Monday Mileage

One of the drawbacks to the gym membership I have is that there are certain "blackout dates" which means I'm on my own to figure out how to workout. It can be a bit frustrating, but since the membership is actually free, I don't like to complain about it.

Having said that, after being away for a week and a half, it felt GOOD to get back and get some good workouts in. One of the challenges I have while running on the treadmill is not trusting my legs. I tend to worry too much about not being able to adjust my pace as easily as I can while running outside. But I'm learning to push myself by running "just 30 more seconds" or "just 0.10 further" before slowing down or taking a walk break.

I'm also finding that I'm more comfortable running a faster pace than I am slower one. I just need to work on being able to run at that pace for longer periods of time, but I know that will come over time. With each run I can feel myself getting strong and stronger which is pretty awesome.

My week.......
Monday: 3.31 mile run
Tuesday: 3.1 mile run
Wednesday: 20 minutes of yoga
Thursday : 20 minutes of yoga
Friday: 3.25 mile run
Saturday: 1 mile walk, 30 minutes of yoga
Sunday: 3.2 mile run, 1.5 mile walk, 60 minutes of yoga
Weekly Totals: 15.36 miles

I've been tracking my miles and workouts on Daily Mile. It's pretty awesome to see them rack up! How or where do you keep track of your workouts or miles?

Zombies, Run!

To be honest, the whole zombie/end of the world genre thing is getting a little tired.

Don't get me wrong......I love a good Walking Dead marathon, but it seems like zombies and zombie themed things are taking over.

The irony in that statement is definitely not lost on me. But I digress.

When I am working out at the gym, I find it a lot easier to "zone out" and not worry about how much time has gone by, how many more minutes I have left in a workout (treadmill or elliptical), how far I've gone, etc. But running outside is a whole other story. I'm constantly checking my time, looking to see how far I've ran (I run for distance, not time, while in the great outdoors) and trying to sweet talk myself into pushing ahead. The inability to "get lost" like I do at the gym can be frustrating, no matter how good I am feeling, how well the run is going or how awesome my tunes are.

In an attempt to make my runs a little more interesting, I downloaded the Zombies, Run! app for my iPhone.

Holy fun times, Batman!

Here's a little blurb about the app from the website:
You are Runner 5. Hundreds of lives are counting on you. You've got to help your base rebuild from the ruins of civilization by collecting critical supplies while avoiding roving zombie hordes. Can you save them and learn the truth about the zombie apocalypse?

Essentially, each mission is about 30ish minutes and alternates between the storyline and your tunes. And should you choose, you can enable the game to initiate random "zombie chases" to help kick your runs into a little higher gear.

I will admit that the first "zombie chase" I encountered was a little creepy (I live in a small town, run in the woods, I think you get the jist) but was I reminded myself the zombie sounds I was hearing were in my headphones, it was so much fun!

Knowing that these "chases" could occur at any time, the app has really helped me keep a steady pace and not overdo it too quickly so that when I do need to "outrun the zombies" I'm able to do so without too much issue. It's also been just what I need to shift my focus away from my run too much which has been brilliant.

Do you have a favorite app to help keep you motivated while on a run?

So...like.....you run?

I always have a little laugh to myself when people are surprised when I say I run.

O.k....so I do tend to include air quotes around the word run, but I am getting more comfortable in saying that I am, in fact, a runner.

For me, running had always been this strange kind of mythical thing that only a certain "type" of person could do. We've all seen them. They are long, tall and lanky and look like a gazelle gliding across the plains when they run.

I am none of the above.

I'm tall-ish. While I am "all leg", they are not lean and I am the direct opposite of lanky. As for looking like a gazelle gliding across the plains? Uh...no. I look more like a giant turtle lumbering down the road.

All joking aside, after years of starting and stopping for various reasons, I finally started running again this summer. Previous attempts had failed after trying the Couch to 5k program. I would get to the end of week 5, which is "run for 20 minutes" and want to die and then quit. Other times I would attempt to come up with my own training program or I'd just go out and try to run. It just wasn't happening. And each time I "failed", it felt like a bigger failure than just not being able to run.

There is very much a part of me that holds onto failure much longer than I should. I WISH I was one of those people who look at a setback and use it to push themselves to work harder. I generally try to look at things through the eyes of the "eternal optimist" but sometimes, when I perceive that "my best" just "isn't good enough", there isn't enough optimism in the universe to save me.

Post run ninja!

But I am oh so happy to say that has all changed!

It really does feel a bit like a switch was turned on and I am now running. I try and log 3 miles (with only two or three short walk breaks) at a time. Whether it is on the treadmill at the gym or over the hills and through the woods around my hometown.

No matter the setting or location, it feels amazing!

To be able to put on my running shoes, step out the front door or ramping up the treadmill, knowing that 30 to 40 minute block of time will just be about me is pretty awesome.

Gone are the days of feeling like I am moving through quicksand or that my lungs might explode.

Instead, those days are replaced by new ones of being unbelievably proud of myself and feeling a pretty great sense of accomplishment.

So, while I'm still not quite able to run my entire route or session without a walk break or two and I'm not the swiftest runner out there (still pretty dang proud of myself for keeping a pace just over 11'30" per mile even WITH the breaks) all that matters is I am out there running.

And THAT is what makes me a runner.