Happy Runniversary to Me!

This post is actually a week late, my runniversary is Memorial Day weekend, but last weekend came and went without me remembering LOL!

Full disclosure...this is going to be a long post as I reflect on the past year :-)

Last year at this time I had been going to a great, small, family owned gym. But since it was family owned they closed on holiday weekends. Needing to do some kind of workout while the gym was closed I decided to try running again because I had really been missing it.

It had been almost a year since the last time I ran. That was with a running group, where I pushed myself too hard and ended up with a migraine (I get exercise-induced migraines when I push myself too hard with any type of exercise/activity).

But I went out and ran, I don't remember how far or how long, but I know it felt GOOD. I decided it was time to try running again and see if I could manage it without getting a migraine.

I started with the Couch 2 5K program which I had used successfully in the past. As I progressed through the program I really started to struggle with it. I guess because I was older, and also no longer running on the beach with cool breezes (that's where I first started running years ago), I had a hard time with the longer run segments.

That's when I discovered Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk program. I am not being overly dramatic when I say this program was LIFE CHANGING! I loved having set walking segments to rest and keep my energy up.

What I did not do was fully follow the program though. According to my pace I should have been doing 30 seconds running followed by 30 seconds walking. I could run 5 minutes at a time though so I decided to do 4 minutes running with 1 minute walking breaks.

Initially this seemed to work well for me.

Since I had already done 5Ks in my running life I decided to challenge myself with a 10K. I picked out one for that September. It was the Hooter's to Hooter's 10K in Clearwater, FL. I thought that would be a great race to do since it was in a town I loved and it was my and Tim's anniversary weekend so we could get away for our anniversary too.

It was a TOUGH race. I made 2 big mistakes.

#1 - I started out way too fast
#2 - I discovered 4:1 was the wrong run/walk time for me

I was so happy to be done, but I was wiped out!

The plus side was that I was determined to run more and just days after this race I signed up for my first half marathon - the Disney Princess Half the following February.

I went back and read some more of Jeff Galloway's books and decided to change my run/walk times to 2:1.

That worked great for me!

I also signed up for a couple of 5Ks so that I could practice running in a race atmosphere and NOT start out too fast.

My next 5K was my local Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. I was recovering from a pulled hamstring muscle for that race so I knew going in that I would not be setting any PRs. So I really went into this race just doing it for fun. And it was a GREAT race! My time was slow (about 42 minutes), but I had so much fun just enjoying the event that I can't wait to do it again this year.

 

 

Training continued, even through some COLD weather. Even though I live in FL, I live in the center of the state so we don't get the benefit of ocean/gulf weather keeping it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. We do get several nights of below freezing temps each year. So I bundled up in the mornings and continued with my runs. And still no migraines :-)

 

January came and it was time for another 5K. Having no injuries I planned this race carefully. I was going to start slower until the turn around (it was an out and back course) and then pick up the pace for the second half. This was also a local race, the Ocala Marathon/Half Marathon/5K. I already knew that in 2013 I'd be doing the 5K but in 2014 I would do the Half.

 

This was another great race, despite having LOTS of hills. I think I was truly learning to enjoy the experience. I took about 3 minutes off my last 5K time - woohoo!

 

 

Then just a few weeks later was the BIG race, the Disney Princess Half.

I was nervous and excited. Overall it was a great experience. I was so happy to have done this race as my first half. It was a tough race because I had been training in cold weather (as had everyone else since this was in February), but that weekend it decided to be really warm. The pre-race temp was in the 60s and close to 100% humidity - welcome to crazy Central Florida weather!

It was really, really crowded, to the point that I found it hard to run during my run segments. But the good news is that it kept me from going too fast. I finished in 3:25, which was actually 5 minutes faster than my anticipated finish time - yay!

Now that I have had this experience I probably won't be doing another Disney race. They are just too crowded and too expensive. I'm starting to learn I like smaller races better.

About a week after this race was my 46th birthday, and that's when the Run 50 By 50 concept was born.

I am now 3 races into it, and my 4th race is a virtual 10K that will be completed sometime this month.

It's been a fun, challenging, life-changing year and I wouldn't change a single minute of it. I can't wait to see what this next year brings me.

And of course, I couldn't have done any of this without Tim's support. He is my biggest cheerleader and the best photographer, and I am very fortunate to have him as my partner in life.

Disney Vacation

One of the benefits of living in Florida is that Disney offers FL resident specials. This year they offered one of the best specials I've ever seen - 4 days for $129 (that's almost like buying 1 and getting 3 free!), so Tim and I took advantage of it.

We went to Epcot in April, and since I was on vacation from work this week we decided to do the other 3 parks this week. We had a great time, with LOTS of walking. My FitBit is quite proud of me, 3 days over 10,000 steps, and I actually got my first 20,000 step badge this week LOL!

While I didn't actually do any working out (except continuing with my 30 day squat challenge), I think I walked enough to make up for it. I also let my eating slip quite a bit, but I learned a long time ago to not stress over that. I ate what I wanted (hello TWO cheeseburger and fries meals this week) and enjoyed myself, but now I'm back home and eating is back to normal.

When I first started Weight Watchers I tried to stick to my usual eating while on vacation, but it just stressed me out, trying to figure out what to eat and how to track it. So I learned to just enjoy myself and not stress over it. That doesn't mean I always make unhealthy choices, I find that if I don't eat enough veggies for a day or two I do crave them, so I do what feels right for the moment.

And today it's also back to exercising...we'll either hit the gym this afternoon or I'll go for a bike ride.

How do you handle vacations? Do you stick to your regular exercise/eating?

Running with the bulls

Yup, it's true, I'm doing it.

February 1, 2014 in Tampa, FL, Tim and I will be running with the bulls in The Great Bull Run.

It's a 0.25 mile run with live bulls running after you and then they pass you...cause the bulls definitely run faster - LOL!

I'm a little nervous, but more excited. Of course I'd love to go to Spain some day and SEE this event, but after reading the safety precautions (although it's still not 100% safe) I feel pretty good about it.

The Spain trip will happen some day, but running with the bulls will be one of the 50 by 50 races and I can't wait.

Now we just have to get Tim to be able to run 0.25 miles, which he's working on...although cardio is not his favorite to do :-)

What do you all think? Would you ever run with bulls?

Injury = Break from running :-(

As runners it's likely that we will experience injuries periodically.

And it sucks when that happens - to put it bluntly.

Right now I've got an injured hip, and of course running makes it worse, the pounding is what causes the pain. I can walk, do squats, swim, etc, just no running.

Since I was seeing the chiropractor for my neck, which is all better, he is now treating my hip. He said it's either a problem with the joint or even some bursitis. Of course my initial reaction upon hearing bursitis is that "I'm not old!" LOL

But looking it up, runners are listed as people prone to bursitis. Now it's a matter of the usual treatment, rest, stretching, ice, advil.

And in the meantime I'll be doing other forms of cardio that don't involve pounding on my hip.

Time to get out the bikes. Yesterday I picked up some cheap swim goggles so I can give swimming a try. I typically don't like swimming laps, but it's been a few years since I've tried it, and doing it with Tim might make it more fun.

The good news is that I did finish run #3...it was painful and it was my slowest 5K time ever, but I'm happy it's done, and I LOVE the medal.



Next run is another virtual that can be done anytime in June, although it is a 10K so I do need time to train. I'm not happy about having to take a break from running, but I'm happy that I can give myself time to heal and train properly.

How do you handle injuries? What are your backup exercise plans? Any suggestions for me to try something new and fun?

Lazy Sunday

Do you ever have do absolutely nothing days?

Today is one of those days for me. The last few months have been good, but incredibly busy and I am tired!

Yesterday we spent the day at Epcot (side note: we aren't doing an actual go somewhere vacation this year, but Disney offered a GREAT deal for Florida residents so we'll be spending a few days there the next couple of months :-) ) and had a great day. Of course it was very active, and according to my FitBit we walked just under 20,000 steps.

So with everything that's gone on today I decided would be a complete lazy day. Wearing my PJs all day, playing on the computer, catching up on DVR shows and catching up on some reading

 

 

Yes, I am waaaaayyyyy behind on my magzine reading :-)

 

What are your thoughts on having totally lazy days?

 

Do they make you feel guilty? For me there is no guilt. I do it so rarely and I know at times I need to just relax and do nothing for my mental and physical health.

 

Are you like me, do you think lazy days are a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle?

 

And with that, I am off to chill...happy Sunday, and enjoy whatever you have planned for today :-)

Run #2 - Iron Girl 5K

Yesteray was my 2nd Run 50 By 50 race, the Iron Girl 5K in Clearwater, FL.

I was really excited to do this race because it was the first race I ran back in 2006 when I first started running.

The day started out very early, getting up at 3:30am. With all the traveling I've done recently for work I did not want to spend another night away from home and in a hotel, so I decided to make it a day trip. I told Tim he didn't have to come with me, but being the great guy he is, he did come with me because he didn't want me driving alone that early in the morning.

We left at 4:30 and arrived about 6:15. Which was pretty good since I find driving around Tampa and Clearwater to be very confusing and we made a couple of wrong turns, even with using GPS.

Once we arrived I went to find where I could go get my number and chip. It was crowded but not a total madhouse.

 

 

We hung out, mostly in the port-o-potty line, it was long and moved slow, but chatted with some nice people. Then we went on the hunt for water since I hadn't drank any yet that morning. To my surprise they were not giving out food to athletes pre-race, although we did find a water station with small cups and water.

 

While we were hanging out the half marathon kicked started. It was fun cheering them on and really looking at the bridge we all had to cross.

 

 

 

Since I had run this race before I knew what to expect for the bridge but it surprised Tim.

 

Then it was time to line up. The excitement was kicking in. I am happy I have virtual run options to complete my 50 By 50, but there is nothing like an in person race to get the adrenaline pumping.

 

 

 

 

And then we were off. First street was uphill already. Then it flattened out until we hit the bridge. Going up the bridge the first time wasn't bad, and of course the scenery was beautiful.

 







Hit mile 1 at the top of the bridge, and then I really got to speed up going down the bridge. Got to the water stop, grabbed a cup and then arrived at the turn around. Unfortunately going back the other way we only had one lane to run in, the other lane was open to traffic. And a LOT of people were not following good race etquiette (another blog on that one coming soon!).

Going back up was tougher, I think it was longer going up the second time and I was going really slow. But eventually I reached the top and then it literally was all down hill from there :-)

Crossing the finish line, as always was awesome. Then the usual line for water, medal, and chip removal. One of the things they did that I LOVED was to give everyone a sponge soaked in cold water. That felt AMAZING!

Final time was 40:06, slightly slower than the last time I ran it, but this time I knew I wasn't going to PR and I just enjoyed it, even stopping to take pictures.

After looking around at the vendors for a couple of minutes we went for our traditional post-race breakfast at Perkins. Then off to the Gun Show in Tampa so Tim could have some fun too.

Overall a great day. I love that race, even with the bridge and am excited to do it again next year.

Why I Run

Wanted to get this posted sooner but have been traveling for work a bunch. Got a few more ideas brewing, so more blogs will soon follow.

Anyway, I thought a post about why I run would be good as I start this blog.

The simple answer is because I love it.

You probably want more than that, right?

I've been running on and off for about 6 - 7 years. I started when I lived a few blocks from the beach. Running on the beach in the mornings was awesome and i think that helped cement my love. How can you not love something when you can do it and watch the sunrise over the ocean and dolphins playing.

I guess I started because I was trying to lose weight and one of my good friends was a runner.

Really I don't remember thinking any specific reason, just that I wanted to run and be a runner.

And I fell in love. In love with (in no particular order):
- the feeling of accomplishment when I am done, especially after a hard run
- the improvements I see in my fitness
- my legs looking great; I had a co-worker who called me Legs because they look so good (RIP Fred, you are missed)
- the running community, everyone is so supportive no matter how fast or far you go
- the time I get to think & process; I run alone and I like that, I refer to my running time as my meditation time
- racing! I love the excitement, the bling & swag, the sense of pride when I cross the finish line, especially if I set a PR
- being outside

If I really dug in and thought harder about it I could probably come up with a dozen more.

I love running!

What do you love about running?  Or your favorite activity.

A pain in the neck...

...and no, I'm not talking about Tim :-)

Last week I was traveling for work. When I travel I try hard to stick to my workout routine, so I bring my running clothes and I bring workout DVDs for my cross training/strength days. Unfortunately the DVD I brought last week was an older one and it wouldn't play in my newer laptop. Instead I went with plan B which was to go to the facility fitness room and use the weight machine there. I had never used it before and thought I did ok with it.

But, later that afternoon my neck started to get stiff and sore and by bedtime that night I was in a lot of pain. Luckily the next day was our last day so I was heading home. By the time my flight landed at 11pm that night I was in so much pain that I called Tim and told him as soon as I got home we were going to the ER. Turns out I had pulled a muscle in my neck which then cause muscle spasms.

I spent the next 3 days spaced out on pain killers and muscle relaxers...not a feeling I enjoy.

Today I am feeling much better, and finally went back to working out. Went for a nice, slow run, and I can tell I haven't been active for about a week and a half, but overall it was great to be out there again.

Traveling again the next two weeks, but this time I'll test my DVDs before I leave so I don't have to use unfamiliar equipment.

On the 50 by 50 front I've been having fun looking for races to do. The Iron Girl 5K is coming up in a couple of weeks and I'm really excited for that one. I can't wait to run it again, bridges and all.

There are so many virtual runs with cool medals available I need to be careful and not sign up for too many - LOL. I'm sticking to one per month, and if there is an in person race avaialbe I'll do that vs. virtual. I like the concept of virtual, I like helping out charities and getting the swag, but I also love the excitment of an in person race.

Happy weekend!

Getting Started

Here we go...

Earlier this month I turned 46 and decided that it would be awesome to run 50 races by my 50th birthday. Hence this goal, FB page and blog were created.

Guess I should start at the beginning...well, not the total beginning, that was 46 years ago :-)

As I was approaching 40 I began to take control of my health. I joined Weight Watchers and started working out and found a love of running.

As often happens lots of life changes occured and I got off track and gained weight back. I also started getting headaches and found out I got exercise induced migraines.

Fast forward to January 2012 and I decided it was time to get serious again about my health. I went back to Weight Watchers with full committment and started exercising again regularly.

May 2012 I started running again and this time was determined to keep running and meet my goal of running a half marathon. Two things helped me greatly with running longer distances and avoiding migraines.

First, I take magnesium each day, it works much better at controling the migraines than any perscription meds my doctor had me try.

Second, I started following Jeff Galloway's run/walkmethod. I run 2 minutes and walk 1 minute. And it's been great for me.

Since last May I ran a 10K, a couple of 5Ks and this past February I ran the Disney Princess Half Marathon. I had hoped to finish in 3:30 (even with run/walk I'm still a slow runner, and I'm ok with that) and I actually finished in 3:25. Considering it was hot and HUMID I was very proud of that finish time.

And now this new challenge has been born. I love to run, but having a race coming up makes it even better, so I'll be set for the next four years.

Yesterday was officially run #1 for Run 50 By 50. It was a local St. Paddy's Day race and I set a 5K PR finishing in 35:41 :-)
 
The 50th race will be the weekend before/after my 50th birthday in some fabulous destination where the man, Tim, and I can have a great vacation.
 
So that's the background for this blog. While it was born out of a running goal chances are really good that I'll end up talking about a lot more than running here.
 
I think this is going to be an amazing journey and I'm excited to live it and share it.