I have been an avid blog checker and fact finder about running. I found an article called When will running get fun. Disappointingly it said, when you can run for 30 minutes straight. Near impossibility considering my run today was more accurately described as a brisk walk. Of the 5 miles we walked, barely 1 of that was actually spent running.
I was happy that I accomplished more than what would qualify as a 5K. It took 1 and 1/2 hours to complete but still, 5 miles is 5 miles!
I have been feeling a pain in my ankle area, it feels like my foot wants to drop down instead of hold up. I have said this for the past 3 weeks and today was worse than any other, I came home and said to my husband, it really feels like my foot doesn't want to hold up. He said, then stop running on it. Great idea, I will take up hand stand running. As I lay in my bed groaning, I googled foot drop for runners. Much to my surprise, it exists. It is an actual condition. So much for those people who are runners, I have been saying this for 3 weeks and nobody told me it was a real thing. Apparently, disc problems in your lower back can cause it. Great, I haven't had one problem with my bad back while I was running and now I find out that the one pain that I do have is caused by my bad back. GRRRRRRH.
Well I will see if I can continue, there was a gnarly looking brace that some runners wear. I guess if I got that then I would look like a true runner, someone who has done this long enough to get a real runners injury.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
High school football game
Friday night I went to a high school football game. Now when I was in high school I attended every single football game both home and away games, why you ask? Not because I was such a vivid fan, but I was in the band. We played in the stands and marched during half time. Now that I am 20 years removed from high school the experience was different.
It cost 8 dollars to get in, wow inflation doesn't miss anything. You were not allowed to bring anything food or drink related in the stadium, capitalism at its finest as I paid $4 for candy and water. The crowd was the same, parents supporting their students and students avoiding their parents. Roving packs of teenagers all wearing the same things trying desperately to stand out from the crowd. We took a seat on the concrete bleachers and watched the band play the pregame song. I was thrilled! GO BAND I wanted to shout. The band made their way up to the bleachers and the game started, The cheer leaders came out, all long hair, tan skin and short form fitting uniforms. I remember cheer uniforms being the pleated skirts and covering more, these had almost spagetti straps and cut outs on the top and the skirt was a mini skirt. Looking down the line at the perky bouncing cheerleaders I wondered if there was a weight requirement and if they had to have long hair. They announced the football home team and the boys ran through the giant paper to start the game. I noticed a difference, when I was in school the football players ran through a giant paper, tearing it as they burst forth. These kids, ran through a banner made of material that had velcro holding it so when they pushed through it ripped neatly down the middle and was rolled up to use at the next game. There was also a fog machine that made it look like a rock show.
The game was the same, a bit of a blow out but the same. My eyes drifted from the players to the cheerleaders to the band. As an adult I can now see the inter-connectedness of high school football games. The band is clearly the low end of the totem pole but they provide the music that the cheerleaders dance too. The cheerleaders dance to keep the football players interested and the football players play to win the game! The band is only there to support the football team so it is the circle of life.
It cost 8 dollars to get in, wow inflation doesn't miss anything. You were not allowed to bring anything food or drink related in the stadium, capitalism at its finest as I paid $4 for candy and water. The crowd was the same, parents supporting their students and students avoiding their parents. Roving packs of teenagers all wearing the same things trying desperately to stand out from the crowd. We took a seat on the concrete bleachers and watched the band play the pregame song. I was thrilled! GO BAND I wanted to shout. The band made their way up to the bleachers and the game started, The cheer leaders came out, all long hair, tan skin and short form fitting uniforms. I remember cheer uniforms being the pleated skirts and covering more, these had almost spagetti straps and cut outs on the top and the skirt was a mini skirt. Looking down the line at the perky bouncing cheerleaders I wondered if there was a weight requirement and if they had to have long hair. They announced the football home team and the boys ran through the giant paper to start the game. I noticed a difference, when I was in school the football players ran through a giant paper, tearing it as they burst forth. These kids, ran through a banner made of material that had velcro holding it so when they pushed through it ripped neatly down the middle and was rolled up to use at the next game. There was also a fog machine that made it look like a rock show.
The game was the same, a bit of a blow out but the same. My eyes drifted from the players to the cheerleaders to the band. As an adult I can now see the inter-connectedness of high school football games. The band is clearly the low end of the totem pole but they provide the music that the cheerleaders dance too. The cheerleaders dance to keep the football players interested and the football players play to win the game! The band is only there to support the football team so it is the circle of life.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Post the stats
Well let me start with the stats.
Running time has gone from 1 mile in 20 minutes down to 4 miles in an hour. (For those of you who have math issues, that is 15 minute mile) Yea!
Secondly, lets not gloss over the fact that I run/walked 4 miles in a row!
Thirdly, I have lost 7 pounds and my J-Lo booty is starting to slim down.
Lastly, I had my first runners injury, well not really an injury, but my ankle was swollen and tender from the 4 miles. I did take a Motrin to help with the pain so I guess it qualifies as an injury. The interesting thing is that I said, "doesn't matter, I don't run again until Tuesday so it should be fine by then" I really am getting the runners bug, I even asked a runner for advice on finding my breath.
Here is what I have noticed, women tend to run in packs, makes sense, we go to the bathroom in packs so why not run in packs. Women tend to care what they look like running, hair smoothed back in a pony tail, top and pants are matching, lycra over the jiggly parts, while men don't mind running alone and even though they have a beer gut, they are proudly running down the trail shirtless. I didn't see one woman running in just a sports bra and shorts, even the model type marathon runner women were covered up. What is that about?
I am beginning to think that running is expensive. The shoes, the outfits, the runners pack, all the specialty items for long distance running. Being a couch potato was much less expensive.
People are telling me their runners stories, a man who ran a marathon with no training, a lady who just qualified for the iron man. I looked it up, the iron man is running a marathon, swimming 2.4 miles and biking 117 miles. What the heck! Are these stories meant to inspire? Cause they don't. Even the lady who told me she ran a 5K on her 50th birthday doesn't inspire me. Where are the people who just say Wow, good job, you go girl, that is amazing, I know you can do it. That is what I need!
Running time has gone from 1 mile in 20 minutes down to 4 miles in an hour. (For those of you who have math issues, that is 15 minute mile) Yea!
Secondly, lets not gloss over the fact that I run/walked 4 miles in a row!
Thirdly, I have lost 7 pounds and my J-Lo booty is starting to slim down.
Lastly, I had my first runners injury, well not really an injury, but my ankle was swollen and tender from the 4 miles. I did take a Motrin to help with the pain so I guess it qualifies as an injury. The interesting thing is that I said, "doesn't matter, I don't run again until Tuesday so it should be fine by then" I really am getting the runners bug, I even asked a runner for advice on finding my breath.
Here is what I have noticed, women tend to run in packs, makes sense, we go to the bathroom in packs so why not run in packs. Women tend to care what they look like running, hair smoothed back in a pony tail, top and pants are matching, lycra over the jiggly parts, while men don't mind running alone and even though they have a beer gut, they are proudly running down the trail shirtless. I didn't see one woman running in just a sports bra and shorts, even the model type marathon runner women were covered up. What is that about?
I am beginning to think that running is expensive. The shoes, the outfits, the runners pack, all the specialty items for long distance running. Being a couch potato was much less expensive.
People are telling me their runners stories, a man who ran a marathon with no training, a lady who just qualified for the iron man. I looked it up, the iron man is running a marathon, swimming 2.4 miles and biking 117 miles. What the heck! Are these stories meant to inspire? Cause they don't. Even the lady who told me she ran a 5K on her 50th birthday doesn't inspire me. Where are the people who just say Wow, good job, you go girl, that is amazing, I know you can do it. That is what I need!
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
I think I am catching the running bug
What is happening to me? I am starting to like the running. I like pushing myself to beat the previous time, to push a bit further.
I am up from my 20 minute mile to an 18 minute mile and a half. (yes I hear you avid runners snickering in the background) well forget you nay sayers, I am proud of my progress.
I am up from my 20 minute mile to an 18 minute mile and a half. (yes I hear you avid runners snickering in the background) well forget you nay sayers, I am proud of my progress.
Home Town (diet killer) Buffet
When someone suggested Home Town Buffet for dinner I innocently said sure, there are tons of options, I can make wise choices. For goodness sake they have an entire bar for salads, how bad can it be.
I started with the strawberry almond salad which was seriously lacking in almonds and for some reason had mandarin orange slices in it. That led me to a bit of fish and a spinach casserole. Not bad I thoughts, yes there is cheese in the spinach but overall this is a wise choice. Better than the carrots swimming in butter. I ate those and took a plate to go see what other wise choices I could make.
Then it happened, a small little voice calling to me from the dessert bar. I brushed it away like a gnat but it persisted, a man came out from the cleverly hidden dessert bar with a cheesecake and ice cream. It peaked my interest., I went over with a full sized plate just intending to look when that still small voice became a full fledged crack dealer smoothly feeding me lines about how I needed this, how good it would taste, how it would make me feel good.
All will power vanished and I dived into a scoop of peach cobbler (a weakness for any southerner) and then noticed an apple oatmeal crisp. The voice told me that I would just have a bite of the peach cobbler and then apples and oatmeal is healthy so that would be a better choice. Then a man moved away and there where he had been was a chocolaty pile of fudgy, cakey goodness. I no longer needed the crack dealer voice in my head, I was all in. My regular size plate was full of yummy, sugary sweet treats. I would love to say that back at my table I only sampled the things on my plate but a better description would be that I was licking the plate clean when the worker came to collect it.
Fullness set in, that uncomfortable fullness that tells you that you ate too much. . But not just that fullness, a fullness filled with knowledge that you have completely killed your diet today. Well because I am a woman and need the commissary of friends, I text my 3 diet buddies to confess, no confess is not the right word, to warn them that Home Town Buffet is a diet trap and to avoid it at all cost. Slowly over the next couple of hours I got 3 texts back all confessing their diet failures that day. A sense of balance found me, the world was right again. Diets are meant to slow the intake of too many calories or fat grams or whatever you are counting, but like all the best anarchy songs out there sometimes you just got to fight the system.
I started with the strawberry almond salad which was seriously lacking in almonds and for some reason had mandarin orange slices in it. That led me to a bit of fish and a spinach casserole. Not bad I thoughts, yes there is cheese in the spinach but overall this is a wise choice. Better than the carrots swimming in butter. I ate those and took a plate to go see what other wise choices I could make.
Then it happened, a small little voice calling to me from the dessert bar. I brushed it away like a gnat but it persisted, a man came out from the cleverly hidden dessert bar with a cheesecake and ice cream. It peaked my interest., I went over with a full sized plate just intending to look when that still small voice became a full fledged crack dealer smoothly feeding me lines about how I needed this, how good it would taste, how it would make me feel good.
All will power vanished and I dived into a scoop of peach cobbler (a weakness for any southerner) and then noticed an apple oatmeal crisp. The voice told me that I would just have a bite of the peach cobbler and then apples and oatmeal is healthy so that would be a better choice. Then a man moved away and there where he had been was a chocolaty pile of fudgy, cakey goodness. I no longer needed the crack dealer voice in my head, I was all in. My regular size plate was full of yummy, sugary sweet treats. I would love to say that back at my table I only sampled the things on my plate but a better description would be that I was licking the plate clean when the worker came to collect it.
Fullness set in, that uncomfortable fullness that tells you that you ate too much. . But not just that fullness, a fullness filled with knowledge that you have completely killed your diet today. Well because I am a woman and need the commissary of friends, I text my 3 diet buddies to confess, no confess is not the right word, to warn them that Home Town Buffet is a diet trap and to avoid it at all cost. Slowly over the next couple of hours I got 3 texts back all confessing their diet failures that day. A sense of balance found me, the world was right again. Diets are meant to slow the intake of too many calories or fat grams or whatever you are counting, but like all the best anarchy songs out there sometimes you just got to fight the system.
Thursday, September 6, 2012
I survived
Well I went running, with my new running shoes.
It took me 20 minutes to complete a mile but I did it.
Isn't there supposed to be some kind of runners high? Endorphin's and stuff like that?
Well all I got was tired and sweaty.
But I made it, I have to run again on Thursday so we will see if the fact that I survived was a fluke or if I can do it again tonight.
(it just dawned on me that actual runners probably don't say things like "I have to run again on Thursday" they probably say "I am so excited that I get to go running tonight" )
Baby steps for me! Is there such a thing as baby running steps?
It took me 20 minutes to complete a mile but I did it.
Isn't there supposed to be some kind of runners high? Endorphin's and stuff like that?
Well all I got was tired and sweaty.
But I made it, I have to run again on Thursday so we will see if the fact that I survived was a fluke or if I can do it again tonight.
(it just dawned on me that actual runners probably don't say things like "I have to run again on Thursday" they probably say "I am so excited that I get to go running tonight" )
Baby steps for me! Is there such a thing as baby running steps?
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Do not read page 108, trust me, put the magazine down.
I turn 40 next year so it was decided that we would do this before I turned 40. Sounds like a bucket list type of goal right? I am always up for checking a bucket list item off my list. What I failed to consider in my sunny poolside coma, is that RUNNING IS HARD. I do not have a runners body, I do not run. period. Perhaps the fact that I didn't own runners shoes should have been a clue but no, I was swept away with the idea of it.
The only time I have run in the past is if someone is chasing me and even then if I have pepper spray I am not going to run. So what would make me think at 39, I should train for a half marathon?
Don't get me wrong, when I was buying shoes I tossed out "I am training for a half-marathon" with the swagger of a seasoned runner. I tried them on and strutted around the store, even jogging in place to "test them out". But then I drove home and the reality of what I had committed to began to creep in, I had a nagging feeling that perhaps I couldn't do it. It is after all 13.1 miles, of running. I secretly hoped my friend would bail out and I would have an easy excuse to not wear the shoes and train. But there was a part of me that knew I was in it for the long haul.
So Day 1 of training was 30 minutes of cardio. I chose water aerobics taught by a family friend in her swimming pool. She was hugely supportive and I thought, this is good, support is the key to making this happen. Then I got in the water, she turned on the music and 30 minutes later I was questioning our friendship. Didn't I mention that this was DAY 1? Why was she pushing me so hard! I got out of the pool and with noodle arms and legs I made my way to my towel. After crashing on the couch and eating dinner I had recovered enough to drive home. I was kind of proud of myself, this was going to work! That nagging feeling came over me again as I thought of Day 2 of training, run/walk a mile to build endurance. WHAT? Run a mile on the 2nd day of training? What ever happened to easing into something? If I don't die on the track tonight, I will post again to track my progress.
Unable to communicate about Africa
I have been back in the states for a month now and have not been able put into words the trip I had. Before I left, I had hopes of filling this blog with my experiences, however upon my return, I have not been able to find the words that would capture the beauty, depth, abject poverty, terrorizing violence, and overwhelmingly amazing experiences I had there.
Sorry. . . sometimes God closes our mouth for a time.
Sorry. . . sometimes God closes our mouth for a time.
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