Oh I don't even know anymore...

So we joined the YMCA!!  And now I'm just running for time.  I"m up to 20 minutes without a break and did 1.75 miles in that 20 minutes.  I"m aiming for 25 minutes by the end of the week.  I can't decide if I should then start working on running faster or more time first.  We'll see.  Probably more time.  I would love to clock an 11 minute mile by the end of the summer, but who can say?  I think I will start doing some sort of weight training at the Y as well.  We get some free personal trainer time and I would like to work on my arms and abs.
hmmmm....
Anyway.  The week thing is done for me, but I will continue at least once a week to update on progress.  And eventually a picture.  heh.

Week 7: Day 2...

yeah yeah yeah, I know.  It's been over a week since I have done ANYTHING...except pack, make it home, unpack, separate the kids into their own room, set up our room with a new bed and frame, and gotten the kids to and from camp everyday.  BUT we also joined the Y!!  SO today, I got to the gym and ran on a treadmill.  I am a little sad to not be out in the nice weather, but here the weather SUCKS! I would seriously have to run in the middle of the night... and even then, gross.  heh.
So, I ran.  On a treadmill.  I walked for 5 minutes as a warm up and then ran 2 13 minute miles (walking for 2 minutes in between the miles.)  SO it's progress, and considering I haven't run since last Tuesday, I think it's pretty good that I didn't die.  heh.  I didn't even feel like I was going to pas out.  AND I did random hills.  Now, none were as steep as the hills I was ACTUALLY running in the mountains, but still.  So my next goal is to get through 25+ minutes without stopping to walk.  I think I can do it.  I think I could have done it today, but chickened out.  I DID get new shoes before leaving the mountains.  Wahoo!  So far, no shin splints.  But I REALLY think that it was all due to walking down hill with a little on my shoulders that gave me the shin splints.
Anyway, onward and upward!!!

Week 7: Day 1

I'm going to be on this week FOREVER.  I knew today was going to suck.  I hiked down a mountain last week and carried Grace on my shoulders the last mile.  It was fun, but OUCH!  My back and shins were pretty much shot until today.  I would have run yesterday but we hiked to Triple Falls.
So I got up and went today.  5 minute warm up and 25 minute jog.  WHATEVER.  I did make a 12 minute mile and ran straight for 12.5 minutes.  Then walked/jogged the rest.  It sucked.
I will try again on Thursday morning.
My shin splints came back in one leg.  I think that I will go look at some new running shoes tomorrow.  we'll see.
Stupid 25 minutes.... I WILL CONQUER YOU!!!
PS I didn't do the hills for this... I ran the semi-flat lake trail.  I"m not THAT badass!

Week 6: Day 4

I rocked it out today.  I didn't run until 11:45, but it was sprinkling rain.  Mom played with the kiddos on the soccer field and frisbee golf course.  And I ran.  I did about 2.67miles today, and I gotta say that I felt like I could have run longer without walking breaks, but I'm not trying to hurt myself.  I will do this cycle one more day and then next week start week 7.  So you saw the picture of the up hill... this is from the top of that hill, which I think is more impressive.... heh.

And then there is this other hill, which I conquered twice today!!

And at the end of my run, there was a sweet little treat...

so, not too shabby.

Week 6: Day 3

I went back to the park today.  The one with the deadly hills. I made it up all the hills, I made it through the whole run.  I ended up doing ALMOST 2.5 miles (2.487-ish.)  It was good.  HUMID, but good.  Though, I have decided I probably should run in the hottest part of the day here so that I"ll be quasi prepared for when I get back to the coast.   sigh.

So this is a pic of my hill that I have conquered.  It doesn't look like much from this pic, but I'm pretty far away.  It IS a beautiful place to run though!

Week 6: Day 2

Much better.  No feelings of vomit or death.  Jerry talked me through loading music onto my phone, I got an adapter for my headphones...and while music only comes out of one headphone, it is a heck of a lot better than none.  I made it 2.45 miles and then finished the lap I was on as a cool down so went 2.75 total.  Not too shabby.  It is getting hotter here in the mountains, which I suppose is a good thing for me.  That means when I get back to the coast I have a small chance of succeeding in the heat.  I am sure I will have to back track for a week or so to get re-acclimated, but so be it.
I'm going to continue with Week 6 through this week.  My whole plan of being through the program and consistently running 3.1 miles by the time I got home has been blown to hell, but I'm okay with that.  As long as I am still sticking with the program, then great!  Once I can run 3.1 miles (or 30 minutes) consistently for a couple of weeks, I'm rewarding myself with a new pair of running shoes.  I still refuse to enter in competition.  This is for me, not for some reward of feeling like I need to compete.  Life has too much of that anyway.

Week 6: REAL Day 1

So I ran today.  It sucked.  A LOT! Here's this weeks drill: 5 minute warm up, 5 minute jog, 3 minute walk, 8 minute jog, 3 minute walk, 5 minute jog.
Gotta say that I only made it 2.2 miles.  And seriously, I thought I was going to throw up.  It was the first time since doing this that I thought that would happen.  sigh.
Also, my MP3 gave out.  That made me want to kill something.  Hmph.
I really am not sure that I would have cared last week... or even if it just been my last 5 minutes, but i gave out in the 8 minutes.  So, what do I do when my music goes out?  I talk to myself.  Admit it, you do it too.  My music just drowns me out.  My conversation with music is more centered on actual music.  For example, "I wonder what song is next?"  or "Ahh, this has a good beat for my pace."  But without music I tend to start arguing with myself, so the conversation is vastly different and rather frustrating.
self 1: Ugh, this sucks.  Why don't we just do week 5 again.  No one will know.
self 2: NO.  I WILL know.  You can do it.  See you are half way there.
self 1: BUT if we go back to week 5 then we will only have 1 more minute.  PLEEEEEAAASSSSEEEE?
self 2 : No.  Why don't you sing or something.
self 1: "it's a beautiful daaaaaaaaay." can we stop now?
self 2: sigh.  NO.  Look we only have 3 more minutes to go.
self 1: but we could WALK those minutes and it would be soooo nice.  Besides I'm not feeling well.  I don't wanna.
self 2: Suck it up. You CAN do this. Next time will be easier.
self 1: Oh hell no am I running again with just you and no music.  That is NOT happening.  Can we stop please?
self 2: No.  We only have 1 minutes left.  You can stop whining cause you get to walk in 45 seconds.  Stop looking at your watch.
self 1: But there is no timer for 8 minutes.  Only a stop watch.  I am NOT going more than 8 minutes.  See look we only have 10 seconds left.
self 2: *rolls eyes*  whatever.  walk and breathe.  See you made it through. You are just fine.
self 1: yeah yeah yeah.  whatever.  We are telling Jerry tonight that the music is gone and figure out what to do.
self 2:  You know I think people would think this is a crazy conversation and may institutionalize us if they knew this conversation existed 
self 1: Is there running in said institution?  hmmm.... [storing away for blog post]

so yeah, before tonight's run, i'm hitting radio shack to get a converter thingy for my phone.  those guys are REALLY annoying to listen too.  hehehe.