Blogging is hard

I think keeping this blog is harder than actually running. Thinking of something new and interesting to say each week is kind of taxing.

Well, ran everyday of the weekend. 25 minutes on Friday & Saturday. 45 minutes on Sunday. Karate on Monday and took a break today. Grades were due, so a lot of pressure makes for a tired Scotty. Tired. Sleep now.

Return to the Gym

So the gym workout was good the first time. We'll see how it is again tonight. I'm running later because of my weird schedule today. And yesterday was my rest day for the week. Tonight, I have a sleep study. I figure a good run, shower and steam will make me nice and sleepy for when I arrive at the hospital. It will hopefully counteract the weirdness of sleeping with all the monitors on me. And in a t-shirt. I never sleep in a t-shirt, and I know that's going to be a hassle. I'll bring my sleeping Yeti (Yeti-Lee) and he'll help me get through it.

Off to the gym and then to sleep!! Sort of.

Gym v School v Outdoors

My town is covered in slush. Covered. Running outside would not only be stupid, it would be dangerous. So, I chose to run inside today - I brought my stuff to work and was going to use the hallways again. Then, something in me snapped. I didn't like running in the school. It was pretty darned awful. So, I went home, got a towel and some socks, went to my old gym and signed up for three months. They have an indoor track that overlooks the pool and the basketball court. So, while the view is pretty static, there are big windows (that might look good during the daylight) and usually several hot guys to stare at on the court. Plus, it was less than buying a treadmill. I think it was a good expenditure. It will last me until mid-April. By then the snow should be gone and I can return to running outdoors regularly. Hopefully by then I'll also have moved.

Oh, and the gym has a scale, so I can more frequently update my weight loss (hopefully).

So, here it is:

Update: ~2.5 miles, 25 minutes, 286 lbs. Note: This is a new scale, so it might be different from the one at the doctor's office. But it went down one, so that makes me happy.

Oh, Sunday was yesterday?

I utterly forgot to post about my Sunday run. It was amazing. We run as a group (but we don't talk about Run Club) so it's a social event and it gives me the chance to get some one on one time with my coach. It's always good to get tips on form and hills and everything.

So, Sunday was a 3.5 mile run which we did in 40 minutes. That was a looooong run with a variety of big and small hills. So it was a good experience to do it all in one go. Last weekend I did it in several pieces, walking on many of the hills. So, to take a week to get back into the swing of things and hit a 40 minute run like that was a great boost to my self-esteem. Particularly coming off of last week's illness.

One thing I need to learn is not to eat so much. I need to diversify my meals, smaller portions with more green vegetables, etc. Saturday I ate an entire medium pizza. Well, in point of fact, I ate two. It *was* all I ate all day, but I shouldn't have eaten that much food. It kills the work that I've done. Now that the holidays are over I should return to a normal eating schedule. I really like salad, so it shouldn't be a burden to make and eat one every meal. I made one today.

Oh, and today was a rest day. Put my feet up and relaxed. No tae kwon do because of the holiday.

Update: 40 minutes, 3.5 miles.

Running 2 days is a row = Tough

So, I ran the same run again today. I think I'm going to have to change up my runs fairly frequently, because I'm already growing bored with the scenery. With the mapping tool at my disposal though, I don't think that will be a problem. I need to drive through a few neighborhoods to make sure they're safe before I map my way through them.

My goodness I'm sweating like a pig. Another 25 minute run today. The first half took me nearly a full minute less time than it did yesterday, which is why I was sooooo tired after the first half of the run today. I believe my running speed is affected by the beat of the music on my iPod. The faster the beat, the faster my steps. That's bad in so far as it's subconsciously controlling my pace. That's good in so far as I'm varying my pace and getting used to the difference between them. It's definitely noticeable. I didn't know there was an 'e' in noticeable - thank you spell check.

I may have to get the timing counts for a variety of the music that I run to and make sure they're all about the same. I can make faster mixes for faster days and slower mixes for slower days. For example, Katy Perry's "I Kissed a Girl" has a definite noticeable back beat that makes my feet want to hit the pavement at a particular pace. He said because he was listening to it even now. Where as Cascada's "Evacuate the Dance Floor" is a bit faster. Hmm, something to think about.

Update: 25 minutes, ~2.0 miles. Weight - who knows? But I feel good.

New Run

Well, I recently found a website called mapmyrun.com. It's a great site that helps you map out routes for your running, find new routes, track your workouts, etc. Today I ran my first self-planned route. It was 2.5 miles total with 5 minutes of walking at either end, so I ran about 2 miles in 25 minutes. The hills were interesting. There are a couple of big hills in the run - bigger than the mapper would lead you to believe. But, taking the advice of my running coach, I pushed off my heel and snapped my arms at a pace that left me breathing a little heavy, but still able to continue running - apparently that's the key to running a hill. Don't get so winded that you need to walk when you get to the top.

Now, as an out and back course, it looks like there's one hill in the middle. Well there is, but only because most of the way out is up and most of the way back is down. It made for an interesting run. I think I might try to find a more varied course in the future, but that may be hard considering where I live. Being near a river means that most surfaces slope up, I've discovered. Ah, well, I'm destined to be a great hill runner. Plus, the half marathon is in Vermont. That state is known for it's completely flat ground.

Update: 25 minutes. ~ 2 miles.

Brief

So, Thursdays are supposed to be my running day, but I chose to rest instead. Tomorrow is supposed to be in the 40s, so it'll be a perfect day to run outside and that means I can get to the park and run there. That excites me way more than running inside my high school.

This decision comes in part because I went to my tae kwon do class twice this week for a good 2 hour workout each time. I think it's best to take a day off every now and again. It's hard to be training for a half-marathon and training for a 2nd degree black belt test at the same time. I have to run, kick, run, break, run, punch, run and then kick some more. It's a work out. I think I'm working out more this year than I have in the last 39. Ah well, my belt no longer fits and that's a good thing. I need to punch new holes in it.

No update to time or anything. Will update that this weekend. The plan is to run Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Illness passed, pain sets in

So, a couple of doses of antibiotics later and I'm all better. My energy returned, my throat was no longer swollen, my temperature returned to normal - all things have returned to "normal".

Sunday, I returned to the running circuit. My friends and I got together and did a local run in Bolton, MA. Overall it was 3.5 miles - longer than any run I've done so far - so I was looking forward to it with great glee. My body, however, was harboring a secret desire to crush my spirit. You see illness takes this thing called a "toll" on your body and when you're well again, you don't realize that this "toll" has yet to be paid in full. Well, I've paid it now. With interest.

Running after you were sick needs to be taken as a completely separate experience from what you've had so far. I was *well*. But my body wasn't quite ready to get back to the whole thing. I did okay - I ran for 10 minutes then walked for a bunch of hills and then ran for one hill that we later found out was a 16% incline. I killed that hill. But, it killed me right back. You know that glimey-gummey-slimy sensation you get in your throat when you've exercised to hard or too much. Yeah, I got that. That was the first time I've gotten that feeling since I started this endeavor! Yikes! But then I ran another 13 minutes, so I actually did very well for a sick boy.

The moral? Don't listen to that voice in your head that says "You're fine! Go out there and hit 24 minutes today! You didn't just have a crippling illness - you're good to go!" Have patience, realize that you're not 100% after two weeks off the track with a 101.4 fever. Don't be discouraged - what you're capable of is affected by your recovery.

Minutes: 23 - sort of.
Miles: 3.5 total, with some necessary walking.
Weight: Oh, we'll get another stab at that on like the 28th or something. I have another doctor's appointment then.

A package for me? Oh, it comes with Frustration?

Okay - so I started this blog in the good faith that I would actually be running at some point. So far, three posts and no running. This stupid sore throat issue I'm having is preventing me from hitting the trail or the treadmill. Sick = no running.

This is a lesson though. I've done so well on the build up to this point, I wonder how this will affect my return to the track both physically and psychologically. Psychologically, I wonder if I can get back to the mindset of success. I don't want to be thwarted like so many other exercise plans I missed a week or two on. Physically, I don't want to push it, but I want to be back to as close as I was when I got sick. Otherwise, I'll be behind on training. <---- That statement is a bad one.

It makes me think that I'm not doing well, when I actually am. I'm a 300 lb guy who started running for 1 minute and then walking for 2 minutes to actually catch my breath. Now I run for 20 minutes flat out. It's hard, sure, but I'm not dead on the ground at the end. So, I guess it's the physical that worries me more.

The lesson: Don't let frustration get the better of you. Don't do something you regret - i.e. don't quit and/or don't push so hard you injure yourself.

Update on Time: No change, duh.
Update on Distance: See above.
Update on Weight: Well, unsurprisingly, this illness has limited my ability and desire to eat, so in the last 7 days, I've lost 11 lbs. Not healthy weight loss I'm betting, but my current weight is 287. Just so we're honest.

Day 1 of 2010 brings illness

So, now I have this stupid cold. So, I didn't run yesterday, nor do I imagine I'm going to run on Saturday or Sunday. I'm going to try, depending on how I feel - this is one of those draining colds that sucks the energy out of all my muscles. I couldn't even open a bag of cheese at a New Year's party last night. Ugh.

Well, it's just means that I'll have to catch up during the week. I mean, how long can this stupid sore throat last? Well, I have now knocked on wood in the hopes that it will all be over by Sunday.

So, no update on time/distance or weight. But, it's only my second post. Bleh