Still running

You thought I quit, didn't you? No, I haven't thrown in the towel yet. At least not as far as my running goes. When it comes to life in general.... well, that's fodder for my other, non-running-themed blog.

But, running-wise, a lot has been happening these past few weeks and I'm a little overwhelmed trying to think of how to cover all the things I have been wanting to write about. So I'm not going to try. But since my last entry was a little iffy in regards to my experience with the running group, I will say two things about the group:

One -- the second week with the group was much better.
And two -- it is a learning experience. Not always comfortable, but worth the effort.

I have been running 3 to 4 times per week and my long run is the weekend run with the group. Last weekend we did 3 miles. Truth be told, I did closer to 2.8. But whatever - the group says 3 miles and I say, Yes we did! (This is one of the up-sides of the group.)

My diet has been very good lately and I am beginning to see a slight downward trend on the scale. Not that we're focusing on weight, of course. Weight, shmeight, I just want to be healthy! Now let me tell you about this bridge I'm selling....

Of course I care about the weight. I am woman. I am vain. It matters.

Speaking of vanity, there is another thing I'm really loving about this running business. It's my legs. You're not going to believe this... but it turns out my legs have muscles! No lie. I mostly notice them when I am in the motion of sitting down and my hand brushes against my thigh as I sit, and I wonder, What is this?! Could it be... a muscle? I caress it and softly whisper, Hello quadricep, it's been a long time... I've missed you... stay with me a while, won't you?

Okay, so I don't caress it. Or whisper. That would be weird. But I am seriously digging the muscles.

Lastly, there was one other highlight for me this past week. My running buddy Suzanne mercifully decided I needed a little help with my wardrobe. So, in an effort to make me more comfortable and, more importantly, cuter, she took me to Academy and showed me what the hip young runners are wearing on the trails these days. Goodbye sweat pants and heavy cotton t-shirts, hello Dri-FIT and actual sports bra. I am equipped. And very nearly color coordinated. Baby steps.

I will run tomorrow (Friday) and on Sunday the group will do 3 miles (and so will I!)

The running group

It was such a busy week last week, I don't know where to start. Major milestones included:

• I ran a mile for the first time (no walk breaks). It took me 12 minutes and it was hard. I wasn't planning on trying this, but my trainer thought it would be good to challenge myself. It was a challenge. But I did it.
• No Coca-Cola. And no nighttime snacking. And my afternoon snacks have been much healthier than a bowl full of Cheez-Its.
• I had my first run with my running group. Honestly, I'm not sure yet how I feel about this. I plan to stick with it, but I'm a little ambivalent. I actually did love getting up early, getting outside, being downtown, and doing something - that was very cool.
  

The blurry picture doesn't do justice to how beautiful it was as the sun rose on the city.
(Don't worry, it was an official walk break.)

Summary of the week:
Monday - Labor Day. I had the day off from work and the kids were off from school, so no gym for me.
Tuesday - Ran the track at the gym. Increased my intervals to 3 minutes running, 2 minutes walking, thereby increasing my total run time.
Wednesday - Played a little racquetball, and old favorite sport of mine. Still looking for a partner though.
Thursday - Challenge day. Ran 1 mile without stopping to walk. [whew] Then walked/ran for about 12 more minutes.
Friday - I was going to do an easy run day, but was late getting to the gym and just hit the racquetball around instead.
Saturday - Housecleaning. That was enough.
Sunday - Ran 2.1 miles with my running group, with walk breaks every 6 minutes (or, for me, more frequently.)

Initial thoughts on the running group:
I told you that I am feeling ambivalent about the running group, and here's why. To me, the running group felt less like a running group and more like me following the adept runners at a distance and slowing down the other adept runner who happened to get stuck with me when the other two took off together. I had envisioned the group run being closer to a literal 'group run.' Having never done this before, maybe my expectations were off? I do realize that everyone should not have to slow down for me or take more frequent walk breaks for me, which leaves me contemplating whether or not I should continue with the group.

Of the 4 of us who showed up on Sunday, 3 are experienced runners. There are at least 3 others who may join us in the future - 2 of these are also experienced runners. I really don't want to be pushed beyond my capacity, nor do I want an entire group to have to cater to me. What we did on Sunday was too much for my current level of experience. The trail run I had expected ended up including several trips up and down stairs and a fair amount of running on concrete.

I assure you I am not being a baby and I am not unaware of what I am capable of. I do know how to push myself. I also know my body and I know what my training has been so far and I know that I am not ready for the mileage and intervals this group is doing.

So I am a little unsure. I would hate to give it up altogether. It is highly unlikely that I would get up early to go running by myself, and even more unlikely that my trainer/husband would feel comfortable letting me go downtown to the trail alone in the dark. My thought is that I could continue to show up with these people, and then just do my own thing. If I lower my expectations for some kind of group bonding experience, that actually could work okay for me.

If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them. Clearly, I've never done this before.

Goals for this week:
Keep running. Increase my run time. Run another mile.

Positive report

Last week was a good week. Several key things happened, which I am very excited about.

• I am now officially registered for the 2012 Livestrong Austin Half Marathon.
• I went to the gym every day (every weekday, that is.)
  
• I may have stumbled upon a running group to train with.

Firstly, taking the step of actually signing up for the race was huge. It took my loose commitment to an ethereal dream and made it a tangible goal with no way out. I am committed. It was surreal, yet exciting. What name do I want on my bib? What size t-shirt for when I finish? When I finish. [goosebumps] Thanks to my big brother for the motivation to make this small, but crucial, step finally happen. I forgive you for pushing me down the stairs.

Secondly, I went to the gym every day last week. That is also huge. Huge. After several weeks of being unable to overcome my inertia and get myself to do anything (besides hysterically flapping my arms in a chicken suit with my Wii Fit Plus), being able to get to the gym every day was a big accomplishment. And even better, it wasn't a terrible struggle. I wanted to go. In fact, I even wanted to run. Me. Wanted. To run. Dare I even confess? -- I enjoyed the running. No lie.

Lastly, sharing my plans publicly via the blog and on Facebook has resulted in a possible running group for me - something I never expected and honestly, did not think that I wanted. My friend Hannah, a former non-runner/non-athlete, ran her first half marathon last February. She's doing it again, along with several other of our mutual friends and took it upon herself to cobble us together into a training group. The plan has not completely jelled yet, but I sincerely hope it does, because I believe it will benefit me in ways that I cannot yet foresee. That's what my trainer tells me anyway.

Goals for this week:

• Get to the gym every day
• Run more, walk less
• Stop drinking Coke
• Find the joy