now my son will not come anymore with me, but my hubby does.  Really it's harmless, he walks and does his own thing and we meet at the car and it's a seemingly harmless routine.  BUT, it is challenging me to block out distraction, which I guess I should be grateful for that challenge and opportunity to work on.  In a race, there are hundreds of other runners, spectators and crazy stuff going on and a runner must be able to focus inward on the little things they have to take care of for themselves to run a good race.  Running is half a mind game after all.

"I'll pencil you in..."

The last two weeks have been busy for me, but I have stuck to my schedule of running regardless.  I am at a point now that I can't miss a day without feeling I am cheating myself, so I hit the trail no matter what. I am now over 5 months out from the race, so I still consider myself in "PRE-pre-training" and I have added on another deadline to shoot for in training that has kept me pretty doggone faithful.   My husband and I are celebrating our 25th anniversary by taking a cruise in June on the 25th.  I have made a commitment to myself to go on this cruise in the best shape of my life~!  With that in my mind I can't afford one day without some type of training.


I launched myself into 4 days of running and three days of ab and arm training at my home.  I gave myself a goal of no less than 35 minutes of running and on my long run days its' usually an hour.  The workouts I am using are On Demand from my cable provider and they are "kicking my butt" or really my arms and abs, but that describes how I feel when I'm done.   Actually I'm sore for 2 days after those work outs so I KNOW they have to be working!   I also know the benefits of building core muscle so I am hoping with fervent hope this will help me build my runs as well.

With all that said, I do feel a looming judgement if I don't do something daily and running especially! I'm talking big talk now, but school will be out in two weeks and then a new challenge to my committed schedule will ensue.

Right now I have NO VIABLE excuse to not run.  Three days a week I have to drive right by my trail early in the morning as I take my son to school and back by it on the way home.  The timing is perfect in that I have finished a bottle of water and a cup of coffee by the time I park my car by the trail.  If I keep myself from checking FB and email on my phone I am running by 8:15 before the sun has a chance to heat the atmosphere up.  On the days I don't take my son to school, I am up anyhow getting him ready, so I hit the trail at my usual time just with a little more time at home first.

Regardless how far or long I run, I'm home early enough for the day to still be full ahead of me.   The location of my run spot and the timing of this schedule has been a gift.  I have NO EXCUSES to not hit the trail unless it's pouring rain.  But once school is out, and the temptation to sleep in and not get in the car to go out of my way...well....I'll leave that to your imagination.

I've already been thinking of my motivation and mentally preparing myself to keep my normal schedule and be at the park by 8 am all summer long.  This would mean giving up the traditional late nights of summer so I could get the rest I need to run in the morning. This would be a new thing for me and I think a great accomplishment all of it's own.   I have to convince myself that I have come too far to backslide now!
*************************************************************************
But keeping all of it real:  it is A LOT of WORK to get into shape and stay in shape at this age.  It's like a part-time job.   ( I'm gonna blog about it next.) I can't help but wonder if at some point or more so not "if" but "when", I will just say - "forget about it" and just let life and age take it's toll.  I sure hope it's not soon.

Tempted to get bored with it...

I've been running the same trail for the last year.  This trail gives the option to go two miles or cut through for a one mile.  I know every curve, every crack in the trail, and I have become very familiar with a few odd shape trees which I regard as milestones in my trek.  In fact, these trees now hold an emotional response when I see them because each one marks what I've accomplished and the upcoming finish to mile markers.  I often think to myself, "if I can just get to that tree around the corner..." and when I do there is a mental release that invigorates me again.  Strange stuff, this mental mojo of a runner.

I am at the point now, I need to break my "glass ceiling" and the thought of going round one more time almost makes me nauseous.  I have even opted to not make two two-mile loops but one two-mile and two one-miles.  The strategy is that I have mentally associated the short trail as my finish because it comes out at the end joining the two mile path.  So when I am fatigued I mentally try to trick myself into the "feeling" of accomplishment taking shorter loops.   Again I say, strange stuff, this mind over matter it takes to dictate my body into going the distance.

So today I tried to introduce something different and started my run a distance from the trail itself to add on a mile outside my usual path.  It's amazing the freedom I felt and the change of atmosphere was just what I needed.  I actually looked forward to the run back to my car that was a different path.   This taught me that keeping it fresh is something I need to be creative in as I move forward in adding distance.  

On another note, I ran across an article on keeping weight off after forty or as I call it "fighting flab after forty" OR "FFAF!"   This may be helpful to someone and God knows after forty we need ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET!

http://www.thatsfit.com/2010/12/17/stay-slim-through-perimenopause/

Keep running, it gets better!

I did four miles today and fought for every bit of it.  Last week I pushed myself really hard,  I had a couple days I thought I would just collapse from exhaustion.  Sometimes it is hard to find the balance of pushing yourself in training, putting a demand on your energy and endurance when you still have to function physically in your "real life".

What do you do when you've pushed yourself to run four miles and add on an extra mile to walk and cool down and then go home to remember your have people coming over and your house needs a total vacuum and tiled flooring needs mopped??   You do it and feel it for several days to come!   Life and training sometime overlap.

So with all that in my last week I decided to add a two day rest period with no cross training and pure nothingness to the point of laziness.   Sometimes I view resting just as hard as running.   I get so determined and so set on pushing myself I feel like the rest day is a waste and I'm losing opportunity to get to a new level.  I have to remind myself that when my body demands rest, I have to give it.  I have to tell myself that I am actually building and advancing while I'm resting.

"they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength...they shall mount up with wings as eagles...they shall run and not be weary....they shall walk and not faint..."

So here I was today back out there and wondering how my body was going to respond to it's vacation.  I had felt good when I woke up this morning and thought several times that was a great sign that perhaps my muscles were restored and better than ever.  I got my app all set to track my time, distance and pace and started with a short 5 minute walk.   At the end of 5 minutes I heard the app generated voice in my earbuds say "JOG" and I obeyed.  About 30 seconds in I was surprised at my body's response.  It yelled quite clearly, "you'll be lucky to make one mile, wah wah wah".   

For one mile I pushed myself.   My left knee was stiff, my right knee was clicking, the back of my calves were already tightening and even my left shoulder was aching.  I felt old and I felt pathetic when the 60+ year old man who started after me passed me at the one mile marker like I was standing still.  At that point my competitive nature gave my flesh a stern scolding.  I told my whining body we were going to two miles whether it was running, walking, crawling or summer-saucing to the mile marker.  (The latter two are probably the more painful if you think about it!) 

My mental focus was also very scattered.  I had been filling my mind with articles about Aspartame and Splenda toxins the last few days, identifying some of my thyroid symptoms that are linked to the overload of these products in my system.  With every weak whine from my body I was calculating the level of toxicity I probably have that was causing my low performance.  I had to shake that off and focus.   

Then something magical happened.  As I rounded the corner ending mile two marker starting mile three, the fact I had indeed survived two miles overshadowed all the cries of my whining body.  In fact, my body shut up - not down - but up.  The truth is the last two miles were easier than the first two.   My theory is that my body in the first mile is "cold" and not warmed up so it whines.  That's important to identify because if I listen to the whining and quit then I don't get to the good part of running and I stay discouraged.  A lot of people never really run or enjoy running because they never get to the "magical moment" where it's fun.

 By the time I get to mile three, I have corrected my posture and my footing so my calves, shins and knees aren't under pressure of the run.  My heart rate, breathing and cadence of my arms and gate are all in sych together.  My lungs have full capacity and have expanded to give me good oxygen to my whole body making all my limbs happy campers.  My mental state is soaring because of my oxygen supply. At that point I can choose to put my focus where I want, which for me in in my core and small arm movement and my gaze about 3 feet in front of me causing the time and distance to be less distracting.  Before I knew it I was finishing my four mile run and rehydrating in a cool down walk and stretch and really excited that I survived the process and learned from it.

Running requires endurance.  Running requires a joy that's before you that causes you to endure the aches, pains, sluggishness and discouragement of the moment just to get to that place that you know if going to be better and worth it.

The Word of God that Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before him.  I love Israel Houghton's song, "You've Won My Affection".   It says, "you went the distance and you finished strong, we were your passion, so you gave your all."  He knew it was gonna get better.  He knew after death was resurrection.

Running is a great application of those truths.  I find running a very very spiritually motivating process with many lessons that mimic our spiritual journey.  

1 Cor. 9:24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.

Hebrews 12:1  Since we are surrounded by so many examples [of faith], we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up.

You can take a run anywhere!

You can take running anywhere.  If you look around - outside is everywhere!   If you can't find a treadmill, you can find some grass or asphalt to tread on!

Visiting my family for Easter weekend I decided to run my old neighborhood.  I was quite aware of the potential nostalgia of this run.  My parents have lived in the same home for almost 50 years, thus this is the home I was raised in all my life until I got married.

I decided to run the "back-way" out of the subdivision towards the "new" Seven Eleven. (This is what we called this particular Seven Eleven because on the front end of the subdivision is the "old" Seven Eleven.  Both are over 30 years old now!) It is a one mile trek to the "new" Seven Eleven and when I was a child I had to have favored permission to go there on my bike and usually it was an exhilarating trip if I was allowed to go.  I always felt like it was dangerous venturing "out of" the subdivision by myself.  I got to say I felt empowered to be just running there as an adult.  It's crazy, the paradoxes of childhood/adulthood re-do's.

Running that day was no problem as my mind was occupied with recognition memories.  First was the Prinkey's house where I had Brownie Troop.  I hated Brownies.  I knew no one in my troop and there were thirteen girls and everyone had their best friend so I was always odd-man out.   That troop was the nesting ground of all my insecurities I would fight for many decades to come!  Then Marla's house, my only church friend in the neighborhood and I spent the night many times in that house.  I once was riding a miniature motorcycle and ran it into the side of her dad's car because I didn't know how to shift or break and that was the only way I could stop!  He had to pry it out from under his tire wheel.- good times!

The next to the last house before the Seven Eleven was a girl's house that I knew in Middle School.  The only personal contact I had with her was in band class when she showed me her rolled up pot and offered to give me one free to try.  Just looking at them made me feel guilty and I thought in my head there was no way I would even just try it with my magnetism to getting caught in the least of infractions.  Immediately I referenced getting nailed for shooting a lima bean with my spork in fourth grade lunch and sentenced to silent lunches for a week.   Fourth grade taught me there was NO WAY I would risk trying it!

I ran to the Seven Eleven making my loop back toward home feeling energized and toyed with the thought of continuing toward my Elementary School but reconsidered to save it for another time thinking that run alone would make an awesome separate blog!   I had another goal - go by my best friend's Nancy's house which would be at the end of mile two.  I hadn't been by her house in over 20 years and I was trying to recall the cut through street all the way there.  I found the street and spent the mile thinking about my time with Nancy.

Nancy had the same birthday as I did and we had a couple combined parties at her house.  Her house at the time had the largest residential pool in Orlando and it was featured in the Orlando Sentinel.  Her family was orginally from New York and were the wealthiest people I knew personally.  They had a huge Lincoln Continental that always had Frank Sinatra playing.  I rarely saw her dad but her mom was fascinating to me.  She was the only woman who proudly flaunted her nose job and I recalled her wearing her bandage for weeks after her surgery.  I spent the night A LOT at Nancy's house and we shared a love for singing, music and Barry Manilow.

When I reached Nancy's house I saw it was vacant and for sale.  The large front window was open for viewing in and I took a long look through the living room (where her brother eventually killed himself and the family moved shortly after), peering into the kitchen with a glimpse of the pool porch where we spent so many summer days.  I thought I could hear Barry Manilow singing "Even Now".  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PX4xIgb_oMw&feature=fvst

I set off for my home street into my third mile and as I passed my house decided to push a powerful sprint all the way to "Gail-Gail's" house for old time's sake.  I thought briefly about taking off my shoes and socks and smacking my feet on the asphalt all the way there but didn't want to break my focus!