Making Progress

I have kept moving, a little.  I did a run last Tuesday and all things considering I did pretty good.  I was expecting it to be really slow after the Corvallis Half Marathon a few days before.  My average pace was 12'44" which is decent and I didn't feel like I was dying so that was good.

I wasn't able to run the rest of the week.  A combination of homework and a kiddo that needed help getting his resume slicked up.  I got some son time out of the deal so I was happy to help.  :-)  I'll take kiddo time any way I can get it from my older two.  :-)

Easter Sunday my husband decided to go on a trail run in the morning.  I was sad that I can't run fast enough to go with him on runs like that.  This is where I really really really want to be faster.  Not so much because I'm comparing myself to him but because I want to participate with him.  He could tell something was up so I told him.  He came up with a plan.  He would run the long way to the top of Dimple Hill and I would to the shorter (and less steep) way and meet him at the top.  Then he would come down with me.  I would end up with about 5 miles total.  He would run a little over 4 miles to the top.

The weather was perfect.  Usually we have rainy Easters in Oregon, this year the morning was glorious.  The weather was perfect for a trail run.

I had decided to try and run as much of the route as I could without killing myself.  I started off too fast and then the road got really steep.  The combination made me struggle with my breathing.  So after just a quarter of a mile I had to walk.  I walked about a mile and then the road became less steep.  I was still going up but I had my breath back so I started a slow jog up the hill.  I felt like I was doing pretty good and was doing a better job regulating my breathing.  The forest was just gorgeous with the sun shining through the trees.  I got the rest of the way to the top and got an amazing view as my reward.  And I had gotten there before Joe.  Bonus.  He went twice as far as me but he is also twice as fast so I knew I was going to have to move it to get there before him.

When he got there we took some selfies together and enjoyed the view for a moment and then headed back down.  Joe had finished his first activity on runkeeper (the run to the top) and was starting a new activity as a walk with me for the trip down.  Usually this would have worked well because I'm sure that he could easily walk while I run.  Down is much easier than up, that's for sure!  I had decided to run as long as I was feeling it and then walk.  Evidently I was feeling it for over 2 miles because I ran the entire time down.  My Nike+ was saying that I was running at a 13'45" pace but I felt much faster than that.  Joe is pretty sure I was doing a low 11 minute mile pace.  I really like downhill.  Either way, I felt really good and was pretty happy about running almost the whole trip up and back.  Now I have something to work on.  :-)

Joe ran the whole way with me.  This was his comment on his "walk" with runkeeper on Facebook:

Pretty nice when the Ironman thinks you are hauling arse!

Monday I went for a run.  I really didn't want to go because it was raining and I'm still fighting a cold.  But I felt so good from my run on Sunday that I didn't want to lose the momentum so I headed out.  It was raining pretty hard when I first started but then it slowed down to drizzle and that wasn't too bad.  I was having a hard time regulating my breathing and when I heard my pace at mile 1 I realized it was partly because I was moving right along.  So I decided to keep moving right along.  I had to stop, literally at every half mile and blow snot rockets, spit and catch my breath for a moment.  Nasty!  But when I was running I was feeling really good and moving at a pretty good clip for me.

Here is a comparison of my three mile run last week and my three mile run this week.

I know it isn't always like this so I enjoy it when it happens!

This is the first run I have done that has been under a 12 minute mile average pace since the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving day!  That's a long time!  Adjusting to the Metformin medication was more of a toll than I had realized.  The last few weeks have been the first runs in months that I haven't had a queasy stomach during the runs and I hadn't realized what an impact that was having on my runs.  It also takes a certain amount of effort to put ME first.  I'm not good at that on front on good days but when I have 10,000 other things that are demanding my time and attention it is even harder.   Okay, 10,000 might be a slight exaggeration but only by a little bit.

I know that the majority of running and getting healthy is about what is going on in my head.  The last few months I have been letting my negative self win but I feel like I'm getting her to quiet down some after the past week.

I also feel like I'm getting back in the groove.  Just being able to run when I need to and feel good about the fact that I am out there.  That is the accomplishment!  Running fast is a goal.  Being willing to get off my butt and do something is the accomplishment.  I need to remember to keep a balance between pushing myself to reach new goals and remembering that every time I run or bike or exercise I am successful

Which reminds me!  I'm still looking for donations towards my Tour de Cure bike ride this summer.  Check out my post Tour de Cure to get instructions on how to donate.  I have been taking some spin classes to get used to how to stand up and work on hills.  It's nice to figure it out on a stationary bike so I don't have to figure out what I'm doing and worry about falling over all at the same time.  The Tour de Cure is a great cause and I appreciate anyone who is willing to support my bike ride!!  Thanks ahead of time.

And on another note.  I have reached 10,000+ views on my blog!  Wow!  Seems crazy to me that people read all my silly (and often whiny) thoughts.  I appreciate everyone who stops by to read what I'm up to and all the encouraging things people have said, emailed or commented to me about this crazy journey I'm on.  This blog has really been a blessing for me this past year in ways that I never anticipated.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the rest of this year brings in my journey to a healthier me.