Yep. Fat Girl did 4.5 miles in 1:03. It's 98 degrees outside, humid as hell, but the running trail in Tobin Park is beautiful and I really enjoyed this run. I'm starting to use mantras and tools to help get my ass moving. One mantra is "Keep going, don't stop", and the other thing I do is count my steps. I'll start counting, and will try to get to 100, or some other round number, or hit 40 and say "10 more steps", then 10 more, then 10 more, until I need to stop running and start walking. I'm lovin' this. I'm enjoying seeing my progress, knowing that I'm doing just a tiny bit better now, because for so long it seemed like I was stagnating, like my 5K runs were getting taking longer and I was not going anywhere. I think that meeting a few new people has helped get me moving a little more, and especially signing up for a half marathon. The really crazy thing is that I don't usually talk to people out of the blue and tend to keep to myself. I'm usually the biggest person in the room, and at the races I participate in, I feel like the fattest person there, like the real runners are looking at me wondering what the hell I'm doing there.
Still, I don't care what they think. I'm there to do the race, improve my health, and have fun while doing it. I often wonder if people recognize me from the runs that I've done, since I know some of these people have probably been at the same races I have before. I don't usually look at people too much when I'm at a race, just bury my head and try to get through the next 3 miles, but I often wonder if people look at me and think "Oh, it's that girl with the big ass again. I see nothing's changed."
One of the things I think I love most about a run, whether it be a scheduled race, or just a run in the park, is the scenery and the sounds of the outside. I recently quit listening to music when I run, oddly enough, since I remember when I first started running, I didn't think I would be able to make it through a run WITHOUT music. I read an article in one of the running magazines I now subscribe to (imagine that) that many runners have stopped listening to music. I don't remember what made me try it, but one day I just went without, and I think I enjoyed it much better. I'll keep music available it I need it, and it's still great for hooping, but for now I think I enjoy the music that Mother Nature provides.
That's all for now. Tomorrow is National Running Day, and I have a run scheduled in the evening, so bed time must come soon. Gotta run!
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Small strides
Last weekend, I got to work out with my Team in Training group for the first time and had a great run. We only ran 2.2 miles, and I'm noticing that I'm running a little further each time. My B2B team leader was there and is now my TnT mentor. It's nice having her there to push me along a little, good to have someone I trust who knows me to say "Come on, you can do it, just a little further." I don't know what my time came in at, but I think I'm doing just a little better each day.
The next day was the American Hero 5K at Brackenridge Park. My friend Michelle was there, and we ran together. I like having someone to do these events with. It's nice having someone else around who is not a fast runner and will help push me along a little too. It's inspiring that her first actual event was a half marathon. Not even a 5K event first, just couch to half marathon. Wow.
In addition to running Saturday and Sunday, I was on call Sunday night and was out late doing an admission, then I was on call Sunday night and had to be out until after 2:00 a.m. with a patient, then had to work the holiday, and was out late again. By Tuesday morning I was wiped out, and then was on call Tuesday night. No calls, but still had to be alert. I was in bed by 10:00. The rest of the week sucked for working out, but I had a great run on Saturday morning at the Women's Lavender 5K.
The Women's Lavender 5K was a beautiful run in the hill country, Johnson City. 2 of my friends did this run, too, and we decided we need to do this again next year. Of course, next year I want to do the 10K. I would have considered signing up for the 10K this year but was concerned about the course, don't want a repeat of the Sunset Wine Tour where we went uphill for most of the run! The run was mostly on a country road, not very hilly, but very beautiful. My time is getting a little better, 44:18 instead of the 46 and 47 minutes I have been pulling lately. I like that feeling, the fact that my body seems to be able to push myself a little more, to run a little bit further, and even though my legs felt weak from the lack of working out, I pushed myself and ran the last 1/10th of a mile. I'm looking forward tho the next run, which will take place on June 16th, the Watermelon Crawl in Stockdale. In between then, I will be running as much as I possibly can, and also think I need to work on doing some muscle strengthening in my legs and arms. Every little bit helps, and I will need the strength for the half marathon, now 5 months away.
My plan is to run tomorrow before Tai Chi, and I will run again Wednesday night for National Running Day. With any luck, I'll get a run in on Tuesday, or at least get in a good weight training workout. But whatever I do, I will kick butt. Because I am, after all, a Determined Runner.
That's it for now. Gotta run!
The next day was the American Hero 5K at Brackenridge Park. My friend Michelle was there, and we ran together. I like having someone to do these events with. It's nice having someone else around who is not a fast runner and will help push me along a little too. It's inspiring that her first actual event was a half marathon. Not even a 5K event first, just couch to half marathon. Wow.
In addition to running Saturday and Sunday, I was on call Sunday night and was out late doing an admission, then I was on call Sunday night and had to be out until after 2:00 a.m. with a patient, then had to work the holiday, and was out late again. By Tuesday morning I was wiped out, and then was on call Tuesday night. No calls, but still had to be alert. I was in bed by 10:00. The rest of the week sucked for working out, but I had a great run on Saturday morning at the Women's Lavender 5K.
The Women's Lavender 5K was a beautiful run in the hill country, Johnson City. 2 of my friends did this run, too, and we decided we need to do this again next year. Of course, next year I want to do the 10K. I would have considered signing up for the 10K this year but was concerned about the course, don't want a repeat of the Sunset Wine Tour where we went uphill for most of the run! The run was mostly on a country road, not very hilly, but very beautiful. My time is getting a little better, 44:18 instead of the 46 and 47 minutes I have been pulling lately. I like that feeling, the fact that my body seems to be able to push myself a little more, to run a little bit further, and even though my legs felt weak from the lack of working out, I pushed myself and ran the last 1/10th of a mile. I'm looking forward tho the next run, which will take place on June 16th, the Watermelon Crawl in Stockdale. In between then, I will be running as much as I possibly can, and also think I need to work on doing some muscle strengthening in my legs and arms. Every little bit helps, and I will need the strength for the half marathon, now 5 months away.
My plan is to run tomorrow before Tai Chi, and I will run again Wednesday night for National Running Day. With any luck, I'll get a run in on Tuesday, or at least get in a good weight training workout. But whatever I do, I will kick butt. Because I am, after all, a Determined Runner.
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