Day 27/63 – August 16th, 2008 Workout – Running
Went for a 5k run this morning and it felt sweet. I’m changing up my program so that instead of trying to run as long as I can each time, I do two runs where I focus on improving my speed and technique and then one long run where I just go as far as I can make it.
I’m going to map out some routes along the lakeshore trail and go there for my long weekend runs. It’s such a nice area to run through – better than running through the residential area around my place.
Day 25/63 – August 14th, 2008 Workout – Running
The weather just did not want to co-operate with me tonight. I was looking forward to a nice long run, but as I was getting into my shorts, I heard the ominous sounds of thunder in the skies. Panicked, I ran downstairs and took a look outside. A little bit of drizzle, but nothing too bad.
One ziploc baggied iPod later and I was off. I made it about 3/4’s of a kilometre when it really started coming down hard. I was feeling the running vibe real strong at that point, so I decided to keep going. The rain felt really refreshing on my skin as I took each stride. I turned my iPod off and ran while listening to the sounds of the storm – just really taking it all in.
It was an amazing run. I cut it short after 2.5km as I didn’t want to risk my iPod getting water-logged. I loved it and I’ll do it again, but this time with the iPod left at home. I’ve already had one die a watery death :(
Day 23/63 – August 13th, 2008 Workout – Running
Went out for another late night run and got up to 6.1km this time – took 42 minutes including a quick stop at the house. I’m going to stick to this distance for a little while and work on getting my times down. When I get a bit under 40 minutes I’ll up it to 6.5km.
Legs feel pretty good and 10 minutes later my breathing feels pretty much back to normal. I tried twice before and failed to get into a running routine, but this time it’s going well. I really think I just needed to get under a certain weight before it wouldn’t be too hard on my legs.
Day 18/63 – August 7th, 2008 – Running
Scheduling and other real-life crap kept me from Muay Thai tonight and I was itching to do something, so for a change of pace, I went for a midnight run!
I actually quite liked it – the weather was cooler, the streets empty and there was a certain peacefulness about running in the dark that I enjoyed. I think I’ll do this more often. Also – I just plugged my route in Gmaps Pedometer and I officially ran 5km for the first time! I don’t even feel like I’m dying or anything ;)
I set a new goal for myself – I am going to run a half marathon in the 2009 Mississauga Marathon. It’s on May 9/10 2009, giving me 276 days to work up from 5km to 21km. I am going to do it!
Day 15/63 – August 4th, 2008 Workout – Running
I went running today and I hit my 9 week challenge goal already! When I started a couple of weeks ago the most I ever ran was 2.2km. Today I went out and ran 4.7km and only stopped once!
I adjusted my running technique a bit and now I feel like I run forever. I could have kept going today even, but the dog got tired and pretty much refused to run any further. I actually out-ran the dog – which is amazing to me because he’s incredibly hyper.
I wonder if it’s all because of the technique change, or because I started thinking about it differently as well. In the past I thought about running as something I was just plain bad at. The last couple of times I went out, I felt really confident and had a really positive inner dialogue before going out running. I completely believed that I could run longer and I did.
If that’s not proof of the effectiveness of positive self-talk / attitude, then I’m not sure what is. It makes me think about what else I hold myself back from doing because of the way I think about it in my own mind.
Day 13/63 – August 2nd, 2008 Workout – Running
This morning I woke up and I felt good – I got a full night of sleep and ate really well yesterday. I’ve been running to work on my low-intensity endurance and so far my longest run has been 2.5km. I watched some videos on proper running form the other night and now it feels like something just clicked in my head.
This morning I ran 3.2km! I just walked in the door a few minutes ago and my heart rate and breathing already feel back to normal. Watching the videos made me realize that I was wasting a lot of energy by keeping my hands up too high and keeping my upper body a bit slouched over and tensed up. I set my goal for the end of my current 9 week challenge at 4.5km and I feel like I could have run that today. I wanted to just keep going, but I had to reign myself in as I’m leaving soon to help some friends move to a new apartment and I don’t want to be useless.
I feel really good right now – like I just smashed through a mental barrier that was holding me back. Or maybe I’m finally feeling the runner’s high for the first time? Either way, I like it. On Monday morning I’m going to get up early and run 4.5km. I’ve already set aside Monday as a mental clarity day completely to myself, but I’ll write more about that later.
Day 24/63 – May 17th, 2008 Workout – Running / Kayaking
I was up at the cottage over the weekend and really wanted to keep active and not eat a lot… pretty much the opposite of what usually happens when I go to the cottage.
So Saturday morning I got up and took the dog for a run. On the way to the Cottage I measured out a kilometer long route from the Cottage using the odometer in my car. I ran the first kilometer straight without stopping, then paused for a minute, ran 500 meters, paused again and ran the rest of the way. My legs felt pretty good and I didn’t get any of the pains that I used to get while running.
After the run I came back and chilled for a while then went out kayaking. I love kayaking – the river is typically very peaceful and you actually get the chance to come across some wildlife while moving through the water. The last time I was there the rental guy told me there were rapids up the river – about 90 minutes – or 3 hours there and back. The longest I’ve ever gone Kayaking before was 2 hours, but I was feeling good and had a lot of energy so I went for it. After about an hour and a half I made it to the rapids – they were flowing so fast I couldn’t paddle any further. When I got back after 3 hours, my arms and back were a bit sore, but not nearly as much as I thought they would be. I still have a long way to go, but I actually felt like I was somewhat in shape after that ride and it felt good. :)