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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Return to Running Recap: Week 43

This has been such a fun week for running! (Yes, you read that correctly.) I got a new Garmin Forerunner (running watch) and I was so excited to try it out--not only outside, but on the treadmill. I could write an entire post about the watch, so I'm going to save that talk for Sunday or Monday, and I'll just stick to my running recaps today.

I had another three-day running week (instead of four). I wanted to do my Friday run (3.5 miles) after I got my new Garmin (which was supposed to arrive Friday from Amazon). Well, I waited and waited and it didn't show up until 8:30 Friday night. So, I decided to run it on Saturday instead. Then my knee was hurting again on Sunday, so I took an extra day off this week, which I'll get to.

Saturday (Long Run - 4.5 miles)

Saturday was not supposed to be a long run. I was supposed to run 3.5 miles on Friday, rest on Saturday, then run 4.5 miles--my long run--on Sunday. Since I skipped Friday, I headed out relatively early on Saturday to run 3.5 miles. I've really liked getting my runs done in the mornings again. And it was drizzly and overcast without being insanely cold or windy, so it was nice!

Since 3.5 miles is a distance I rarely run, I didn't have a route in mind. I just started running and added a little here and there to a three-mile route. Well, I discovered that I'd overshot--big time. I reached 3.5 miles while I was still half a mile from home. I figured I could either run an extra 0.5 miles for the day or I could add an extra 0.5 to that and turn it into my long run of 4.5 miles.

I was feeling good, so that's what I did. I turned here and there on the streets and then made it home right at the 4.5-mile mark. It was a really good run! And my heart rate (from my wrist, not with my chest strap) seemed to be very accurate.

On the left is the overall summary and on the right are my one-mile splits (the fifth one was the last half mile). I was very surprised to see a 10:54/mile pace for 4.5 miles! I actually felt really good, too--good enough to choose to run an extra half-mile to make it my long run for the week.

Tuesday (15-minute Tempo)

I was VERY curious to see how the Garmin would work on the treadmill. As you know, I love to complain about the inaccuracy of the Garmin when I run on the 'mill. I'll explain more about that on my post about the Garmin itself, though.

Tuesday's speed work was a tempo run: Run 5 minutes easy, run 15 minutes at tempo pace, and then run 5 minutes easy. While I was just sitting and drinking tea in the morning, I looked at the clock and realized that since it was only a 25-minute workout, I had enough time to get it done before I had to drive Eli to school. So I actually got this one started at 6:12 AM!

I varied my speed a little and I can't remember the exact speeds I used. But the numbers here look faster than you would expect because the new Garmin is super accurate on the treadmill. I've been running faster than I thought this whole time! (Again, I'll explain this in another post.)

The splits for this one aren't one mile each; they are just the warm-up, the tempo, and the cool down. I ran the tempo portion at a 9:19/mile pace!

Thursday (Easy run - 3 miles)

Today, I wasn't very much in the mood to run, but my knee was feeling fine and I had no reason not to do it. I like the drizzly overcast weather for running, so I took advantage of it this morning. I chose to do one of my old favorite three-mile routes. I used to do this route a lot when I was training super hard for my 10K--I ran many super fast intervals on that route! Haha.

I consciously tried to focus on going slower/easier. Since I have to run four miles tomorrow, I was worried about my knee again. I kept my watch underneath my shirt sleeve the whole time so that I wouldn't see my pace. I just ran by feel; I knew I was probably going too fast, though, so I kept slowing down; then I'd realize I was going too fast again and it was just a cycle of that.

Anyway, it was a good run! It felt really long, but I liked running the familiar old route. (Although, someone who was looking at their phone while driving drifted onto the shoulder and nearly hit me! Stay off the phone when driving, pretty please.)

I'm happy with how the week went! It was super fun playing with the new Garmin (they've come a long way in the last nine years, hahaha). Here is a (Amazon affiliate) link to the Garmin Forerunner 245 that I bought; but if you're interested in one, I'd wait until I write more about it this weekend to see if it's what you're looking for. Or you can read DC Rainmaker's review--it's SUPER in-depth and that's how I make most of my decisions about stuff like this. His review is for the 245 + music; mine is the same watch only without the music option.

Weekly Summary: I ran 10.18 miles in 1:47:34 (10:34/mile average pace); average heart rate of 153 bpm.

Here is today's random fact of the day:

This one wasn't really of interest to me, but maybe it will be to someone else! ;) 

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Return to Running Recap : Week 42

Like last week, I only ran three times this week instead of four. My knee--the opposite knee from last time-- was bothering me out of nowhere. Nothing terrible, but definitely noticeable. I was supposed to do speed intervals, but I decided not to take a chance of running through the knee pain. After two days off, it was back to normal. Thankfully, the plan I wrote is accommodating to only doing three runs per week.

I had a great couple of outdoor runs this week! Here goes...

FRIDAY (Run 3 miles easy)

This was the earliest run I've had in a long time! I've had quite a bit more energy lately and it felt so good to get the run done early. I wanted to try to run a little faster than last time, so I set the treadmill for 5.3 mph and just ran at that speed until the last half mile or so. Then I just kept bumping up the speed, finishing at 6.0.

Summary: 3 miles in 33:24 (11:08/mi average pace). Average heart rate: 152 bpm.

MONDAY (Long run - 4 miles)

I was in a very bad mood Monday thanks to Daylight Saving Time (I used to say "daylight savings" but then a reader commented that it's "Daylight Saving Time" and not "daylight savings". Now when I think of Daylight Saving Time, I remember that. It sounds so weird not to add the s onto saving.)

Anyway...

I was in such a bad mood that I ended up putting off my long run to Sunday. And I'm so glad I did! The weather was PERFECT for a run outside. Since it was my long run for the week, I was happy to be able to do it outside.

I set my Garmin but covered it with my shirt sleeve so that I wouldn't see my pace. I was truly curious what my pace would be without seeing any sort of feedback and just running by feel. The first mile felt kind of hard and I was sure I was probably running a 12:00-ish pace. After that, though, I got into the rhythm of the run and listened to my podcast. I ran a route I used to run all the time for four milers, and it felt kind of nostalgic. 

I felt like it was too easy during the second mile and I picked up the pace a bit to see when it felt hard. But I felt pretty comfortable the whole time--a moderate effort level.

I was shocked, then, after I'd reached four miles and stopped my Garmin to see that my overall average pace was 10:46! I had no idea. Even better, though, I felt really good. It was encouraging to see that I've made fitness progress.

Summary: 4 miles in 43:05 (a 10:46/mi average pace). Mile splits: 11:33, 10:45, 10:38. Average heart rate was 151 bpm.

THURSDAY (Run 3 miles easy)

Today, I woke up to another perfect morning for a run. I know Joey has been missing Eli, so I decided to take Joey with me. As soon asked I asked him, he started jumping around like crazy, slipping and sliding all over the floor, haha. He hasn't run with me in a while so I hoped he'd be good on the leash. As he's gotten older, he's been so much easier to walk on a leash.

Well, he was way too excited and was trying to run about 10 times faster than I was able. I had to hold him back from pulling, which is tiring and not easy to do while you're running. I was worried he'd make me twist my knee or something. After half a mile or so, he calmed down quite a bit. Whenever we saw a dog he got tunnel vision and either yanked me in that direction or came to an immediate dead-stop, nearly causing me to biff it right into the concrete.

So, this run definitely wasn't a smooth as the previous. It felt harder than it should have, due to Joey's excitement, but it still felt good to get outside and run. This time, I was trying to push the pace a little since I missed Tuesday's speed work. Nothing too hard, but more of a tempo feel.

Summary: 3 miles in 31:53 (10:37/mi average pace). Mile splits: 11:08, 10:38, 10:05. Average heart rate: 154 bpm.

Overall, I'm really happy with my running this week. Even thought I had to miss one, it was fun seeing the improvement of my outdoor runs. My heart rate on my long run surprised me--it was lower while running a faster pace outdoors than it was a slower pace on the treadmill a couple of days prior. I'm going to plan on doing at least my long runs outside every week. It felt nostalgic and I miss my old routes!

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Return to Running Recap : Week 41

This has been quite the week as far as running goes. I almost thought that I wasn't going to be able to continue my training! Last Thursday after my run, I was putting clothes away and I knelt down on the floor in my closet for a minute. When I stood up, I didn't hear the usual crackling noises from my knee (it gives me the heebie jeebies every time I hear it); instead, I heard a loud pop. It was followed by terrible pain in my knee all day. I couldn't straighten my leg and when I walked, it felt like something was popping.

I iced it, took ibuprofen, and rested--I skipped Friday's run so that I could rest my knee Friday and Saturday and see if it was better to run on Sunday. When I woke up Saturday, it was still really painful and I looked up some stretches I could do to hopefully help it.

And here is the sure-tell of how old I am--while I was doing the stretches for my knee, I threw out my back! It would have been hilarious if I wasn't in so much pain. It had never happened to me before. "Throwing out" one's back just means the muscles in the lower back have been strained. It sounds so simple, but holy cow, it is SO painful and debilitating. I couldn't bend over at all on Saturday. 

I was absolutely sure that I wasn't going to be able to run at all, and I was really disappointed because I've been working on getting back to running for 41 weeks now. I had no choice but to rest all day Saturday--I couldn't move!--and I hoped the pain would be better on Sunday. The back pain made me forget about my knee, though! 😂

On Sunday, my back was still very stiff and painful, but nothing like it had been on Saturday. As long as I didn't twist at the waist or bend over, it felt okay. My knee felt back to normal, thankfully, so I decided to try to run. I had a great outdoor run last Thursday, but I went back to the treadmill on Sunday just in case I had to stop.

This is already long enough, but I'll post a quick summary of the three runs that I did this week...

Sunday (Long Run - Run 3.5 miles)

My Sunday run is starting to increase to distances I haven't run in a long time. I was a little nervous about this run because of my knee and my back, but I figured I would stop if it started feeling bad. Instead of doing the usual 5.0 mph, I ran three miles at 5.2 mph and then the last half-mile I increased to 5.5 mph. I just wanted to get it done! Thankfully, I had no issues with my back or knee during the run. Bending over to take off my running tights is another story, haha.

Summary: 3.5 miles in 39:45 (average pace of 11:22/mi). Average heart rate: 152 bpm.

Tuesday (Tempo Run)

This tempo run was 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes at tempo pace (slightly hard), and 10 minutes easy. I wasn't sure what speed to run for the tempo portion; last time, I ran at 5.5 mph. That felt like it wouldn't be hard enough to make any progress, so I decided to run at 5.0 for the easy portions and 6.0 for the tempo. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do 6.0 for 10 minutes, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try and I could always lower the speed if needed.

I was pretty proud of myself that I actually did it! A mile in 10 minutes. I can't remember the last time I did that. 

Summary: 2.69 miles in 30 minutes (average pace of 11:09/mi). Average heart rate: 154 bpm.

Thursday (Easy Run - Run 2.5 miles)

This was today's run. I was feeling really good this morning. My back still hurts to bend over, but it's much better than it was earlier in the week. I had a busy day today so I wanted to get this done quickly. I haven't been following my (usually strict) rule of keeping my easy runs at a low heart rate. I just don't want to overthink this training--I want to enjoy following a schedule that leads to a race at the end, leaving out thinking about my heart rate. I will get back to heart rate training after the race, but for now, I just want to run without overthinking.

So, I decided to run at 5.5 mph on the treadmill to shave a little time off the total. After a few minutes, though, I slowed it to 5.2 so it would feel more comfortable. I felt strong--really good. For the last quarter mile, I bumped the speed back up to 5.5. 

Summary: 2.5 miles in 28:23 (average pace of 11:21). Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

I'm actually pretty surprised that my heart rate on Thursday was as low as it was, considering Sunday's run was the same average pace and my heart rate was 152. I felt calmer today, which definitely helped.

Overall, it was a rocky start to the week, but the rest went smoothly. It's hard to believe I'm a little over halfway done with the training plan for the race! I haven't done a race in SO long; I'm really looking forward to it. The relay is the perfect race to get back into the game.

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Return to Running Recap : Week 40

I had an amazing outdoor run today! My first outdoor run since--probably November?--maybe January. Anyway, I'm going to jump right into my four run summaries so that I can keep this post as short as possible.

Week 2, Day 3 of Relay Training: Run 2.25 miles

I chose to do this on the treadmill, as I have been for all of my runs lately. Not only because of the cold, but because I like being able to read my book on the treadmill.

I started running at the usual "easy" speed of 5.0 mph and I felt really good--the belt felt like it was going too slow!--so I stopped my Garmin and the treadmill and reset for 5.1 mph. Not a huge jump, but slightly faster than I've been going. I started running again and it wasn't until I was about halfway through that I realized I forgot to start my Garmin. I wasn't about to do it over again, so I just started my Garmin and adjusted it later. I felt good throughout!

(The reason I started it over was because I have my Garmin set for splits every 12 minutes; the Garmin distance is slightly off when I run on the treadmill, so having the splits every 12 minutes when I run at 5.0 means they are 1-mile splits.)

Summary: 2.25 miles at 11:47/mile pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

Week 2, Day 4 of Relay Training: Long run of 3 miles

I never used to think of three miles as a "long run", but the last run of the week is the longest and will keep getting longer throughout training. Still, 3 miles seemed so much farther than the 2.5 miles last week.

I didn't do 5.1 mph this time; I went back to 5.0. One thing I really miss about being faster is that my runs didn't take nearly as long. I used to run 3 miles in 27-28 minutes for an "easy" pace; that's a big difference from the 36 minutes I've been doing! I don't mind being a slow runner, I just wish it didn't take so much longer, haha. Nothing really notable about this run; I just read my book on the treadmill.

Summary: 2.5 miles at 12:00/mile pace. Average heart rate: 151 bpm.

Week 3, Day 1 of Relay Training: Speed Work Intervals

Speed work day! I actually was kind of looking forward to this workout because the intervals are so short and it makes the time fly by.

Run 10 minutes easy (I did 5.0 mph)
Run 1 minute hard (I did 7.0 mph) then walk 2 minutes - Repeat for a total of 6 intervals.
Run 5 minutes easy (I did 5.0 mph)

I debated whether to do 6.5 or 7.0 mph for my intervals. Two weeks prior, I did the same workout only with 4 intervals instead of 6. For that workout, I did 7.0 for the first interval and realized it was too hard, so I did 6.5 for the rest. I thought I'd see how 7.0 felt now.

The purpose of short intervals like this is to run HARD. As hard as you can run while still being able to finish. I didn't want to aim too low, so I aimed high and hoped I could do it.

After the first one, I was really surprised at how good I felt. I even debated going a little higher than 7.0, but then decided not to so that I could be sure to do 6 intervals at that speed. Surprisingly, I made it through all 6 and I still felt good enough that I probably could have gone faster.

Summary: 2.58 miles at average of 12:48/mi (including the walking).
        Intervals (6): 60 seconds each at 8:34/mi; 2 minutes walking at 20:00/mi in between.

Week 3, Day 2: Run 2.5 miles

The snow has melted and the sun was shining, so it looked relatively warm outside. I thought maybe I should try running outside. I looked at the weather app on my phone and saw that it was 24 degrees with a "real feel" temp of 12. Soooo... I almost changed my mind, but I remember once upon a time when I *always* ran outside and I loved the cold weather runs! The treadmill doesn't give me the same feel-good satisfaction that outdoor runs do, so I went ahead and got dressed in warm running clothes.

Since this was just a regular easy run, I decided to cover my Garmin with my multiple layers of shirts and not even glance at my pace. I know distances throughout the nearby neighborhoods like the back of my hand, so I managed to mentally map out a 2.5 mile route--and interestingly, I hit the 2.51-mile mark when I got back to my driveway! I didn't expect to get *that* close, but now I know a good 2.5 mile route, should I need it.

The second I started running, I felt AMAZING. Being outside in the cold air actually felt really good. I tried to run at a slow, comfortable pace and just ignore all thoughts. I listened to Sword & Scale (a true crime podcast) and the episode happened to be about a crime that took place just a couple of miles from where I used to live. When I heard the host say "Brownstown, Michigan", I was a little stunned--it's a teeny tiny little suburb; I even knew the neighborhood where it took place. Anyway, that was really interesting to me, so I was able to focus on the podcast and just ignore the fact that I was running.

A mile in, I stopped at my parents' house to feed the squirrels, but that only took a couple of minutes. Then I continued on, mentally making up my route as I went, adding up what I thought the total mileage was. When I got to my neighbors' house, I finally looked at my Garmin and saw that I was spot-on with the distance. I was *very* surprised to see my average pace was 11:09/mi!

I felt SO good about that run--not just the pace, but the way I felt when I was running in the cold air.

Summary: 2.52 miles at an 11:08/mile pace. Average heart rate: 150 bpm.

Overall, it was a good week! I didn't have any awful runs where I just feel miserable or anxious. And the outdoor run was the highlight :)

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Return to Running : Week 39

Like I said last week, I'm going to TRY to keep these posts relatively short. Since I'm following my 10K Training Plan for Beginners, which is extremely low-key, there is no reason to get into details analyzing all the numbers stuff I usually nerd out on.

WEEK 1, RUN 3 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

I chose the treadmill (for all of my recent runs); maybe I'll start running outside soon, but for now I'm going through a treadmill phase. I like reading my book while running.

I switched to a new book and gave up on the previous; having a new (MUCH more interesting) book made the time go by a lot faster. (It was 'The Woman in Cabin 10', which I finished yesterday. Last night, I started Final Girls by Riley Sager.) I felt a lot better than the previous run. After taking a shower, I felt SO good--just happy to be running again.

Summary: 2.0 miles at a 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 1, RUN 4 : Long run (2.5 miles).

While 2.5 miles isn't exactly "long", these Sunday runs will be the ones that gradually increase in distance until I'm running 6 miles. I chose to run at 5.0 mph on the treadmill (my "easy pace") so this was just 30 minutes total. I feel good--nothing really to note, which is usually a good thing ;)

Summary: 2.5 miles at 12:00/mi average pace. Average heart rate: 147 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 1 : Tempo (10 min easy, 7 min at tempo, 10 min easy)

I was kind of nervous about this one for some reason. I had planned to run at 6.0 for the tempo portion, and it just seemed kind of miserable. Jerry said he was planning to run at 5.5 mph for that part because it's supposed to be "comfortably" hard. Not miserable. I realized he was right and I decided to do the 5.5 mph.

It didn't end up mattering. I felt AWFUL and I really should have just done an easy run instead, and saving the tempo for later. My anxiety has been terrible lately and on this particular day, my throat felt like it was closed and it was hard to breathe; my heart rate was at 130 bpm (this was before I even got on the treadmill!). My usual resting heart rate is about 60 bpm.

I knew right away I wasn't going to be able to do 6.0 and I wasn't even sure if I could manage 5.5. I pushed along, but the time was moving so slowly. It was a miserable run, and I know it's because of the anxiety.

(Interestingly--or probably not--the date was 2/22/22 and the amount of time I spent in heart rate zone 4 was 22:22. I haven't really been paying attention to heart rate zones recently, but that number caught my eye!)

Summary: 2.31 miles in 27:00 minutes. (10 min at 12:00/mi, 7 min at 11:00/mi, and 10 min at 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 154 bpm.

WEEK 2, RUN 2 : Run 2 miles at an easy pace

Thankfully, this run was MUCH better! I started at 5.0 mph and I wondered if I accidentally pressed the 4.0 because it felt really easy. But no, it was at 5.0. Time never really passes quickly on the treadmill--there is only "slow" and "slower" and "total torture". But I am enjoying the 'Final Girls' book, so I was able to focus on that which helps to keep my heart rate down. (If I start thinking about my heart rate being high it usually climbs, so I try not to think about it.)

Summary: 2.0 miles at average pace of 12:00/mi. Average heart rate: 145 bpm.

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So that was my week of running; three out of four good runs isn't bad! I did all of them in the morning, too, which is great. Usually I procrastinate until evening, and then I regret putting it off all day. The low-key, not-too-hard training plan is helpful in keeping me from procrastinating!

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