2nd 5k attempt

Well I didn't think my second 5k would be worse than the first. I always do bad when I think I'm going to do good. I blame being stressed and frazzled, partly due to my Hubby's last minute change of plans.

The Philly Run Wild 5k was held at the zoo. It was a beautiful day, much warmer than I expected. It was also very crowded. Starting out was packed and hard to maneuver around people. I should have focused on getting into my groove, but I was more concerned about avoiding people. Then around mile 2 it hit me AGAIN. A damn side cramp. I didn't have anything to eat that morning, but I didn't have anything to drink either. Probably not the best pre run regiment, but like I said, pretty hectic morning. I had thought ahead and bought a protein drink for the morning, but I didn't have time to drink it until we were in the car on our way. It was nasty, a strange consistency and weird orange flavor. I couldn't stomach more than 2 sips.

So I would up walking a lot during that last mile and wound up with an average time just shy of 13 mins a mile. Worse than my 12:38 time from my first 5k and much worse than my time on Thursday, 11:30 mins a mile. I was so upset that I had to fight back the tears in that last bit. I knew I could do better and was so disappointed in myself for performing poorly. I'm still trying to figure out what works best for me. My hubby keeps telling me to eat a banana before a run to prevent cramps. I haven't done it yet because I'm worried it'll make my cramping worse.

Well I had a banana tonight before I left work so we will test out his theory. Hopefully I can just get home, change and head out. I hate not spending much time with Nate, but I know I need to take care of myself as well.

On a positive note, I'm down almost a pound this week, .9 to be exact. I was hoping for 1.6 so I could break the 30 pound mark, but hopefully Incan get there next week. Only .7 more to go. 

Skinny jean update

I have one pair of pants that still eludes me, my size 14 "skinny jeans." I'm almost to wear I was when I bought the pants so I figured I'd give them a try. I can get them on and button them, but that button is hanging on for dear life.  Breathing is also problematic. Maybe in after another 5 pounds.

Running On Air

I must say I read this article in my Runner's World magazine and I didn't give it much thought.
Running On Air: Breathing Technique | Runner's World. 
This article describes a way of breathing while running to help prevent injuries. Well while I was out for my run today I started to get a side cramp like usual. I experimented with some applesauce and coffee for breakfast to give me some energy before my run. I don't know that it gave me much energy.

It seems like I'm always getting side cramps these days. I had 3 more miles to go so I didn't want to have to keep stopping because of a side cramp. I decided to try the rhythmic breathing from the article, inhale for 3 foot strikes and exhale for 2. Supposedly alternating your leading foot is suppose to help prevent injury. Well by the next mile the side cramp was gone and I was able to run about 11:30 a mile and set a personal distance record of 4.2 miles. That was 1:08 better than my 5K a couple weeks ago. I have another 5K this weekend so I'm excited to see how I do this time.

Really tired today so I'm going to call it a night. Hitting the gym tomorrow to get some more miles in on the treadmill. Trying to avoid overuse injuries so I figure a treadmill would be better for back to back runs.

Darn cramps!

I went out for my scheduled jog last night which was 3 mi easy with strides, 3 intervals of fast running. Now that I look at my results I'm surprised that with each interval my running was faster. Really surprised because by the end of the 3 miles I had a major side cramp again!! It's so frustrating because I know I'm not tired and can keep going, but my body is screaming at me to stop.

I do feel pretty good about the run overall though. I think I only stopped 2-3 times to take a walk break and I was able to jog up each hill I came across. It was usually after this feat I needed a walk break. I didn't eat anything before I went out, but my salad at lunch was causing some tummy issues so I think that may be the culprit. That plus all the hill running. I managed an average of 12:19 min/mile during my 3 mile run so I'm happy with that.

They say it's bad to run on an empty stomach, but I find eating anything before a run causes me to get really bad side cramps. I'll try experimenting tomorrow morning by having some applesauce before my morning run. They say applesauce is good to eat before a morning run because it can give you energy and is easily digestible. So says Runner's World magazine anyway. :-)

Well I guess I should get to work now. Until next time.....

Weigh in 4/22/13

So excited!! I'm down 3.1 pounds this week. I knew I lost, but that was more than I expected.

Lessons Learned

#1 - Always go to the bathroom before heading out, even if you don't feel the need to go.
#2 - Pushing a jogging stroller with a toddler uphill is a lot harder than it looks.
#3 - Toddler in stroller will not enjoy the run as much as you so be prepared with snacks.
#4 - Always enter a specific address into a GPS because it won't always take you to the main entrance.

I was really excited to get out for my "long" run this weekend. The most I've run is 3 something miles. So I enter Ridley Creek State Park into my navigation system and we start out. We meaning myself and my almost 2 yr. old. The GPS takes us to some random parking lot in the park. It was a completely deserted area so I wasn't comfortable staying there with just and my son. I finally entered a specific intersection to get to what I hoped was the main parking lot. Luckily that did the trick.

So the loop in this park is 4.3 miles. If you go to the left it is a pretty steep hill and if you go to the right it starts off pretty even. I figure let's go up the hill and that will be my warm up. Well uphill was almost a freakin' mile! By the time I got to semi-even ground I felt exhausted, but I started up determined to get in this run.

I was chugging along pretty well, about my normal pace and then the 5K started. I had no clue there was one scheduled that day. It wasn't bad, but that part of the trail is pretty narrow so I just felt really awkward with my stroller. Luckily it didn't last long because they actually doubled back so I only hd to share 1.5 miles. Then I was back onto the path by myself. That was nice and peaceful until little man decided that he was tired of sitting in the stroller. So I stopped to break out some snacks, but then realized I should have brought a cup for his snacks. Oh well, they're going on his tray. A little dirt never hurt anyone. :-)

Not long after that I realized I really had to go. With every step I ran down hill it got worse. I was so tempted to stop off in the woods, but seeing I'm a female it would have been too easy. About a mile later I spotted a port a potty, one big enough for the two of us. It wasn't he worst I've seen, but since it was out on the woods it had it's share of cobwebs. Well sweet relief at least I could jog back without having an accident.

Now that little man had a taste of freedom, he really wasn't happy about getting back in his seat. I think we were about a quarter mile or so away from the car before I gave up the run and let him out so we could walk the rest of the way or so I thought. He got tired of walking and wanted to be held. I usually don't because it is a little ridiculous to carry him when I have a perfectly good stroller her can ride, but I gave in just because I wanted some peace and quiet. Side note, we were both up at 5am that day so were were both pretty tired by that point.

Overall it was a pretty good run and I was able to keep my regular pace aside from the rough start and cranky toddler. I ever ran out the following day and had a good run. I usually don't do so well on back to back runs so I was happy to could finish the 2 miles.

Weigh in is tomorrow and I'm excited. I jumped on the scale Thursday or Friday last week and it already said I was down almost 2 pounds. Hopefully, that number didn't go up since then. 

Day 2

Went for my second run in the 10K training plan. I was a little worried since this would be 3 days in a row, but I was optimistic. It went surprisingly well. I was able to run almost the whole time. Except for a couple of stops at traffic crossings, I only had to take 2 breaks mostly due to hills. I started to get that darn side cramp, but it was towards the end so I just pushed through.

Looking forward to Saturday. I'm hoping to get to the local state park for a long run. I haven't tried more than 3 miles at a time so we'll see how I do.

Also looking forward to my weigh in on Monday. According to the scale today I've lost almost 2 pounds this week!

Starting Line

I've always thought about starting a bog, but it never took off. I've recaptured my love of running and decided to blog about. I figure it's a good way to track my training, plus it might be helpful for someone else. If I can do it, than maybe you can too.

I finally finished my first 5K! A goal I've had for years now, but between work and family I just never stuck with running long enough to feel like I could do it. I finished in 38 minutes. I knew I wasn't winning any medals, but I was surprised to see that my pace was quicker than my usual. I'm new to this whole thing so I don't know what to expect or even what the terminology means. I'm still not sure what strides are. :-)

Next step is to complete a 10K. I've signed up for a training program through RunKeeper and have had one workout already. I went out yesterday and had a pretty good run. I ran further then I've been able to before needing a break. While I felt great, I got a massive side cramp around mile 2. I could barely take a breath it was so bad. I'm not quite sure why it happened, but I was running for longer stretches of time, so it was probably just because my body wasn't use to it. I was so annoyed, I wasn't tired and I wanted to keep on running, but the pain was too much.

Today I went out for just a mile. I usually don't go out twice in a row, but there was a big movement to Run 4 Boston today. To show my support for the Boston Marathon Bombing I went out with my little guy for a small walk/jog. Hopefully that doesn't tire me out too much for tomorrow, my next scheduled run. In this new training program I will have to run back to back days on the weekend so I might as well get use to it.

Well I guess that's all for now. I'll check in tomorrow.