Sue Me

Last week was exhausting and honestly, as I look back on my intentions, I kinda failed.
Monday- Gym. - Done
Tuesday- 1.25 mi run. - Done
Wednesday- Gym - Done
Thursday- 1.25 mi run - Skip
Friday- Rest - Done (I don't think this really counts as success)
Saturday- Gym - Skip
Sunday- 1.25 mi run - Done

By Wednesday I had actually been active 6 days in a row and I was kinda beat, and my knees hurt.  I took Thursday off from running to give my knees a brake and so that Eron and I could run a few errands.  I copped out of the gym on Saturday because there were other things that I wanted to take care of and I just didn't want to.  So there.  Sue me.  I do kinda feel bad.  I mean, I only joined the gym a week ago with the intention of going 3 days a week and I already failed.  Ooops.  Well, today is a new day and the beginning of a new week.  Here's to getting better and doing more.

I did get in a pretty solid run yesterday.  It felt quick and I didn't take any walking breaks.  Woo!  I'll take it as a success and proof that perhaps my body needed a little down time.  An instructor at a yoga studio I used to practice at used to say - "Practice today so you can practice tomorrow."  I took that to mean - Don't do anything stupid and listen to your body so you can practice tomorrow.

My intentions for this week:
Monday- Gym
Tuesday- 1.5 mi run
Wednesday- Gym
Thursday- 1.5 mi run
Friday- Rest.
Saturday- Gym
Sunday- 1.5 mi run

 It'll be another jam packed week for sure.  Eron and I are still trying to find our groove with the gym and dinner.  We should have gone to the grocery store yesterday but we didn't have a menu for the week and don't think that either one of us was feeling like going out to the store.  So, to the store we go tonight, after the gym... I'm betting we have dinner around 9:30.  We have a going away party for a friend on Wednesday and we're hosting the end of season softball party.  I think it'll be a good week overall.  Hope your week goes well, too!

Da Gym

I officially rejoined the gym.  Who knew you had to make an appointment for a gym to take your money?  Seriously?  I'm here, I was a member 6 months ago.  Just take my money.  No, I'm not interested in getting my free fitness assessment where you will inevitably try to guilt me into a personal training package.  I'm good.  I've had two trainers already and you know what that got me?  Not a whole lot.  Just the inability to walk down the hallway at  my office without using the wall as support.  Yeah.  That didn't make me want to go to the gym 3 days a week.  Yeah, I like walking.  I'll stick to what I know and move on from there. Thankyouverymuch.

Not Because it's Easy

... But to make it easier.  I tend to forget that if exercising were easy everyone would be doing it.  It's not reallyfu easy and it's not really fun either.  I was struggling on my run on Sunday and had to remind myself that, no, it's not easy, but it will get easier.  So there.

Eron and I had a pretty successful weekend.  Starting on Friday, I squeaked in a run before we headed out to try a new-to-us Cajun joint down the street.  It wasn't bowl us over amazing but it was still pretty tasty and I know we'll be back to try other dishes.  We went home and snuggled on the couch to watch Tron.  It was good but I wasn't in love.  I kinda want those 2 hours back.  heh.  We were up Saturday morning to get out booties to the gym - not as awkward of a return as I was expecting.  From the gym we were off to spend some time on several dozen couches.  Yep.  We went couch hunting.  We did a lot of sitting and standing and sitting and standing.  We're pretty sure we found the one we want but we haven't really decided on a color yet. But, regardless, score!  I'm more excited about this couch then you realize.  Getting a new couch is just the first step in a downstairs make over.  Weee!  I made this for dinner - Pasta with Escarole, White Beans and Chicken Sausage with some greens we got from our CSA box.  Yummy.

Sunday was pretty lazy, Eron made us breakfast and we sat on the couch for the better part of the day.  I did peel butt off the couch for a 1.25 mile run.  It didn't feel spectacular but at least I got out there.  I know I can run 1.25 miles without stopping, but I still took two very short walking breaks.  I forgot my Nike+ so I don't know how well I did.  Eron said I smelled when I got back, so I must have done something right.  Eron made stuffed eggplant and we settled in to catch up on last week's Dexter before the new episode.  I was in bed close to 11 and asleep around 2.  Weekend = WIN!  Sleep last night = Fail.

My intentions for this week:
Monday- Gym.
Tuesday- 1.25 mi run. 
Wednesday- Gym
Thursday- 1.25 mi run
Friday- Rest.
Saturday- Gym
Sunday- 1.25 mi run

Eron and I have planned some quick meals this week and I'm hoping that I'll get in some sleep so I won't be absolutely zonked for this weekends adventures.

I Know...

I wish I had more things to keep you up to date on, but I don't.  I ran twice last week and as of today I'll have run twice this week as well.  I'm slowly trudging along.  I did bump my distance to 1.25 miles!  Hey, I don't plan on running a marathon anytime soon.  I'm building my miles up s.l.o.w.l.y.

I remember first days of track and CC seasons.  The whole team would run three miles - veterans and newbies alike, we all ran.  I think it was a test to see who would make it as a distance runner, who was cut out for sprints and what everyone's general attitudes were like.  It was probably a good team builder, as well.  Go figure.  If i tried to go out and run 3 miles today I wouldn't be lacing my shoes up for weeks.  My goal is to build up to 3 miles by mid to late December.  I may move that up depending on how my legs/knees/shins are holding up and how well the gym is working out for me.  I'm signing up for the gym on Saturday.  Say a prayer for me.

In other news... my knees hurt far less today then they did yesterday, and less then the day before that.  Here's hoping they don't hurt too bad tomorrow morning.

Thirty

I'm going to gloss over the face that I haven't posted in over a week...
Last week was pretty epic.  I ran three times!  A first since starting this little adventure.  I'm pretty proud. 

Last week I was lamenting that my knees hurt.  Now, achy knees is something I'm relatively familiar with, my knees weren't the greatest when I was running in high school.  I remember the exercises that the doctor told me to do (I'm not doing them often, but I remember them), I'm icing and I'm taking Ibuprofen.  I also googled just to see if there was any more up to date information out there that would help me out.  Runner's Knee is pretty common, and I feel, totally manageable.  I found that I should probably lay off the hills a bit.  This made me sad. Since I'm only running one mile I found as many hills as humanly possible to run.  My morning route had two, the route around my office was 3/4 uphill, and since I can't seem to get my high school coach out of my head, I'm not walking up (or down) those hills. I also read that strengthening my quads will help, since the pain I'm feeling is above my knee.

So, last Friday I laced up my shoes, and jumped in the car to run on a FLAT paved trail near my house.  Honestly, this hurt a little.  Not only did the drive take longer then my run but I couldn't loop in the trail, i had to do an up and back.  So I saw a lot of the same people on the way back that I saw on my way out.  Do they know that I only ran a mile?  Are they judging me?  Do I care?  They don't know me, what I'm doing or where I am in my running career.  Still, mildly embarrassing. At any rate, my knees didn't hurt nearly as bad after that run as they have on previous runs, so, looks like I'll be finding more flat routes.

I'm quitting Curves today.  Did I tell you that I was a member of Curves?  I have nothing against them as a whole, I think it's a friendly, safe, non-intimidating place for women to work out.  But if I'm really going to get in on this running thing I really need gym equipment that I can use to focus on muscle groups - like legs and arms and where I can jump on a treadmill when it's too crappy out to run.  And I apparently need to work on my quads a bit.  I'm rejoining 02 Fitness soon.

You may have noticed that I haven't been posting anything about any strength training.  Well, you're right.  I'm avoiding it.  I simply don't want to.  So there.  I've been lying to myself by saying that I need to ease back into running and let my body rest.  Ummm... but I'm only going to get stronger, better, faster by working at it.  I'm scared. 

In other news:  I turned 30 this past Monday!! *Gasp*  I'm not handling it very gracefully.

Epic Fail and Win

If week one wasn't an epic fail, week two was.  I wasn't sleeping well at all.  It made for a cranky, zombie like Liz.  I only ran on Monday and skipped the other days because I was too stinkin' tired.  I'm honestly a bit disappointed in myself, disappointed that I'm having such a hard time sticking with what I consider to be a simple task.  I'm not getting up three hours earlier and running 10 miles, I'm waking up an hour earlier than normal and trying to run a mile.  I don't consider this an epic, unattainable feat.  Okay, Ms. Grumble Pants is leaving.  So, how can I fix my problem?

1)  Go to bed earlier.  Seriously.  It shouldn't be that hard.  If I'm exhausted I should be able to sleep?  Yes?  Sometimes.
2)  If I miss a morning run I shouldn't call the day a wash, I should plan to run in the evening or at lunch if the weather permits.  Pack for such days.  It's very easy to go home, plant my butt on the couch and not move for the rest of the night.
3)  Don't throw in the towel.  I could very easily say - Well, I gave it the old collage try and it just didn't work out.  But I didn't really give it a shot.  I may have hit a few walls but I really want to stick with this. 
4)  Fuel better.  I don't think I'm one for the whole - a calorie is a calorie frame of mind.  A Snickers bar probably isn't going to get me through the morning better then eggs and toast.  I can make better choices and since work took out the snack machines a Snickers is no longer an option for breakfast.  Not that I ever had a Snickers for breakfast.

So, since I didn't drag my but outta bed this morning I'm going to run after work.  

In other Liz related news... Eron and I celebrated our 5 year Anniversary over the weekend.  Fondue, massages, total relaxation, and a lovely dinner out = epic win.  I'm a lucky girl.