Twitterings - Week 4

There is a new addition to the juststartrunning world - TWITTER! It's one of those social websites(sorta like myspace & facebook...)that are as addicting as they are informative. My twitterings will be updated on the right side of the blog, even when I don't have time to blog! Check it out!

Week 4 of my 10k training was ok. As you know, Tuesday was a great run - But Wednesday's was horrid - HOT and slow. Thursday was equally painful, but I finished! My left leg has turned into a peg leg. It's stiff and sore. No icepick pain in the knee, but my quad is sore. Skipped Saturday's run for a trip to NY.....yes, I'm bad!

Week 4 roundup:
Monday - off
Tuesday - 3 miles (great!)
Wednesday - 3 miles (HOT)
Thursday - 3.6 miles (painful)
Friday - Sunday - off (playing hooky!)
Total - 9.6 miles

So I played hooky, but I think after 2 crappy runs, I needed a break. Back on the wagon tomorrow!

Fabulous Run!

I had a great run last night. I actually felt like a runner again! I did an easy 3 miles with my 10k group and maintained a 11:15 mile pace! Grand improvement!

The amazing thing to me is that I felt stronger at the end of the run than at the beginning. I usually feel dead after 3 miles, but at about mile 2 I felt better and stronger!

Hope this feeling stays with me! Today is going to be a HOT one - 87 degrees! Hope the heat doesn't kill my motivation to run! I'll be doing 3 miles with L and her husband - maybe super mutt too!
Later!

What kind of runner are you?

I just read this very funny article: The 10 types of runners

I rolled with laughter when I read the headings....
1) The Frightened Dog Swatter
2) The Human Cybertron
3) The Loud Runner
4) The Desalination Machine
5) The Salination Machine
6) The High Five Twister
7) The Stink Bomber
8) The NBA Pro
9) Doctor 90210
10) The Gazelle and the Sloth

Reading the descriptions of each type of runner, I could picture someone I've seen in a race or training run (admit it, we all know a loud runner!) As for me, I'm definitely a sloth, with a bit of "human cypertron" mixed in - I love my nike+! I once was a "frightened dog swatter" when a big dog came charging at me during a long run (don't get me wrong, I love dogs!)

What kind of runner are you?

Week 3 Completed!

I've finished up week 3 of my 10k training. Week 3 went much better than week 2! I actually completed all 4 of my training runs, albeit on different days then were scheduled!

M - 2.5 miles
T - 2.6 miles (super cramp!)
W - walk at lunch
Th - 3 miles
F - off
Sa - off
Su - 3 miles
TOTAL - 11.1 miles!!

The super stomach cramp I got Tuesday never reappeared (thank goodness!)....I read on runnersworld.com that running too fast can cause stomach cramps. I definitely wasn't running fast, but I could have been going too fast for my "fitness level" as the article puts it. I'm still averaging a 11:40 or so minute mile pace; not exactly rocket speed. I'm wondering how I will ever get to my goal of running a 10:00 min/mile??!!

The Pain has relocated itself!

Tuesday's run started out great! It was 60 degrees and sunny. A perfect day to run. I started out at a good pace, feeling great. Then, at mile 1.5 or so, I got a side stitch. No big deal, I've had side stitches before, and usually breathe right through them. At mile 2, the side stitch moved to the middle of my stomach - and turned into a "bend ya over, stop your running, can't breathe, make you whine" stomach cramp. I've NEVER had a stomach cramp that painful! So I stopped running and tried to walked it out. I raised my hands above my head, took a deep breath, and tried to relax. It took about 3 minutes to subside, then I shuffled the remaining 0.5 miles. With that said, my knee had NO PAIN!

That night, my stomach felt like I did 100 crunches. Very strange. I have no idea what triggered such a spasm, but I don't want to relive that again!

Any thoughts on a cause?

Week 2 Done!

Ok, Week 2 is finished - That's the good news. The bad news - I was bad :( I only ran once (yes, yell at me, please!!)

I have a ton of excuses, really! I was sick, I went to a red sox game, it was raining, I think I was poisoned, we were helping my dad sheetrock a a hallway....the list goes on!

SO here's how the week went:
Monday - XT with Matt - We walked 2 miles around our neighborhood. Good start!
Tuesday - My group run was great! 2.5 miles, no PAIN!
Wednesday - I went looking for a Red sox shirt and got home after dark...lame excuse, I know!
Thursday I went to see the Red Sox - no time to run....Red Sox win! 12-6
Friday I was poisoned by some unknown food - or maybe it was the beer. No running - just lots of whining.
Weekend was shot. We helped my Dad sheetrock.

Monday starts a new week!

So far so good.....

Finished up Week 1 with the Runners Alley 10k Group!!

Tuesday's run was a bit rough. My knee was very sore after the run and my left quad was extremely tender!!! I don't know what I did, but my only thought was that the route we ran Tuesday was very hilly. I took Wednesday off to rest my knee and quad - I used the foam roller, the stick, and some massage.

Thursday's run was much better! It might have been the 800mg Ibuprofen I was taking or the tiger balm I slathered on my left leg and knee. Whatever it was, it worked.....LOVE THE TIGER BALM!

So today is Friday, so I'm going to try to make up Wednesday's 1-2 mile run....then do some leg strengthening.

So far so good!

Happy 1 Year of RUNNING to ME!

I have officially declared April 3 as my anniversary of running! I started the 5k running group a year ago today and in the last year I have run some 400 miles - completed 4 5k races, 2 10k races, a 5 miler, and a half marathon! YooHOO!