Running History

I've been really pleased with the running this time around.  I've been a "runner" on and off a few times in my life.

The first time was back in college - I regularly ran 5Ks and one of the first CrazyLegs 5 mile race.  At this time, I wasn't really a runner - I was an in-shape college kid that could run multiple miles without too much effort.

The next time was when I lived on a beautiful lake in Minneapolis - Lake Harriet (1994-ish).  It was a nice suburban lake with a paved path just short of 3 miles circling it - and with side options of a very nice rose garden, floating bridge through man-high cattails (very cool route), and a bird sanctuary (not as cool as I would have thought).  I started slow and steady with my own running program.  I started with running from my apartment to the band shell, which is probably less than half a mile.  I did that minimal route for weeks - running that short distance about every other day.  Once I was comfortable with that distance I then ran past it to the rose garden entrance and back; and again I did that distance for weeks.  Once I was comfortable with that I moved on to the next landmark and ran to it and back.  I'm sure for a while I was running more than the circumference of the lake because my landmark milestone (canoe dock) was more than half way around the lake from my apartment - so the there and back was more than 3 miles.   But it was not as satisfying as the day I ran straight through all the way around the lake - it felt awesome.  And I was so proud of myself.   This running continued for about a year until I switched jobs, moved to Schaumburg, IL.  The Chicago apartment complex was on a busy street and there just was not anything near as nice as running around Lake Harriet.  As the winter came, I stopped all running and did not pick up again for a few years.

Fast forward to a few years later when that company I worked for while living in Schaumburg was purchased/merged with another paper company in Dayton, OH.   We spend many months traveling to Dayton and along with that many, many dinners out.  And I've always found that when your on expenses and someone else is paying the dinners tend to be bigger, fattier, and include appetizers, drinks, and desserts - which leads to weight gain.   A bunch of us started walking to help counteract the impact of our dinners.  We walked around the parking lot of our hotels and corporate apartments most mornings.   This also lead me to switch jobs as I had very little desire to relocate to Dayton, OH.  At the new job I was immediately traveling again but this time I had a good friend on the same assignment and he was a marathon runner.  When I would go out in the morning to walk the parking lot of our hotel, I would see him running through the same parking lots.  He often trained in office parking lots because there was little to no traffic at the early time we were running and we could connect parking lots to make a large loop of about a mile.   I started the running again - this time making it more of a time based ramp  up program for myself.  I did this parking lot running for several project assignments and what really got me going was when I started running at home.  At that time I lived in the Chicago Gold Coast neighborhood.  My condo was directly across from the south end of Lincoln Park and about a half mile through it to the zoo.  I absolutely loved my home running route - I started through the park and ran a loop through the zoo - my zoo path ran pass the monkeys, lions, tigers, elephants and (my favor) the polar bear; then through more of lincoln park gardens, through the marina, and along Chicago's famous the lake shore path.   Total distance was 4 miles and it made me feel soooo good to complete that run.  At that time I got into running 5Ks most weekends, and did a couple 10Ks.    But then I had a minor ankle twist on the Gargoyle Gallop 5K - twisted my foot when running from the street onto the curb; nothing major just landed wrong as I stepped up and by the time the run finished my ankle was twice its size.  The next running mishap was the Run for the Zoo 10K which was poorly managed that year.   The heat index was very high and the TV weather people  were advising not to go outside and do not exert yourself - but still we all went to the 10K.  The problem was the run officials knew about the heat and were encouraging everyone to drink as much water as possible as we were waiting to start - but that created a problem that multiple water stops along the 10K had run out of water by the time the 10 minute mile runners (me) came through.   No water on a long run (10K was long for me) on a blistering hot day does not make for a good run at all.   Follow that up with a move to Wisconsin and again having a new neighborhood without a near as nice running option and I once again fall off the running bandwagon.

The next time I was a runner was a half heart effort.  I took Marty's Adult Beginner Running Program and started running regularly but with no real program.   Most weeks I made the BLS fun runs.   I was getting in better shape and my friend Niki from the gym wanted someone to run a half marathon with her.  Not sure why she really had the goal for herself, but I've always had a personal goal to finish a marathon so this seamed like a good step for me.  The training went surprising well.  I enjoyed our long runs together and had no trouble keeping up the shorter training runs during the weeks.  Our half marathon was not that satisfying or me.  The day was awful - cold (40F) and lightly raining at the start.  It did warm up as we went but around the 8 mile mark Niki's feet starting hurting and she couldn't run.  At first we just did walk breaks between running but by mile 10 she couldn't run at all and needed to walk.  She offered me the option of leaving her behind and running but I felt the right thing for me to do was to stay and walk with her.  We finished but our time as much longer than I expected or hoped for.  It wasn't a good milestone for me because I know I could have done so much better (faster).   Shortly after the Half, I ran into my own foot problem with planters fasciitis on my left foot.  I ended up in physical therapy and never really restarted the running - I did the occasional 5K and usually felt awful about my decreasing time which made me want to run even less.

Now I've restarted again.   I retook Marty's class and ran my first 5K in over a year and a half.   This time I'm using his running program of X mins run followed by Y mins walk.  The progress is slow.  I feel slow, and don't like what the walk breaks do to my pace per mile.  I'm running about 2.5 miles now for most of my runs.  And really there are times when I don't need/want those walking breaks - but I've still been taking those breaks.  I'm trying very hard to stay faithful to this program and start slow since that's when I've seen my best results and longest periods of running.  Last week I started his Trail Running class; which I hope adds some variety and fun into my running.   My current goal is to RAW - Run All Winter.  I hope to find a spring half marathon and really compete for myself at it.  I'd like to train with people but I need to set the expectation that we would be running alone for the Half.  I don't want to feel the obligation to stop running because of someone else.  I hate how selfish this plan sounds, but for myself I need to get one half marathon completed well.

I'm baacccckkkk

I'm back -- from Vegas and more importantly I'm back from the funk that I had when I got back home.

I'm not sure what overcame me but I was really out of sorts.  My eating was awful - chips by the bagful and high fat / high calorie choices.   My sleeping was off; the running continued (thank God) but the pace felt slow and sluggish.  My to-do list kept growing and my done list never seamed to change.

God I am glad to be back to normal now!!! 

I completed the Tosa Fest 5K run - a bit slower than I would have liked but overall I'm pleased with my ability to keep a program going and be back to active running.  Since the 5K and the completion of Marty's running program I've stayed on the program and have joined his trail running program.  Tonight I start my park and rec Pilates Mat class.   Net result - physical activity is back on track and feeling good about it.

My eating is getting better - smaller portions and healthier choices.  Today I has a kohlrabi while my spaghetti squash cooked for lunch and an apple for desert.   Yesterday's breakfast was an apple with nut butter and raw oatmeal.  Much healthier choices than I was making last week!

My to-do list is finally shrinking again - although to be fully honest is staying about the same because as soon as I finish tasks I'm adding new ones to it.  I have a lot of work to get done for the yard before winter and throughout the house.  And before when I was in my funk I wasn't even able to see all the possibilities and opportunities that are now on my to-do list.  I'm on my way.

I owe some updates from previous points -- look for that shortly!

You don't have to be well adjusted, you just have to adjust well.

It should not be a surprise to me.  I like to walk and can tolerate the heat much more than the average person.  Yesterday we went to the Vegas Strip to pick up our Badger Bash tickets and hang out on the strip.  We drove to TI (Treasure Island) and from there walked down to Harrah's and did a little drinking, a little gambling (I won $90), and little walking around between the various casinos, and watched part of the Mirage volcano explosion and the TI pirate show (which by the way is no longer family friendly).   I thought it was fun but would have enjoyed walking a bit more and spending less time in the casinos.   And wouldn't you know it, as the group was discussing the day almost all said something about how we walked too much and had to plan better so that we didn't have to walk as much over the rest of the weekend...aughhh.  Oh well at least I'm still getting in my running program runs.

And not only is the walking a difference between what I envisions and the group's plans/desires... instead of wanting to go anywhere the group mainly wants to do the pool and then eat big.   My friend Barb told me the group was renting a car so that we could get off the strip and do stuff - candidates were going to some of the parks for a hike, hoover dam, or lake mead.   Does not sound like any of that will happen.   And I've traveled enough with groups that I was expecting that nothing like that would happen unless we picked a day for it before we left....of course we did not pick a day.   I'm agreeable to the pool :-) but the 'eating big' is going to be a problem for me.  First I am trying to be healthier and second I am such a mindless eater that I will match the volume and poor choices of the group without even realizing I'm doing that - and our group eats large volumes and most of it deep fried.  It's fun and I enjoy it while I'm doing it but I end up with eaters regret.   What am I doing about it?  well I'm trying to control my breakfast and lunch choices to keep them lower calorie and healthier to help balance out the overall calories and fat for the day.   Dinner time? I know I'm eating too much - it's part of the vegas influence - but I'm also realizing I'm eating less volume and less deep fried than my group.  It's a small step but every step helps.

I want to point out I am having fun and will continue to have fun - this post may give you a different idea but it's message is to point out that change happens, expectations may need to be adjusted, and as long as you have a plan and adjust as needed then things will work out.    You don't have to be well adjusted, you just have to adjust well.

Vegas baby

I'm in Vegas for the long Labor Day weekend to see the Badgers play football against UNLV and have a relaxing weekend to end the summer.

I really hope to make it relaxing but to be honest it always hard for me to be away from home for anything more than a couple of days.  And this is 6 days in Vegas - and Vegas days are like dog years where they count as more than a regular vacation day.

Today I made it out for a run before 9:30 am.  The earlier you go the better as today is supposed to get over 100F.   The plan is spend the majority of the day at the hotel pool -- and my frugal side hopes I can also squeeze in a trip to a grocery store or Walgreens to pick up some Gatoraid and water for the room.  The hotel room water tastes awful.  In fact it's hard to rise the mouth after brushing the teeth - it's that bad tasting.  I did bring snacks - baked cheetoes, pretzel sticks, mentos and cola gummies (my travel favorites) .  These snacks help and it helps my mental state to have purchased these at home at regular non-inflated costs.

Vegas is never easy to eat healthy - there is much too much of late night food and no veggies.  But I'm going to make an effort to keep it reasonable - that means enjoying myself and with the group but keeping the excess to a minimum (and again Vegas has a different definition of excess compared to home).    So far doing OK - at the airport everyone was eating and had already eaten a small dinner at home and wasn't really hungry but I got the sandwich anyway.  And to be fair it was a healthy sandwich - we were at an organic deli.   I justified it knowing that I would not have a chance to have anything (healthy or not) for the next several hours.   And overall I think that choice was good because after we got settled into the hotel rooms the group wanted to eat and I chose not to order anything.  I had a few fries and a chicken wing that people shared with me, but that was much less calories, fat, and money than if I had ordered something for myself.

I need to find a way to get some decent breakfast food (my next challenge?!!) that I can start my day with while the rest of the group is still sleeping.   I'm hoping we get to a grocery store and I get a bag of apples and some granola-type bars.