I'm going to go for a run today. I told myself. Right after work. Boom! Done.
I sat down on the couch.
I'm going to go for a run...after I eat...and digest...
A short time later...
I'm going to go for a run. By 6.30pm I will definitely be on my way out the door. Or if not then, by 7pm. Yep, 7pm at the latest I will be out on my run.
I cracked open some chocolate.
And then the phone rang. It was my sister, surprisingly enough.
"What are you up to right tonight?" She asked.
I sighed and confessed: "I'm sitting on the couch eating chocolate and trying to motivate myself to go for a run."
"Oh, because I was just calling to see if you wanted to join me for a run. I thought you'd be busy, but I really wanted to run with you so phoned on a whim."
Cha-ching!
And out we went.
Friday, September 25, 2015
Thursday, September 24, 2015
The Stitch Came Back, The Very Next Day...
The Stitch came back!
I'd hoped it was a gonner but
The Stitch came back.
It just couldn't stay away...
My little pup Brizzy can no longer use the excuse as being a puppy to avoid running with me...or is that the other way around?
I finally came to the decision that I could safely start taking him for runs with me without risk to injury...so long as I approached it gently!
And what better day than on a morning where I woke up...and could still feel That Darn Stitch.
Off we went for a very easy jog. I kept the pace below Stitch-level, which was quite slow. We did 2x 10 minutes with a 1 minute walking break in the middle. He did really well.
There was a bit of leash yanking when he saw rabbits, and towards the end where he felt that sniff was more exciting than keeping up with me.
There was a bit of shoelace chomping and leg jumping at the beginning when he felt this was a great game of chase he could play and - Tag! I was "It"!
But for the most part, he kept up just fine. Maybe he will be a great running companion.
I'd hoped it was a gonner but
The Stitch came back.
It just couldn't stay away...
My little pup Brizzy can no longer use the excuse as being a puppy to avoid running with me...or is that the other way around?
I finally came to the decision that I could safely start taking him for runs with me without risk to injury...so long as I approached it gently!
And what better day than on a morning where I woke up...and could still feel That Darn Stitch.
Off we went for a very easy jog. I kept the pace below Stitch-level, which was quite slow. We did 2x 10 minutes with a 1 minute walking break in the middle. He did really well.
There was a bit of leash yanking when he saw rabbits, and towards the end where he felt that sniff was more exciting than keeping up with me.
There was a bit of shoelace chomping and leg jumping at the beginning when he felt this was a great game of chase he could play and - Tag! I was "It"!
But for the most part, he kept up just fine. Maybe he will be a great running companion.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Philosophy of Life
Three years - almost to the day - I ran the Whitsunday Trail Race. Officially "28 to 29k" of creeks, rocks, roots, and hills. I ran it with my most awesome trail running mentor, Barry, who pushed me through the whole race until the last few kms where he got a stitch so bad that he could still feel it the next day. Of course, he self-sacrificially encouraged me to go ahead. But how could I leave him? We started together, we ran together, and we finished together, which was what mattered most.
I've had many a stitch before (mostly during races! Siiigh...), but not many could compare with the pain Barry went to on that race day. However, I think this one may have come close!
I started out with good intentions. I really, really did!
The goal: run 10k, in a pattern of 2k warm-up, 5k tempo, 3k cool down.
But less than 4 minutes into my [very slow] warm-up, I had to stop when a sharp pain in my side made breathing difficult and moving less than desirable.
I tried to shake it over the next 15 minutes...I'd walk until the pain stopped, then run a few steps before I felt it slice back into me.
This was rather disappointing! I know I haven't been running very much this summer, but still.
Fortunately, I found that sprints weren't so bad on me. That is, I could run my little heart out for a good 20 seconds and then recover without seeming to Wake the Stitch.
Sprint training it was! I was in a more rural area and used driveways or street lamps as my markers. Run one, walk one, run one, walk one...And on and on and on for the next 30 minutes.
In the end, the run ended up being a little bit like my life philosophy: I had made a plan I was looking forward to, and something changed. It wasn't my ideal situation, but I made the best of it.
As my friend Steph would say, I achieved a B+.
I've had many a stitch before (mostly during races! Siiigh...), but not many could compare with the pain Barry went to on that race day. However, I think this one may have come close!
I started out with good intentions. I really, really did!
The goal: run 10k, in a pattern of 2k warm-up, 5k tempo, 3k cool down.
But less than 4 minutes into my [very slow] warm-up, I had to stop when a sharp pain in my side made breathing difficult and moving less than desirable.
I tried to shake it over the next 15 minutes...I'd walk until the pain stopped, then run a few steps before I felt it slice back into me.
This was rather disappointing! I know I haven't been running very much this summer, but still.
Fortunately, I found that sprints weren't so bad on me. That is, I could run my little heart out for a good 20 seconds and then recover without seeming to Wake the Stitch.
Sprint training it was! I was in a more rural area and used driveways or street lamps as my markers. Run one, walk one, run one, walk one...And on and on and on for the next 30 minutes.
In the end, the run ended up being a little bit like my life philosophy: I had made a plan I was looking forward to, and something changed. It wasn't my ideal situation, but I made the best of it.
As my friend Steph would say, I achieved a B+.
Tuesday, September 22, 2015
Of Friends and Dogs
I met up with a high school friend (whom I don't believe I've actually seen since High School, but thanks to social media we'd kept in touch). We thought, what better way to catch up than over a run? Because isn't that what most people think, after all?
I took my dog, which was a great excuse to not push too hard. We met at Eau Claire - familiar ground for me now! - and did a pretty little 5.5k(ish) loop around the river over some bridges.
The goal was 5min run, 5min walk all along. This had the double benefit of giving Brizzy the chance to sniff and my friend and I more chance to hang out. Although who were we kidding? We weren't going to let a run stop us from talking! There is a different purpose to a training run vs a social run, and this was definitely of the latter variety.
I took my dog, which was a great excuse to not push too hard. We met at Eau Claire - familiar ground for me now! - and did a pretty little 5.5k(ish) loop around the river over some bridges.
The goal was 5min run, 5min walk all along. This had the double benefit of giving Brizzy the chance to sniff and my friend and I more chance to hang out. Although who were we kidding? We weren't going to let a run stop us from talking! There is a different purpose to a training run vs a social run, and this was definitely of the latter variety.
Monday, September 14, 2015
Just A Little Bit More
I went for a "5k tempo" run the other day. I was feeling a bit time crunched so I told myself I'd just go for 4k. But somehow I got out there with the group and felt the groove of the run set over me. I told myself...just a little bit more.
I ended up doing the full 5.5k loop.
The downside was coming home and getting a rather unfortunate asthma attack (if coughing incessantly classifies as an asthma attack), of which the after-effects lingered well after.
I guess sometimes it's great to do that little bit more. Other times, it's important to be realistic with your body and take it easy to avoid suffering the consequences of your over-exuberance. It is a balance that I'm still learning! The big take-home message for me is: girl, you gotta get out and do some more running!!! The will power to run frequently faces off with my will power to be lazy. This year, it appears that Lazy has been much better fed. Hmmm.
I ended up doing the full 5.5k loop.
The downside was coming home and getting a rather unfortunate asthma attack (if coughing incessantly classifies as an asthma attack), of which the after-effects lingered well after.
I guess sometimes it's great to do that little bit more. Other times, it's important to be realistic with your body and take it easy to avoid suffering the consequences of your over-exuberance. It is a balance that I'm still learning! The big take-home message for me is: girl, you gotta get out and do some more running!!! The will power to run frequently faces off with my will power to be lazy. This year, it appears that Lazy has been much better fed. Hmmm.
Saturday, September 12, 2015
We Love to Hate Hills
Ah, hills! You gotta love to hate them. Nothing makes you feel more unfit or out of breath as a good 1 minute running (or "running") up a hill.
A while back a friend and I ran up a hill. It took me 1.40min to get to the top. I made the ambitious goal of running up the hill three times.
3 x 1.40min = ~5 minutes of exercise, with lots of rest in between.
Forget 2 hour or 3 hour runs. I love hills because they are so short and punchy. And you feel pretty kick-ass AWESOME at the end! (After you've caught your breath and your heart stops pounding...)
A while back a friend and I ran up a hill. It took me 1.40min to get to the top. I made the ambitious goal of running up the hill three times.
3 x 1.40min = ~5 minutes of exercise, with lots of rest in between.
Forget 2 hour or 3 hour runs. I love hills because they are so short and punchy. And you feel pretty kick-ass AWESOME at the end! (After you've caught your breath and your heart stops pounding...)
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