What had happened was...

I decided that chisel class is the devil. I skipped both classes this week. I planned to replace the Tuesday beatdown with the water exercise class that was mentioned to me. It must be a super secret class because it wasn't on the website anywhere. I guess that's why hardly anyone comes. Anyway, I was going to either do the class, swim or hit the gym for the elliptical but I was so so tired. I can't even explain how tired I was. But my sleep ain't been right since I got home a couple of weeks ago. I go to bed really late and wake up early. I find myself needing to pass out at some point. Then I'm wide awake at night. Great. It was a darn shame that I wasted a day. My body felt great but was way too tired to be bothered.

Speaking of feeling great, my runs have been great. Okay, I'm lying. They were good but they started out so-so. The longer the interval, the better I feel. I spent a day or two before my 1st Week 4 run concerned about the 5min interval. Would I make it? Would I hate it? Would I be too tired? Man, look. It was the best part of the run. Whatever pain, muscle burning, irritation or whatever I felt worked it's way out the longer I ran. It was the 3min intervals that had me feeling everything. I swear, my hamstrings have so much to say. But if I run long enough, they're absolutely silent. So I'm kind of back to where I was mentally when I was at the height of my running. I have to talk myself into sticking with the run until it feels better. It will..eventually.

After having a taste of 5min intervals, I'm beginning to think that I should skip to Week 5. Day 1 has three 5min intervals. Day 2 has two 8min intervals. And Day 3 has one 20min interval. I should be good and warmed up by then. In the meantime, I need to search for my Garmin. Yeah, I know. Bad runner, bad runner *smacks hands*. I have no clue where I put the darn thing since I haven't used it in AGES. I plan to join Black Girls Run in the park once I'm done with intervals. I could use a phone app but Garmin is SO much better. And I paid enough for it. I better find it!




7/13 - Bounce, rock, skate, roll (1:52 - getting better at backwards skating. Yay! me.)


7/16 - Yoga (50min)
C25k - W3D2
Warm up/Cool down (10min)
Run/Walk (18min)


7/18 - C25k - W3D3
Warm up/Cool down (10min)
Run/Walk (18min)
(Oh and water exercise was canceled. Boo!)


7/19 - Elliptical (2.92mi - 35min)
Recumbent bike - (2.8mi - 20min)

7/20 - C25k - W4D1
Warm up/Cool down (10min)
Run/Walk (21:30)

Making Plans

I've been taking Floradix for about a week now. I wanted to start running again on Monday but I was running low on energy. For one, I'm sure it takes more than a few days to feel the benefits. And two, it's that special time women love to hate. I always get extra tired. I'm not a big eater then either. Getting all aerobic with no energy and no food? Not a good look.

Anyway, I'm due back home next Wednesday morning (I'm SO EXCITED. Happy Independence Day to me!) so I may as well get back into the swing of things then. In the meantime, I've signed up for some classes at the Y. It's been a while since I've been up in there. I'm so glad I kept my membership. I think it's worth it for the heated pool and the indoor track alone.

So I signed up for yoga on Mondays, chisel on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a water exercise class on Wednesdays. I didn't opt for Zumba this time. I don't want to overdue it. And I figured that if I'm running and swimming like I plan to, then that will be more than enough cardio. I haven't decided  which days I'll be running. I just know that as long as I make my way out to the gym, there's a good chance I'll do something. I'm a big fan of the elliptical. I think the machine calls me to it. I have to answer. And it's a good way to warm up the legs before a run.

Will I pick up where I left off? I doubt it. But I've got plans to get back there one step at a time. Besides, I need to be in tiptop shape to out-dance everyone at all the parties I plan to hit up when I get back :)

Struggling

It all started with not wanting to get out of bed this morning. I'm so not a fan of the 4:30am thing. Let's see how much longer I keep this up. Anyway, the whole run was a struggle. I felt like I should have been walking the whole time. My body did not want to move. I was supposed to do some fartlek. But I decided that since I was beat and didn't want to be there anyway, I'd just try to get it done. Today's only condition was, "Don't start nothing you can't finish." That meant no walking (like I would have rather done) and no cutting the run short. Negative splits were not a necessity, but would be nice. So I finished with negative splits. And I actually sped up at the very end. That counts for fartlek, right? I did some yoga tonight. I'm definitely sore from this morning's run, but nothing serious. I needed to stretch it out. I may do some more yoga tomorrow too. I definitely need to get back in the habit. Maybe I'll keep up the early running thing so I'll have time for yoga later. We shall see. So I have 5 miles planned for tomorrow. Wait, let me edit that. I have 5 SLOW miles planned. And in preparation, I have a date with my bed. I'm beat. Night. Activity Route: Track Elev. Avg: 36 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 06/23/09 Up/Downhill: [+3/-0] Time: 05:02 AM Difficulty: 1.7 / 5.0 Weather: Overcast with Haze 65 F temp; 80% humidity 65 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 4.00 miles Time: 0:36:12 Speed: 6.6 mph Pace: 9' 03 /mi Calories: 440 Notes Cool Down = .28mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 9' 27 +0' 24 6.3 -0.3 +3 ft 2 9' 04 +0' 01 6.6 -0.0 0 ft 3 8' 56 -0' 07 6.7 +0.1 0 ft end 8' 44 -0' 19 6.8 +0.2 0 ft Versus average of 9' 03 min/mile

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Crack of Dawn Running

My alarm rang at 4:30 am. I was on the track 20 minutes later. It started out slow. Not sure how anyone can get their bodies to move that early in the morning. Hell, I surprised myself. Morning running is not my thing. And my splits were on point. I would say more, but I'm tired. And I still haven't eaten dinner. So I'm off to whip something up real quick. Oh wait, I almost forgot. I did yoga tonight. I did 30 minutes worth of the Hip Mobility routine. It was right on time. My hamstrings are tighter than usual. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow too, if I remember. Activity Route: Track Elev. Avg: 36 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: +3 ft Date: 06/22/09 Up/Downhill: [+3/-0] Time: 04:50 AM Difficulty: 1.9 / 5.0 Weather: Rain/Overcast 65 F temp; 93% humidity 65 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 6.00 miles Time: 0:55:43 Speed: 6.5 mph Pace: 9' 17 /mi Calories: 665 Notes Cool Down = .25mi Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 10' 00 +0' 43 6.0 -0.5 +3 ft 2 9' 33 +0' 16 6.2 -0.2 0 ft 3 9' 19 +0' 02 6.4 -0.0 0 ft 4 9' 18 +0' 01 6.4 -0.0 0 ft 5 8' 53 -0' 24 6.7 +0.3 0 ft end 8' 36 -0' 41 7.0 +0.5 0 ft Versus average of 9' 17 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

I'm surprised I went out today. Heck, I'm surprised I'm still up now. I was up pretty late last night (for no good reason). Woke up feeling like I just fell asleep. I'm not sure how I made it through the day without needing toothpicks to hold my eyelids open. So I finish work, stop at Produce Junction on the way home for some spaghetti squash and basil. Head home, talk to my aunt for a bit since she came over. She snapped a couple pictures for me. I took the bike out for 9+ miles. The sky was beautiful. I had to stop and take a picture. Actually, I took four, but I think this is the best one. I come home, rush back out to the library to pick up a book that I had on hold. I'm reading Kim Harrison's The Hollows series in case you're interested. I'm on book 4. Anyway, I came home, prepared dinner (spaghetti squash w/pesto sauce and diced tomato). I uploaded some pictures onto Facebook. Took a shower. Then finally ate my dinner about an hour ago. You see what time it is right? Looks like I'm headed in the same direction as last night. So on that note, I'm off to bed. Night all. P.S. Tomorrow is National Running Day or some such. If it's not pouring, I will be running. Everyone should run, even non-runners. Just run to the mailbox or the corner or something. Heck, go out and walk or skip or whatever. Just go out and do something. It does a body good. Activity Route: Park Elev. Avg: 27 ft Location: Willingboro, NJ Elev. Gain: -6 ft Date: 06/02/09 Up/Downhill: [+318/-324] Time: 07:16 PM Difficulty: 3.2 / 5.0 Weather: Fair 76 F temp; 68% humidity 78 F heat index; winds Calm Performance Distance: 9.13 miles Time: 0:50:10 Speed: 10.9 mph Pace: 5' 30 /mi Calories: 384 Notes Quads got a good work out. Elevation (ft) Speed (mph) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 5' 11 -0' 19 11.6 +0.7 -55 ft 2 5' 20 -0' 10 11.2 +0.3 0 ft 3 5' 36 +0' 05 10.7 -0.2 +4 ft 4 5' 32 +0' 01 10.8 -0.1 +13 ft 5 5' 24 -0' 06 11.1 +0.2 +7 ft 6 5' 11 -0' 19 11.5 +0.6 -13 ft 7 5' 13 -0' 17 11.5 +0.6 -13 ft 8 5' 24 -0' 06 11.1 +0.2 +4 ft 9 6' 33 +1' 02 9.2 -1.8 +30 ft end 6' 15 +0' 44 9.6 -1.3 +3 ft Versus average of 10.9 mph

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Run 3/10/09

I am beat. I was tired yesterday and didn't run. It's mostly my fault though. I haven't treated myself to Yerba Mate chai (my caffeinated beverage of choice) for about a week. And I never get to bed when I should. I'm just hard headed. Well, that's not going down tonight. I'm taking my butt to bed. Oh, and I ran for 25min today. No stats since it was the indoor track though. Anyway, night all.