Breakthrough... Finally!

I did it-something at the start of this crazy running journey I thought I would never be able to do. I stretched and psych'ed myself up and walked out my front door, dog in tow, and started running. Fifteen minutes and a mile later I stopped running. Holy shit it felt good and truth be told I could probably have pushed myself and gone further but was on a time schedule. It was true what 'they' say: working up to being able to run the first mile straight is tough, but here's hoping the next one isn't quite as long to get under my belt. Who knows, maybe I'll do more running than walking in my next 5K on the 4th of July next weekend.
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Personal bests

Sometimes I think maybe I should just get out of my own head and quit worrying about stuff! I felt like a wuss for a week taking it easy on the training while suffering pretty severely from allergies and then Thursday night was out with my walking/running partner. Because I still was pretty stuffed up we did a brisk two-mile walk and were catching up on where we are at with our manuscripts - very enjoyable. When we met up with a fellow jogger at the beginning of mile 3, she decides she's going to jog (which is fine because I can power walk almost as fast as they were going to be jogging) and they set off and pulled a little ahead. Without having any time to psych myself out, I just said "what the hell" and started jogging with them. 3/4 of a mile later, I was still pushing myself and keeping up with their pace. Oh GOD did it feel good! And my first mile run is lurking around the corner, waiting for me next week or the week after-I just know it. The best part is that because I've actually taken it easy for the last week, my foot didn't hurt the next day and I think the plantar fasciitis is now at bay as long as I train smart. It is funny how this love affair with running works but I wouldn't trade it for anything!

In other news, I just submitted the first 6 chapters of my manuscript to my writing group for feedback. I've been working feverishly the last few weeks after finally working through many holes in the plot line and re-writing EVERYTHING I had written prior to January. At this rate, I might even have a completed manuscript by the end of the year.

Frustrations of Training

HCG regiment is winding down with only a week left in the stabilization period at which time I can eat starch and sugar again.  I finished the injections with a total of 24lbs lost and am wearing clothes I haven’t fit into since pre-pregnancy.  For the last two weeks I’ve been able to easily maintain the weight eating regularly again plus I’ve been able to run and really train.  I got a fabulous new personal trainer keychain – not that I’m pimping anything but if you want info on it, check out www.nextfit.com – and went away for a long weekend to a spot where there were tons of empty dirt roads where I could run every day.  Which I did, and with the help of the trainer I was able to double my endurance doing walk/jog interval training.  Was feeling fabulous the first night – even ran with the hubby – did 2 miles and was on Cloud9.  Went out the next day and knew it wasn’t a fluke because I was able to run longer distance in the same time allotment.  Fabulous!  Until the next day when I got out of bed and my foot hurt so bad I couldn’t walk on it…   Apparently I am now suffering from yet another running ailment most often caused by increasing your mileage too quickly called plantar fasciitis.  WTF?  So, I took a few days of rest and ice – more rest than ice but, still, the resting is the hardest for me to adhere to!  Went out again last night and was feeling so down afterwards!  The foot felt pretty good and was only a little tender this morning.  However, I was running with my long-time walking partner who on the outset was NOT excited about running.  Now, with what looks to me like minimal effort, she is able to run faster and longer than I am.  Of course, her long ass legs and her singer’s lungs are definitely advantages I just don’t have.  We added another friend last night who also – even on HCG and cheating at the running part – is a stronger runner than me and part of my inspiration to start running in the first place.  I felt no apprehension about her coming along knowing she was on HCG and “couldn’t” run.  But, she is not the stickler for rules I took her to be and they both kicked my trash!  We got one jog interval under our belts and I was sucking wind like a novice.  Again, WTF?  I had to cut the run short to get home to a sick child and then felt dejected all night because I couldn’t keep up.  Thoughts orbiting my head had the semi-constant theme of finding some excuse to just run by myself from now on so I don’t have the constant reminder of “you aren’t a strong runner” right next to me.  These thoughts were still there this morning when I awoke and hadn’t really faded over the morning at work.  As I sat at my desk fighting to breathe through my nose and resigning myself to the fact I just might be coming down with the head cold the rest of my household has had for the last week, a light bulb went off.  I was sucking wind last night because I am all stuffed up!!  I was all up in my head for no good reason…  I know I would miss being pushed to do my best if I gave in and ran by myself.  Besides, my book would certainly suffer since the walking intervals are devoted to plot outlining and discussion with fellow writers.  So, I’m still on the training circuit but won’t push myself until I’ve recovered from whatever has me all stuffed up.  Ah, the frustrations of training that come in so many forms!