Friday, January 29, 2010

Five, No Jive

I ran five miles yesterday, which I have not done in years! It was not easy, but not terribly hard, either. Finishing felt great, and I was able to run in the daylight, which helped. :) I'm slowly improving my mileage. Next week the goal is 5.5 to six miles on a long run, but I'll still do the shorter 2 and 3 miles for maintenance.

Today is a rest day - except for sledding and playing in the SNOW with my kids!!

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Running in the Dark

I logged 2.5 miles this morning at 5:30. I had plenty of energy, but I don't like running in the dark. It's a little scary, to be honest, even though I stick to the lighted streets. That's the only thing that kept me from going farther and faster today, which is kind of nice to know. I'm looking forward to an earlier sunrise.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Getting in the Groove

I've been getting up at 5:30-6 a.m. to run these days, since it's the only time I really have to fit running into my schedule. And let me tell you, I'm loving it - to my surprise. I actually look forward to those early-morning runs, mostly for the peaceful solitude. I feel much better these days mentally, and I'm a lot more productive on the days I run.
The mileage: Two days ago I ran a little over two miles, and yesterday I logged 4.5 miles in the morning (plus a two-mile, hilly afternoon walk through the park pushing a jogging stroller with the family).
Today I'm resting so as not to overdo it. Now that the weather is warmer (50s), I'm going to start upping my miles and sticking to a stricter schedule.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Back!

Today I ran 3.79 miles, if my pedometer is to be believed. I started at 5:30 a.m., because that is the only time I have to run these days. A light drizzle was falling, and it was dark - but not cold. The run was great, and I felt so much better the rest of the day. It feels good to be moving again.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

On Hold

I haven't posted because I haven't been running. It has been too cold to run consistently, so I decided to just wait until things warm up a little - maybe by the end of the week. Then I'll get started again.

And I'm ready for spring.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Snow (Sort Of)

Today (technically yesterday - I'm up at 1 a.m. working) we had a tiny dusting of snow. Schools were closed, so I wasn't able to run at all. Also, it was really cold outside - wind chill in the single digits - and probably too slippery for running. These cold days are supposed to last through the weekend, so I might have to postpone my actual running until the first of next week. In the meantime, I'm going to do some workout tapes to keep me going. On days like this, I wish I had a gym membership.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Rest Day

Today is a rest day, so I didn't brave the freezing temperatures at sunrise. Snow is predicted tonight, so I'm not sure about tomorrow. If the kids stay home, there's no way for me to run, and it's my four-mile day. So we'll see. I'm actually looking forward to running, cold and all. But I really would love to go sledding with the kids or make a snowman - or even a little snowball. Come on, snow!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Freezing!

This morning at 7:30: two miles with temps in the teens. My toes were numb by the end of the first mile, and I thought I might have to turn back. The grass along the trail was white with frost, and the puddles were frozen solid. I eventually eked out 2.14 miles and felt pretty hardcore. It reminded me of my New Hampshire days when I trained for a 10K with Trish and Janet and ran in even colder temps, even earlier in the morning, despite ice and snow. That was about 10 years ago. I've gone soft since moving back down South ... and running partners helped a lot. (Probably being 10 years younger helped, too. And I'm only at two miles. Sigh.)

Next time - thicker socks.

Here's a look at the morning frost, via iPhone.







Monday, January 4, 2010

Rest Day

Today was a rest day, according to my training schedule, so I took full advantage of that. I had work to finish, my husband was back at work, and my 5-year-old was still home on winter break, so I really didn't have time to run anyway. Tomorrow: two more miles in the freezing cold. Can't wait. :)

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Day Two

I ran 2.5 miles today .... and it was 24 degrees! I felt pretty good running-wise, but it was coooold, and I was worried about pulling a muscle, so I headed back right at 2.5. I figure I'm just getting my body used to the activity this week, and I'll try to increase my distance a little by the end of the week.

Then I did 15 minutes of stretching and 11 minutes of abs, while my two little boys did some stretching beside me (and climbing on me). My 5-year-old made up his own exercises ("put your arms out like Plastic Man! Now move your feet fast like the Flash! Now move your claw like a werewolf!") while I followed the stretching part of a workout DVD.

So here's to day two! I'm off to watch Return of the Jedi with the family. Tomorrow it's back to an almost-normal schedule of work and school. That's when the real challenge (time, time, time) of this running thing will begin.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

First Day, Not Bad

I ran 2.5 miles today in the freezing cold, so I'm feeling pretty good about my first day of training. I barely made it out the door, what with the sausage balls for breakfast and the lazy, holiday feel that is still in full swing around our house. You know how you get in a slump if you lay around the house all morning without a shower? That was me today. But I finally got into gear while the kids were napping (husband was home) and headed out to the trail with my new pedometer and an iPod full of This American Life podcasts. I actually felt that I could have gone farther, but I didn't want to overdo it - and that could be very easy to do considering how very little I've exercised the past year.
I know 2.5 miles isn't much, but it's something. At this point, that's enough. (Bonus: Kids were still sleeping when I got back.)