A rough night but a good run

“If you run, you are a runner. It doesn’t matter how fast or how far. It doesn’t matter if today is your first day or if you’ve been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run.” –John Bingham

I have been tracking the weather all week to know when we are getting more snow and planned my runs around the weather.  So I was lucky enough to get in my run today before the snow.  But it wasn’t a very easy run.  My son was sick last night so I think I sletp about a total of 3 hours.  I didn’t want to miss my chance to get in a short run so I went for it.  It was 32 degrees and sunny and refreshing.  I just set my run/walk timer to a 3:00 run 1:00 walk and went easy.  Towards the end I started to run out of gas so I changed it to a 2:00/1:00 and am happy with the run despite the circumstances.  My next long run is due this weekend and so is more snow for Saturday morning.  I may have to save it for Sunday or Monday. 

After my long run of 6 miles on Monday I had some runner’s knee pain but I spent a while last night stretching real good with the kids’ pool noodle until my roller comes in the mail.  I worked on the really tender areas and today I have no knee pain at all.  So stretching with the roller will be key for me to loosen out thoes IT bands and knees.  I would like to do a 7 mile run so I can know how it will feel to go that far; but at the same time I am scared of teh distance.  But as usual, I get out there focus on ENJOYING the experience and not let fear get the best of me.  The point of running is to have fun and I feel now that I am enjoying it because I am using the Galloway approach to help avoid injury and build my endurance; both of which I am have success with.

Stretching

I found a good video on youtube about stretching and using the roller to work out the sore spots.  Now that I am doing the longer runs I am starting to feel it the days aftewards and am now going to have to incorporate a day just for stretching to work out the kinks.

Yuck snow!

I used to love snow and I still like it because the kids are so excited when they wake up to see it laid a white blanket on our lawn. But now when I see it I worry how long it will be on the side of the road and in the way for my next run. When I drive down the road I am checking out the bike lane to see if it is clearing and not icy for my next time out.

After my run yesterday my legs feel great. My only problem is my left knee because of the tight bands along my hips. I am working on stretching it out to reduce the runners knee pain. Besides that I am pleased with the recovery after my longest run to date. My leg that has issues feels fantastic and I think that is due to taking walk breaks and the cold bath afterwards.

I just saw the forecast and there is talk of some snow on Thursday and Saturday so I have no idea how and when I will get to run.  I am supposed to run Thursday and Sunday.

6 miles – a milestone DONE!

6.02 miles in 1 hour and 3 minutes in 27 degree weather.  As much as I was nervous about this distance, it wasn’t bad at all.  I felt good during it and could have kept going but I was running out of road.  I had to do a loop a few times in one area to add up some mileage.  Considering it was only 27 degrees out, I was comfortable.  I did wear a light scarf so that I could tie it across my face when facing the wind and also so I could breate in some warm moist air.  I had to do that a few times.  I did order a buff today to wear around my neck so that I can also cover my ears on cold days.  I did the 4 minute run/1 minute walk ratio with my timer.

So that was a big step in my process towards training for a half marathon.  When I got back I had my ovaltine and milk and took a 15 minute cold water bath to help my legs.  I feel good from the run.  I have my usual and of the day fatigue, but I am not totally whipped from the run today.  Next up on the agenda will be a 7 miler on Saturdy or Sunday, with a 30 minute/3 mile run at some time during the week.  I am hoping the weather stays dry so I can get it in.  Then I want to resume a 2 day a week – 30 minute run with my long run falling on the weekend because it is going longer than an hour so I can’t squeeze it on during a lunch hour.

Where it all started

The photo on the top of this blog is of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire.  I vacation there every summer and my son took that picture at just 4 years old.  This is the whole shot.

On our last trip there last summer I made sure not to be too lazy.  I took walks every day and during those walks I started to run.  I did a little at at time.  It got hot out but I still ran.  I ran just about every day.  My first day after my first run I could barely sit down because my legs weren’t used to running, and running up and down hills.  Each day got a little bit easier.  When we came home from the trip, even after a 5+ hour car ride, I went for a quick run through my neighborhood.  I think it might have only been 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile total running, but it was my first neighborhood run getting me into the cycle of running that I am in now. 

Years ago I used to run on my treadmill.  I started in 2002 after being diagnosed with Henoch Schloen Purpura and I didn’t want my disease to hinder anything in my life.  It caused my husband and I to have to put our wish to start a family immediately after getting married on hold.  So I didn’t want it to affect anything else in my life.  So during those years I did up to about 5 miles on the treadmill with walking and running.  But I never took it outside.  I would roller blade and mountain bike, but I was never a “runner”.  I didn’t think being a runner is something you are when you do it on the treadmill.  Now that I have been out running in the elements, through the heat, rain and cold, I still don’t feel like a “real runner”.  I feel like you don’t become a real runner until you do something big like a marathon.

So I am pushing on towards that goal.  Starting with a half marathon and dreaming of doing a full one.

My first run using the walk/run timer

I was looking forward to my run today so that I could use my new walk/run timer.  I set it to 4 minutes run 1 minute walk.  It took me a long time to get outside for my run because when I got up the temp was only 25 degrees.  When I did finally hit the road after 10:00 it made it up to 32.  But that meant I had to wear my jacket.  I have only had to wear my jacket a few times this winter so far. 

My legs felt a little hard because I had done the elliptical machine on Thursday and only took one day off to rest.  I will have to account for that in my future to see how I recover.  I did a 3.31 mile run in 34 minutes.  I think I am getting wrapped up in my timing and shouldn’t.  I did the walk/run to help preserve my leg and I think because of the colder temps today my pace was slower.  So I did a 10:22 per mile run instead of my usual 10:00 per mile run.  I’ll see what happens as I keep training with the run/walk/run method.

A favorite post run thing I love is my glass of skim milk with ovaltine!

All in all, I’m happy with the progress and this approach to training for a half marathon and will be glad tomorrow when I wake up, have a cup of tea and won’t have to rush out the door for anything.  Sundays are good for that.