Friday, April 24, 2015

Getting Back in the Groove

I went hiking on Saturday with friends and we did what we call the Vineyard loop.  I think it really is Nettleson Rd. and then Davies Rd. but since we all know what we mean when we say Vineyard it really doesn't matter.

This hike is all on a dirt/gravel road and has hills but nothing super steep.  It ends up being about 6.5 miles unless you tack on little trails that veer off the road here and there.  When my friend Wendie and I have done this hike together we have been running the downhills and walking the uphills.  She has run up some of the hills and I haven't always been able to do that but I usually catch up at some point.  Another friend of Wendie's joined us on Saturday.  It's always fun to meet new people and it is amazing how fast you can get to know someone on a 6 mile hike.

We took off and started uphill.  The first mile and a half is uphill if you start on the road to the right.  But we were moving along at a pretty good pace.  Then we started going downhill and we started running.  I was working a bit but keeping up decently so that was fun.  I looked down at my Garmin and it said we were doing an 11 minute pace.  What?  A little bit later I looked again and it said we were doing a 10'30" pace.  What?!!  I don't run that fast!  Not without feeling like my lungs are going to explode and I will die at any moment.

We kept going and didn't come to another hill for a few miles and I was able to keep up with the others the whole time!  So as far I was concerned this hike was already awesome!

We got to one of the bigger hills that I have never been able to run up the whole thing.  I have gotten a little ways but then start to struggle with my breathing and have to walk.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained so I worked to get just a little farther than I had the last time.  Joe had told me to take smaller steps and just work my way up hills so that's what I did.  I couldn't keep up with the others but I made it all the way to the top and then kept running until I caught up with the others.  WIN!!

At this point I didn't really care how the rest of the hike went because I had rocked what we had done so far.

There were a few more hills and we walked some and ran some and I kept up the entire time.  The last half mile was hard because I was running out of gas but I pushed through and still stayed with the group.  Boy was I glad I had stuck with it!!
Check out my pace on mile four!!  (It was downhill, but still...) :-)
I have had regular runs on flat courses that have been slower than this.  Which is part of the reason I am so pleased with this run.  And yes, I'm calling it a run.  :-)

Because we were moving right along the entire time (yay!) I didn't take the time to get many pictures.  I'm a little mad at myself for not getting a picture of my friends when we finished but I will try and do better about that.  Josh and Wendie crossed the saddle and kept going.  I needed to get back home so I could run some errands.  Plus, it's always good to end on a positive note and I was feeling awesome at this point!
The forest at the Saddle. 
Another lovely day in the forest.
This is the face of a VERY happy camper!  
On Sunday I didn't do any workouts because I had a lot of housework to catch up on.  Nothing like not having homework so that I have enough time to actually do some things around the house!  I did enjoy hanging out on occasion to read a book and enjoy the sunshine. :-)

Monday we had a very warm spring day in Oregon.  By the time I got home it was almost 74 degrees.    I do not like running in the heat.  And when I say heat I mean anything over the temperature of 60 degrees.  So this was going to be a very warm run for me.

I decided to take the dog so that I could see how she did with the warmer weather too.  And it's a great way to get some of her energy out.

I have enjoyed having a heart monitor with my Garmin because it gives me information on how I am doing while I'm exercising.  I have decided that I'm going to listen to the information my body is telling me and adjust accordingly.  If I need to slow down then I will and let myself recover instead of getting mad.  Being competitive with myself is a good thing but in the past it has gotten in the way of feeling good about being active when I had days that weren't what I felt were "good".  I am focusing on being active and enjoying the journey and the lessons I learn when the workout is less than I wanted.

I ran a 5k and it went better than I thought it would.  When I felt like I was really struggling I would check my Garmin and if my heart rate was close to 168 or higher I started walking until it was under 150.  As soon as it was under 150 I would start running again.  When I was walking I tried to walk fast but not so fast that my heart rate wouldn't go down.  It seemed to go pretty well.  I had to slow down at 1 mile, 1.5 miles, and 2 miles.  My average pace was not too bad considering the heat, the walking and the general lack of running I have had.  I actually was proud of myself for getting out and running at all.

I did have to stop at 2.5 miles but that was because of the dog.  I running along and all of a sudden my arm jerks back.  I look behind me and Bailey is pooping right in the middle of the crosswalk!  Geez!  I had to wait for her to finish, go to the corner and dig out a bag, make sure no cars were going to turn and hit me, then run out and pick it up.  Luckily it was garbage day in the neighborhood so a nice couple let me dispose of the bag in their garbage can.  I wasn't looking forward to running for another half mile with a bag of poop.  This is the downside of running with a dog.  :-)

My first mile was pretty good and the second two weren't terrible, all things considered.  While I feel like I am starting over in many ways it is nice to be close to where I was last year, even a tiny bit better.  I know that I am not starting over with my attitude, I am miles ahead of where I was in this area last year.
Love this sweet puppy!
Wednesday was another swim.  This one was better than last week.  I swam 750 yards (1/2 mile) in 31 minutes.  Last week I swam 700 yards in 45 minutes.  My breathing was better but my arms and legs protested being back in the pool again at first.  I did the first 500 on my own just working on my breathing and my strokes.  I did the last 250 with fins on so that I could focus on my strokes and turning my head to breath.  Somehow, breathing, taking strokes and kicking is a lot to coordinate, especially when you are just figuring it out.  I got a new swim cap which was good.  Having my hair flopping around last week was annoying.  I got a hot pink cap because, why the hell not.  :-)

After the swim I rewarded myself with 15 minutes soaking in the hot tub!  Ahhhhh!

I wasn't able to run Thursday like I wanted (daughter's track meet) and I won't be able to run tonight (taking daughter to a retreat about an hour away).  But I'm hoping to get a longer run in tomorrow morning and then a hike with friends in on Sunday.  I have more time with no school work but now all the things I pushed to the back burner are needing to be done so it is taking a bit to get back into the work out groove again.  But I'm trying and I think that's what matters right now.

I added a 5K to the upcoming race list.  I'm doing the Willamette Mission Trail Run with Run Wild Adventures on May 2nd with my friend Shannon.  I ran with her in January when she did her first 10K.  In an effort to motivate ourselves we decided we needed to do a 5K and this one fit the bill.  Meighan will be joining us and Joe will be doing the 10K.  Should be fun, no matter what.  I always have a good time when I'm with Shannon.  :-)

I write about my journey mostly for myself.  It helps me keep perspective and there have been many times that I have looked back at older posts and either been mad at myself for being so negative or happy with all I have accomplished.  Welcome to life.  I figure if there is anyone else out there that maybe didn't have the journey to becoming healthy in a straighter line and this has caused frustration will like knowing they are not alone.  I don't think it is ever an easy journey to become healthy when you are overweight but some of us have extra things to hurdle or roadblocks that we need to navigate that are added to the normal hardships of the journey.  Hang in there if that is you.  Don't give up!  Keep heading in the right direction!

I found this on Pinterest awhile back and it seemed appropriate today.  I am working on inspiring myself.  If I inspire anyone else along the way, that is an awesome bonus!!



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