Running on E(ndorphins)

I Jinxed Myself

2011-04-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

As soon as I laid out my plan to start working out and eating better, I was hit with an amazing flare! Since being on medication, my pain feels pretty well controlled, but the last few weeks have been a little rough. I blame it on work stress, along with allergies / cold feelings. So, the new game plan is to join the local gym and start weight training to get my metabolism going again. I hope to run a 5K at the end of May, so I will be training for that as well!

Starting Over!

2011-03-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot has happened in the past year since starting my blog. Obviously, my interest waned a bit as time went on, but I'm ready to come back start fresh. Lots has happened in the past year: I ran my first (possibly only, but more on that later) half marathon, got married, moved into a new house, and started a new job. All great things, which were overshadowed a bit by being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. RA is an autoimmune condition where your body basically decides it hates you and makes things terrible.

So, with the RA diagnosis, I stopped running. Really, I stopped doing much of anything besides snacking on Sweetarts and complaining which parts of my body parts hurt most. However, with a lot of medications, I am considered to be in remission! Good news all around. I still have some pain and am stiff when I wake up, but I am nowhere near as bad as I was when I started.

With that being said, of course exercised waned a bit over the past few months, resulting in weight gain and lack of energy. However, it's time to blog again and keep myself accountable. So, I will be using this space as a way to update myself on my progress. My doctor gave me clearance to run, but I'm supposed to scale back and only do half of what I did before. While I'm signed up for a half in May, it most likely won't happen, but I'm hoping to do a few shorter races instead.

It's good to be back to writing :)

I Lost That Loving Feeling

2010-03-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Oh dear, a long time has passed without blogging. I was having a rough few weeks of shin splints (ouch!), then a cold/flu deal, but I seem to be on the mend now. Just ran yesterday (3 miles to ease back into things plus weights). My feet were a bit sore, but my legs felt great! I did a quick 5k in 27:02, so that was nice.

I'm really looking forward to race season starting up! I'm walking a 5K with a friend on Saturday, then I have the Shamrock Shuffle next weekend. I also start my spring break next week,so I should have some time to squeeze in my training.

How has everyone else been? How goes the training?

Quick Wednesday Tempo Run!

2010-02-03T13:27:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I managed to stray from my schedule in the first week of training. Bummer. I had a hair appointment last night that ended around 8ish, then I just came home and relaxed. So, I ended up running during my split shift of work today. My goal was a tempo run, though things didn't exactly go as planned (in a good way).

Ideally, I was planning for a nice warm up and cool down as well, but I just felt fast today. I was also feeling the pressure of getting home and getting ready (again) for work, so I ended up just running all out for a bit. So, while I was shooting for a 9:30 pace, I ended up with 4 miles in 36:31, which was a bit quicker than anticipated. Either way, it was a nice run and a good way to start my monthly mileage.

HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle

2010-01-30T15:20:00.000-08:00

So, as promised, the HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle (which I type incorrectly every time) needs to be reviewed. I have to admit, I often do a terrible job of staying hydrated throughout the day. I often fill my day with a lot of Diet Pepsi, rather than water. I've tried all sorts of enhancers and flavored bottled waters, but none really stood out to me (except for the occasional grape Gatorade Propel). Lately, I've realized how much water I lack in my daily intake, so I've been upping what I usually do. The HydraCoach seemed like a great solution to my issues.

The basic idea behind the HydraCoach is that it's an interactive water bottle that calculates how much water you take in on a daily basis. You enter your weight and your daily consumption goal, which is pretty straightforward. The HydraCoach, which is designed to hold up to 22 ounces of water, calculates what percentage of water you drink in a given time frame. The HC (abbreviated because the name is taking me forever to type) also records data of water consumption.

The positives: I like feeling motivated to reach a goal, so drinking water all day feels like a contest. I'm a teacher, so I speak all day, and drinking more water definitely helps my vocal cords. The HC is easy to use, once you have it set up correctly.

The negatives: Accuracy is a big one, though I've only been off by an ounce or two each time. The HC is picky about how you drink; you're supposed to bit down lightly on the two grooves in the cap, then take a deep sip. Maybe it's just me, but my teeth hurt a bit after a few hours of drinking. The bottle also comes with the following tagline: "To ensure accuracy, take deliberate, pronounced, sips. Low intensity sips may not register with hydration monitor."

Apparently I'm terrible at sipping, because it seems like half of my sips don't even register.

Another downside is the price. I purchased my HC from Amazon (go Prime Shipping!), which cost around $20. I've seen them ranging all the way up to $30. Does the price match with the product? Not enough to convince me to buy another one.

Finally, this may be me being naive, but I was almost waiting for something exciting to happen once I reached my daily goal. I wasn't expecting fireworks or unicorns, but a nice message that I hit my goal for the day would have been nice. My HC just kept on ticking past my goal. On, and on...not even counting those low intensity sips that I probably got in earlier.

Above all, the HC is a neat, fun product in theory, but I'll probably just stick to a regular water bottle and keep track of my water intake on my own.

And the training begins!

2010-01-29T14:50:00.001-08:00

I've had two great runs the past few days, which is really making me psyched to start half-marathon training on Wednesday. I have roughly 14 weeks until my first half, so I figure I should have plenty of time to get where I want to be. I plan to use a modified version of Hal Higdon's intermediate half-marathon plan, and my first week looks like this:

Sunday: 5 mile run
Monday: Yoga/Pilates DVD to build core muscles
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: 4 mile run and weights
Friday: off or easy run
Saturday: 3 mile race pace run

*My super cool race chart won't load, so I'll have to update the old fashioned way

Starting off easy, which is great. I may replace that Yoga/Pilates workout with The Shred to incorporate some more weight training from time to time. I really, really dislike weight training, but it's important, so I'll be working on that.

One thing I need to think about is what gear I'll be needing for the half. I definitely need to pick up some recovery socks, along with a fuel belt. So, readers, I'll ask you: what items are essential to have when training for a long-distance run?

Tomorrow I'll post a review of the HydraCoach water bottle, which is definitely something.

Fun Run

2010-01-27T12:56:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was another day that I got home from work too late to head outside, so I ended up at the gym again. For being 9:00 at night, the place was packed! Usually by that point, most members are done, so it was incredibly bizarre. This run was much more eventful, especially due to not having a giant dinner right before running. So, I knocked out 4 miles in a little under 38 minutes, which was fun.

The only downside is that I decided to wear a hoodie at the gym, which left me coated in sweat. When I paused to take it off after 2 miles, sweat literally shot off of it. Disgusting, and a reminder for me to always bring (multiple) towels to the gym.

Other than my run, I don't have much going on today, but the weekend promises lots of fun posts, including but not limited to:
1. My half-marathon training plan and goals, which goes into effect on Sunday.
2. A product review of the HydraCoach Intelligent Water Bottle, which just arrived at my door moments ago.
3. And a brief run-down of the wedding plans I've made thus far, along with the struggle to find awesome invitations that don't cost a million dollars.

Happy Wednesday!

Meatloaf Before the Gym = Not the Best Plan

2010-01-24T18:11:00.000-08:00

After a wild weekend of overindulgence, it was time to break out my Mizunos again. Although the weather was pretty tame today, with a high of around 40, I put off my run until much later in the evening and headed to the gym instead. Sadly, my 4 mile run on the treadmill reminded me that eating dinner before running (especially a filling, calorie-laden meal like meatloaf, mashed potatoes, and corn) was not the best plan. Most of my run alternated between trying not to dry heave on the carpet next to me.

Today was a relatively easy run, with 4.40 miles in about 45 minutes, keeping me at a little over 10 minute miles. Next week, my half-marathon training plan kicks into full gear, and I'm really excited. I plan to do a lot of speed work as well, so if anyone has any tips on how to improve my speed, I'd really appreciate the help!

Running distraction of today: 1 episode of Top Chef, which probably didn't help my running nausea.

Work and Complete and Utter Workout Fail

2010-01-21T20:03:00.001-08:00

Work started up again for me this week, which means getting used to my crazy busy schedule. I was getting used to my life of luxury of the past month, which consisted of planning my days around going to the gym, watching countless Netflix rentals, and not doing anything remarkable. I'm ridiculously tired, even though I've gotten a ton of sleep; I even took a nap during my split shift yesterday. So, what gives?

Either way, it's time to get back on the training plans. I'll be posting my half-marathon schedule soon. I also signed up the run the Shamrock Shuffle, which I'm anticipating will be insanely awesome. At least I have some good runs planned at some point.

In good news, my sick bunny has recovered. Looks like he had an ear infection, so Maddox will live to wear yet another costume.

Fashion fail of the day: wearing new Tory Burch Revas to work with tights and realizing that the tights kept making them slide off my feet. I almost wiped out multiple times on the stairs. I need to break those in a bit more before I attempt to wear them to work again.

Fitness Goals/ Plans for 2010

2010-01-18T17:02:00.000-08:00

I'm on a posting frenzy, which may die down a bit as I start work again tomorrow. Nonetheless, it's time for me to jot down my goals for the year. In all honesty, I undid a lot of the hard work that I had achieved since last September, which was losing 15 pounds by the beginning of December. I've probably gained about five of those pounds back, despite a relatively rigorous workout plan. Even though I run a bit during the week, I have to get into the mindset that running more and eating more calories doesn't always balance out. So, with that in mind, these are my goals for the next few months:

1. Complete the 30 Day Shred, which I plan to begin tomorrow. I'll post a blog following that workout. I'm thinking of using as a supplement to my other cardio activity.
2. Track Weight Watchers points at least five days a week. One cheat day is okay, two is understandable, but any more than that is pushing it.
3. Keep track of fitness and hit consistent mini-goals. Mini-goal 1 is to run 50 miles for the month of January. I'm currently at a little over 20, so I need to pick up my pace a bit.
4. Plan out a solid half-marathon training plan. Not too sure how to go about this, so I'd be happy for any suggestions.
5. Mini-goal 2 is to lose the holiday poundage. I'm still working on the layout of my page, so a weight tracker will probably come in at some point once I get a bit more tech-savvy.

So, those are the goals!

In other news, I'm nursing a sick bunny back to health. While bunnies are adorable and fun, they also come with a myriad of health issues. Right now, my poor guy (pictured below, crabby, red-eyed, and in a chicken hat) is recovering from what the vet thinks is an ear infection. So, hopefully his wobbliness stops soon!

Also, hi to my first follower! Woo hoo!

First race of the year - Frosty 5K

2010-01-18T08:12:00.000-08:00

I'm often intimidated by running in the cold. If I notice the wind chill dip slightly, I'd rather stay inside bundled up in blankets, rather than lacing up my running shoes. Nonetheless, I decided that winter running in the Chicago-land area is something to embrace, rather than avoid. With that in mind, I ended up running a 5k rather last minute on Saturday. I quickly charged my Garmin, threw on some cold weather gear, and headed to the door.

Goal of the race: Finally, finally break 30 minutes in a 5K.

Pros of the race: easily organized course, smallish number of runners, not terribly freezing at the 9:00 start time.

Cons: no chip timing, which led to a bit of time discrepancy, no drink stations on the course (which wasn't a huge deal during a 5K, though some other runners were saying they were thirsty)

Overall, I enjoyed this run. The course was a basic loop through a suburban area, which was pleasant. My feet warmed up right away, even though I was lightly brushed with a tiny bit of snow along the way. It just felt great to be outside running and listening to a great soundtrack.

What was also successful for me was not taking a single walking break during my run. If I'm running on a treadmill, I am a champion of the walking break. Often, I'm the champion of stopping my treadmill completely to tie my shoe, fix my ponytail, drink water, watch Oprah more intently. In an effort to no longer be the local gym annoyance, I'm trying to cut back on my slowing or stopping, so what better way to do it than run consistently through the whole race? This key factor in and of itself helped me to finally break that 30 minute block.

Final time? 29:51, giving me a 9-second grace period. My Garmin time puts me at 29:33, which I'll take as well. Here's to this year bringing more time for speedwork, a half-marathon, and a bevy of other fun runs along the way!

Race day mix:
"Telephone" - Lady Gaga
"Spotlight" - Gucci Mane
"Don't Stand So Close to Me / Young Girl" - Glee soundtrack
"Way Away" - Yellowcard
"Hard" - Rhianna
"I'm Not Over" - Carolina Liar
"

Hi all

2010-01-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

With the start of a relatively new year comes the desire to start a blog. Frankly, reading through so many blogs has been inspirational and motivational. And, although I have a pretty solid background in English, I'm saddened to say that I have done little to no writing since completing my thesis two years ago. So, new year, new plans.

I'm currently training for my first half marathon and plan to use this space to talk running and training. I'm also planning my wedding, so I imagine that a bit of wedding planning will creep in now and then. Other random topics may include but are not limited to diet (I'm an on/off follower of Weight Watchers), an occasional book review, and possibly some very cute pictures of bunnies.

So, feel free to follow me in my journey to becoming a legit, if albeit a bit slow, runner!