C25K 8.2

MW: 140.8
Days to Race: 276
Distance/Time: 2.52 mi/39.42 min

A good run done.

C25K 8.1

MW: ---
Days to race: 278
Distance/Time: 2.5 mi/40 min

I usually run on Mondays, but I had a good friend staying over and that not only meant a busy morning, but also an unhealthy night before (all my own fault, mind you). So instead, I scheduled my run for Tuesday and that extra day really made a difference. Or maybe it was the whole grain toast with natural peanut butter (a common entry of recommended pre-run breakfasts).

As I started out, everything seemed to be in order right down to the same point in my run that I have to pee and how I have to give myself the biggest pep talks the first five minutes in. For some reason, they always seem to be the most difficult as I huff and puff and struggle to find my rhythm. But then, disaster struck. And by disaster, I mean I accidentally restarted my podcast. The music vanished and instead, my co-pilot began talking to be about talking back to my negative self-comments. And of course, I'd forgotten to wear my watch so I had no idea how long I'd been running and since it was the first run of the week, about how far I would get.

I tried to do the math, but if you've tried to run, keeping those numbers aligned in a bouncing brain is not easy. Instead, I knew I had about 3 extra minutes of running to go so I took the point that I think I'd gotten to last week and then extended it to give myself a ballpark. And then I surpassed it. I definitely ran over 30 minutes today and felt like I could have done more. Just knowing this gives me a great deal more chutzpah for the rest of the program. I just have to stay smart about it.

C25K 7.3

MW: 138.6
Days to race: 281
Distance/Time: 2.25 mi/35 min.

I was supposed to have finished this run yesterday. I had every intention of doing so. After work, I laced up, put on my hat and started to run. And when my friendly co-pilot in the MP3 Player told me I was halfway done, my body decided that I was completely done. I ended up walking the rest of the way. My legs down to my feet ached and my form was all over the place. So, I called that session and gave myself a re-do for today. Sometimes, you've just got to listen to your body and not your ambition.

Today's run went much better. I also did the course backwards, which I think helped shake things up a bit. I was still a little twingey, but my form stayed true and the aches passed. Next week is a little bit further, a little bit longer.

C25K 7.2

MW: 137.6
Days to Race: 284
Distance/Time: 2.3 mi/35 min.

Woke up early this morning thanks to a forgotten eye dr. appointment which had me moving my usual schedule up an hour. Happily, I managed to get up and out according to schedule and as I was running, I realized that this early wake-up would become more common the further I go. Of course I always thought that being up by 5:30 would come much later. When it was dark outside. And bitterly cold. And ideally I won't have as much fat on me to stay warm...

Anyways!

I finished my run feeling good. My left calf had been a bit tight the night before so I took the time to go through some stretches/poses that I learned from my Pilates and yoga DVDs and the next morning, it all went fantastically. In the future, I think I'll make a point of doing yoga the day before as a pre-warm-up.

C25K 7.1

MW: 137.8
Days to Race: 286
Distance/Time: 2.4 mi/36.52 min

Finished this run pretty well. Happily, I've stopped feeling twinges in my knees. I think it's because I've been taking the time to stretch before I go out and I've spent a fair amount of attention on my running form. My left calf always feels a little tight and now my right ankle is starting to make some noise. I'll have to looking into what I can do to make those run smoothly.

All in all, I feel great about this run. I even got to meet the woman who keeps waving to me on the road. Apparently she'd always thought I was someone else. Her dog, Andre, however, quickly realized that I was not worth the effort. As I was going through a neighborhood by a field, I saw a bi-level plane swooping low overhead. That's a new sight. :-).

C25K 6.3

MW: 138.2
Days to Race: 289
Distance/Time: 2.25 mi/36 min.

I needed this. A concise victory that proved to myself that I can in fact improve and succeed. You might have noticed I've been a little cranky about some weight gain. I don't know if it's been the new pill I'm taking, or the fact that I've been overcompensating a little exercise with a lot of extra calories (I know I have a sugar problem), or just random water retention but it's been a bit of a blow to get on the scale every morning. It's also been a bit more difficult to complete my runs. Today though, I hit it and I hit it hard.

I might have wanted to cry at a point or two in the middle. I might have had to play games with myself to keep going (okay, I can get excited when I see the Acme, OMG how cool would it be if I reached PNC?, etc., the woman just told me we'd finished the 5 minute run which means I have x much time left). The point is, though, that I finished the longest run yet and cleared that hurdle. Just three more weeks to go of this program!

C25K 6.2

MW: I don't want to talk about it
Days to Race: 291
Distance/Time: 2.25 mi/35 min.

I feel good about this run. It was definitely a push to get through it, but I completed it. My body is now weaker than my endurance, so I want to work a bit more on strength training. I'm not so sure about Friday's session, however. Running for 25 minutes is a lot and I no longer have the burst of energy that comes with starting a project. I do believe, however, that once I get past this hurdle, the rest of the C25K will go more smoothly.