Back on Track!

Today we ran 6 miles!!

I am so proud of us, and I am especially proud of me!  Today, our Gamut Girls Running Squad went to the Stony Creek Rail Trail where we ran 3 miles out and 3 miles back.  This is the furthest we as a group (and I as an individual!) have run so far.  Coach Charles had us on a strict one minute walk/two minute run the whole way.  It was cold and a little muddy, but one warms up quickly when running, and there were only a few "swampy spots."  Overall, I think I liked running on a trail better than running on asphalt and concrete. Although it's difficult to track your progress when the scenery kind of looks the same the whole way, there were little bonuses like scenic water falls and friendly dogs along the way. 

This was also my first big run outside without wearing my ankle brace and knee brace.  I was really happy about that.  I've been running without them at the gym, but running on a treadmill and running outside are completely different, so I was really nervous this morning as I was deciding if I had made the right decision.  Looks like I did, because knee and ankle are both doing fine. :-)

I don't know if I have shared any of my Feet Adventures with you, but back in November, I went to a foot specialist, because I was having a terrible time.  The running was really making my right foot and ankle terribly sore - to the point where I was limping in just my everyday life.  Dr. Cohen discovered that I had one leg a little longer than the other one.  Who knew?!  He took molds of my feet and then had special inserts made for me to put in my shoes.  One has a little lift in it and makes me "even" again.  Now that I've had the inserts for a month, I can honestly say that they have helped my back a whole bunch.  I used to get a terrible pain in my lower right back about 15-20 minutes into running.  Today, I had a little bit of pain at 30 minutes, but it wasn't so bad.  It also wasn't concentrated on the right side, but more in the center.  This makes me think that the inserts are doing their job.

I would probably have less back pain if I lost some more weight, but between work and running, that's about all I can handle right now.  Losing weight is a little down on the list, although I do weigh-in every Monday with my Dad and try to make sure that I'm not gaining weight.

As far as training, Carolina and I try to run 3 times a week.  Once on the weekend is our Big Run (which up until today was 5 miles max), and the other two are usually 3 miles and 1.5-2 miles.  It's hard to coordinate our schedules to get to the gym 3 times, but we are committed to this Quest.  For example, two weeks ago we had a difficult schedule because she had midterms to study for, and I had to work late every night that week, but we still did our Big Run on the weekend, and then got back on schedule when midterms were over.  It seemed to pay off big time today!

The last 15 minutes today were the hardest for me, but Charles said that I actually had a better clocked time on the 2nd 3 miles than on the first!  Wow, go me!  So that's what's up with this 44 year old Mama.

PS - Carolina and I came home and ate homemade pancakes and Nature's Promise bacon..... mmmm...... Pancakes and bacon never tasted so good!

SICK!

I just thought I would check in with everyone and let you know how my "progress" has been.

Leading up to our 5K Jingle Bell Run in December was exhilarating!  We had some gorgeous weather over Thanksgiving, so I got outside to run 4-5 times a week from the end of November to the beginning of December.  I ran the 5K and had a great sense of accomplishment.  Yay, me!

After the 5K, I got out several times over the next week and was up to 3-4 miles each time out.  Go, me!

Then... The Crud Invasion hit.

Yes, I got The Crud.  The sickness that's been going around.  Sinus infection, bronchitis, extreme fatigue, coughing, coughing and more coughing.  I have finally recovered from The Crud, but I am now about three weeks behind in training.  Over the Christmas break, I tried to run, but found that I could really only do a brisk walk, with a small amount of running in the middle.  This has me discouraged, as I now feel that I have to start all over to get my breath back for long distance running.

Running outside is more difficult now that temperatures are sometimes in the teens and 20's, but Charles has given us guidelines for working out on a treadmill indoors.  Carolina will be joining my gym tomorrow, and we plan to work out some evenings together.  I like to work out in the morning.  Carolina does not.  But we like to work out together for the running, so we've been having difficulty finding a time that works for both of us.

We (our Gamut Girls Running Squad) are working up to running a 10K (6 miles) in mid-February at a venue in Reading, PA called "Shiver By The River."  I am nervous for getting back on track, but I'm excited, too.  I am so glad I have Bri, Alexis, Carolina and Charles to keep me going.  I think I probably would have given up if I was trying to do this on my own.  The Power of Team! :-)