Week 9: In Which I Have Many Stressful Learning Experiences

This was definitely a big week for me. I am halfway through my 16 week plan, just finishing up Week 8. I am feeling better and got through some struggles and learning this week. I feel like I have hit some milestone although I don't know what that is. It feels like this whole idea is finally doable as I love when things like this are past the halfway point.  Actually looking forward to the next 8 weeks!

1. So, I ran outside for the first time this week. The weather was perfect--47 degrees with 4mph winds. Sunny.  Really, even I know that this makes for perfect running weather. So, I gave it a try with the encouragement of a few running friends. It was miserable. I ran on the path in my neighborhood and realized within the first minute how much more difficult running outside is than running on a treadmill or on an indoor track.  At one point, I almost cried. (But I didn't:-)  I did have to give myself an extra 30 second walk/recovery time because the run was so much harder than I expected. You would not think that a 2 inch hill would make a difference, but it does.  These little hills, and pebbles, and turns made things so much harder. So did the cold air. And I wore a sweatshirt and was too hot during the entire run. Throughout the run, all I could think about was how hard I'd been working and how I felt like I was back to square one. But I got over that whiney feeling.  I came home and remembered that to get better at running, I have to run. To get better at running outside, I have to run outside.  Duh!   So, I learned a lot.  And I think now that I understand how much more difficult running outside is, I will not want to cry the next time. I will wear the right clothes, be ready for a harder run, etc. Definitely a learning experience in my journey into running.

2.  I decided to do my long run after school on Friday.  I had meetings on Saturday and didn't want to wait until Sunday. So I packed my running clothes, changed at school so that I could go to the indoor rec center on the way home from work.  I was very impressed with myself. But then I got there and realized I had not packed my headphones. Hmmmm. I sat in the car, thinking about this. Then I decided that if I could run outside, I could try to run without headphones.  And, I could. Not sure if I liked it or not.  It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  And I am impressed that I didn't just drive home and went with the run anyway.  But, forgetting my headphones wasn't my only running trauma on Friday. After I got home, my husband mentioned that my gigantic tag was sticking out of my running pants.  I looked and realized that my pants had been on inside-out and my tag had been right there during my run. Oh well. Character building, I guess.

3.  This getting in shape thing is pretty lonely. I hadn't thought about it like that but really, no matter if you go to yoga class with friends or run alone, the work is all on your own. No matter what, you have to do this thing by yourself.  I get that now.

4.  So I am amazed at how much people run in a day, week, month, year.  I run about 4-6 miles per week (with some walking in there!). So when I see sidebars on blogs like SEE MOM RUN FAR and I see that she runs 270+ miles per month, I am fascinated. I need to put this in the back of my brain and think about it in a few months or years.  In the meantime, I decided to look at my own numbers. To see if I have made any progress. I looked at only minutes ran (not walked) each week. Looks like that first week, I was running 30 seconds, then walking 2 minutes. Now I am running 2 minutes, walking 1. If I look at totals, here is what it looks like in terms of minutes running:

Week 1            13 minutes

Week 2            17 minutes

Week 3            21 minutes

Week 4            25.5 minutes

Week 5            26 minutes

Week 6            41 minutes

Week 7            48 minutes

Week 8            48 minutes

TOTAL                        239.5 minutes

I feel like I am making steady progress when I look at these numbers. 

5. The new Lululemon Yoga Mat is amazing. Love it. Worth every penny!  Made yoga a much better hour for me this week!

6. I am FINALLY seeing a teeny tiny difference in the ways my clothes fit. Not really in my pants (although they do not hurt when buttoned anymore so I guess that is a change!) but in my tops, blouses, coats, etc. It is nice to finally feel some difference even though I feel like I have a long way to go. I am trying VERY hard not to focus on weight or size and to just concentrate on running and fitness/health goals. But it is nice to see some changes.

7. So, last week, Ruth Ayres brought me a present when she came to speak at the Dublin Literacy Conference. She brought me a scarf. I had told her that I was just not a scarf person and that I couldn't pull them off. She disagrees. So, I have been looking at the scarf all week, trying to decide whether I could become a "scarf person". Then, it hit me..becoming a scarf person has to be far easier than becoming a runner. So, I am going to give it a try. This week.  There is lots of help on Pinterest and what fun it would be if I did become a scarf person. We'll see...

8. I learned something about Shakeology this week.  I wanted to have a shake for my afternoon snack on the day that I was going to run after school. So I made the shake in the morning, put it in a glass, and kept it in the fridge at school all day until I was ready to drink it. I wasn't sure it would be okay but it was. A little sticky and needed a bit of a shake but it was fine.  So a new strategy in terms of Shakeology. I love having one of these before a run on days when I work and I am a bit tired. It seems to give me the energy I need for a decent run.

9. I saw this in my email box this week and love it!

 "U.S. Soldiers to 'shadow run' Cap City on Army camp in Afghanistan"

I am realizing now that so many of these runs are for such good causes.  I hadn't realized all of the ways running can make a difference until recently.

10. It is time to build more flexibility into my journey. I tried running right after work which is a new option for me. I want to try a morning run to see how that goes. And I want to find more options for classes for non-running days. I love my yoga classes at Harbor Yoga but there are not many beginner classes offered in the evenings so I need some options for weeks that I can't get to the times Harbor offers.  I feel like I am finally in okay enough shape to change things up a tiny bit without throwing me off.