Mostly walking, bit of running

MW: 131.8
Days to Race: 176
Distance/Time: 3.5 mi/ 1 hour

Yep, another setback. At least this time I did not end up in the ER so I guess I can count it as a win? Also, my toe had been hurting a bit, I think it is one of my tendons so the week off was probably good for me in the sense of letting that recover. Dr. Me believes that the pain stems from trying to do too much too soon after my last setback. Still, it does mean rebuilding both my confidence and my stamina. I read that taking a week off doesn't really hurt you too badly if you've been a regular runner for at least 4-6 weeks prior because you've got a foundation. I'm barely at that so I can definitely say that I lost a bit of my oomph.

I had a late start this morning. Originally up at 6:30, I lounged around for 3 hours before realizing that the only reason I wasn't running was because I didn't want to run. That really pissed off my inner trainer so even though it was 10:30 and starting to get hot, I'd geared up and was hitting the pavement before I really knew what I was doing. My inner trainer can be such a bitch.

Still, I'd like to think that I'd learned something from last time, so instead of launching right into something ambitious, I decided to do a longer trail, but walk most of it with 2 10-minute runs at some point in between. I have to say that it worked out pretty well and the 10 minute warm up walk I did before starting my first run felt much better than my typical 5-minute warm-up so I think I'll incorporate that into my future runs.

B210K 1.3

MW: 134
Days to Race: 185
Distance/Time: 3.16 mi/ 43.30

Another beautiful day. Another good run.

B210K 1.2

MW: 133.8
Days to Race: 187
Distance/Time: 3.16 mi/43 min

Decided to try a new run today. This one took me back through a wooded trail and along some water. It was gorgeous, though I did forget one very important thing: bug spray. I'd have to say the most "princessy" part of me is my dislike for bugs. Especially the ones that sting. Still, I wasn't stopping. My mom taught me a saying when I was learning to drive and trying to accommodate mergers. She said you could either slow down or speed up, but don't stop. I suppose there is also the get out of that lane tactic as well. Either way, I could not stop then and I would not stop today.

Bout of Books 8.0: Re-Title It Challenge

The Re-title It Challenge for today requires that I give the book I am currently reading a new name. More information can be found here. I am currently in the middle of The Great Cat Massacre: And Other Episodes in French Cultural History, which I will now call: French People are Weird. Okay, maybe not totally weird, but so far according to this book they are very particular about the world in which they live and their place in it.

B210K 1.1

MW: 133.4
Days to Race: 189
Distance/Time: 3.06 mi/43 min

I made a slight mistake in my last post. You don't repeat the 10 minute run 3 times, but 4. That made me a little nervous, not just because it was more than I'd run yet, but also because I've been experiencing some foot pain lately and that last think I want to do is come so far and then get hurt and be sidelined for a few more weeks. So, I decided to take it slow and keep an eye on everything. And still I made it. Luckily, while this was a good distance, it's also the farthest I'll be running for the next week, unlike last week when I was constantly pushing myself to run farther.

Bout of Books Starting Line! (and updates)

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 8.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

I've decided to participate in the Bout of Books Read-a-thon. It last an entire week, so unlike the 48-Hour Reading Challenge, I will not be destroying myself by staying up for 7 days straight (see? there is a bit of common sense left in me!). The Bout runs from today, Monday, until Sunday at mid-night and the goal is simply to read more than usual.

My Goals

My Goodreads goal was to read 75 books this year. I am currently 4 books behind so my goal is to bring that back up.

Books to Read

-Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
-The Great Cat Massacre by Robert Darnton
-Austentatious by Alyssa Goodnight
-Covet by J.R. Ward
-Anything else that strikes my fancy

I'm no longer the fast reader that I used to be and there's that whole "work" thing that'll bring me down. :-)

Updates

Monday, 8/19
Books Read Today:
Completed: Code Name Verity (also known as one of my favorite books of the year)
In-Progress: Does The Great Cat Massacre count? I've been working on it for over a week already.
Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 230

Tuesday, 8/20
Books Read Today: 2 still working on Cat Massacre and started Covet
Completed: 0
In-Progress: 2
Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 400

Wednesday, 8/21
Books Read Today: 1: Focused on Covet
Completed: 0 (so close!)
In-Progress: 2
Total Books Read: 1
Total Pages Read: 572(ish)

Thursday, 8/22
Books Read Today: 1 I finally finished Covet. A fun, diverting read, though I don't think I need to continue the series.
Completed: 1
In-Progress: 2 (Great Cat Massacre and Austentatious
Total Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 712

Friday, 8/23
Books Read Today: 2 Austentatious (100 pages) and Great Cat (20 pages)
Completed: 0
In-Progress: 2
Total Books Read: 2
Total Pages Read: 732

Saturday, 8/24
Books Read Today: 2
Completed: 1 Finished the last 187 pages of Austentatious. It was cute and puts me in the mood to go to Scotland for a rockstar of my very own. Can you get those duty free?
In-Progress: Great Cat of course!
Total Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 919 (maybe I'll crack 1K pages!)

Sunday, 8/25
Books Read Today: 1
Completed: 0
In-Progress: 2 Started King Peggy but I didn't get much time to read today. Only read 30 pages of it.
Total Books Read: 3
Total Pages Read: 949

All in all a good time! I'd definitely do it again next time. Maybe I'll even crack 1,000 pages.

Happy Reading!

Ready to move on

MW: 135
Days to Race: 191
Distance/Time: 2.2 mi/30.22 min

It was a perfect day for a run. A cool breeze, good sunshine and for the most part, quiet. When I first started out today, I thought about my 30 minute goal and the distance that it would take to cover it. It seemed so far, so long. As I started, though, the minutes flew by, as did the miles. Distance and time really are mostly mental. That's not to say that I wasn't sore and ready to stop when I reached the finishing line, but I did so knowing I was capable of more.

On Sunday, I'll start the Bridge to 10K program. There are plenty of these programs out there but they are all designed for Couch to 5K graduates to move on to the next level. The first week seems like a step back, you run for 10 minutes/walk for 1 and repeat that 3 times. If you look at the rest of the program, though, you'll see that that first "easy" week is only a building block to gradually and safely increase mileage until you are running a full hour, which for most people will be 6 miles but at my current rate will probably be closer to 4. Even so, I do notice I'm getting faster and my stride is getting longer. I'm not quite shuffling anymore. When I pass a big window, I slow down and wonder: who's that runner in the ball cap?

Happy Friday!

So close!

MW: 134
Days to Race: 193
Distance/Time: 1.84 mi/25.18 min

Still working on getting back on track. Friday, I'll gun for 30 minutes of consecutive running, at which point I can do the Bridge to 10K program. While I'm not quite doing 3 miles in 1/2 hour, the B210K goes by time and just following the plan, I think, will prove helpful.

I feel like Clark Kent without his glasses

MW: 131.8
Days to Race: 197
Distance/Time: 1.37 mi/18.12

I ran good and hard yesterday, then I looked at the calendar and realized that it was unlikely that I would get a chance to get out on Sunday, so I decided to do a small run today. I planned to take it easy, but my legs had other ideas. I should keep them more in line, I suppose, but it was a beautiful day and I wasn't going far. My usual pace is about a 14-15 minute mile. Today I ran more of a 13.5 minute mile. It's a marked improvement, though still not at the 12 minute pace that would have allowed me to pass gym class back in high school. One of my side goals is to go to a track one day and finally hit that pace. It would be a triumph over the soccer players and track stars who made it all look so easy as they blew past me again and again (I was repeatedly lapped). It was always a painful experience because I didn't feel like I was capable of even running the bare minimum. Those old mantras of "I'm fat, I'm lazy, I'm stupid, I can't do this" would roll through my head, gouging into my self-esteem. It's taken me a long time to get to where I am and to know that I'm none of those things.

Anyways, I ran well today and feel good about continuing on. My ball cap, however, is disgusting. My new present to myself is going to be a proper cap that hopefully won't get sweat stains in the crux between the bill and the rest of the cap. Wearing a hat while I run makes me feel like I'm incognito. I'm just another runner on the road.

A little longer

MW: 133.1
Days to Race: 198
Distance/Time: 2.17 mi/36 min

This morning, I managed to get 20 minutes of straight running in. This means I'm over halfway back to where I was before my last spell. I'm still frustrated by what I've lost, but I'm also looking ahead. I think it's my own anxiety that's been holding me back right now. There's no use planning for the bad times, so I'm going forward thinking that every day will be a good day and if it's not... *shrug* So it goes.

My hope is to get at least somewhat back to where I was by next week so I can start the Bridge to 10K program. If I can stay on that timeline, then I'll be ready for a 10K at the end of September. That's my short term goal.

Set the bar low, but aim high

MW: 133.0
Days to Race: 202
Distance/Time: 2.17 mi/37 minutes

I started out today hoping to get at least 10 minutes of running into my route. Take it easy, pay attention to my body and how it's doing. I managed to get a full 15 minutes of running in before I had to walk. I told myself that it would only be for a few minutes, then I'd shoot for a second session. Yeah, that didn't work out. Still, it felt good to be out there again, becoming stronger.