There Is No Shame In Walking

This is something I have to remind myself every year as I begin training, and I've found once I've come to peace with the fact that there is no shame in walking my training goes to a whole new level.  

This morning I actually got myself out of bed and set off to run my scheduled 4 miles.  Ironically, there apparently had been a Harlem 5K this morning, so for about the first five blocks of my run I kept seeing people with bibs carefully pinned on their shirts, which pushed me to keep my feet moving.  I also tried a different route today, saying goodbye to the boring, flat sidewalk, and heading straight into Central Park facing the Great Hill feet first.  It was at this point that I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up my pace, but the rule I have made with myself over the years is that I'm not allowed to walk downhill, it's actually harder to walk downhill anyway.  So, I ran as far as I could up the hill and then took breathers, setting my sights on a lamppost or street sign, saying that once I reached that landmark the feet better start picking up the pace again.  Needless to say, my pace this morning was crap, but...I did it.  I ran down to and around the reservoir and when I came to where I had entered the reservoir's path I thought I still had another mile and a half to make up.  As I took one more look at my RunKeeper app on my phone and realized my math was way off and I really only had about .7 miles left I was reenergized and started running north.  As soon as I hit that 4 mile marker I walked the rest of the way home.  The one consolation was that even though I walked probably about a third of my run, I had it in me to go even further.  So yes, my pace was crap, but really...it's only my second day back running.  I feel a little bit more hopeful and just pray this can continue.  

I did buy new blue shoes on Thursday, so it's always fun running in new pretty shoes.  One technical difficulty is that the tongue of my sneaker keeps sliding to the outside of my foot, leaving my instep exposed to the tightened laces.  I'm sure I'll figure this out sooner or later.  The good thing is that they are comfortable, and did I mention that they're blue and pretty?  hehe.

One thing I'm constantly reminded of, especially as I get frustrated because I need to walk at times, is that sooner or later this whole thing becomes bigger than me...no matter how hard the training and no matter how hard I may be on myself, this whole running thing truly is bigger than me, or any of us for that matter.  I remember in high school when Dipi, Coach Bhaya, or Coach (we were only really allowed to call her Coach or Coach Bhaya, ha...Dipi was for us to call her behind closed doors), would run us ragged in field hockey practice during our preseason two-a-days.  She'd use the entire morning for conditioning, running us into the ground with her various drills she previously tested out on college level athletes.  While I was never very good at running, and truly dreaded most of what she threw at us, there was one in particular that really wore me out.  Dipi would simply tell us to run around the field for 20 minutes.  We could go in any direction we wanted, zig zag, whatever...just keep moving.  I'd be worn out after 5 minutes, but as morose as it may sound I just kept thinking about those that had gone before us...we said goodbye to someone almost once a year at that point, and I would think of Trey...if all of these people could go through what they had I could certainly run around the field for 20 minutes.  Seems silly to compare the two at all, right?  This method has always gotten me through though.  And now when I'm training for a half marathon, which is still mind boggling, I continue to think of those that have passed through the years, because unfortunately the goodbyes haven't stopped.  This year in particular we've said goodbye to some great ones, and when I'm running I know they'll lift me through those hard times.  So for now I may walk a bit, but when it's race time, those angels will all be right on my shoulders ready to bring me to the finish line.  It's like my own personal version of Angels In the Outfield...only let's say it's Angels In The Half Marathon...hmm...I'm sure I can come up with something better for that title, but you get the drift, ha.

Race Training Day 2--Epic Fail

So it's true, I couldn't pull myself out of bed this morning to go running.  I hit that ever present snooze button time after time until I had to go to work.  I slightly feel like I failed today, but at the same time I'm trying to not be too hard on myself.  I have tomorrow afternoon I could go running, and no matter what I'll go running Saturday and do the steps on Sunday.  I just don't want to start getting too far behind too quickly.  I am still pretty sore from that first pitiful run and going down steps is nearly torture, I'd almost rather fall down the steps, ha.

There are so many excuses I could make, but really...I just need to wake up and get my butt out the door.  It'll happen, one day at a time.

Today however...I think I'm going to try on some new sneakers.  Very exciting indeed.

Eating Is Half The Battle

Yes, I have started training for my fourth half marathon, but the real battle for me is what almost everyone, especially women, face on a daily basis...the yo-yo effect of my weight.  As I mentioned yesterday, I haven't worked out with my trainer in a while and I just went on vacation, so I'm feeling extra blah lately.  The past month and a half has been pretty screwy, resulting in there being no food in my refrigerator, so I'm buying almost every meal.  I know, this is awful and a waste of money, I just haven't had time to go grocery shopping and I wasn't in my apartment long enough to eat the food.  So, now that things have settled down and I have no big plans for the next few months I need to get back to eating right.  I keep giving excuses, like yesterday when I had pizza for dinner and justified that I can get away with eating crap for the next few days, since I don't have time to go grocery shopping until Friday.  This morning as I walked past the bakery with my favorite blueberry muffins (it should be a crime to put bakeries that close to my morning walk to the subway!) I kept on walking, knowing that I could get some Honey Nut Cheerios at work.

Eating right has always been a struggle, and it's not the actual act of eating right that is the struggle as much as making the decision to start eating right.  Once I'm a few days into it, like any other habit, I'm ok.  I've honestly never had any problem giving up certain foods, it's just a matter of keeping up the eating schedule.  I think that as my marathon training continues, and once I start back with my trainer after Labor Day, everything else will fall into place.  I have learned through the years to not be too hard on myself and we all slip here and there.  I will go grocery shopping this weekend, and finally have food in the fridge...I will stop buying every meal and get back to a routine that I can depend on.

It's easy to think that just exercise will do the trick...I mean, I will be running an average of 10 miles/week for the next three months, I should be in great shape after that, yes?  Well, as I said...that's only half the battle.


p.s.---on a much different note, I have "day after first run" super sore legs, to the point where I'm practically goose-stepping my way down the street because it's too hard to walk normally.  and going down steps is practically torture.  oh, the things we do to get our bodies in shape, haha.

Back to running...back to blogging

It's true...the time has come for me to start training again for the Philly Half Marathon.  I never in a million years thought I'd be able to say that I was training for my FOURTH half marathon, but here I am.  I will say...this morning was rough.  All first mornings are rough though, and that is what I keep telling myself.  I started off with what should have been an easy three mile run, and well...by about 1.15 miles in, my stomach was a mess.  I ended up only going about 2.18, with a horrible pace, etc.  But...it's the first time I've ran in months, give or take a few random times here and there.  I'm ok with this start.  I know I'm a horrible trainer, and I know that I've run this race three times already and my time has gotten considerably better each year.  I also haven't worked out with my trainer in about a month and I'm just getting off of vacation, which means I'm definitely not in the best shape.  All of this put aside...I know that as long as I stick with it, I'll make it through.  For the first time in my racing history, which obviously is a long and storied history, I made a running schedule for myself.  It's a bit ambitious, but completely doable.  I have never ran more than 10 miles before I run the official race, and I am determined to break that streak this year.  I don't have any big plans in the next two and a half months that would disrupt my training, and with a few new angels watching down from above, I have even more motivation.

Now...back to this first run of mine...while it was a hard run, it still came with some observations, such as the woman who had her shirt on inside out.  No, I wasn't the Good Samaritan...I didn't stop and tell her to jump into Starbucks to switch it around, I kept on running.  I have a race to train for, come on now.  And of course there was a TV or movie shoot in Central Park this morning, so there was Kraft Services lined up along the sidewalk.  That never makes running easy...couldn't they be so kind as to spare a danish?  And then on the way back, running through the cigarette smoke of those nice gentleman stationed on their bench really helped my already tired lungs.  

Now we just have to wonder what Thursday will bring.