Running

"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 am back on the Couch to 5K plan.  I missed running.  I found out that over a winter of back to back illnesses I lost my conditioning and didn't know how to run without triggering my asthma.  I am now on week 3 of this program and am feeling good.  I have an app for my phone so I just chug along until the little bell dings in my ear so I don't even have to watch a clock, which is great.  I can zone out and just go.

I have also added in a boot camp-style training program to build up some muscles.  It is a hard three-day-a-week program that goes on for six weeks, so some weeks I drop my third weekly run and only manage to get two in.


For me, managing a workout program involves walking the tightrope of pushing myself hard enough to see results, but not too hard to trigger an asthma attack.  I also have to leave enough in my tank to carry groceries and laundry during the rest of the day.  (A great reason to do my workout first thing in the morning:  the rest of my day keeps me moving enough that I can "actively recover" and not be too sore the next day)


I am not getting on the scale.  I am watching my biceps blossom and my legs get sculpted.  I find I crave healthy food when I am active so I am letting my body tell me what to eat.


I think it's working.

Running with the Sisters.

Yesterday I was supposed to run a Virtual 5K with the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans.  My body had other ideas.  Starting around Jan 1 I came down with the sniffles.  The sniffles got worse and worse and started moving into my chest.  I pushed through my workouts, being careful not to irritate my exercise-induced asthma.  By this past Thursday I was coughing hard.  I barked like a seal all night on Friday, finally giving in to some cold meds so I could get some sleep.  This didn't leave me feeling very strong yesterday (heck, standing up in the shower made me a bit dizzy because I was so tired)  I rested yesterday and took my Vitamin D and C.  I actually had a good sleep last night and didn't cough.  So, today, to show my support for The Sisterhood who has been with me through all of my ups and downs, I got on my treadmill and did 3.52 miles (5.66K) with a little help from my embarrassing play list (Weird Al and Hanson, anyone?) and my salbutamol inhaler.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was also quite inspired by Jim Carrey's recent apperance on the Jimmy Fallon show, where he did his entire interview from a treadmill.
 
I am SO bummed I couldn't run with everyone else yesterday, but today I stopped the pity party, laced up my shoes and just kept on going.

I did it!!!

I did it!  I ran my first race today.  What a rush!  I didn't even come close to winning any medals (actually, my coach and her family swept the podium very nicely of them) but I met the goals I set out for myself:

• I ran the whole way without stopping.
• I didn't come in last.
• I ran the race in under 40 minutes.

Crossing the finish line with friends, family, and strangers cheering is SUCH a rush.  I also felt very badass running in the middle of busy intersections with police stopping traffic for me.  I just had so much fun and I am so glad I decided to do this.

I posted a time of 37:16, which I am going to be proud of considering I only started training 10 weeks ago.

Hopefully next year hubs won't be too busy keeping three kids under control to take a picture of me crossing the finish line for the 10K.