And the running begins again... with an injury.

Come on, are you serious?

Day 1 back to running and training for my half-marathon and I injured my darn knee.

I made myself run the mile from home to my meeting today, convinced that I would not have run otherwise. Once the meeting was done and I had only 15 minutes to get back home in time to shower and leave for work -- I had to run back.

Halfway through my return run, I started getting sharp pains along my right lateral knee. I tried not extending so much, putting more weight on the left... but I ultimately just pushed through.

By the time I got to work, parked and tried to walk down the ramp, I was completely limping. Unbelievable.

Yes, I had on kitten heels which arguably did not help the situation. But, by the end of my 9-hour stint, I was hobbling and praying some nice security guard would offer me a ride to the garage, dreading the walk and flight of stairs that awaited me. Both were excruciating by the way.

I iced the disappointing knee for 90 minutes on my drive to Jersey. My disability improved from hobbling back to limping. I am really beyond irritated. It reminds me of my ridiculous ankle injury in month 2 of training for my 5K earlier this year. But, the rest of that training was a success, so hopefully there's good luck for me the rest of this training, too.


Run:
1.03 mi, 11:29 going to meeting
1.03 mi, 10:53 on the way back

24 Days 'Til 30... A Good Run & Cutting a Rug

**Now that my countdown to 30 has officially begun, I've decided to do something extra special every day until I turn 30.**

I started today with an amazing feat... I ran for the first time since my 5K on May 23th. I ran for 42 minutes around a park here in Jersey City. Nafeesa of Shoes N Booze ran with me on the first two laps, then I finished up with 2 additional laps.

Next, I went to the hair salon and got a new cut/style.

I finished up the night at a nightclub in Union, NJ with Nafeesa and Zia Bartley of Best Event Planners.

Sea Dog 5K Run/Walk - Race Report

I decided to run the 5K this morning despite not having any running buddies or a cheering section, despite the gloom and despite the few sprinkles that fell on my head before the race started. Here's my report:


The horn sounds, it's the start of the race! I positioned myself in the middle of the pack, hoping to plant myself around the 9 or 10 minute per mile runners. And we're off!


Mile 1:
(Two minutes in...) Wow, I'm really out of breath. What is going on?? Maybe I need to slow down a bit. Wow, a lot of people are passing me now. This is what I get for not running for a month. I'm running so slowly, I'm probably going about 11 minutes per mile now. More people are passing me. This is great. I knew I should have stayed home. We're going downhill, and I still can't pick up more speed. Oh look -- that lady is walking now... and so is that man... maybe I should just call it a day and walk the rest. I'm still so out of breath. This doesn't feel comfortable at all. The last race, mile 1 was a breeze. I'm so upset with myself. There's the mile marker!! There's a guy with a stop watch shouting numbers... Did he just say 8??? Okay, he just shouted 8:40 at me! That's why I feel like crap, I've never run this fast before! Time to slow down...


Mile 2:
Okay, if I don't slow down, I probably won't be able to finish. Steady wins the race. Just try to stay with the folks in front of you, Ty. Okay, they're leaving you in the dust. That's fine. Just keep moving. Breathe. Breathe. Why haven't I caught my breath yet? Thank God my legs aren't tired though. Slowing down more... Where is that second mile marker?? More people are walking -- man, I'm so jealous. What I would give to just walk right now. Ok, there it is! Another guy in neon green shouting numbers... 17:47. So my second mile was 9:07, I can live with that. I've finally caught my breath. But, I don't think I can go faster than this. I'm gonna have to stay at this pace.


Mile 3 and 3.1:
Just take nice, long strides. Breathe. Stay with that guy in the grey shirt. Doh! The gap between us is widening. More people are passing me. Geez, how slowly am I running NOW? That old guy behind me is moaning with every breath, HUSH! He sounds like he's gonna pass out, but you know what? He's been on my tail the whole race, so maybe I should hush. His AHHHRGHHs must be working for him. It's 25 minutes according to my watch, time to kick it for the last 4 or 5 minutes. Oh no! Another uphill? Kicking it will have to wait until the top of this hill. People are cheering, "You're almost there!" Am I really? We're back on the main road now, the finish line has to be close. I think we're there, time to speed up. I'm starting to pass someone (for the first time today). Wait, where's the finish line? Did she just say, "Turn the corner, you're almost there!"? There's more? Ugh. Not again! I made this mistake last race. It's on a slight incline too? Push. Push. Finish line! The clock reads 28:24 as I run through. That means mile 3 and 3.1 was 10:37 (9:36/mile). Not as good as I started out with, but I still beat last race's time by 12 seconds.

Okay, why is there a line to get away from the finish line? I need to walk people, my heart is pounding out of my chest! Oh, we have to hand in the little strips on the bottom of our race bibs. Fine. I don't think I can walk anyway. Oh look -- a nice grassy hill. Looks like the perfect place to lay on my back... and just rest a while. :-)

Race Results

F 20-29, 17 out of 34

Overall: 217 out of 519 (some of those were walkers)

Yes, they listed me as a male (a common mistake with the first name, TYEESE). I placed better as a guy than in my own category. I should be #17 among the females 20-29, but apparently with my gender change, I placed 9.

I think I'm convinced...

I've spent most of today either crying over recent events, packing the house to move, or catching up on my blogger pals' posts.

I think I've decided to run tomorrow's 5K even though I will have to register on-site. I'll make a game time call tomorrow morning when I get up.

In the meantime, I'm gonna keep packing, and start hydrating. After how slow I ran yesterday, I'm not sure I can even beat my last 5K time (9:13/mile pace). But, I can try.

I also checked out the McMillan calculator, and based on that time, I should expect to run my 10K in 59:25. But it also says my 4-mile the other day should have been 37:25, almost 6 minutes faster than I actually ran.

I have work to do.

Back on the Treadmill (again)

I ran today... Despite the gloomy rain.

According to my 10K training schedule, I was due to run 2.5 miles. Since I already know I can run the distance, I've been working on speed, so I upped it to 6.2mph (or 9:40/mile). It was okay until the last 5 minutes, where all of a sudden sweat started pouring down and I was huffing and counting down the seconds I had left... 32... (breathe) 31... (breathe) 30... (breathe)...

My next days to run are Thursday (2 miles and a Group Power class) and Friday (4 miles). The 5K that I may or may not run is on Sunday. I'm considering going to Zumba tomorrow night just to spice up this routine a bit. As much as I hate to say it, running is starting to feel more like a chore than fun these days.

However, I'm preparing to move in less than a month, which may help because the new neighborhood is a lot more conducive to running and is close to a park with nice trails. So there's hope for me yet.

No, I haven't been abducted by aliens...

Yes, I've been M.I.A.
Yes, I've been a bum.
But, I'm back now.
Be easy on me.

Running
I ran on April 14th, and didn't run again until this past Thursday, the 13th of May. Gosh, it hurts just to see that in writing. I ran/walked 2.5 miles just before my Group Power class.

My plan is to run again on Tuesday, Thursday and maybe Friday. There's a 5K on my schedule for Sunday, but I haven't decided if I'm ready to run it yet. I'd like to keep beating my 5K times, and I'm not sure I'm in any shape to beat 28:36.

Life
Life has been interesting. I've been in and out of a funk lately... forced to learn a lot about myself in a short period of time. It's amazing to look back at your life through the awakened eyes of a mature almost-30 woman, to learn from your mistakes and to truly consider what type of person you want to be.

Not just a person who reacts to her surroundings, her routine or what's expected of her, but a person who decides who she wants to be and is just that. I know what that looked like 7 years ago, but what does it mean now - after a degree, a child, a marriage come and gone, years of varying emotions, and many, many changes?

After all of that thinking, and terrible 12-hour days at the hospital, I haven't had energy for running or much else.

Turning 30
I've spent most of this blog talking about running and ignoring the other part of the blog: turning 30. It's coming. Today starts the 70-day countdown. I'm excited and nervous at the same time. I have such high hopes for my 30s... I hope I can do right by them.

I've decided to forego a big party and have an intimate dinner with some close friends in NYC on the big day. Until then, much work to do -- getting to know myself, bettering myself, and taking chances one day at a time.

What about you? Are you who you want to be?

The Busy-ness Continues...

Exhaustion. Why??

My last 8 days...
Monday: 10-hour workday
Tuesday: Training and meetings before 10-hour workday
Wednesday: 5 hours of lecture, then 9-hour workday
Thursday: Ran, worked on projects, kiddo's 5th bday @ Chuck E. Cheese
Friday: ~3 hours in the gym, 9-hour workday
Saturday: Drove to NJ, ran 5K, drove back to CT, then 10-hour workday
Sunday: 9-hour workday, drove back to NJ to get the kiddo
Monday: Drove back to CT, worked on research project, picked up kiddo, gym

Exhaustion led to me falling asleep on my research project today, waking up late to pick up the kiddo which means I missed the chance to run 3-4 miles before my Group Power (barbell) class.

I almost convinced myself to just skip it altogether, that I needed the sleep more, but I brought my gym bag anyway, and once the sun hit me I was much more motivated. I also reminded myself that there's no way I can meet my goal this week of running 10 miles and weight lifting twice if I skipped today. I'm going out of town on Friday, so I only have 4 days to squeeze it all in.

I went heavier than usual today, and it felt good. I'm getting stronger. I also ran 1 mile at 10:00/mile pace (6mph). Trying to run after doing 15+ minutes of lunges and squats with 37+ lbs on my shoulders was a bad idea. So, I stopped before I hurt myself. I have 3 more days to run 9 miles. I'll be OK.

41 Days 'Til Next 5k
111 grams Net Carbs (yea I overdid it... although only 1620 calories... I've been ravenous since the race, probably the sleep deprivation.)

Week 14 Tally: 4/5-4/11

I met my exercise goals for this week! I also beat my last 5K time by 2:20. I still haven't hit my weight loss mark yet. My original goal was by the end of March 2010. Hopefully, I'll get there by April 2010.

6.95 miles of running (including a 5K)

90 minutes of strength work

45 minutes of Zumba

2 pounds lost (making 19 lost total, goal: 22-27)

Race Report: Essential 2 Life 5K

This photo says it all. 

This was me with the finish line in sight... lungs burning from the 45-degree wind coming up off of the Hudson River... legs feeling heavy... and me chanting in my head (left... right... left... right...) to keep my legs going.

I ran my second 5K this past Saturday with my girlfriend Rashonda and my Uncle Haasim. My mom and girlfriend Nina both did the 3K walk. The kiddo did the kid's sprints. And my dad and girlfriend/blogger StyleScrybe of ShoesNBooze fame came out to support and snap photos. It was a family affair!

Mile 1

Uncle and I started out strong, darting between runners who were running way too slowly in the middle of the pack. The wind blew his hat off, but thankfully it got caught on the railing and another runner caught it and handed it to him. It was so close to flying into the River. We passed the first mile clock still talking to each other: 09:39, but it took about 10 seconds to pass the start line, so it was probably more like 09:29. I was shocked. That was faster than my first mile in Phoenix. 

Mile 2

Uncle and I stopped talking. 'Nuff said. He then told me that if I wanted to go on ahead to do so. So, I pushed it to the point of just being uncomfortable and tried to hold that pace for the whole second mile. I never really warmed up. The freezing wind was blowing against me for most of mile 2 then at my back for the last part. My fingers froze into fist position. Ugh. Second mile clock: 18:40.

Mile 3

I initially felt somewhat rested after cruising at a steady pace for the second mile, so I tried to kick it up a bit and started passing runners again. But, at every sprint, I felt myself getting winded more than the first mile. So I alternated between passing and cruising. The course was an out-and-back, but I seemed to miscount the turns. After going around one turn, I thought I saw the finish line tape (no contact lenses!), so I started sprinting. I'm sure you can see where this is going. No, it was NOT the finish line. Exhausted, I slowed down around the last turn then tried to hold steady toward the real finish line, about the time that picture was snapped. Lord. I still can't believe I made that mistake.

My official chip time was 28:36.6, 2 minutes and 20 seconds faster than Phoenix!! I placed 10th in my age/gender group.

Race Results

25-29 F group: 10 out of 53

All females: 62 out of 222

Overall: 250 out of 516

Running Along The Sound

Thank God for great weather. If I had to run on a treadmill today, I think I would have bailed on my run.

I am still exhausted from running on empty, so it was much easier to convince myself to get out of the car and run alongside the Long Island Sound than to be cooped up inside a stuffy gym with no windows.

Despite the threat of rain, the weather was a perfect 65 degrees with a cooling breeze from the Sound. The trail is only about 0.55 miles (based on my runnersworld.com training log), but I ran back and forth on it 7 times. If my calculation is right, I ran 3.85 miles in 43 minutes -- which is super-duper SLOW.

I'm not that surprised by my pace though, because I never really ran out of breath. My legs just started feeling heavy during the last half-mile, and my brain was tired of entertaining itself (no ipod today). My lack of ability to know how fast I'm running outside is a great argument for buying a Garmin watch though (ahem!).

Today is my day off from work... also my kiddo's 5th birthday... So, after I finish plowing through my to-do list, my research project and a nice hot soak, it's off to Chuck E. Cheese's for some gaming and fun. Tomorrow is my monster 3-hour gym day... Wish me luck!

2 Days 'Til Next 5K
55 grams Net Carbs (so far today)
4-9 Pounds 'Til Goal Weight

2-week plan (Weeks 14 & 15)

I have been so incredibly busy lately. I spent April 1st through 4th in Chicago exhibiting at the Student National Medical Association Conference. I didn't end up running in the 5K this past weekend because my cousin's knee was giving him trouble and I wasn't prepared to take the hike out to Palatine on my own. So, I spent Easter weekend relaxing with old friends and making new ones instead.

This week (4/5-4/11), the plan is to:
* Run 6 miles with at least one strength day

I'm probably going to run 3.1 miles and lift weights on Thursday, with back-to-back Zumba/Core/Muscle Challenge classes at the gym on Friday. Then, Saturday is my next race, which puts me at 6.2 miles total.

Next week (4/12-4/18), the plan is to:
* Run 10 miles
* Lift weights twice

I've also decided to get back onto a training plan. Starting May, I'm beginning the Hal Higdon novice 10K training program followed by the 10K intermediate program. That will put me right at the 10K in August.

My Revised/Tentative Race Schedule

I realize the only thing that will keep me running through my exhaustion is to keep competing. That means there was no way I was gonna get away with a 4-month gap between races. So, here goes my updated list of upcoming races, with the goal to get up to a half-marathon this fall.

4/10 - Essential 2 Life 5K, Jersey City

5/23 - Cheshire 5K

6/27 - Fairfield 5K, Jennings Beach

7/21 - Citizens Bank Evening 5K

8/1 - Soundrunner Guilford 5K

8/8 - Torrington 5 Mile, CT
8/15 - West Rock Challenge 5K

8/29 - Old Wethersfield 10K, CT

9/6 - New Haven Road Race, 5K (or 20K if I have the guts!)

10/9 - Hartford Half-Marathon

March 2010 Tally

It's been a slow month.
27.1 miles Running
5 hours of Strength work
17 pounds lost total (5-7 more to go)
11 days since my first 5K; 3 more until the next!

My Updates

The biggest update: I ran my 100th mile today.

Running
The running has slowed down a lot since my race. I've only run 6.6 miles since then -- 1.5 miles last week and 5.1 so far this week. I have to admit, since the race, I've lost a lot of my motivation. Between traveling, and working a lot to make up for the days I went away, I just haven't had the time or energy I had at the start of 2010. This week I've been running faster than I trained before the race (since I've obviously proved I can run faster!), but I definitely have been dragging myself to the treadmill. Maybe once it stops raining, and I can run outside I will feel differently.

Diet
During the Phoenix girls' weekend my carb-counting went out the window. Coming back home, it was hard to look at my low-carb options quite the same. I have been sticking within 40-60 grams, but it's a lot harder than before... and the content of those 60 grams hasn't been the healthiest. I had pizza and a sliver of cake at my kiddo's 5th birthday party Saturday. I had a Filet O'Fish and some fries today from McDonald's.

I'm on a bad path... but it stops now! I finally went out and bought some Atkins shakes and bars so I can start substituting again. Despite the indiscretions, I'm still 17 pounds down. I didn't meet my goal of losing 22-27 pounds by the end of March, but I'm not totally discouraged.

Life
Work and family stuff has me stressed out, which is likely affecting my motivation also. In keeping with my vow to enter my 30s in peace and happy, I am working on all of these aspects. It's just taking time and a lot of energy. I have started meditating again. Just a few minutes every couple of days, but better than nothing. I've also been making time for my nice hot baths, and my mint tea breaks.

Races
My next race is supposed to be this Saturday - the 5K Bunny Dash outside of Chicago. I'll make a final decision by Thursday about whether I feel up to it. I'm going out there for a conference, so I may choose to just relax instead.
4/3 - Bunny Dash (Palatine, IL)
4/10 - Essential 2 Life, Jersey City, NJ (My Hometown!)
After the 10th, I have no idea when my next race will be. My work schedule is conflicting with all of the other races I was interested in. I'll do some more searching and post new races soon.

A Run Like Nun Other: Race & Trip Report (day 1)

So I did it! I had my first 5K. Zia, Rashonda and I landed in Phoenix Friday night. That's me waiting for Zia's flight to land...

We dined at the hotel and got up early early this morning to run in the 1st Annual Nun Run in Glendale, AZ.

I ran the 5K in 30:56, placing 15 out of 63 in the 20-29 female age group and 103 out of 490 overall.

It was so crazy... my adrenaline was pumping, and I just kept focusing on not going too fast so I didn't burn myself out.

Mile 1 felt good. We started in the middle of the pack, and I slowly passed a few people, but in general, I stayed steady. When I saw the folks in orange with the water cups, they were shouting, "You're at mile 1. Great job!" I looked at my watch and was shocked. It said 9:49. Are you kidding me? I've never run more than 10:42 on the treadmill and that wasn't on trail, nor the uneven rocks we were running on. Not to mention, 10 weeks ago, I could barely do my 1 minute run, 1 minute walk intervals without getting out of breath.

Mile 2 was okay. The first half, I was still buzzing off the fact that I ran under 10 minutes for the first mile. About halfway through, I started to feel a little winded, so I slowed down a bit and just focused on maintaining that speed. I got to the mile 2 water cup holders feeling just slightly winded. My watch read 20:13.

Mile 3 was rough. My left thigh started to ache, and I started to feel more winded. I made a deal with myself that I could run slow until 26 minutes, then I had to pick it up. I actually ended up picking up the speed once I could see the finish line, just before 3 miles. The next thing I knew, I was running through the finish line, and people were telling me where the food was and asking me for my chip.

My watch said 30:45, but my chip time was 30:56. Still not bad for my first race. It means I ran 9:59/mile.

We finished up the day with a nice brunch complete with unlimited mimosas and 4 hours of spa services.

2 More Days...

I took my 1-hour Group Power class tonight and I kept it easy -- heavy enough to feel the burn but definitely not the heaviest I can lift. The mantra was NO INJURIES!

After lifting, I ran 1 mile at 6.0mph (10:00/mile). The pace was a little uncomfortable and took some self-coaching on my part, but I got through and didn't feel like collapsing at the end. Maybe I am ready to start running faster.

I'm also a little nervous about running on regular roads, but I guess you have to do it at some point! Here's Saturday's course: http://www.usatf.org/routes/view.asp?rID=349743.

Net Carbs: 25 grams
Workout: Group Power/Running
Days Til 5K: 2

Shopping & My Last Full Run

Today was my last day off before the girl's trip to Phoenix, so I had to buy a running outfit (see pic), and a few pieces -- a tee shirt, a dress for going out dancing, and a pair of jeans.

Let's talk about these jeans. They were in the juniors section and were "skinny" sizes. After getting into a size 4 dress last week, it hurt my feelings to have to buy a size 11 skinny! Sigh... It's okay though. Everything else I bough was in the normal range (small or medium). The audacity!

This would hurt my feelings more if I wasn't so close (6-11 pounds) to my weight goal.

So, I was a big dud this weekend. After my highly motivated 4-mile run, I didn't do Saturday's or Sunday's workouts. I drove to and from Jersey twice this weekend. Saturday morning, there was a typhoon, and I got back to CT late for work which also meant too late to go to the gym.

I got off at midnight on Saturday and went to have drinks with a co-worker (which I haven't done in years), and by the time we got home and the clocks jumped forward it was 5am! Needless to say, Sunday's run didn't happen either.

Today I DID run, however. I ran 3.1 miles in 33:12 (I sped up the last minute to 5.8mph). I did it without my headphones and without my inhaler -- I wasn't experimenting, I just forgot to bring them. In some ways, it was good practice for me to run without the distraction, although I still intermittently watched the muted television as I ran. This was my last time running the full distance before the race on Saturday... I think I'm getting nervous!


Workout: Run, see above.
Days Til 5K: 4
Net Carbs: 73 grams (I grazed all day... 1/2 Dunkin' Hash Browns, 1/2 bag of chips at Panera, couple of skittles, fruit cup, egg&cheese wrap, salad...)

A Motivated 4 Miles

I am a motivated lady today. Given my slacking off the past two weeks, I feel like I have to make up that time this week.

After working from 11pm to 8 o'clock this morning, I went home, changed into my running gear, dropped the kiddo off at school and went back to the gym. Yes -- this technically qualifies as two runs in one day since right after last night's run (and Group Power class) I went to work, with no sleep in between. I was doubting my plan as my eyes blinked a little too long at the traffic light on the way there. I assumed the run would stink just off of sheer fatigue. Boy I was wrong.

Today's run was like night and day compared to last night's run.

I ran 4 miles total - the longest I've ever run! The plan was to do a 3-mile Tempo run... 1 mile @ my usual 5.6mph, 1 mile @ 5.8mph, and 1 mile @ 5.6mph again. That was my only goal. I met that... then my new goal was to run for 35 minutes... then it was to run to 4 miles.

I felt so good, I just wanted to keep going. My knees felt achy, but no sharp pains. So, I pushed it to the full 4 miles. The faster speed definitely tired me out, but not so much that I had to stop and walk.

So, why was today's run so different? It's not like I was well-rested. My thoughts:

1.  I ate about 20 grams of carbs (Dunkin' Donuts breakfast) 3 hours before my run (versus fasting all day and trying to run without fuel)
2.  I started hydrating 5 hours before my run and stopped an hour before
3.  I wore short breathable shorts (not the long, black yoga pants from last night)
4.  The air was cooler in the gym with less people around (I tend to overheat easily while running)

Days Til 5K: 8

Week 9 Tally: 3/1-3/7

Yet another week of taking it easy in the midst of my running back and forth between CT and NJ (not literally). I have made strides in the weight loss department though.

6.2 miles in Run-walk drills 

15 minutes of Strength work

15 pounds lost total (7-12 more to go)

10 days 'til my first 5K

Running & Enlightenment

After getting off the train last night from NJ, the first thing I wanted to do was run. 

One, I feel like a slacker for not running on my planned schedule over the last 2 weeks. Two, with all of the recent stress and grieving the loss of my grandmother I thought it would be a good idea to clear my head before working last night's shift.

I wanted to run 4 miles, but it wasn't in me. I got to 3.12 miles in 33:50 and just didn't have enough energy to keep going. I finished my workout by lifting weights on my own, mostly upper body. 

I'm honestly starting to get concerned that I've lost momentum by taking it easy these last 2 weeks. That run was much harder than I expected it to be. My 1st race is in only 13 days!

In good news, I lost 3 more pounds, bringing the total to 15... leaving me with only 7-12 more to go.

I also got to meet one of my favorite nonfiction authors, Dr. Judith Orloff today at a workshop in Hartford. We had a nice chat, she signed my new book, "Second Sight," and gave me a hug. 

I had emailed Dr. Orloff the day before about my interest in energy and meditation and my troubles centering and managing my emotions... and lucky for me, she answered. This was a big deal because I've been wanting to email her since I first bought the book, "Emotional Freedom" last year, but I was too nervous.

After hearing my rant yesterday about how I never got to email her, and now she's probably traveling and probably doesn't answer her own email... My mom said something wise about how not trying is halfway to failure. So I listened. Thanks mom! 

I consider that my risk for the day. Anne Marie at Goals for the Week says to take one risk daily. I worry so much about everything, so it's a good exercise for me to throw caution to the wind and take a leap here and there.

Net Carbs: 11 so far... still counting!

Workout: Off today

Days Til 5K: 13