Running in the Right Direction

The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running. -Nike Marketing

Hooray for my 1st 5K! (and my first Zumba class)

I completed my first 5K on Memorial Day this year.  My goals were to finish in an hour and run as much as possible.  I started the race running and I ended the race running and I ran some in the middle --  and I finished in 55 minutes.  Not a speed racer or anything, but I did it, I finished it, I ran as much as I could!  I am running my next 5K on 4th of July - I will have new goals for that race.  Today I went to a Zumba class.  That was fun, mostly because the word fun leads to the word funny.  I had no idea what I was doing but I was able to keep up the whole class and I was a sweaty mess when it was done, which is just the way I like it b/c then I know it's working.  Becky joined me in the class and we krumped our way through it!  Excited to do both again. 

Tuesday, April 27th

• Walked up 8 flights of 11 stairs each, walked across the parking structure, and down 8 flights of 11 stairs each. Last five stairs of the trek was all that got my attention.
• Walked the city block of my work.  There are a couple of other folks that also walk the block and we are at head nod status now.  Nice.
• My friend Marla did this with me today.  She thought I might have been trying to kill her with the stairs part, but realized that I wasn't, and thanked me later.
• I have two finals this week: Thursday and Saturday.  And then some seriousness to this training will begin.  So excited!

• Walked up 8 flights of 11 stairs each, walked across the parking structure, and down 8 flights of 11 stairs each. Last five stairs of the trek was all that got my attention.
• Walked the city block of my work.  There are a couple of other folks that also walk the block and we are at head nod status now.  Nice.
• My friend Marla did this with me today.  She thought I might have been trying to kill her with the stairs part, but realized that I wasn't, and thanked me later.
• I have two finals this week: Thursday and Saturday.  And then some seriousness to this training will begin.  So excited!

4 Ways to Make Anxiety a Motivator | Active.com

4 Ways to Make Anxiety a Motivator | Active.com.

Clocked the Block

It is exactly one mile. 

Couple of things.

a. I thought it would be further, don't know why, wishful thinking.

b. So, the very slowest you are allowed to complete one mile in the Half Marathon is a 16 minute mile...I can get up from my desk, walk out of the building to the stairs, up and down 8 flights, walk the city block and get back in the building and to my desk in 17 minutes.  On my way to victory already!  And I'm going to run that half marathon, so that's pretty freakin' fantastic.

Thursday, April 22 12:45p

 

Walked up 8 flights of 11 stairs each, walked across the parking structure, and down 8 flights of 11 stairs each. Didn't feel much until the last flight up.  (Need to start thinking about what I will do next when the stairs don't hurt anymore)

Walked the city block of my work.  Still have not clocked the walk...I forget by the time I leave.  I'm writing a sticky note to myself to try and remember today.

Talked a co-worker into doing the walk with me, she'll start with me next Tuesday.

I didn't walk the flights of stairs at the end of my walk.  :|

I need to go to bed earlier.  The sleep would do my brain and my body good.  Being tired is not helpful.

Wednesday, April 21 12:30pm

• Walked up 8 flights of 11 stairs each, walked across the parking structure, and down 8 flights of 11 stairs each. Didn't feel much until the last two flights up. 
• Walked the city block of my work.  Remembered on my walk today that I was going to clock the distance.  Maybe I'll remember today when I leave.
• From desk back to desk: 17 minutes.  Dang!
• I think tomorrow I will finish with the stairs up and back down to end cap the routine.

Monday, April 19 12:30p

• Walked up 8 flights of 11 stairs each, walked across the parking structure, and down 8 flights of 11 stairs each.  I suppose this was a good warm up; I'm pretty sure my legs and lungs thought it was torture, but only momentarily and it felt awesome
• I then walked the city block of my work campus.  I don't know how far this is, I will clock it in my car when I leave today.
• I did all of this activity from standing up at my desk to returning to my desk in 20 minutes.
• Whoa-Za!  Surprised myself even.

Every morning

"Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must move faster than the lion or it will not survive. Every morning a lion wakes up and it knows it must move faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter if you are the lion or the gazelle, when the sun comes up, you better be moving."   - Maurice Greene (attributed to Roger Bannister shortly after running the first sub-4 mile)

The beginning...

I have been talking about running for two years now.  I have been busy getting a Master's degree instead.  I have watched as my friends have accomplished half and full marathons and have cheered them on.

One weeks ago my sister in law, Becky, started a very casual conversation with me.  She said, "I received this email the other day that introduced the idea of running in the Disneyland Half Marathon.  Do you want to do it with me?"  Without even a second of hesitation I said, "Yes!"  Before I knew when it was or what would be involved, I just blurted out, "Yes!"

And thus a goal, dream, and challenge has begun.  We made a plan to walk before I have to be on my way to work, thus we need to be walking at 4:30am.  HA!  That's early friends, but we did it last week.  We tried for one day but it was raining so we went another day.  It was fun and so great to do it together! 

Since our initial conversation I have:

• walked on my lunch at work once
• walked once at 4:30am
• walked the neighborhood once, followed by leg exercises
• gone to the pool to lap swim once 

I have also signed up for a 5K that is 7 weeks from today.  I'm going to run that 5k (3.1 miles).

Becky, my husband, my daughter and I are signed up for a different 5K that is 11 weeks from today.  I'm going to walk that one because we are doing it together as a family.

And then, the creme de la creme, is a half marathon the first week of September.

I am going to use this blog as accountability of:

• What I am doing to train daily
• What quotes I am using as motivation
• What new thoughts I am having

It's going to be a wild ride.