Running – there will be days

Since I started training for the RnR Seattle half marathon, I’ve been spending a lot more time pounding the pavement around my neighborhood.  It’s funny how once you have a route you start to get used to it, we’ve living in our house for just over a year, and we always walk pretty much the same route with Judge or when we’re taking a stroll together.  Last night I had an “easy” 3 on my training schedule and I didn’t feel like doing any hills.   This is pretty much impossible because we basically live on top of the neighborhood hill, all streets lead to the waterfront areas.  I did 6 miles on Saturday and was still feeling it, and mostly, I was being lazy since it was like 80 degrees out.

I headed out from my house and my legs felt like bricks, I got down the street from the house and suddenly I felt a presence behind me, turning around, I realized Judge, had hurdled the fence apparently and wanted to join me.  I turned around and locked him back inside the fence, and then headed out again.

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Half mile from the house, I started doubting myself, thoughts entering my head in millisecond rounds:
– What was I thinking, agreeing to this?
– I hate running.
– My calves are cramping.
– I can barely run 3 miles, what makes me think I can run 13?!
– I wonder if this will ever be easy.
– What is easy running?
– What should I eat for dinner?
– Have I earned my dinner yet?
– What should I bake this weekend?

I headed further from the house in a different direction then normal, at 12 mins in, I thought, oh jeez, I’ve probably only gone like a mile.

Closer to the end of my loop, I got toward the house, I realized I wasn’t even near the 3 miles mark so went the other direction.  I passed my favorite froyo place and genuinely considered stopping (not complaining, but it was quite unseasonably warm yesterday).  I thought about how I could just tell them I’d be back to pay later and leave my house key, but then I thought, how would I get into the house.  By that point, I was past the froyo place and rounding the corner back into our neighborhood.  I looked at my watch and calculated that I had probably finally hit 2.5 miles and tried to turn the speed up.  My legs felt like they were bodies tied to cinder blocks being tossed into a river.   I started to wonder what runners high felt like, definitely the opposite of what I was feeling.  I finally finished and I had done 3 in 30 minutes –  10:08 miles, which is slower then I did my 6 on Saturday, but still good.   R and I talked about how there will be days like that, where even though my legs feel heavy, I’ll surprise myself.

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I had planned on going to yoga this morning but stayed up too late recipe testing grapefruit muffins.  But rest is just as important as exercise…right?

Make today wonderful!

xx

-h

Half Marathon, I guess I’m doing that.

Last year S decided to run the Seattle Rock n’ Roll half marathon.

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She almost convinced me to do it with her, but at that time I wasn’t in a very good place mentally (or physically) – weird how those two go hand in hand.  I’ve been working out harder lately and trying to eat better plus running a bit, so 2 weeks ago when my friend Anna, who lives in SLC, texted me asking if I wanted to run the Seattle RnR on June 22, I agreed grudgingly and messaged S to see if she would also be interested.  She said she would but with many stipulations – like the fact that she isn’t required to run the whole way, hoping she at least runs with me for the beginning!  I’m two weeks into the training and it’s going pretty well. I had my first ever 3 miles of straight running that actually felt fun and relatively easy.  I know there will be days that don’t feel like that though, like my first “long” run last Saturday, where my breathing was awful, and then I turned the corner to come up the “big” hill and the wind was blowing right into my face and I actually had the thought pass through my mind, “Am I even moving right now?”  I know that if S could do it last year, then I can do it this year because we’ll be supporting each other.

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I’ve also been reading a lot more about eating clean (along with everyone else in the world in seems like).  The hardest habit for me to kick is and always will be the sweets. This girl loves to bake, loves candy, and loves fat kidding up things that are good for you…like skim milk (mmhmm add that nesquik) or fruit (also add nesquik).  But, I’ve been setting some weekly goals, simple ones that are seemingly attainable.  “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants” – Michael Pollan

I like Pollan’s 7 simple rules because they are just that – simple.  A good reminder to slow down, enjoy your food and eat products that are quality.

Wish me luck and healthiness in the next 8 weeks, I’m planning on training to 12 miles, so I’m going to need to learn patience and endurance – quickly.

Be well, be wonderful!

xx

-h