My first 5k But not the last

Well the training has been not where I want it.  On most runs I seem to only be able to run for a 1 to 2 at a time.  I can't seem to be stuck.  Then came today.  The D'feat Breast Cancer running 5k.

I signed up for this event a few months ago as a goal.  I had debated even going to this for a few days.  I have been running/walking 3 miles regularly on Saturdays, but the last few times I have not been happy with the performance to this point.  I had a few people that encourage to run/walk the race.  So I did.

The start of the race was a little chaotic.  There was no areas for the 5k run to be separate from the 10k run group.  It was hard to hear the race director.  When the starting horn went off the 10k runner left, but so did the 5k runners. So I started....

I found my pace very quickly.  I stayed with the main pack for the first mile.  I did not realize that I was still running 6 minutes in to the run.  I had to walk,  It felt weird so after a about a minute I ran again.  I was feeling awesome.  Lets keep this going.  I went another 3 minutes before needing to slow to a walk.   At each change of direction I would start running again.

After awhile I found that I was in a group of the run/walkers.  We paced off of each other.  This was how mile 2 worked out and I was feeling great.  I decided to take the water at mile 2.  This was a new task for me.  More of it ended up on my face instead of in my mouth. 

Just before the mile 3 marker I was starting to get tired.  My mind was telling me to walk more.  I committed to myself to run the last part.  I ran more than my mind wanted.  I stayed with the group I was with in mile 2 but was a little farther behind them.  As we came to the last stretch I could see the finish line.  I forced myself to run.  My mind fought me the whole time.  I got to within 100 feet of the finish and my mind insisted that I stop.  I said no.  The crowd was now encouraging me to keep going to the finish.  It is what I needed.  I pushed and finished the race running.

I finished in  36:56.4.  I was 13th in my age group and 146th overall.  AWESOME

On to the next one.

Week 3 progress

This has been a great week.  I have decided that weekday runs will be on a treadmill until the weather cools off.  I am still going to still do my "long" runs outside.  I have also modified the schedule to be more effective for me.  I am changing the Sunday easy day to Mondays and leave Sunday for a rest\recovery day.   I have noticed that the Tuesday run is harder because there is has been to much recovery time.  After the training gets more intense I might change this back.  For me it is like a slow increase in the intensity.


Monday


This was a rest day.  I would call it a restless day.  I am getting used to getting up and run.  On Monday I got up but did nothing and this did not feel right.


Tuesday


I had a planned increase in distance for this day by 1 mile.  The weather had other ideas.  I started up and realized that something was not right.  I felt like I was running uphill against a wind,  but it was my normal route.  The air was so humid that it was like a wall of water you could not see.  I pushed on and was abled to run a third of the run but at around 2 miles I could not run any longer and cut the distance to 2.5 miles and walked that rest of the way.  During my cool down it started to rain.  Why could this not have occurred 30 minutes earlier it could have been a better run.


Wednesday


This is a cross training day.  I stayed with the elliptical.  This was a great work out.  I was able to easier for me.  I am going to increase the length on the next week.


Thursday


This was a great run.  Ok.  It was on a treadmill.  I have had enough of 89% humidity.  I was planning on a run 3 and walk 4 workout for 2 miles.  I have never used a treadmill.  I would rather run outside.  I started with a 5 minute walk and then increased the speed and started jogging.  I was very comfortable and did not see that I had been going for 4 minutes.  What!!  so I slowed back to the walk.  A minute later I started jogging again.  This pattern continued for a mile.  I then picked up the pace and went 3 minutes and then walked 2 minutes for the last mile.  I felt great at the end.  I forgot to stretch after the run.  For that matter have not ever stretched since I started this training.  I paid for it the next day.


Friday


This was supposed to be a rest day.  I hurt in very part of my legs.  Quads, Hamstring, Calves and feet were all very sore/tight.  This is when I learned that stretching after a run is VERY important.  By the end of the day only the calves were sore.  I have never had my calves sore.  Ever.


Saturday


I ran/walked the same route I have done the last 3 weeks.  It was a lot more humid.  Someone tell Mother Nature it is September.  I started with running after the warm up and my calves yelled "What are you doing?"  I ignored them and ran on.  After a few minutes, I had to walk.  I only walked for a few minutes and started running again.  This continued until about mile 2 when my calves said "Enough!!!!!", so I walked the remaining mile.  I kept trying but my legs said no. 


Sunday


I gave my legs the day off.  I moved the walk to Monday.  I was thinking about doing that anyway.

Setting Goals

I have had the urge to race.  I just got back into running and I love it.  I want to push myself.  So I decided to make some goals.  You will notice that most of these runs are for other causes.  I will always run a cause run over fun runs. 


October 8
First 5k is going to be the 3rd Annual Breast Cancer Awareness Kids & Adult 5K Walk/Run in Texas City.  This is not a timed event. This is to get an idea of how far I have come at this time. It is also for a great cause.


October 22

D’feet Breast Cancer 5K Run.  This will be my first timed event.  It is on the Galveston Island and is for another great cause. 

November 24

Pearland Turkey Trot-  This will be a 4 mile run.  I had schedule 4 miler in my training, so why not make it a fun run

December 17

Houston Running Festival Half marathon.  This will be my first half marathon.  This was my goal to start running.  It will also give me an idea of where I am. 

February 12

Galveston Half Marathon.  This is the event that started the whole idea of running.  I hope to set a PR at this event.  It will be 2 months after my first half marathon so I will have to keep the training up.

April 23

Divas Half Marathon.  This is just for the fun.  It will be the last half for the spring.  I will not race in the summer

These are the races I want to run.  I am not going to say I won't think about a marathon in the next Fall-Spring season but I want to see how these go.  

Week 2 update

This has been a great week


Tuesday


I was supposed to go 2 miles.  I went 3 miles instead.  I am feeling good about the workouts.  I was trying to run 1 minute intervals but the cadence was getting erratic because I was always checking my watch.. This made my more tired.  I had a very difficult time getting back to the run.  Pace was good.


I am going to change the way I run and do it more on feel not minutes


Wednesday


This was my cross-training day.  I did the cross-training setting in the fitness center at my apartment.  The goal was to do 30 minutes.  This time I did it.  There was a few times that I had to convince myself that I could do this.  After powering through the workout.  I started to feel confident in myself


Thursday


Since I went 3 miles on Tuesday, I decided to make today the 2 mile workout.  This time I ran when I felt good about running and would run until I thought I could not go farther.  I set goals on landmarks and see if I could run there I would try.  It felt great.  I was able to run a few times for a few minutes..  I wanted to finish on a run but my left foot started the become uncomfortable so I shut it down.  The workout was still a great felling.


Saturday


Today was the "big run" of the week.  I repeated the same route from last week, but this time my goal was to run at least a third of the 3 miles.  My issues started on the way to the trail.  The sky looked ominous.  There were large thunder storms over the Gulf and the Bay.  I was worried that the storms would ruin the run.  I was resolved to run this route today.  What a little water?


I started the run but I felt the pace was too fast. It felt great but I knew I could not sustain it.  I want to work to that pace (8:07).  I attempted to slow down on the second but it still did not feel what I was looking for. (9:48).  I found another runner that had passed me while I was walking to catch my breath.  I tried to match her pace and it felt better.  By this point I had used too much energy.  I was able to run shorter periods, one of them uphill.  The walking time increased but I was able to have run sessions more than I have before.


I was able to get my goal.  I put everything into this workout.  I loved it.


Sunday


I am feeling yesterday/  I was stiff.  I felt the parts I wanted to use on the run, but I have not till yesterday.   Core training is working.


I went for a short 2 mile walk.  I wanted to run.  I had to take it slow I was not supposed to run.  I have to recover.  So I walked. 


This week was great.  I hit all of my goals and pace has increased.  I cannot wait until my next run

Training plans not Right for me

Today's walk\run did not go as planned.  It was supposed to have been 2 mile, but I went 3 miles. I was supposed to run for 90 seconds and then walk for 4 minutes.  This sounded easy enough.

I did the 5 minute warm up walk.  Then I ran.  I thought it was a good pace but could only get to 75 secs.  My rhythm was getting meed up because I had to keep track of the time.  I walk for about 4 minutes and then ran 1 minute because again the rhythm was off from watching the time..

I have to change the method of the training.  I cannot keep stopping.  I am ok with a few walk breaks and then restart running.  I am changing to a system that allows me to run as much as I can and then walk the rest.  I would try to get more running in but it will depend on my body.  I am moving the training to a "track" that I can use laps to quantify how much running I can do.

I hope this works better.  I can push myself without worrying.  

Week 1 update.

Tuesday

I got up a 4:00 am.  This was too early.  My run was going good for about a quarter of mile into it.

I then had an back spasm.  Nothing new for me.  After my back surgery in 2008 I have has issues keeping my core in good shape.  It has been 6 months since I worked on it.  This tells me the strength and core work are going to me mandatory.

I walked and tried to run the rest of the plan  I cut out the .25 miles that I had planed.

I ran/walk (mostly walked) 1.86 miles in 33:33 for a pace of 17:46

Wednesday

This was the day for Cross training.  I thought this would be easy.  I was wrong.   I used be able to go an hour on the elliptical.  My plan called for 30 minutes.

I went to the fitness center at my apartment complex.  It has a variety of different methods.  I choose the elliptical.  I set it for cross-training and 30 minutes.  I started out good.  I went 15 minutes and then I felt like I was struggling.  I pushed on.  I went 25 minutes before stopping.  I am out of shape.  That will be changing.

This took a lot of me.  I am going to rest my body tomorrow and move my next run to Friday.

Friday

This was my best workout yet.  I went 2.44 miles and I was able to run more than I have before.  There was still mostly walking, but after I ran for about a block I thought I could go farther.  I had to tell my self that I have to take it slow.  I cannot (or should not) go to fast too far too quick.  So I started to walk with the intention to run again.  

I walked for a few minutes  and then attempted to run.  This time it was half of a block.  my legs just could not keep the run pace up.  I was able to complete the scheduled run with .44 miles extra.  My pace was 17:19.  Getting better.


Sunday


Things are getting better.  I did my first trail walk\run.  I was able to run 3.5 minutes and only the last was an issue.  I have decided that I cannot do a timed interval type training.  This workout was to walk for 5 minutes and run 1 minute.  I had a hard time getting back to running.  If I run as long as I can than I can get more running in.


This was a good workout.  3.44 miles ( My longest) at 16.33 ( my fastest pace)


In this week I cut 2 minutes from my pace and am feeling great about how I am progressing.  I logged 8.7 miles so far.


Next week should be better. 

To Run or Not to Run

(this is a re-post for my other blog)

I love the Olympics. I watch as much as I could. I did get to see my favorites (gymnastics, swimming, and archery) and another I never watch before. I watch both of the marathons. I thought that they were impressive. Wow 26.2 miles.

The other day was going through the news on sites I frequent.  I came across an article about Amelia Gapin was the first transgender woman on the cover of Woman’s Running.

This made me want to run again. I have been thinking of it for a while. Since I started my transition, I wanted to be a fit woman. I tried to get it started 9 months ago but stopped when I moved to be on my own.

I have had a hard time getting out of my apartment. This is due to my anxiety and my depression. I just do not do anything when the depression gets too hard. I no longer have the voices in my head that told me that I was not worth being alive.   Those voices caused me to lose my right to my son. That is a hold new post. I just feel lazy.

When I ran I felt better. It release a lot of the anxiety. My mind was focused on the running. I miss it. So…..

I will run.

Next week I am starting to “train” for a 5k. After I get that completed maybe I will train for a half marathon.

I will be posting my training updates.