improvement, no, really

Ooh! I just noticed this. Let me put it side-by-side so I can better appreciate it.

Distance: 2.17 miles ----------2.11 miles
Time: 29'25" ------------------27'54"
Average: 13'31" per mile -----13'10" per mile

Okay, so on the left we have Tuesday morning and on the right we have Thursday morning. The distance is practically the same (I cut a corner this morning), but the time is different, and my average pace is ameliorating. Yay!

it's bound to get easier someday

Distance: 2.11 miles
Time: 27'54"
Average: 13'10" per mile

I have completed 17 runs for a total of 36.47 miles. My average pace is 13'00" per mile.

For a change, my average pace stayed the same. That's a vast improvement over the recent slowing trend. So, Yay for that. I guess.

I started my route in reverse. On the one hand, it was smarter, because when I got to the circle I'm slightly afraid of, I ran almost the whole circle instead of just the first two-thirds of it, as the scary part is, in reverse, the final two-thirds instead of the first two-thirds. But, I just didn't have enough oomph to get all the way back to the corner.

Then I was faced with the long straight away. For some reason, in reverse, the long straight away seems insurmountable. So, I went back to the start of the scary circle, turned around, did another tour of the cul-du-sac (there are two cul-du-scas in my 'hood) and then ran the scary two-thirds of the circle again before getting back to my half of the neighborhood, where I had to make up distance since I drastically changed my route.

I might do the scary circle in reverse, but not the whole route. That long straight away is much less cumbersome heading away from home than toward home. I don't know why that is.

not sure what happened

my cell phone alarm sounded at 505a, as I want it to. And then the real alarm clock sounded at 6a, as it has to for us to get to work on time. What happened in that hour? I certainly didn't get up and run. Lazy bum!

maybe my goal is unrealistic

I gave my body a full week to get over the issues it complained about on my last run. A full week of sloth. Maybe my goal of that 13K in October is unrealistic.

Distance: 2.17 miles
Time: 29'25"
Average: 13'31" per mile

I have completed 16 runs for a total of 34.35 miles. My average pace is 13'00" per mile.
Oh look, I'm getting slower all the time.

How discouraging. Nike+ does a neat graph thing of my runs. And even though I know I ran more today than I typically do, you would never know it looking at my graph thing.

This sucks.

night off

I'm going to take the night off. My leg hurts, and I don't want to push it. I'll be back on task tomorrow night.

what do you do when one of your legs says no?

I stop. There is no point in possibly injuring myself. My left leg, the same leg that refused to climb steps over the weekend, said no. I tried to coax it into cooperating, but it said no.

Distance: 2.09 miles
Time: 28'33"
Average: 13'37" per mile

I have completed 15 runs for a total of 32.18 miles. My average pace is 12'57" per mile.

I'm disappointed. I needed to do three laps tonight.

despite the aches and pains

I abused my body on Saturday. We're talking big time abuse. I'll post a picture for two reasons: so you can see why my arms, legs, and abs are screaming at me, and so I can post another picture of my disgusting body to help remind me that I need to run.


Yup, that's a fat blob on a slip-n-slide. All kinds of aches and pains come from that kind of fun. Oh the sacrifices I make for my kid.

Anyway, even though I was unable to climb stairs today due to my screaming left thigh, and even though my abs hate me, and even though my upper arms are asking to be amputated, I "ran."

Distance: 3.06 miles
Time: 42'20"
Average: 13'48" per mile

I have completed 14 runs for a total of 30.08 miles. My average pace is 12'55" per mile.

Yes, my average pace has decreased in the overall picture, but it will ameliorate. Just give me some time. I'm still in the beginning phase of training.

After my run, some random female's voice on my iPod said, "Hi this is Joyce somebodyorother. Congratulations! That was your longest run to date." And that's just another reason why I heart my Nike+iPod; it gives me random encouragement.

ugh tonight sucked

Honestly. I have so little confidence in myself right now. It was a brutal run. And I'm feeling really discouraged, like setting the goal of that 13K in October is absolutely impossible. I know I'm probably just being totally unrealistic with my expectations of what I should be able to accomplish, but I'm discouraged and disgusted with myself.

That being said, I ran more tonight than I did last night. But when I walked, my pace was much slower than last night's walking pace. In fact, I had a really, really hard time keeping my pace above a 15 minute mile. Yet even as I tried to coax more oomph out of myself, I just couldn't do it. I'm tired.

Tomorrow, I get the night off. And probably Saturday night, too. But I'm back on for Sunday. Whether I like it or not. And maybe my body will be rested for Sunday's run.

Distance: 2.46 miles
Time: 33'02"
Average: 13'25" per mile

I have completed 13 runs for a total of 27.01 miles. My average pace is 12'49" per mile.

I just have to keep telling myself that I really want to do the 13K and that I can do it.

Meanwhile, the Nike+ website is really cool. Back on May 15th, I set a goal for myself on the site to run six miles in four weeks. I achieved that goal tonight! Go me! Hell, I achieved that goal this week, so clearly I should have set the goal higher. It gave me a gold medal for my efforts. I'm all about the imaginary gold medal!

I have it set up to help me train for the 13K. I'm currently 4 miles behind where the training says I should be. That does not help the belief in myself at all. Maybe I don't get tomorrow night off after all.

random encouragement!

On my first lap of my pathetic attempt at a run tonight, a neighbor I have not yet met was in his convertible BMW waiting for his garage door to open as I walked in front of his vehicle. He said to me, "you're doing great! Keep up the good work!" I said, "thank you!" And it about made my night! Random encouragement is awesome!

I was out there much, much earlier than I like. It was still very much day light and ridiculously hot outside. As such, after my second lap of the neighborhood, I was just too wiped out to do a third lap. I hit two miles and called it done. I had to get out early, though, because tonight is poker night, and if I don't "run" before poker night, I won't run at all as it'll be far too late at night to go run. So, here it is:

Distance: 2.07 miles
Time: 27'21"
Average: 13'12" per mile

I have completed 12 runs for a total of 24.55 miles. My average pace is 12'45" per mile.

Considering I hardly ran at all tonight (combination of the bloody heat and my body being tired still from last night's "run"), I think that I kept a pretty respectable pace.

I'll take Fridays off. But that's the only real scheduling decision I have made so far about this. I am going to do no less than 2 miles per "run". And in two weeks, I'll hopefully be able to up that number.

I "ran" two nights in a row! Go me!

so there's this race coming up

I want to run in the Tower of Terror 13K on October 25th. I am terribly out of shape, as we can all see anytime I post a picture. The most I have ever run is a 5K. That was in February. 2007. So, yeah, I have my work cut out for me. I figure I need to run almost every day if I plan to be ready to not place last in the 13K on October 25th. That's five months away. I can do it.

Tonight's run:

Distance: 2.86 miles
Time: 37'12"
Average: 12'58" per mile

I have completed 11 runs for a total of 22.48 miles. My average pace is 12'43" per mile.

It's a start. Go me! I'm totally going to be up for a 13K in five months! Please cheer me on, as I suffer from low self-esteem and motivation.