Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 4

I flipped this photo to reverse the mirror image--this shirt was one of my "projects of the week". I love doing reverse appliqué! It's super easy and it's so fun to see the design revealed as you snip away. (The PURRVANA wasn't my idea; I got inspiration from Pinterest. But I love it! Also, can you believe it's been 32 YEARS since Kurt Cobain died?!)

Time seems to have slowed down quite a bit over the last couple of weeks, and it feels nice. Usually, I feel like I just blink and it's a month later. The only time that time seemed to slow down was when I was running ;)

Speaking of running, I reached a mile this week! I'm choosing to celebrate that, because I truly feel like a beginner again and a mile is a big deal for beginners. My first run (meaning, a month ago; not back in 2010) was 0.41 miles at a 13:01/mi pace and I felt like I was going to DIE. This week, I noticed that it felt *slightly* easier. Strong emphasis on slightly.

Thursday- My previous run had been 0.90 miles, so I decided to aim for 0.95. It was only 60 degrees outside, and I think that made a significant difference in how I felt. Since I was feeling relatively good, thought it would be a nice opportunity to go for my first mile. And I did--I finished 1.0 miles in 12:25 with an average heart rate of 153 bpm.

Saturday- It was on the cool side again, and I felt pretty much the same as Thursday. I had no idea what route to run--I can tell you 20 different three-mile routes from my house, but for these shorter runs, I'm basically guessing each time I go out. On Saturday, I figured I would do 1.10, but I did a terrible job guessing and had to run past my house. I turned around too soon and was at 1.04, so I just stopped there instead of entertaining my neighbors' Ring cameras for the third time. Ran 1.04 miles at a 12:38/mi pace and average heart rate of 155 bpm.

Tuesday- I went out at 6:30 and it was about 70 degrees (not terrible) but the air was thick with humidity. I ran about as slowly as I could, hoping to feel good throughout. It actually ended up feeling the best of all my runs so far! Still not easy, but I didn't feel completely spent toward the end. I ran 1.10 miles at a 12:42/mi pace and average heart rate of 153.

When I look back at my first run, my average heart rate and max heart rate are both significantly lower than yesterday's, but I think that might be because the duration was so short. It was only five minutes to start, so my heart rate didn't have much time to build up. Once I reach my three-mile goal, I'd like to work on lowering my average heart rate. Ideally, I'll be able to run at my MAF rate of 136 bpm; at my MAF rate was when I didn't dread running because it felt so easy. I would love to feel like that again.  

Anyway, as you can see, I've added a little to each run and four weeks later, I'm up to 1.10 miles. If I continue at about this rate, I should be able to start three-milers in October--the best time of year to run!

This was the last week of Jerry's and my beans and greens experiment. Since we started this for health reasons, the purpose of the beans and greens was to get a lot of fiber via whole foods--and beans and greens are basically the perfect whole-food high-fiber meal. I'll write more about this in a separate post. I made a big variety of versions of beans and greens, so I'll post photos and recipes/links with all that. Now the problem is that I have to figure out what recipe each photo was for! I should have written it all down.

I wish I'd thought of this beans and greens thing earlier, because holy cow--the weight is dropping off quickly.

I was down 3.2 pounds this week. In the last four weeks, I've lost 14.6 pounds--I'm more than stunned!  These are the factors that have been working for me:

*I'm vegan for the animals, but a vegan diet is probably the only reason I didn't get back up to 250+ pounds over the last couple of years. (There are a lot of vegan junk foods, however, so it's easy to gain weight, vegan or not.)

*I quit eating sweets several months ago. My sweets-eating was getting out of control, so I made a bet with a friend where I would lose quite a bit of money if I ate sweets before the end of August. It was rough at first--it actually took much longer than I thought it would to get rid of the cravings--but now I have zero cravings at all for sweets. I literally don't even think about them (and believe me, that is CRAZY TALK). I mean, my blog is Runs for *Cookies*! Even after this bet is over, I don't want to eat even a single cookie, because I'm like an addict and I just lose all control when attempting moderation.

*Eating a ton of (natural) fiber. Whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and fruit. (That literally looks like a line from the health food books I love to hate.) In the beans and greens post, I'll write a little more about the specifics; my breakfast plays a big role in my fiber intake. My diet sounds extremely boring, I know; but my spice collection is huge and just by changing out spices, the same meal can taste completely different. My diet is far from boring (in my eyes, anyway).

*Not snacking. This wasn't a "rule" I made; I just naturally fell into it when I quit eating sweets and started eating very filling meals. The fiber makes a big difference--it's impossible to eat a high fiber meal very quickly, so meals are longer and more filling. I eat dinner at about 5:00-ish, and I'm not hungry again all evening (I go to bed at 9:00). Most of the time, I don't eat lunch; but if I'm hungry, I'll eat something (usually a small portion of dinner leftovers). 

*Cutting way back on salt. I've never had high blood pressure, so I never paid much attention to sodium intake. Since I've been eating only whole foods this month, however, my sodium intake was cut drastically. I also scaled back on how much salt I cook with. I've noticed that my weight doesn't fluctuate much at all day-to-day and I think the sodium plays a big part. I used to swing 3-4 pounds overnight sometimes, depending on my dinner!

That's all I can think of right now. Overall, I think the switch to whole foods has had the most impact on my weight this month. My body feels *so* much better, too, and it's only been four weeks!

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Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 3

It's hard to believe it's only been a week since my last post, because this has felt like the longest week ever. Usually time goes by unbelievably fast!

Posting these Wednesday Weigh-Ins again has been so helpful in getting back on track with my diet and exercise. Getting started was the hardest part, but now that I feel like I'm in a good groove, I feel pretty determined to see it through. And the fact that I saw such good progress in the first couple of weeks was motivating, too.

Running is still HARD. Of course, I don't expect that it'll feel like it did back when I was running regularly and/or training for races. But I just hope it starts to feel easier as I continue to build mileage, because wow, am I out of shape.

This week:

Wednesday- I think I wrote about this last week. Ran 0.80 miles, 12:46/mi pace, average heart rate of 150 bpm.

Friday/Saturday- When I woke up on Friday morning, I let Joey outside and when I opened the door, I smelled smoke really strongly. I thought maybe there was a fire in the neighborhood, but it was 3:00 in the morning and very quiet; I would have heard if there was something like that going on. Still, it was strong enough that I woke Jerry. He told me it was from the Canadian wildfires.

When the sun came up, the sky was so hazy looking. The visibility was terrible. I couldn't even see the trees at the other side of the marsh across the street, which only happens when it's *very* foggy outside. I looked at the weather app, and the air quality was piss-poor (and yes, the smoke was from the wildfires).

This is where the "old Katie" started to nag me. A few weeks ago, I told myself I would run on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; since "old Katie" had a habit of being very all-or-nothing, it would have felt like I somehow failed if I chose not to run on Friday due to the fires. But I could hear my therapist's voice in my head telling me that I was only practicing self-care; running in such bad quality air would definitely not be taking care of myself.

Still, I was worried that I was subconsciously using it as an excuse to procrastinate or skip my run. Trying to let "old Katie" go, I ultimately decided that I'd skip the run Friday and try for Saturday; if the air was still terrible, I'd even put it off again. The hard part was simply the change in plans--I thrive on routine--but this is an obstacle that I've needed to work on for a long time. A change in plans doesn't have to offset my goals.

It rained Friday night, which helped clear the smoke quite a bit; on Saturday morning, it was much better. I headed out before I could change my mind, aiming for anything more than 0.80 miles (my previous run). It felt hard, like all of the runs have felt so far, but maybe slightly less hard than before. I ran 0.85 miles with a 12:43/mi pace, average heart rate of 155 bpm. This is interesting, because my previous run's heart rate was 150 bpm and I felt HORRIBLE, but at 155 bpm for this one, I felt (slightly) better.

Tuesday- (I'll explain below why I didn't run Monday) I set out to run anything more than 0.85 miles. From the very beginning, my body felt heavy and I could have sworn I was running backwards by how slow it felt. Since I couldn't care less what my pace is, I just focused on trying to reach the distance. I truly thought I might have to stop midway, but after half a mile, I could "see" the finish line and that was enough to make me push on. I was going to stop at 0.86 miles, but I was practically in front of my house, so I just continued until hit 0.90.

Despite feeling terrible, I'd run 0.90 miles with a 12:34/mile pace and average heart rate of 154 bpm. Since I was deliberately going very slowly to try to avoid getting to the point where I can't breathe, I was really surprised to see my pace was faster. So maybe I am improving a little, just not in the way I hoped. (Like I said, I don't care about my pace as much as I do the distance and especially the *feeling*; I ultimately want to be able to run three miles and have it feel easy again.)

The reason I ran Tuesday instead of Monday was because Jerry and I spontaneously decided on Sunday morning to go for a bike ride at the Metropark (this led to sore hips and thighs). A spontaneous bike ride is *extremely* unusual for us. Ever since lockdown, we sort of got into the habit of being far less active in our free time. We've never been one of those couples that goes out kayaking, cycling, running, etc. every weekend (that would be great, but it's never been us).

In fact, I couldn't even remember the last time I rode my bike. Three years ago? Five? Jerry even got our bikes tuned up last summer and we never. took. them. out. So, when I was feeling kind of antsy on Sunday morning, I told Jerry that I felt like *doing* something--I didn't know what that meant, just that I had some energy to burn. He suggested going for a bike ride (probably not even being serious) but I actually thought that sounded like a good idea. And now that he has a truck, we're able to easily take our bikes somewhere to ride (we don't have sidewalks or bike paths near home, and it's pretty dangerous to ride on the roads).

We parked in the same place that Jessica and I used to park for our long runs when we were marathon training. One direction of the path leads into the Metropark, and round-trip is 10 miles (I'm surprised I remembered that, considering I haven't done a long run in probably seven or eight years).

It wasn't too hot or sunny, which is why I ended up really enjoying it (if it had been sunny, I probably wouldn't have gone). There were a lot of people out walking, biking, fishing... it was rarely busy when I used to run that route, so it was nice to see people out being active. And it was inspiring to me to make me want to be more active, "just for fun".

We took our time and chatted the whole way, and we really enjoyed it. We stopped for a picture on the bridge where we'd had our first kiss back in 1999!

Remember that time I went for a long bike ride with my helmet on backwards? Hahaha, Jerry never lets me forget it.

We both said we should go again next weekend; the whole thing, including the drive, only took about two hours and it set a good mood for the rest of the day.

Anyway, I feel good about my activity for the week. I did all three runs, increasing the distance (just slightly) each time; and I did exercise when I didn't even *have* to ;)

As far as my diet... three weeks in, and I've still been making some variation of beans and greens for dinner. I usually cook every other day; I'll make four portions and we eat it two days in a row. It's so odd not having to feed kids! Of course they're welcome to eat what I cook, but beans and greens aren't exactly the most enticing for 20- and 22-year old boys.

If I were cooking for just myself, I would eat dahl literally every day, but I've been making a variety of things to keep it interesting. I've been taking pictures and at the end of the month, I'll do a post of all the variations I've made. I honestly think that the beans and greens are what is making my weight drop like it is. We haven't had any processed/convenience food (for a while, Jerry was obsessed with breakfast burritos--tofu scramble with potatoes, peppers, vegan cheese, and chopped vegan breakfast "sausage" on a tortilla--and we ate it way too frequently).

The beans and greens are so filling that I don't even have thoughts of snacking after dinner. The sodium reduction alone is probably responsible for the large drop in what I assume was water weight. After last week's large loss on the scale, I assumed this week would be negligible; but once again, I was pleasantly surprised to see the scale moving along in a downward direction.

I was at 159.6 last week, and this morning I weighed 157.4.

It feels SO good to see progress. My poor food choices over the last couple of years had been hanging over my head and just felt so heavy all the time. But I guess I just wasn't in the right frame of mind to change it. I want to keep this momentum and make some permanent (healthy) habits!

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Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 2

Mirror selfies are the worst--so awkward!

Believe me, nobody is more surprised than I am that I have kept up with this for two weeks, haha. Knowing that I had committed to posting here on Wednesdays has actually been really helpful, though--now I remember why I liked the accountability (and also hated it sometimes).

This week hasn't been eventful at all, so this is going to just be a quick recap and weigh-in.

Jerry and I have still been eating some form of beans and greens every day for dinner, and I really love it. I don't think my digestive system has EVER been this happy! To find recipes/ideas, I've basically just been choosing bean dishes and then adding greens whether the recipe says to or not. Dr. Greger's cookbooks, How Not to Die Cookbook and How Not to Diet Cookbook, have a lot of good recipes that include beans and greens, too.

I had a container of salad greens that I bought with the intention of having salad before dinner every day, but didn't end up doing that. Next time, I need to make my dressing before buying the greens--otherwise, I get lazy and don't feel like getting out the blender and all the ingredients to make dressing. I didn't want to waste the greens, though, and I wondered if I could incorporate them into the beans and greens. (This was a mesclun/spring mix, so it included some red and green leaf lettuce; and cooking lettuce seemed really weird to me.)

When I googled it, I was very surprised to see it's actually super common to add lettuce to soup and other hot dishes! I made creole beans and added several handfuls of the mesclun mix (chopped) while it was cooking. It all wilted just like any other green and I honestly wouldn't have known what the heck kind greens were in there. We ate it with red rice and it was delicious!

Of course, this morning I happened to read that there is a big outbreak of some parasite in fresh produce, causing cyclosporiasis (main symptom is explosive diarrhea, can last weeks). And guess which of the 34 states who are reporting cases has the highest number? Correct, it's Michigan. Particularly, my county and two bordering it. And the most likely source for it? Lettuce mixes. Naturally.

It can't be killed with the typical chemicals, bleach, vinegar, or from freezing, but cooking food to at least 158 F will kill it. So maybe being too lazy to make salad dressing saved my ass (literally) this time. Jerry and I are going to Eastern Market (a farmer's market) in Detroit this weekend, so I'll buy a bunch of greens there. Collard greens freeze really well.

There is also a Vegan Fest in Detroit on Saturday! Other than my friend Bonnie, who lives in West Virginia, I don't know any other vegans. I'm excited to go check it out and talk to some of the vendors, and not feel like "the weirdo" with crazy harebrained ideas, like choosing not to eat animals ;) If anyone else is planning to go, let me know and I'd love to say hello.

[I started this post by saying it would be short and to the point. Have I *ever* done that?!]

Anyways, my food has been great this week--tons of fiber, beans and greens for dinner, lots of water. No sweets or snacking after dinner. Eating a filling dinner has helped a ton in cutting out the snacking.

As far as my return to running...

It's been SO HARD. I've been doing what I planned (three days a week, only goal is to run farther than the time before, in order to build my endurance up to three miles again). I am still just so stunned at how hard running feels. I had forgotten what it's like to be a true beginner, and to say it's humbling is an understatement. It's also been super hot and humid over the last couple of weeks. I've been doing my runs in the morning, but it's still not very hospitable.

-Last Wednesday, I did 0.63 miles at 13:04/mi. Average heart rate of 148 bpm.

-Friday, I had a VERY hard time. I kept telling myself to just go slowly, I can reach 0.64 miles (just slightly more than Wednesday). I ended up doing 0.65 at 13:23/mi and had an average heart rate of 150 bpm. (The air felt thicker, so I think that had something to do with it feeling so hard.)

-Monday, I was totally dreading it. I'd had such a rough run on Friday that I didn't want a repeat. Thankfully, it ended up going much better than I expected. I even thought about doing a full mile, but then I realized that would mean I'd have to do more than a mile next time. I'd rather just do smaller increments until it feels easier. So I ran 0.75 miles at 13:00/mi with average heart rate of 153 (interesting that my heart rate was higher but I felt better).

-I ran early today, knowing how hot it's going to get, and once again, felt like I was going to die. I pushed hard to finish 0.80 miles at 12:46/mi and 150 bpm heart rate.

And finally, my weigh-in...

Last week, I was at 166.2, and I was 158.6 today--what the heck?! Believe me, I am shocked. I was unsure I should even post this, because it's very atypical; I must have been retaining some serious water weight or beans and greens are magical foods. I definitely notice a difference in my clothes, though, which is nice. I'm not expecting a big loss (if any) on the scale next week after a week like this, but right now I'm happy to see the 150's again!

[It's funny, I remember saying, probably several times over the years, that I "never wanted to see the 150's again". It hits a lot different on the way down than it does on the way up!]

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Wednesday Weigh-In: Week 1

Surprise! I actually stuck to my plan and I'm posting a Wednesday Weigh-In.

First, though, I want to apologize for last week's blog update email. I use a company called "follow. it" to take care of my rss feed--basically, whenever I publish a post, they send out an email saying that there is a new post on my blog. I even pay extra so that I can personalize the sender, subject line, and get rid of the ads (even if I left the ads on there, that money doesn't even go to me--so why would I do that?!).

Well, the site wasn't taking my payment a couple of months ago, so I decided to try again later--and I forgot. My payment defaulted and I didn't know it, but they reset the things I'd personalized back to their "free" plan (tacky ads, no subject, etc.). Meanwhile, I'd contacted their support so that I could make my payment (the site still wasn't accepting it), I made the payment and apparently everything was good to go. And then I was pissed when I saw the email that was sent out after my last post. You can't even really tell what it is! If I didn't know what follow.it was, I wouldn't have even opened it.

So anyway, I *hopefully* have it taken care of now. I guess I won't know until I publish this post. Moving on...

I honestly had absolutely no idea when or what my previous weigh-in was, but curiosity got the better of me and I looked it up. It was on May 15, 2024--I am stunned that so much time has passed since I stopped writing frequently.

Back then, my weight was at 145.4. Now I kind of wish I hadn't looked, because I hate seeing the effect the last couple of years has had on my weight.

A note about my shirt: I've been really into altering clothes lately--I started by just doing visible mending of some clothes with patches and embroidery to hide stains or tears, as well as covering logos with appliqué. Anyway, my therapist talks a lot about the importance of self-care and it started a routine that I've been doing for nearly a year now and I love it:

My therapist's office is right around the corner from a huge Salvation Army store, and after my sessions, I go pick out a "project piece" for the week. For the shirt in my weigh in photo, I saw the green hoodie and loved the color--but it had a Moosejaw logo across the front. With some inspiration from Pinterest, I gathered up scraps and made the "very hungry caterpillar" to get rid of the logo. I also embroidered "eat the rich" under the caterpillar to let out a little political frustration, haha.

Anyways, now I pick out a project piece each week after therapy and make something that either turns out cute or turns into a dust rag or more scraps for another project. But it's been a really fun routine that I look forward to every week. And then I usually wear my project piece to therapy the next week.

Here is another shirt I did. When I was in elementary school, we had a very fun custodian who all the kids really liked. He used to call me "Katydid" and I remember feeling special that he gave me a cool nickname (although I'm sure all the kids had nicknames).

Before I even get into my weigh-in today, I should mention a few things that may affect my weight loss/gain this time around. First, my age--I started having perimenopause symptoms about a year ago and from everything I've heard/read, it becomes *very* difficult to lose weight in the peri/menopause years. I keep hoping I'm the exception 😂 

I'm also not as active as I used to be. For several years, I was remodeling the house and garage, refinishing furniture, building things with wood, and it seemed like I always had some project that was very labor intensive. My favorite pastime right now is sewing/crafting, which requires a lot of sitting (I do keep my iron all the way across the room from my sewing machine so that I have to constantly walk back and forth, though--every little bit helps!)

Following my surgery, my thyroid (or the half that's left of it) has been doing the job so far of keeping up with my thyroid hormones. As long as that stays good, my thyroid shouldn't cause problems with my weight.

Anyways, about this week... I actually did pretty well. Jerry and I stuck with our plan of having some sort of beans and greens dinner every day. I've been taking pictures, so maybe at the end of the month I'll post the meals we've had. I've been trying to be creative so that it doesn't feel like eating the same thing all the time and it's surprisingly easy to adjust most meals to include a bean and a green. My digestive system seems so much happier now that I'm back to eating loads of fiber and mostly whole foods.

As far as running goes, I chose to go the way of a full beginner again (well, myself as a beginner). I've done four runs since my last post (first one was right after I posted), and my only goal for each run is to run a little farther than the previous run. Even if it's just a hundredth of a mile, I will eventually reach my goal of three miles.

Let me tell you, that first run was HUMBLING. It doesn't help that I picked the hottest/most humid day in the middle of a heat wave to start. For the first day, I decided to start by just going around the block and if I felt okay, try to go farther.

Well. I felt like I was going to die after the first lap around the block--0.41 miles--and I stopped there. It hasn't been *that* long since I ran around the block, but it felt ten times harder than before. And I wasn't even going fast--my pace was 13:01/mile. I don't know if the weather had anything to do with it, but it was already 80 degrees with full sun at 6:30 AM, and the air felt like a steam room.

Friday was run number two and since I know that running around two blocks is half a mile, I figured I'd do that. It was just as hot, and I was really not looking forward to feeling as miserable as the last one. However, because the distance is so short (relatively speaking), I told myself I'd be back home in less than 10 minutes, tops.

It definitely felt just as hard. Harder, even. I almost started walking as soon as I hit 0.42 miles, but I managed to push myself to finish. Total of 0.51 miles, pace was 12:42/mi.

Monday, it was 70 degrees and raining and I couldn't have been more thrilled. ANYTHING was better than the heat and humidity from the previous two runs. I was afraid to try adding another block to the distance, so I ran the same two blocks as before but added a short 0.02 by going just past my house. Total was 0.53, with a 12:49/mi pace.

Which brings me to today. The air was thick with humidity when I stepped outside to fill the squirrel feeder--and that was at 5:30 this morning. I was hoping that I was miraculously back in shape when I headed out to run and it would feel fantastic. Alas, that was not the case (shocking, I know). When I run a block going in a different direction, it's 0.63 miles total, so I chose to try that today. I figured that if it was too hard, I'd just try to make it to 0.54 miles and then walk the rest of the way.

Well, it was definitely hard, so I kept reminding myself to slow down. It's easy to pick up speed without realizing it and suddenly I'm struggling to breathe and I have to slow myself back down. Being this out of shape isn't fun at all.

Anyway, I gave it my all in order to finish out the whole 0.63 miles--I was only a couple of houses from home when, of course, Joey had to stop and poop. So I had to stop my watch for about 15 seconds while I picked up his poop and I could have used that as an excuse to just stop there, since I'd already gone farther than last time, but I started running again and finished it out. Ran 0.63 miles with a pace of 13:04/mi.

I'm going to consider my running this week a success. Even though it was extremely difficult for me, and I was very humbled, I did what I'd said I would--run a little farther each time--so I am happy with that.

And finally, my Wednesday Weigh-In. I didn't do an "official" weigh in for week 0, but I was at 168.8 last Wednesday, and today I was at 166.2. I don't really have any expectations for my weight because of the variables I mentioned earlier, so I'm good with this.

For this coming week, my plan is to just keep doing what I'm going. Lots of fiber, portion control, and building up my running fitness. I have to say, knowing that I was going to be posting this today was VERY helpful all week--the accountability factor is real. One week down, and now onto week two! 

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Run-Walking

I really debated whether to write about this, for fear of failing (again). But I'm kind of excited about it right now. Also, I tend to work much harder at goals when I make them public. Whether I succeed at this or not, at least I'll have it documented. I like that.

As I've said many times, I haven't been able to find one tiny part of me that wants to run. I miss running! I really, truly miss running. But the thought of going out for a run just doesn't appeal to me. I know that doesn't really make sense, but it's the best I can explain.

Anyway, I've tried getting back into running lots of times now. Using MAF training, 80/20 training, all easy runs, just heart rate, with pace, without pace, etc. One that I haven't done (since 2012, when I trained for the Detroit Marathon) is a run-walk method of training.

Jessica and I were both injured (runner's knee; IT band syndrome) so we did a run/walk method. We just decided to run 0.9 miles and then walk 0.1, and do that for our entire run. Interestingly, our pace was very similar whether we were run-walking or plain running.

I believe this was a round mile 24--we were MISERABLE in the heat!

I always get excited about trying new things--the novelty of it can sometimes carry me through until it becomes a habit. A habit is what I'm hoping for!

The most common training method for run-walking is the Galloway Method (developed by Jeff Galloway). In a nutshell, you run a "magic mile"--run your fastest mile and that speed is used to determine what ratio of run:walk you should do.

Me, being resistant to running has hard as I can for a mile, just guesstimated what my time would be. If I was to run all-out, going-to-puke fast, I think I could probably run a 10:30/mile pace. So, based on that, my recommended run to walk ratios (in seconds) are: 90/30; 60/20; 45/15; 60/30; 40/20.

That's a lot of options! So, you make a choice about which ratio you want to use (the first number being the number of seconds run, the second number being the number of seconds walked). And then you do that ratio for your entire run. I think I'll probably start with the 90/30 ratio. Since I'm used to running straight through a run, it'll feel weird to talk such frequent walk breaks. But I bet it will feel so good! 

As far as a training plan, I am going to follow my own plan--Base Building for Beginners. There isn't any speed work; it starts at 30 minutes, 3 days a week; and it's meant to be done at a very easy pace. I think it'll be perfect for experimenting with the Galloway Method. 

Since I stopped caring at all what my running pace is, I think the Galloway Method is a good way to get back into running. I have no idea what my pace will be with walk breaks compared to running straight through. But I'm looking forward to trying something new and seeing if it can get me motivated to get out the door for a run--over and over ;)  I'm actually, 100% honestly, excited to get started tomorrow!

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The Rad Rabbit Run

We're only two weeks into the new year, and already I'm struggling with all the goals I set out to do. After having such a tough time in 2022, I was excited for 2023 to be a new beginning. Well, as it turns out, not a single thing changes between 11:59:59 PM on December 31 and 12:00:00 AM on January 1.

I knew this, of course. It's like my birthday; when I turned 40, I hadn't suddenly aged enormously between January 24 and January 25 last year. But I have always loved new beginnings--and new years are my favorite!

This year didn't start out so well. The biggest factor has been the change in my insurance (which Jerry and I discovered why all the changes--we'd switched plans, thinking that we were doing the right thing, but it turned out to be very, very wrong). Jerry filled out some paperwork to hopefully allow us to switch back to our previous insurance plan, but there are no promises, and we won't find out for 5-6 weeks.

My medication change has been a bit trying, for lack of a better word. The side effects have been noticeable: I'm more tired, I feel sad/depressed, very irritable, lack motivation, and want to eat pretty much everything. If it continues for a another week or so, I'll talk to my doctor about either changing the dose or switching meds again. I'm so bummed that I've had to deal with this when my previous medication was working so well.

I didn't have abnormally huge goals for the new year: 1) Get my weight back down to maintenance range and stay there; 2) Run 500 miles total for the year; 3) Completely one project per month; and 4) Expand my vocabulary. Because I used the S.M.A.R.T. method to plan my goals, I felt like I had a solid plan for success.

It's not too late--I know that--but I just feel like getting off to such a slow start is disheartening. My weight isn't going down and I'm worried I'm just going to keep gaining. I've only run six miles so far this year--I have reasons, but I know that they are only excuses. I did complete a project this month (my cross stitch, among a couple of other things). And I did select a vocabulary word to learn, but I was supposed to have done one per week--so I'm behind a week.

I realize that these aren't that big of a deal and that I can get back on track quickly, before it gets too out of hand. The hardest one is my weight! Especially if this medication has something to do with it.

To get away from the Debbie Downer stuff, I got a phone call from my younger brother, Nathan, yesterday. He asked me, "Hey, are you still running?" I laughed and told him yes--every morning, in my head, I am ready to head out for a run. Then I just don't. He said he's been trying to get back into it too, but he's only doing a couple of miles every other day.

Leap Year 4-Miler, 2016 (How lucky I was I to get number 44 for this race?!)

He was wondering if I'd be interested in doing a race with him in the near future. Normally, I would have said no immediately. But Nathan never asks me to do anything! I wish I had a better relationship with him (it's not that we aren't on good terms--we just don't have much in common and we never really talk). The only thing we've ever really had in common was running.

The Santa Hustle at Cedar Point in 2014

I thought just because we do a race together doesn't mean I have to run it fast or try for a PR or anything. I can just run it like I would any other easy run; it would just be something to do with my brother. He said he'd like to do a 10K, so it would give him something to work toward (we could both run a 5K right now if we wanted--certainly not FAST, but we could finish it). A 10K requires some training to build up endurance.

So, I said sure--I'd do a 10K race with him. I looked some up and we decided to do one called the Rad Rabbit Run and it's in one of the Metroparks in Michigan. It's up north of Detroit--about an hour and 15 minutes away--but it looks like a nice course and neither of us has done it before.

This is perfect timing for me to work on the mileage I need in order to hit my goal of 500 miles this year. Knowing that I'll be running this race with Nathan (and that I won't want to let him down), I'll be forced to train for it.

Cheering on Nathan at his first marathon in Detroit in 2014

To train, I decided to use my own 10K Plan for Beginners. It has four runs per week: one day being speed work (relatively simple stuff, alternating between sprints and tempo runs each week); two days of short, easy runs; and one day is a long run (which starts at just 2.5 miles and gets progressively longer each week). I'm not going to be focused on heart rate or speed. I'm just going to run my easy runs so that they feel easy and I'll push myself during my speed work. I want to keep it as simple as possible!

There are just under 12 weeks until the race and the training plan is only 8 weeks long, so I'm going to add some extra weeks in there to build a better base. I haven't been running consistently for a while! I'm sure I'll use the treadmill as well as running outside--just whatever I feel like doing that day.

Maybe the running will help me to want to eat better and I'll be able to be more focused on that goal as well. Working on a project each month is easy, and the vocabulary word each week should be easy if I would just remember to do it!

Actually, I'll pick a vocabulary word right now: AUSPICIOUS. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary: Auspicious- showing or suggesting that future success is likely.

So, while the beginning of 2023 hasn't exactly been auspicious, maybe training for this race will help turn things around ;)

If anyone is interested in signing up for this race (I’d love to meet you!) if you use this link I might get a partial refund or something: https://runsignup.com/Race/MI/Utica/BadRabbit5k10kFamilyMile?raceRefCode=MoubJkhK

Well, here goes nothing…!

The Glass City Relay in Toledo in 2014

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Running Recap: Sept 1-7

I started this post in the afternoon, but didn't have time to finish it before cross country practice. I was SO TIRED today (my insomnia has been terrible lately) and I really wanted to stay home and relax after a busy day. However, there is something about practice that makes me feel so happy and energized when I'm done. Today was an especially fun practice (long run day!) which I'll write about this weekend. I just feel so proud seeing the kids work hard for their goals--and they certainly worked hard today.

Now I'm home and I'm dying to just crash in bed and (please please) sleep. I forgot how much time cross country takes out of my day, so it's hard to squeeze it in on busy days. The actual practice is only an hour, but I do a lot of work at home for it (adding up mileage, setting individual goals for each runner, planning practices, nerdy spreadsheets, etc.).

Today I had to meal plan for the week, go grocery shopping, run three miles, cook dinner by 4:15 (I like to have it done so Noah can eat before his night class), prep the cross country stuff, write a blog post, and then go to cross country practice. Each thing on the list is simple, but when you put it all together in one day it's exhausting! In a good way, though.

I did learn something very valuable today: Grocery shopping at 1 PM on Thursdays is the best! There was practically NO ONE at the store. I spent much longer than usual writing a meal plan this morning and by the time I was done running and showering, I had to rush through the grocery store. I probably shouldn't share this valuable information online, but considering how much I hate grocery shopping, I was very excited to discover the optimal time to shop, hahaha.

Anyway, I only had two runs this week (not counting this morning's run). I've been in the pattern of running one day, then skipping two days, then running one day, and so on. I had planned to run three times per week, but I'm happy as long as I don't skip more than two days between runs.

These days, my running goals are very different from several years ago. Running three miles every few days at whatever the pace happens to be is nice--I am loving not having pace goals, heart rate goals, or any other goals I usually push for. Maybe I'll want to run farther or faster in the future, but with all the stuff I have on my plate right now, this is ideal.

Saturday - 3 miles outdoors

I only mention "outdoors" above because I go through phases of running outside and running on the treadmill. Lately it's been outside, even when it's been really hot. I'm definitely ready for fall weather! On Saturday, I was having a very rough day mentally, which definitely affected my run--I just felt drained and I hoped the run would make me feel better.

It felt SO hard! I ran my first mile in 12:43, but it felt like I was running at a 9:00/mile pace. My overall pace when I was done was 12:18, and I felt like I had just raced a 5K. It's so odd how one day you can have an amazing run and feel fantastic, then just a couple of days later feel like death while running.

I guess this is my "well, that sucked" face, haha--I swear, my face was much redder than it looks!

Monday - 3 miles with Jerry at the State Park

Considering what I wrote above about skipping two days between runs, I hadn't planned to run on Monday (Labor Day) but in the words of Forrest Gump, I just felt like running. I already wrote about it on this post, so I won't bore you with the details again, but Jerry and I ended up going to the State Park. We ran the 3-mile loop at an easy pace, having a great conversation without distractions--it was so nice! A big change from just two days prior.

Well, I'm off to bed. Jerry has the day off tomorrow, and we are determined to get some serious work done in the bathroom. It would be awesome if I can get the wall between the bathroom and bedroom done--right now it's just one big open space!

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A Spontaneous Run Together

This post is going to be pretty short and include some silly pictures--it's been a busy day! We didn't do anything super fun but the weather was a very fall-like day, which is my favorite--overcast and a little cooler than usual. I had no idea that Jerry had the day off work today until this afternoon, otherwise I might have planned something. Instead, I worked on the bathroom project all morning and then Jerry and I both worked on it some more in the evening.

All morning, I kept looking outside and thinking that it looked like perfect running weather and I--ME, KATIE--had the urge to go for a run and take advantage of the weather. As I was getting dressed, I asked Jerry if he wanted to go with me and he said no. He doesn't love running ;)  

I suggested going to the state park for a run (I used to go there all the time and it's been who-knows-how-long since the last time I ran there). Still, he said no. I told him I was going to go anyway and as I was getting my running clothes on, he changed his mind and said he'd regret it if he didn't go. We hadn't run together in a long time so I thought it would be fun. We could go at an easy pace and chat without any distractions.

So that's what we did. And it was the best! As we were running, everything looked so familiar as if I'd just been there recently. I could even remember the mileage at certain spots along the trail. I told Jerry we should take a mid-run selfie and he certainly did--he took about a million and a half photos within 30 seconds, haha. So this is just a collage of some silly pictures (during and after).

I can't wait until the leaves start changing colors! I renewed my license plate today and added on the recreation pass (a yearly pass to get into the park) so I'm going to try to make it a point to run at the state park more often. (I always add the pass to my license plate but I never make use of it!) The change of scenery gave me a little spark of excitement about running again. :)

I'm SO excited for cross country practice tomorrow--the kids are going to go crazy when they see the fun rewards they can earn by running. (I like to call them rewards and not "prizes" because the whole point is for them to work for it.)

I really wish that I was able to express just how grateful I am and how generous you all are. I told Jerry today that I wish there was a way to SHOW that I am not just saying thank you; I'm stunned at how kind and generous people are for someone that they don't even know. So, please know that when I say thank you, those aren't just words. My heart feels like it's going to explode with gratitude!

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Weekly Running Recap: August 25-31

I'm kind of excited to actually be back to writing running recaps! I know they aren't the most fun thing to read, but when I'm writing about running, it means I'm actually doing it.

I feel like I've gotten to a place (for the first time ever!) that I'm starting to see running as an outlet. There are several times over the past couple of weeks where I would have just procrastinated the run or not done it at all because I was dreading it. Now, my initial reaction is, "Oh, man, I have to run today!" but when I stop and think about the run itself, it starts to sound good.

I like that I don't have a "real" schedule or any particular goals when I run. Sometimes I really need that structure, but at this point, I like doing things without a plan. I already wrote about my run from last Thursday, so I'll just go through the last couple of runs.

Sunday

Sunday's run was pretty funny. I started off going at a leisurely pace, just enjoying that I wasn't home cooking dinner. Running on Sunday evenings is kind of fun because you get to see all the stuff that people are throwing away--Monday is garbage collection day. (I mean it's fun to see things like furniture; I'm not digging through trash cans or anything!)

I'm going to try and do a little drawing on this satellite picture and hope it's not too confusing. The little yellow star is me and the little red star is a good-looking man running with his shirt off. The red arrow will come into play in a minute. (The other colors are just my running route.)

The guy was running downward on the map toward that little loop. The loop is at the end of the peninsula, so I like to run down there and circle the loop (which is exactly 1.5 miles from home, so it's a perfect three-mile run from my house) and then continue--only I stay to the left instead of the right in order to circle the whole peninsula.

Well, on Sunday, when I was at the spot where I placed the yellow star, I saw the shirtless guy (turquoise star) running the same route I just did. I knew, I just knew, he was going to circle the loop and then continue his run behind me. The red arrow is basically just where we passed by each other going opposite directions.

I was not delusional enough to think that I'd outrun him, but it would be embarrassing for him to circle the loop and then catch up to and pass me. So, I naturally picked up my speed--I couldn't help it! See where my route goes from blue to green? That's where I picked up my pace to pretty much what I could stand.

Inevitably, he caught up to me right at the two-mile mark. I called over to him that today is my easy run day; if I really wanted, I could crush his pace and run laps around him, hahaha. He laughed and then kept going, getting farther and farther ahead. Then my goal was to keep him in my sight; and after a few minutes, I didn't even see him anymore. He was definitely running fast! Although, it looked like it might have been an easy run for him, too.

Anyway, I had picked up the pace so much that I just kept going. When I got home, I saw that I'd definitely moved a little faster when trying not to get passed by a boy.

It's funny that you can see exactly where my pace went from about 12:30 to 10:30

I was exhausted after that! When your first mile is 12:39, and then you third mile is 10:20, that's a LOT of time to make up. I was pretty impressed with my 11:34/mile pace when I was done.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I did three more miles outside. At first, I really didn't want to do this! I had been working in the garage and in my bedroom, I had to go to Lowe's for some stuff for that, I hadn't cooked dinner, and I was just exhausted. However, I started to think about how it would feel to go out for a run and I found I was kind of looking forward to it. 

This time, I figured that since my pace was almost 13:00/mile last time, I'd try to go faster. My main goal was to beat my total time from my previous run--which was 35:20. So, I ran the same route and consciously tried to run faster. 

My first mile was 11:53, and I could have SWORN I was going 10:30-ish! My legs felt so tired. So, I picked up the pace to a point where it felt like a tempo run--I knew I could finish, but it felt so hard. My second mile was 10:45--I was happy to see sub-11:00!

I kept going at what felt like a tempo pace, and then I saw that my overall pace was 11:30 (with at least half a mile to go). I knew I wouldn't be able to hit sub-11:00 for my overall average (I was already pushing myself pretty hard). But then I decided to aim for sub-11:20. It doesn't sound like much of a difference from 11:30, but I was making up time from the first two miles as well, and it was so hard! I kept glancing and seeing the numbers going down so slowly.

When I turned onto my street (I had two houses until mine), I saw that my pace was exactly 11:00 and my distance was at 2.99 miles. I ran as hard as I could for the last moment--even going a little farther than three miles, just in case--and when I was done, I saw my overall average pace was 10:52! I was really surprised, but then when I saw my third mile, I was even MORE surprised: I ran it in 10:02. I wish I'd known it was so close, because I would have pushed for that sub-10.

The whole goal was to beat Sunday's time of 35:20; well, I crushed it with 32:57. I was thrilled with that! It's funny how my weight really doesn't have anything to do with my pace. In 2010, I could run a sub-30:00 5K at 180-ish pounds (as a beginner runner). Now, I'm under 135 pounds and it's a struggle to stay under 11:00/mile. It actually makes it kind of fun so I can see myself getting better.

When I first started running, I kept trying to beat my previous times, even if it was just by one second. I almost wrote that I'd like to try that, but then I'd have a goal and that would put more pressure on me, so I am just going to stick with running however I feel like it. This week went really well!

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Running Recap: August 18-24

Since it seems like I might actually be getting back to running regularly, I'm going to just start calling these recaps by their dates. I'll start my running week on Thursday and end on Wednesday (so that I can write Thursday's post after the week ends). Since I already recapped last Thursday's run, I'll just skip it and only have two today.

I'm going to keep these posts short and simple. Since my goal right now is to be a "hobby jogger" (a friend of mine calls it that and I think it's perfect for my goal!) I am not going to go into heart rate or speed work or tempo runs or anything like that. My plan is to just run three miles, three times per week; the only real rule is that I can't go more than two days in a row without running. I did this years ago and it was super helpful to keep me from waiting until the end of the week to do the runs.

I did both of my runs outside this week--even though it was midday and it was hot! The older I get, the colder I get; and I'm able to tolerate the heat much better. It's about the only time I'm not cold.

I actually chose to wear a tank top for my first run this week--really! I don't even like wearing short-sleeve shirts but it was so hot that I didn't even car who saw my arms flapping in the wind (if there was any wind, haha).

It felt hard! I was running really slowly, but my legs felt like lead. I went down the road that leads out of the peninsula, which is kind of busy (for around here, anyway) and people drive about 65 in a 45--and they're always distracted. I like that route sometimes, when I'm looking for something different, but I have to be careful. Anyway, I had negative splits (getting faster as I ran) so I thought that was cool.

I felt really accomplished when I was done. So sweaty! In a good way.

Today, I really didn't think I was going to run. I wanted to skip it! Brian came over to work on the bathroom some more and I helped him with that. We got the bathtub set and while we wait for the "stuff" to cure (I have no idea what it is, but it looks like mud and it holds the tub in place once it dries and cures), I just have to pick up some more 2x4s and the water fixtures for the shower. He may come back tomorrow to add the surround to the shower.

After that, I worked on more sewing stuff (my pile of clothes to mend or alter is growing way too big). Then I went out to the garage and finished building a work table for my jointer and planer. Then I learned Eli hit a pot hole and blew out a tire on Jerry's car, and I don't even want to write how expensive it is for tires. He really needed new ones as it was, but this expense couldn't come at a worse time.

At that point, I thought for sure I wouldn't get a run in, but I did--I changed my clothes and went out into the heat and humidity, and I sweat loads during a three mile run.

I felt like I ran so much faster than the previous run because it felt so much harder! But I think that's because it was hotter. (I just realized this run should have gone on next week's recap--whatever! I'll recap on Thursdays with whatever I've got, how 'bout that? Haha.

Anyway, I'm going to watch a movie with my two boys--I'm excited they both agreed to watch one with me! ;)

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Running Recap: August 12-18, 2022

It's kind of pointless to continue calling this the "Return to Running" recap like I was before, because I pretty much feel like I'm starting over from square one! I hadn't run in a few months prior to Monday.

I don't know what possessed me on Monday, but the weather was a little bit fall-like and I had the urge to go run. Before I could talk myself out of it, I hurriedly threw on some running clothes and my Garmin and headed out.

I know I always have some sort of plan for running (whether I follow it or not) and I usually have an agenda, whether it's lowering my heart rate, getting faster, or running farther. 

Well, I'm stating right now that I have no agenda. My biggest goal is to run three miles, three times a week until I'm confident that I'm running regularly. No matter the pace or time or heart rate, my only goal is to hit three miles. That takes a lot of pressure off! And since I'll be coaching cross country again this year, I want to be able to keep up with the kids.

I discovered a cool new feature on the Garmin Connect app that allows you to add your runs' stats to your photos. I figured that would be super efficient on my running recap posts. 

On Monday, I ran outside. It felt hard! My legs were tired and my throat got very dry to the point that it hurt to swallow (I definitely need to drink water before I leave the house to run). I did one of my favorite routes and I was happy that I managed to do pretty well! It was hard, but do-able.

I was actually really surprised by my pace--I was sure I'd be logging 13-14:00 minutes per mile. Still, it wasn't easy!

My second run was today. I was tempted to skip it, but when I was complaining to Jerry that my stomach just doesn't seem to be shrinking right now, he reminded me that I was in my best shape when I was running. That kind of lit a spark in me--I am eating really well and getting my shit together (I was hit with bad news a few times over the last three weeks and it's been emotional). I think that getting back to running will help me to feel a lot better about things (or at least forget for a while).

Today, it was miserably hot outside, so I chose to do the treadmill. There was quite a bit of dust on it! The first mile felt like *forever* and I waited and waited to hear the beep that signaled a mile. Finally, I looked at the Garmin and saw that I'd run 1.32 miles--I guess my auto lap wasn't turned on (usually I get a notification at each mile).

I varied the speed quite a bit as I was running--faster and slower--to make it feel hard but not TOO hard to where I wouldn't want to do it again. I was so hot when I was done! But I'm really happy that I'm still able to run three miles. I honestly wasn't sure if I could.

I'm curious to see if eating vegan has any effect on my running. Jerry went for a run today and he said it was one of his best runs yet and he wonders if it's because he's been eating vegan for about three weeks now.

Okay, so if I can just keep on running, I'd like to start posting my weekly recaps again (Wednesday through Thursday, so today will mark the end of this week). My body feels really good about it and it helped me to take my mind off of everything for a little bit. Maybe it'll even help me get back into reading! I used to read on the treadmill, but I haven't finished a book in a long time because I just don't take the time to read anymore.

Anyway, I did not only one, but TWO runs this week and I feel great about that :)

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Summer Heart Rate Training: Week 0

That picture is from March; I just didn't have a new picture for this post.

Well, it's been two months since I took a break from running to (hopefully) heal whatever was going on with my knee. The knee issue is so hard to describe and it only happens sometimes--completely randomly--so I think it's just something I'm going to have to live with.

I feel like it has something to do with the way I sit. I love to sit in the corner of the sectional with my legs crossed, and when I stand up afterward, I may feel pain in my knee until I walk around for a minute. Sometimes, though, it won't go away, or it locks up and feels super stiff.

Anyway, I don't feel like it's a big issue right now. I won't know if running aggravates it until I start running regularly again. And I'm looking forward to getting back to a regular running schedule!

After finishing the 10K plan I was following, I had planned to start a 10K plan by Matt Fitzgerald from the '80/20 Running' book. I knew I wanted to try out heart rate training that is different from the MAF training. Since '80/20 Running' is structured around running in different zones, I figured it would be a good plan to start with.

A lot of the plan (80% of it) is made up of "foundation" runs, which are done in Zones 1-2. This is basically very slow running and even walking in order to make sure it's a nice, easy workout.

On Tuesdays and Fridays, there are speed work runs: fartlek, hills, short intervals, long intervals, fast finish, and mixed interval. I like the variety; I think it'll help me from being bored with all of the Foundation runs.

This past week, I did Fast Finish Run 1. Each run on the plan has a number next to it--the lower numbered ones are easier, and they get harder from there. So, Fast Finish Run 2 is a little harder than Fast Finish Run 1, and so on. When I set up this run on my Garmin, I couldn't get it to sync to my Garmin for the life of me.

I was SO frustrated; I could have gone for my run, showered, and ate lunch in the amount of time it took for me to mess with the Garmin issue. I'm still trying to get used to a Garmin without a touch screen; I have a hard time finding the screens I'm looking for. That day, I wasn't able to sync the Garmin and I got too frustrated to keep trying. I just did manual laps (pushing a button when switching zones) and that wasn't ideal--I was looking at my watch too much and even then, I overshot and did the zones too long.

Eventually, I noticed the Garmin needed a software update and that's probably why it wasn't syncing. It took nearly two hours to download the update! I was able to set up Foundation Run 2. I even used a Garmin watch app that shows which 80/20 zone I'm running in. The 80/20 zones can't really be set up correctly using the default Garmin calculation.

I'm getting way off track here, so I'll spare all the details. It turned out that when I set everything up, I still managed to mess up the zones. Gah! It felt SO EASY when I was running--and I use that term very lightly, because it was a very slow jog/walk in order to stay in the foundation run zone. On the difficulty scale of 1-10, it was a 1.

I'm actually kind of relieved that I was mistaken, because I don't think I could do this plan if the runs were that slow. A fast walk didn't get my heart rate up high enough but a slow jog made it too high; so I was doing a constant jog/walk that required too much paying attention. I just wanted to listen to a podcast while going for an easy run. 

Which brings me to now. Now that I realized my mistake with the heart rate zones, I think it should be much better. I already posted this before, but these are the zones based on my heart rate reserve:

My Garmin has 5 zones, so for this purpose, Zone 2 is actually a combination of the Garmin's Zones 1 and 2.

Technology totally complicates things sometimes ;)  Running is the simplest sport there is! Just put on a pair of shoes (or not) and run. But with running watches and apps and smart phones, a super simple sport turns complicated. I wish I was willing to run without the technology, but I'm used it now.

Today marks the start of Week 1 of the 80/20 Beginner 10K Plan. I'm going to try this through the summer--it's 12 weeks long--and just see how I like it. I've actually never trained using heart rate this way (I've always used MAF) so I like that it's something new to me. Some of the workouts on this plan will be fun! Take this one for example:

That will absolutely require setting up the workout in my Garmin--there is no way I could remember that!

Wow, this post is all over the place. I had planned to write about the runs I did last week, but after discovering my issues with heart rate zones being off, I'm just going to call this Week 0 and the official start of the plan will be today (Mondays are rest days, so tomorrow will actually be the first run). I'll probably do my weekly recaps on Sundays.

Now that I'm not in pain when I get up in the mornings, I would really like to try to get in the habit of running right when I get up. I used to do that and it was so nice to have run and showered before 8:00 in the morning!

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Return to Running Recap : Week 45

This is not at all the post I expected to be writing!

A few months ago, my sister suggested running the Glass City Marathon Relay in Toledo on April 24th. I had no interest in running races since I got back to running last May, but the idea of the relay actually sounded really fun. I've run it before and the course is fantastic.

The relay is done with a team of five, each person running one leg of a particular distance. Jeanie asked if Jerry and I would be interested, as well as her best friend Audrey and my younger brother Nathan. It didn't take long to even think about it--training for that sounded perfect to push me to follow some sort of schedule.

I wrote up a relatively easy 10K plan (the longest leg of the relay is 6.6 miles if I remember correctly) to prepare for the race. Jerry and I have been following the plan and are up to running five miles for our long run.

Unfortunately, I've had issues with my knee and I still don't know what's going on with it. I cut back on running--instead of running four days a week, I've been running three. My knee hurts pretty badly the day after a run (it doesn't start while I'm running, but several hours after I finish and then continues the entire following day). Then the day after that, I feel fine to run again. So I was giving a full day's rest between runs.

As of right now, I haven't run since Sunday because my knee is still bothering me! It hurts to walk or even do anything other than stand still or sit. I even notice it hurting when I turn over in bed. I'll run again as soon as the pain goes away, but I'm frustrated. It doesn't feel like a typical knee injury and I don't remember doing anything to injure it.

Anyway, that's secondary to the other problem... our relay team fell apart! Audrey is injured and Nathan said he doesn't feel ready because he hasn't run in a long time. Jeanie has a lot of unexpected stuff going on and said if we really need her to, she can come out for the race but it would just be for one night. She lives in Illinois, so I wouldn't want to put that pressure on her to drive all the way here for the race that isn't going as planned. (I don't even know if my knee will allow me to run then!)

I did ask a couple of other people about possibly joining and was able to find someone for one spot, but it's just not working out to put together a whole team this last-minute (about two weeks away). So, it doesn't look like the relay is going to happen for us. I'm super bummed! I was looking forward to it.

The bright side is that the training has gotten me following a running schedule and I've improved my fitness since I started. Jerry and I both said we are going to continue with the training schedule (it's only two more weeks) and then I'll write another one for maintenance so that we don't lose our fitness. I'm really hoping my knee will be feeling good enough to run tomorrow, but it might be good to give it a few extra days' rest.

Anyway, despite the fact that this isn't going as planned, I'll write a quick recap of this past week's runs.

FRIDAY (Run 4 miles easy)

It was cold and a little windy on Friday morning, but I still wanted to run outside--and I actually went out there and started at 7:40 AM! It was funny when I was getting ready--I had no idea how to dress for the weather anymore. It's been so long since I was regularly running outside that I completely forgot what to wear for different temps. (It was 34 degrees outside)

I ended up wearing my Cold Gear running tights, a thin long-sleeved shirt with a running jacket over it, gloves, and a Buff for my head. It turned out to be pretty good--I was a little warm sometimes, but each time I got close to the lake, I was glad I dressed warm.

I actually felt so good that while I was running, I decided to run five miles instead of four; my long run on Sunday was scheduled for five miles, but since I was feeling good, I figured I'd just swap the four- and five-milers. I ran the same five-mile route that I was walking daily for months in 2020-21 and it felt nostalgic.

As usual, I covered my Garmin so I didn't see my pace, but I deliberately tried to run slower than I've been running outside lately. I wanted it to be a *true* easy run, so I ran at a pace that felt comfortable. A good way for me to notice the difference is in my breathing rhythm--when I run an easy pace, I tend to run with 4:3 breathing (inhaling for four steps and exhaling for three steps). As soon as I notice I'm breathing with a 3:2 ratio, I know I'm probably going a little too fast.

(I actually wrote a whole post on How to Breathe While Running, if you're interested--I learned about it from the famous Budd Coates when I was at the Runner's World headquarters. It's actually much more interesting than you may think!)

After five miles, I saw that my average overall pace was 11:20 (I was imagining 11:30, so pretty much what I expected). What interested me most, though, was my heart rate. It was really consistent for each mile! And it was in the ideal "easy zone" for the entire run (according to the heart rate reserve training I wrote about last week).

Summary: 5.01 miles in 56:46 (an 11:20/mile pace). Average heart rate was 147 bpm.

SUNDAY (Long run - Run 5 miles easy)

I already wrote that I switched my long run to Friday, so on Sunday, I just had to run four miles. It actually snowed on Saturday night, but after having such a good outdoor run on Friday, I decided to run outside. There were only a few areas on the roads that had any slush/snow anyway. (It was 34 degrees again, same as Friday)

I used the same pacing/breathing strategy as I did on Friday and I had pretty much the same results! My average pace was 11:21/mile and my heart rate was consistent. I was in the "aerobic" zone the whole time.

A few hours after I was done running, my knee started hurting; then it got pretty bad on Monday. I skipped Tuesday's run and I'm skipping today's run. If it's better on Sunday, I'll run. I've actually really been enjoying the outdoor runs in this weather. The weather is miserable for everything else, but great for running!

Summary: 4.01 miles in 45:30 (11:21/mile). Average heart rate was 145 bpm.

Okay, well that's what's going on for now. Maybe now that I'm not doing the race, I'll write up a heart rate training plan to start when this schedule is done. I like seeing the splits on the new Garmin!

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Return to Running Recap : Week 44

I don't have much to recap on this post because I didn't do much running last week! Jerry and I both agreed to take the second half of the week off and then start it all over this week.

We were working on Week 6 of our training plan, but we each had problems with it--mine being my left knee. It doesn't really feel like a "real" injury, but it bothers me the day after each run for some reason. It doesn't hurt while I'm running, but the following day it hurts. And it's not terrible pain, but more of a nagging pain. It almost feels like the top of my tibia is bruised (I know that's very specific, haha).

Anyway, I had been skipping one run per week due to my knee anyway, but when Jerry suggested taking a few days off and then repeating Week 6, I thought it was a good idea. I hoped that the extra few days would help my knee to quit bugging me.

And thankfully, it seems to have worked! I'm going to continue to run just three days a week instead of four, at least until after the race. I really don't want to risk having knee issues come race time. So, I'm going to skip the Thursday runs. (I wrote in the plan that if you have to skip a day, the Thursday run is the best one to skip.)

That means I only have one run to write about today, and unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess), it's not very eventful!

Tuesday - Tempo Run

Tuesday's run was a tempo run; since I'm repeating Week 6, this is the same run I did a week prior:

Run 5 minutes easy; Run 15 minutes at tempo pace; Run 5 minutes easy.

I liked that this was only 25 minutes total! ;)  I looked at what I did the previous Tuesday so that I could run at the same speed (or possibly a little faster) this time. I read my book while I ran, but the run felt hard--which was good, because a tempo run isn't supposed to feel easy. 

Summary: 5 minutes at 10:58/mile, 15 minutes at 9:02/mile, 5 minutes at 10:48/mile. Total of 2.59 miles in 25:08.

Since I got the new Garmin and spent some time messing around with it, I decided to try something a little different. I changed the heart rate zones to the default (percentage of heart rate reserve) rather than using the MAF heart rate formula. I'm not heart rate training right now, but I am curious to see where my heart rate falls under the default settings.

Percentage of heart rate reserve (HRR) is more accurate than using a percentage of maximum heart rate (MHR) because it takes your resting heart rate into account as well as your maximum. Lately, my resting heart rate has been about 70 bpm. 

I don't know my *actual* maximum heart rate, but using the well-known formula of 220 minus my age (40 years), I get 180. This method has been shown to be pretty inaccurate and gets less accurate as you get older.

There is another method called the Gulati formula that is just for women and it's apparently much more accurate. Your maximum heart rate is calculated like this: [206 - (0.88 x age)]. That would make my maximum heart rate 170.8 (we'll round up to 171 bpm). That seems a lot more likely than 180 for me--even when I run my very hardest, it's hard to get to the high 160s. 

So, I'm just going to go ahead and set my maximum heart rate at 171 bpm. So here is what my heart rate zones would look like when using the heart rate reserve method:

It took me forever to find a good chart for the descriptions of the zones using heart rate reserve, but here is a great one from RunBundle. You can put your own numbers in and it will calculate everything for you, but here is the description of the zones themselves:

This only lists four zones, so Zone 1 on the Garmin would basically be "Zone 0"--useless as far as this training goes. I marked the chart with red to reflect the zones on my Garmin. So I would basically run in Zone 2-3 for easy runs, Zone 4 for tempo, Zone 5 for intervals.

Like I said, I'm not training by heart rate right now (although my runs lately seem to fall into those zones) but after the race, it might be fun to try training with these zones for a change. I always like trying something new to keep things from getting boring!

I had no intention of turning this into such a long post about heart rate stuff (in fact, I think I said I *wasn't* going to write about heart rate stuff during this training period, haha!). Since I only had one run to cover on this post, I figured it was a good time to mention it, though.

Let's hope my knee holds up okay this week. Four miles tomorrow and then five on Sunday!

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