Rain, Rain, Go Away

"Getting in shape is a JOURNEY. Each day you learn more about yourself and what you can do. If you need to rest one day, you rest. You have your whole life to get in shape." - copied from The Great Fitness Experiment

It's raining, again. According to the national weather service, we had the second wettest May since 1871 in Baltimore and the third wettest May in D.C. June has already been extremely wet as well and it's really putting a damper on my training and my mood. On Saturday the 7th I ran 4.5 miles. It was extremely hot and I ended up not feeling very good afterwards. Due to the heat and possible rain, our Tuesday night track workout was cancelled (it did end up raining). I took advantage of having a night off and relaxed at home. I worked every other night of the week so I didn't work out at all! But the above quote helps me to not feel so guilty.
This past Saturday I struggled to get out of bed, but eventually forced myself awake and ended up being 15 minutes late for the run. The group had already left for their run so I ventured out on my own, only doing about 3 miles. At least I made it at all. Plus I went home and did another 1.5 miles on the treadmill. It's not supposed to rain tomorrow, but if for some reason the workout gets cancelled I'm going to the track anyway. I don't want to get behind and start struggling through the workouts. We're already behind schedule due to the weather and we only have 1 month to go until our race on July 19.

New Blog

I love having this running blog. It's a great place for me to document my workouts, goals, etc. However, I feel like it might be more for me than for you, my wonderful readers, which is why I'm starting a new blog! The link is on the right. I will be posting on both blogs regularly so please keep reading.

While I'm here I might as well give an update. Tuesday I went for our weekly track workout. I did a 1 mile warm-up, then 2 fast laps (2x400). We were supposed to also do 2x600, which is a lap and a half (crazy!) but a storm came through and we had to end early. I was disappointed but the track will still be there next week.

Tonight I ran 3.5 miles on the treadmill and then worked with weights. I started running at my normal easy run pace which is a 12-minute mile. It actually seemed too easy! I felt great and increased my speed for the last mile. I'm definitely getting stronger and I feel terrific! That could very well change in a few weeks when my training gets tougher, but I'm actually looking forward to it. I must be crazy!

8K training and my obsession

My 8K training program started last Saturday with a 3.5 mile run. Tuesday we met at the track for a grueling workout. One time around the track is a quarter mile or 400 meters. Coach Dave had us do 2x400 which basically means running as fast as you can once around the track, walking to catch your breath, and then you do it a second time. We also jogged 3/4 mile as our warm up and cool down.

Someone was nice enough to show me how my now 2-year old watch works and I was able to time my 400 meter run. The first time around I ran it in 1:53 and the second time was a little slower for 2:02. That's an 8-minute mile and also the fastest I've ever ran!! I definitely wouldn't be able to run that fast for an entire mile, but you gotta start somewhere.

Instead of meeting this past Saturday for our 4 mile run, we ran a local 5K on Sunday. I finished in 31:45 minutes. Not bad! I even posted a pic on my profile. I usually hate pictures of myself running because I look crazy, but this one isn't terrible.

When the 8K program ends, the 10K begins and I'm going to sign up as soon as registration starts. I love these programs. I get to meet a lot of great people and I'm not stuck on a treadmill by myself. Plus it motivates me to get up on Saturday and then my workout is done before 10! That leaves the whole day free for riding my motorcycle. Or working on my arms (my new obsession). ;) I definitely don't want to be this mega-muscular buff chick with veins popping out but seriously, Madonna's arms are amazing!!

Update

I'm getting back into the swing of things. Last week I ran 3 miles on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, and did 40 minutes on the elliptical on Friday. I also bought 2 10-pound and 2 15-pound weights so that I can strength train at home. I bought a book that has some crazy exercises in it and I'm going to start trying those out next week.

I signed up for an 8K training program that starts this week. We meet every Tuesday for a track workout and every Saturday for a long run. Our long runs start at 3 miles and we'll work our way up to 7 or 8. On July 19, we'll run the Rockville Twilighter 8K. I love these programs, I just hope I stay injury-free this year!

I also signed up for 2 classes at Montgomery College for the fall: Personal Fitness and Strength Training/Conditioning. I went out to lunch with a friend and he asked me "what do you want to do with your life?" I didn't have an answer. He also works in an office, sitting at a desk all day and hates it. This isn't what I had pictured for myself, but I don't have much to complain about. I've always wanted to help people though and that got me thinking about personal training. I've done a lot of research and it won't be easy or quick, but it's not impossible or too expensive. The main reason I haven't seriously thought about grad school is just the time and money it would take. In the meantime, I can study and train and take the necessary exams to become a personal trainer. I think it would be awesome!

My new ride

I know this blog is supposed to focus on my training and running achievements, but it's also about me and so I have to share this awesome pic of me with my new Yamaha V Star 250! Also, my uncle apparently can't wait any longer to see a picture so this is for you! :) I took it home last Tuesday (well my dad rode it home to his house) and I'm loving it! Unfortunately it's been raining this week, but I did ride it into work on Tuesday and got to show it off to my coworkers. I've gone about 50-60 miles so far. I didn't think I would be so comfortable on it so soon or enjoy it so much but it's awesome! It's also really scary and makes me nervous but I guess a little fear is a good thing.

Back to my running updates: I did run 3 miles on both Sunday and Tuesday and plan to again tomorrow. I haven't gotten to the gym as much as I would like, but something is better than nothing. I still have a 10-mile race to train for though! I'm also considering taking a weight training class at Montgomery College in the fall. I'm hoping it'll help me get arms like Madonna! A girl can dream can't she? :)