First, 2 skeins of yarn

My goals today were to knit 3 skeins of yarn for the baby blanket I'm giving to a co-worker, run 3 miles, and go to the grocery store. So far, I've knit 2 skeins of yarn, which takes about 7 hours, and I ran for 3 miles. There is a lot of pressure off of me since I gave my Cherry Blossom running number to my co-worker. It's possible I will stay at 3 miles for most of the year, which is fine. Last year I hardly ran at all. Also, as I know who I am, I will try to either run 3 miles at a better speed, or run a longer distance. No biggie, but the possibilities are endless. Today I stopped a lot as I was trying for a faster time for part of it. It's all good.

Happy Spring Solstice!

This has been a great day! I started it with a little knitting of a baby blanket that I am making for a co-worker, a half-hour of dancing in my apartment, and then I completed a 3 mile run on the treadmill. I ran faster than I had before. Part of me still doesn't trust that treadmill, as the belt is a little off, so I can't be too sure about the accuracy of the miles per hour measurement. However, it still felt very good and doable.

Then I spent a lot of the gorgeous spring afternoon with a friend I haven't seen in over 7 years. It was great to talk with her. We switched situations - I was in Seattle without family for many years, and now she has moved east without family. We talk about nieces and nephews, and crafts, and it's just good to talk with her, and reminisce about good cookies, and what is important.

Then I went out with my twin, and our best friend since junior high. There is a great chance that when the 3 of us are together, it will be a joyful time, and today was definitely the rule, and not the exception. We ended the day at our friend's house singing Don't Stop Believing at the top of our lungs while my twin's daughter, and our friend's sons walked quickly away. :)

Today is the best friend day of the year so far, and it started with some great running. I think the running has a lot to do with how the tone was set for the rest of the day.

5k

Sometimes it's good to channel your inner King Julian from the Madagascar movies and penguin tv show. The best time is near the end of a 5K, and there is good music on. Even if you may be day dreaming, or maybe you're focused, it's time to just run like you're a music lover enjoying music. There is a difference, between running as a runner, and running as a music lover enjoying music. Running as a music lover enjoying music while running is more joyful, the hips move a little looser . . . the time may not be as good :0) Be that as it may, on a beautiful day that starts with a 5k, it's time to move it move it because you like to!

2 miles

Over the past week and a half I've started the day dancing in my apartment. I'm not anywhere near the caliber of So You Think You Can Dance? However, there's nothing like wiggling around and kicking around, and moving my arms around to get the blood flowing, and unstick some muscles.

Before my 2-mile treadmill run I danced for about half an hour. It really is helpful as I was warmed up before the run. Once I get back to 5ks I would add more running-specific stretches and sit ups to my pre-running routine. There's nothing like dancing, though. It's joyful, and most likely there is kick-ass music.

One mile in February

It was cold, there was snow, I had a new knitting project . . . pick any of these and you'll see the excuses I've used to not run this month. However, I ran this morning! I ran a mile so that I can say I did run this month :) Hey, it's better than nothing, and it's a nice beginning to the rest of the running year.

I decided that I won't run the Cherry Blossom run. I asked my co-worker if she will need the transfer. She has friends in the race. I don't have anyone to cheer me on, or who is near enough to meet me there. There are a few negatives that I tend to discredit when I sign up for it

1. I have to walk to the metro at 5am
2. I have to train outside, and I'm not comfortable with that
3. I don't have anyone to cheer me on.

I don't want to get a cab at 5am unless I'm going to the airport. Training outside . . . at this time, is boring for me. I've run 5ks where no one was there for me or cared what I did, and they were very lonely experiences.

If only I remember these things before I sign up. I'll give myself a hiatus next year. I won't allow myself to sign up for a run unless I

1. Have a car to ride to the metro
2. Have someone who will be at the race to run with me or cheer me on

That's a good plan.

Review of First Month

I started to drink coffee today, and it wasn't a monumental change. I was instantly happy, and a couple hours later I really needed a nap. The nap could be because I ate a big lunch of a Philly Cheesteak and Sweet Potato Fries from Adega Wine Cellars. I dream all week about that lunch. To the point I feel the need to restrict it. Restricting pleasure is an issue of mine. Another example of this odd behaviour is that I feel the need to restrict buying sandwiches at this place that makes really good sandwiches. The tunamelt at Ellipse Cafe is wonderful! Overall, it may be a money issue. There's nothing wrong with not buying out if I can find a better alternative, and if buying out is not financially feasible. Although PB&J has been good to me, I may need to diversfy my lunch so that I'm not compelled to buy it elsewhere.

That's a problem with me, if I like it I need to restrict it. Hmmm, there's something wrong there. Maybe that's why I don't date much. I thought it was the other way around. I thought I didn't date much because there was something contrived about it, something about it I didn't like. Maybe in my heart of hearts I like meeting people . . . and being uncomfortable, and potentially humiliated . . . actually, there's a lot of very good people out there. I'm just bashful. The problem with restricting food may be that if I like it, and I need more control in my life, restricting a food item is easier for me than restricting something else. So, maybe it's not the same as not dating . . . afterall, with regards to dating it's not just me saying no, eh?

I can't change the url of this blog, but I can change the name, so maybe I'll change it to The Running Year. Drinking coffee or not drinking coffee is not part of the equation anymore.

The last time I ran was a week ago. It was a great run then, but the past week hasn't been great. I can't wait until running is an activity that is not affected by my work. When I am worn down at work, I just get too tired to run. I know I have the time. That's what this year is about. By the end of the year I should relegate running to a must-do activity so that some of my hours are filled with activity and joy. After this first month, although I'm not there, yet, I feel like I am on my way. It's been cold, too. :)

First 4-miler of the year

I ran non-stop on the treadmill for 4 miles today. I wanted to accomplish that goal by the end of this week, so I'm definitely on schedule. For the rest of the week, whether I run 4-miles or not, I will focus on speed. When I work on speed I don't mind stopping.

Running is something to do. I takes up time that I otherwise would be spent watching TV, just flipping channels. Seriously, is there anything good on TV except baseball? I don't see how parents run because it takes time. With kids I would expect there is already something to do, and not much time. However, it's the freedom feeling during a runner's high or the focused feel afterwards that is why people may run, whether they are parents or not.

Evening Run

I started at 7pm which is probably the latest I started this year. The second song was Santana's Samba Pa Ti, and that is just a great song to run to - the tone of the run was decided right then. Pat Benatar's Love is a Battlefield is also a great song to run to. The run ended with Pearl Jam's Given to Fly which is like heaven saying Hello to me.

I stopped a lot today because the focus was on increasing speed. I knew I was going to stop a lot - more a way to get my bearings as opposed to being tired. I can't wait until today's challenge speed is a comfortable speed that I can sustain for miles.

Running without Stopping

I made myself a deal - I had to be comfortable running without stopping for 5k by the end of this week. I ran without stopping today, so I accomplished my goal. Next week my goal will be 4 miles without stopping, and the following week will be 5 miles without stopping, and the next week will be 10K without stopping.

These distances are all on a treadmill, and I'm not sure of the veracity of the monitor. Once I get to the 10K as noted on this treadmill's screen, then I will start to run outside, and be more comfortable joining a running group. I should hit 10K non-stop by mid-February, and I'll still have almost 2 months to not only increase my mileage to 10 miles, and to get used to running outside, but also to increase my strength, and decrease my speed. Well, that is the plan :)

It was not a pretty run, but the goal was to not walk. For the rest of the week, I'll run the same distance, and make sure I have fast parts to strengthen my core.

A beautlful winter day

I walked the dogs first, as I used that as my warm-up. After reading about 1st mile blues on the runners world forums I decided that the doggie warm-up is basically the first mile. It is the mile of the blues, and when we ask ourselves are we running too fast, why is it so hard?

My run was a 3 mile loop. I ran maybe 1 mile total. It started off pathetic and cold, but by the end I was having periods of greatness! - periods when I was at a comfortable challenging pace, and one day one day I would be at that pace for miles and miles. If that was the pace I could use for the Cherry Blossom 10-miler there is no way I would be swept. It was too strong a pace, but I felt it was within me, within my core, it didn't seem foreign.

I guess the treadmill work has worked - I decided to trust how I felt as opposed to what the monitor said, as there is a good chance the monitor is wrong. It looks like it gave me a good foundation for my core. I can't wait until my core becomes more developed, and my pace becomes more confident. That is what running is all about - not just the day to day developments, but overall, there is so much to look forward to!

Walking the dogs

I walked the dogs in the rain and it was a little chilly. My goal was to walk the dogs as a warm-up and then go into a 5k when they were warm and toasty inside. It was too cold and rainy for me. Actually, it was a little depressing how out of shape I am. I will say that it is me out of shape as opposed to anything the wrong with my heart. That is always a fear. Why would I be out-of-breath. I wasn't really out-of-breath, more like just demoralized because I have a lot of work to do before those 10 miles in April. I would like to complete a 2 hour run by the end of March so that I know I can do it. I'm not the fastest outside, so who knows what 2 hours equates to in mileage. At this point I don't even want to guess. Every time I think of getting swept I end up not going to the starting line. This is the 4th or 5th time I entered the Cherry Blossom race, and I will finish it this year.

Also, after watching Spirit of the Marathon I know that after one race there is always another. The Cherry Blossom run will not be the end of a goal, but rather one of the benchmarks. Wish me luck!

Something wonderful about citrus

I ate clementine slices for about 2 hours before the run as I was working. During the run I felt really good even though I stopped often. This isn't the first time that citrus has given me the energy I needed. I should heed my running history when I eat citrus or bananas before a run. I just always feel better.

Speaking of a very-cool moment, and I knew this would happen . . .

During Santana's Samba Pa Ti, a little into the beginning after the slow part, and as the groovy part starts, my body just relaxed, and was ready to groove to the music. It is a song made for a runner's high or something cool. It was the time I tried my hardest during today's run. I'm still very energetic, and it could be because I tried hard, or it could be because of the clementines. Just a very good feeling.

Over the next couple days I'll run outside. Wish me luck!

Spirit of the Marathon

I knew I was going to cry at some point in this movie. It's a movie about goals, and the endurance to meet those goals, with the understanding that a new goal would be just around the corner. Life doesn't end with the accomplishment of one goal. That's probably why runners go through a certain blah state after their *first* marathon or their *first* race, or any event that they planned for and worked towards to the point that it was the focus of their life.

To have running as the focus of life is not a bad thing. Obviously, others are doing it, so it can't be the purview of a crazy person. Also, so many running clubs are around it must be a cool way to meet people. I could meet other knitters through running. Of course, would I go that route? There is a running store near me with running events on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and I plan to join them, but maybe when it's not so cold, and maybe when I'm more comfortable with outdoor running.

Why I think I will cry during the Cherry Blossom Run - if I want to run strong then I will be pushing myself to face a limit that only existed in my head. The head is a heavy place. It takes some doing to remove those heavy thoughts, and the exertion just from that will cause sweat and tears.

I remember when I attended massage school, I started to cry in the middle of a massage by another student. She seemed so timid that I was taken by surprise by the confidence in which she went about the massage. It's like hidden emotions underneath my skin were revealed, and the only way for them to get out is through tears. I think that will happen during this running training. I will be moving muscles in way and for periods that I haven't done before. With this in mind, hidden emotions will be released, and all of a sudden I will feel raw, exposed, and exhausted, and it won't be from the running. That is the scary thing - to be so tired, and only due to the release of a hidden emotion. Maybe running is the blank canvas to release these colors hidden within me from my life. It should be interesting.

A new run

It was another 5k on the treadmill. I tried to stick with the incline this time, and I could feel something getting affected. Hey, if I look good in short shorts by the end of the year, no problem. A side benefit, eh :)

I saw Chariots of Fire, and I saw how one of the main characters would tilt his head back and have his mouth wide open when he was entering his zone. A lot of books say to look about 3 yards in front of you, but a little downward. I like the Chariots of Fire way to run. I can't say that I'm there or that I won't bump into a tree if I ever make it there, but it seems to be a more open expression of the euphoria.

First Run of the Year

Yippee! I ran 5k on a treadmill. I stopped a lot and walked off the treadmill, but I was trying to push myself with speed today. It was pretty cool. It's like I could feel the light at the end of the tunnel. My form is still a little off kilter, but I could tell with a little more practice, and more comfort with that movement of trying to run faster, I could get used to it, and actually do it. It was enlightening on an intellectual level, and I can't wait until I feel it on a spiritual level - basically a runner's high. All the joy of the world seems to be running the treadmill with me during a runner's high.

Just an update

I haven't run this year, but I know that each mile is equal to a lottery ticket. I expect to run at least 1 mile this week, and hopefully 6 or more. I've been really tired today, and it could be because of a caffeine free wall, or it could be because I woke up early for some reason. Yesterday, I didn't eat supper because I heard I shouldn't eat after 7pm. I thought this was a good way to stop my insomnia. I ate later on Sunday, and I just couldn't get to sleep. It seemed like a 2+2 equation - don't eat late, then my body doesn't have the energy to stay up late. Didn't work last night. I still had insomnia, and I woke up early. What's up with that? I ran quite a few errands after work the past couple days, which means I won't have an excuse for the rest of the week :) This going here going there with bags and such could be contributing to my tiredness, but I thought it would help me sleep better. Nope!