Wow, haven't written about this in a while! School is kicking my butt (I'm working on my MA in Teaching) this month and I'm also going back to work after my lovely summer off... is it just me or did this summer go by really quickly?! I blame being in school! lol ;)
I have been keeping up on the FlyLady stuff and the house is looking great! I've said this before but it was never a big mess to begin with. However, it's just so nice to not have to spend all weekend trying to power-clean the house! Doing a little each day is really helpful.
Here's what I've been working on:
*I quit doing the Baby Steps after about 2 weeks! Well, I thought they were a bit lame and decided to just concentrate on the actual cleaning stuff. I already know how to organize a calendar and plan my day so I really didn't need them!
*Worked on the kitchen last week. Cleaned out the pantry which was really nice! I had some stuff in there that expired a LONG time ago! I'm surprised some of that stuff hadn't grown legs and walked out! Also worked on thoroughly cleaning my countertops, cleaned out the fridge, and swept and mopped really well. I know I did more in there, just can't remember what it was now!
*This week I'm working on the master bathroom and one other room. Since I did the office last time I've chosen to tackle the guest bedroom. The guest bedroom looks OK on the surface - just don't open the closet! wow! What a mess... Since I work from home, I have all sorts of textbooks that I keep on-hand for students. Well, I have to put them somewhere and they had begun to over-populate the guest room closet. Went through those and decided which ones could be taken back to the school library and took them back. Looks better already, however, there is still a lot of work to be done in that closet! I've decided that's my focus for the week - just the closet (along with the bathroom).
I have this routine of cleaning my bathroom every Sunday so the bathroom weeks are usually pretty easy for me. There were some rather odd cleaning projects for this week, though, that I've started working on! Yesterday I cleaned the base and the back of the toilet. Icky, I know! My bathroom is carpeted which is a PITA since I can't just "mop" the toilet along with the floor. Just put gloves on and got back there with bathroom cleaner and a bunch of paper towels. Today's task was to clean the bathroom trash can (give it a good wipe out with soap and let it air dry).
Other things to do this week include:
*vacuuming the guest bedroom
*cleaning out the medicine cabinet
*continuing to work on that closet!
*cleaning the bathroom sinks and countertops really well
I've also been keeping up with the swish-and-swipe habit as well as shining my sinks. In addition, we are supposed to be doing a load of laundry daily (the new habit for August). Since I just don't create that much laundry I am just continuing to do the majority of it on one day and then picking one other day during the week to do a second load (usually darks since most of my workout stuff is dark-coloured). Seems to be working well for me. I've also been continuing with the weekly home blessing hour which works really well! I've added a couple things to that such as watering my plants (indoor and outdoor) which I also do a second time each week, sweeping the front porch/steps/walkway, and cleaning the glass doors on the living room cabinet, TV cabinet, and fireplace. Just that one hour a week makes a huge difference! And yes, I am able to run around and do most of the home blessing stuff in 1 hour!
I'll try to remember to check back in sometime next week! There is a board on the Nest where one of the ladies does a daily check-in for us. So helpful! :) I'm sure without her I would have said "screw this!" and quit this FlyLady stuff a while back! lol
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Another Running Post!
This is great - will help me keep track of my mileage that I'm putting on my shoes! lol ;) Plus, it's holding me accountable which will prevent any falling off the wagon! Really, though, I'm thoroughly enjoying the running! Just hoping I'll be able to find time to keep it up as much as I have been once I'm back at work full time...
August 8
Did 30 minutes on the treadmill today and was able to cover 2.54 miles.
Started out with a 5-minute warm-up walk then did some 6-minute jogs. Here's how I broke up the 30 minutes today:
5-minute walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
4-minute jog
Not bad but I know I can do better ;)
August 10
Did the usual 30-minute thing, starting out with a 5-minute walk. Here's the break-down for today:
5-minute walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
11-minute jog
Really felt like pushing myself at the end there! Rather than doing the 6-minute jog then walking for 1 minute and running the last 4, I just decided to jog the entire 11 minutes. Felt good! I was able to cover 2.56 miles in the 30 minutes
I was supposed to go to the gym on Sunday, August 12 but I was just so tired that day so decided to skip it... I was good and went on Monday instead!
August 13
Best workout yet! :) I did the 30 minutes but decided it's time to start weening myself off the 5-minute walks at the beginning. Actually, as I type this I'm thinking I can do a little warm-up walk and then re-set the timer/treadmill so I am jogging the entire 30 minutes. I was able to go 2.61 miles in the 30 minutes and figured out I ran at least 2.5 miles non-stop! Pretty exciting :) I know that's a short sprint for serious runners but for me it was a big accomplishment!
3-minute walk
12-minute jog at 5.5 miles per hour
1-minute jog at 4.5 miles per hour
12-minute jog at 5.5 miles per hour
2-minute jog at 4.5 miles per hour
I have also decided to stop doing those silly 1-minute walks in between jogging sessions! They only make me feel bad (I get cramps in my side but only when I stop and walk!) So instead I am just slowing down a bit and continuing jogging. Worked really well this time and I plan on keeping this up from now on. Going back out tomorrow (August 15) so I'll check back in about that sometime soon!
I figure at this pace I'll be up to the 5K mark pretty quickly. I want to be able to run 4 miles consistently for a while before signing up to actually do a 5K! After that I plan on doing a few 5K races and then seeing if I can work up to 10K...! That's in the distant future, though :)
August 8
Did 30 minutes on the treadmill today and was able to cover 2.54 miles.
Started out with a 5-minute warm-up walk then did some 6-minute jogs. Here's how I broke up the 30 minutes today:
5-minute walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
4-minute jog
Not bad but I know I can do better ;)
August 10
Did the usual 30-minute thing, starting out with a 5-minute walk. Here's the break-down for today:
5-minute walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
6-minute jog
60-second walk
11-minute jog
Really felt like pushing myself at the end there! Rather than doing the 6-minute jog then walking for 1 minute and running the last 4, I just decided to jog the entire 11 minutes. Felt good! I was able to cover 2.56 miles in the 30 minutes
I was supposed to go to the gym on Sunday, August 12 but I was just so tired that day so decided to skip it... I was good and went on Monday instead!
August 13
Best workout yet! :) I did the 30 minutes but decided it's time to start weening myself off the 5-minute walks at the beginning. Actually, as I type this I'm thinking I can do a little warm-up walk and then re-set the timer/treadmill so I am jogging the entire 30 minutes. I was able to go 2.61 miles in the 30 minutes and figured out I ran at least 2.5 miles non-stop! Pretty exciting :) I know that's a short sprint for serious runners but for me it was a big accomplishment!
3-minute walk
12-minute jog at 5.5 miles per hour
1-minute jog at 4.5 miles per hour
12-minute jog at 5.5 miles per hour
2-minute jog at 4.5 miles per hour
I have also decided to stop doing those silly 1-minute walks in between jogging sessions! They only make me feel bad (I get cramps in my side but only when I stop and walk!) So instead I am just slowing down a bit and continuing jogging. Worked really well this time and I plan on keeping this up from now on. Going back out tomorrow (August 15) so I'll check back in about that sometime soon!
I figure at this pace I'll be up to the 5K mark pretty quickly. I want to be able to run 4 miles consistently for a while before signing up to actually do a 5K! After that I plan on doing a few 5K races and then seeing if I can work up to 10K...! That's in the distant future, though :)
Monday, August 6, 2007
Running Progress (August #1)
Realized I never posted about my last run which was almost a week ago (well, not counting today's!) Since I went out of town I sort of got out of my routine. I actually took my running shoes up north just in case but just never found the time... oh well! It was easy enough to get back into it and I actually missed my little running workouts! Wow, never thought I'd say that! :)
August 1
This should have been my Week 2, Workout 2 if I was following C25K but I've decided to just do my own thing... Maybe I'll get back into it when the runs get a bit more "running-ish"
I managed to cover 2.11 miles in 26:30 minutes. I really can't remember how I broke it up but it was something like this:
5 minute warm-up walk
5 minute jog
90 second walk
3.5 minute jog
90 second walk
3 minute jog
90 second walk
3 minute jog
*that last jog may have been longer... or the 3-minute jogs may have actually been 3.5 minutes... oh well; not that important!*
Today, August 6 I went back to the gym and did a 30-minute workout (instead of the usual 25-minute things that C25K do). Today was really a pretty good one! I felt really good about it. Here's how my 30 minutes were spent:
5 minute warm-up walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
7 minute run
Those little 5-minute things were really nice! I felt like I could have kept going (hence that 7-minute push at the end!)... could have even gone longer than that 7-minute thing. I was able to cover 2.53 miles in that 30 minutes and was tempted to keep going to see what 5K really felt like (3 miles)! Maybe on Wednesday :)
My plan for the rest of this week is to go for a jog/walk thing on Wednesday and Friday. I'd like to start getting up to 6 minute jog sessions those 2 days and just keep those little 60 second walks in between (just to grab a quick sip of water and wipe the sweat out of my eyes - ouch!)
I'm supposed to be on Week 3 of the C25K program but that is as follows:
5-min warm-up walk
jog 90 seconds
walk 90 seconds
jog 3 minutes
walk 3 minutes
*do two repetitions of that (after the 5-min walk)... I think I'm a bit beyond that so I'll just keep going with what I've been doing :) I think it will be easier to go from jogging for a little longer like I've been doing than going from jogging 8-9 minutes to jogging for 28 minutes like C25K has you doing! Little bit of a step there! lol :)
August 1
This should have been my Week 2, Workout 2 if I was following C25K but I've decided to just do my own thing... Maybe I'll get back into it when the runs get a bit more "running-ish"
I managed to cover 2.11 miles in 26:30 minutes. I really can't remember how I broke it up but it was something like this:
5 minute warm-up walk
5 minute jog
90 second walk
3.5 minute jog
90 second walk
3 minute jog
90 second walk
3 minute jog
*that last jog may have been longer... or the 3-minute jogs may have actually been 3.5 minutes... oh well; not that important!*
Today, August 6 I went back to the gym and did a 30-minute workout (instead of the usual 25-minute things that C25K do). Today was really a pretty good one! I felt really good about it. Here's how my 30 minutes were spent:
5 minute warm-up walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
5 minute run
60 second walk
7 minute run
Those little 5-minute things were really nice! I felt like I could have kept going (hence that 7-minute push at the end!)... could have even gone longer than that 7-minute thing. I was able to cover 2.53 miles in that 30 minutes and was tempted to keep going to see what 5K really felt like (3 miles)! Maybe on Wednesday :)
My plan for the rest of this week is to go for a jog/walk thing on Wednesday and Friday. I'd like to start getting up to 6 minute jog sessions those 2 days and just keep those little 60 second walks in between (just to grab a quick sip of water and wipe the sweat out of my eyes - ouch!)
I'm supposed to be on Week 3 of the C25K program but that is as follows:
5-min warm-up walk
jog 90 seconds
walk 90 seconds
jog 3 minutes
walk 3 minutes
*do two repetitions of that (after the 5-min walk)... I think I'm a bit beyond that so I'll just keep going with what I've been doing :) I think it will be easier to go from jogging for a little longer like I've been doing than going from jogging 8-9 minutes to jogging for 28 minutes like C25K has you doing! Little bit of a step there! lol :)
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Fly Lady - Week 4 Update
Well, this week we are working on the living room and entry way/front porch. I have decided to just say screw it to the BabySteps.. they were pretty lame anyway! I'm just doing the weekly room focus things (whatever those are called) and the swish/swipe/monthly focus things. Those seem to be keeping me on track with keeping the house clean (not like it was a huge disaster to begin with...)
Anyway, back to what I came in to actually write about! For the living room/entry way, here is what we are supposed to have been doing:
*Day 1 - Go couch and chair diving! lol Yes, we were supposed to pull the cushions off the couch/chairs and look for random junk in there - coins, socks, unmentionables ;) I didn't find anything... was hoping for some cash but no luck!
*Day 2 - Dust decorative items in the living room. Wow, I thought this would take me a small lifetime - I have a lot of little knick-knacks just sitting out on shelves and things! It was actually pretty quick. I just went around and attacked everything with a Swiffer cloth - worked well! Unfortunately, though, it did not inspire me to take some of the clutter and put it elsewhere...
*Day 3 - moving on to the front porch. We have to sweep the porch and shake out the welcome mat. We're also supposed to wipe down the front door but mine just got a fresh coat of paint so I'm just going to skip that part (shhh... don't tell!)
*Day 4 - Clean the walls and windows in the living room. Guess I'll be doing that today since I'll be out of town from tomorrow on... screw doing the walls but I will wipe down the windows/balcony door :)
*Day 5 - another thing to add to today's list - put crap away that's sitting out in the entryway. Oh well that's easy! We don't have anything out there that doesn't belong! yippee! :)
We're also supposed to start doing a load of laundry everyday! Excuse me... no! What a major disservice to the planet...! Ugh! I do laundry once a week so I can just fill up the washer and not feel like a huge waste of water/soap. I will continue with my once-a-week laundry, thank you very much! :) FlyLady works my last nerve sometimes...! Just in case you can't tell :) I really only do it so I'm not spending my entire weekend trying to clean everything at once!
I've done days 1 and 2; off to do days 3 and 4 now :) Have a great week! Wonder what I get to do next week...?
Anyway, back to what I came in to actually write about! For the living room/entry way, here is what we are supposed to have been doing:
*Day 1 - Go couch and chair diving! lol Yes, we were supposed to pull the cushions off the couch/chairs and look for random junk in there - coins, socks, unmentionables ;) I didn't find anything... was hoping for some cash but no luck!
*Day 2 - Dust decorative items in the living room. Wow, I thought this would take me a small lifetime - I have a lot of little knick-knacks just sitting out on shelves and things! It was actually pretty quick. I just went around and attacked everything with a Swiffer cloth - worked well! Unfortunately, though, it did not inspire me to take some of the clutter and put it elsewhere...
*Day 3 - moving on to the front porch. We have to sweep the porch and shake out the welcome mat. We're also supposed to wipe down the front door but mine just got a fresh coat of paint so I'm just going to skip that part (shhh... don't tell!)
*Day 4 - Clean the walls and windows in the living room. Guess I'll be doing that today since I'll be out of town from tomorrow on... screw doing the walls but I will wipe down the windows/balcony door :)
*Day 5 - another thing to add to today's list - put crap away that's sitting out in the entryway. Oh well that's easy! We don't have anything out there that doesn't belong! yippee! :)
We're also supposed to start doing a load of laundry everyday! Excuse me... no! What a major disservice to the planet...! Ugh! I do laundry once a week so I can just fill up the washer and not feel like a huge waste of water/soap. I will continue with my once-a-week laundry, thank you very much! :) FlyLady works my last nerve sometimes...! Just in case you can't tell :) I really only do it so I'm not spending my entire weekend trying to clean everything at once!
I've done days 1 and 2; off to do days 3 and 4 now :) Have a great week! Wonder what I get to do next week...?
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Run #2 and #3 (overachiever...!)
Those expensive shoes have been a great motivation to keep running! lol... for me it's good that it's been 3 days and I haven't fallen off the wagon yet! ;) The shoes are GREAT, by the way. I went out on Saturday for run #2 (details later) and no pain! I actually didn't feel like I was wearing shoes at all - they are so light. I had a little bit of shin splints from Thursday but just told myself to run through them (is that bad?! They are much better today!) but the nasty thing on the back of my heel barely hurt at all.
Week 1, Run #2: Saturday, July 28
So, after speaking with my dad on Friday I decided just to *sort of* follow the C25K guidelines. I'm not exactly going from being inactive (I work out a ton!) so it's a little easier for me to go a bit faster-paced on this. Plus, I just get into this groove while I'm running and don't want to get out of it! Well, except for a quick drink of water! Anyway, instead of doing the 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking, I decided to start with the 5 minute warm-up walk then run as long as I could then do the 90 seconds of walking. I kept that going for the 20 minutes and it worked out really well. So much fun! I went to the gym on Saturday (pleased to find out my membership is still current!) and just did the workout on the treadmill. I ended up being able to do 1.93 miles in the 25 minutes (the first 5 of which was strictly walking). I think I got up to about 3 minutes of non-stop jogging before I stopped for a drink (bit hard to drink and run when you're on a treadmill - I'm a bit of a klutz so I tend to dribble!)
Week 1, Run #3: Sunday, July 29
Went back to the gym this afternoon after church, lunch, and painting a second coat on the inside of the front door (busy Sunday!) The gym was practically empty which was really lovely! I'm continuing with my "run as far as I can" thing which seems to be working well for me. I'm not pushing too hard since I know that has gotten me in trouble in the past, but it just feels good to keep going! I've noticed I only develop a cramp when I stop jogging and start walking! Nice motivation to keep going :)
Today I was able to do 1/10 of a mile more than I did yesterday! Woohoo! I know, that probably seems like nothing to seasoned runners but it was quite exciting to me. It means I'm doing a bit more running/less walking. Every little bit helps. So, I went 2.03 miles in the 25 minutes. The treadmill is nice since it tells me exactly how far I've gone and exactly how long it took! I know running on the street would be better experience for an actual 5K so I'll start working some of that in, too. My dad does some trail-type running so when I feel like I can keep up with him and the dog, I'll start joining them for some runs! That might be a while..! ;)
The shoes are still working well - no pain in the heel area again even though it still looks nasty. Hopefully I will eventually work up some harder skin back there which will help prevent it (that and my $20 socks! lol) I must be the only girl who *wishes* for calloused skin on her feet! The shin splints from Thursday (they were very mild) have also gone. I guess running through them on Saturday wasn't so bad! I've been stretching a ton before and after my runs - I really need to do some dynamic stretches before and just not care how goofy I look doing them - and save the static stuff for after the runs. Sure any stretching helps, though.
No run tomorrow - have to take a break to prevent more shin splints (or worse - stress fractures)! I do have 1.5 hours of tai chi tomorrow night, though, so it's not exactly a lazy day!
I actually have my tai chi lesson tomorrow so we'll see if I'm any closer to getting that test day set up!
Have a great week - I'll keep posting about my running progress! This week may be a bit *off* due to the fact I'm going out of town for a long weekend. Right now I'm planning on going out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before I leave. Maybe I'll take my shoes and squeeze in a run while I'm up in Santa Barbara so I'm not having to run 3 days in a row. Not sure my knees will like me so much after that! :)
Week 1, Run #2: Saturday, July 28
So, after speaking with my dad on Friday I decided just to *sort of* follow the C25K guidelines. I'm not exactly going from being inactive (I work out a ton!) so it's a little easier for me to go a bit faster-paced on this. Plus, I just get into this groove while I'm running and don't want to get out of it! Well, except for a quick drink of water! Anyway, instead of doing the 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking, I decided to start with the 5 minute warm-up walk then run as long as I could then do the 90 seconds of walking. I kept that going for the 20 minutes and it worked out really well. So much fun! I went to the gym on Saturday (pleased to find out my membership is still current!) and just did the workout on the treadmill. I ended up being able to do 1.93 miles in the 25 minutes (the first 5 of which was strictly walking). I think I got up to about 3 minutes of non-stop jogging before I stopped for a drink (bit hard to drink and run when you're on a treadmill - I'm a bit of a klutz so I tend to dribble!)
Week 1, Run #3: Sunday, July 29
Went back to the gym this afternoon after church, lunch, and painting a second coat on the inside of the front door (busy Sunday!) The gym was practically empty which was really lovely! I'm continuing with my "run as far as I can" thing which seems to be working well for me. I'm not pushing too hard since I know that has gotten me in trouble in the past, but it just feels good to keep going! I've noticed I only develop a cramp when I stop jogging and start walking! Nice motivation to keep going :)
Today I was able to do 1/10 of a mile more than I did yesterday! Woohoo! I know, that probably seems like nothing to seasoned runners but it was quite exciting to me. It means I'm doing a bit more running/less walking. Every little bit helps. So, I went 2.03 miles in the 25 minutes. The treadmill is nice since it tells me exactly how far I've gone and exactly how long it took! I know running on the street would be better experience for an actual 5K so I'll start working some of that in, too. My dad does some trail-type running so when I feel like I can keep up with him and the dog, I'll start joining them for some runs! That might be a while..! ;)
The shoes are still working well - no pain in the heel area again even though it still looks nasty. Hopefully I will eventually work up some harder skin back there which will help prevent it (that and my $20 socks! lol) I must be the only girl who *wishes* for calloused skin on her feet! The shin splints from Thursday (they were very mild) have also gone. I guess running through them on Saturday wasn't so bad! I've been stretching a ton before and after my runs - I really need to do some dynamic stretches before and just not care how goofy I look doing them - and save the static stuff for after the runs. Sure any stretching helps, though.
No run tomorrow - have to take a break to prevent more shin splints (or worse - stress fractures)! I do have 1.5 hours of tai chi tomorrow night, though, so it's not exactly a lazy day!
I actually have my tai chi lesson tomorrow so we'll see if I'm any closer to getting that test day set up!
Have a great week - I'll keep posting about my running progress! This week may be a bit *off* due to the fact I'm going out of town for a long weekend. Right now I'm planning on going out Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before I leave. Maybe I'll take my shoes and squeeze in a run while I'm up in Santa Barbara so I'm not having to run 3 days in a row. Not sure my knees will like me so much after that! :)
Friday, July 27, 2007
Run #1 and running shoe porn!
So I actually did it - I went out on my first "run" for the C25K plan :) It felt so good... not really "running" - more of a nice long walk that incorporated a bit of jogging. Guess I should start out with a bit of information on C25K...
Here's the website.
For Week One, I am supposed to do three workouts that are all the same. You go out and walk for 5 minutes at a brisk pace then alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes.
I just went out and ran around my townhouse complex since I just didn't feel like driving to the gym! Besides, I'm not too crazy about the "gym culture" esp. not at the one I've been going to! The clientele are a bit much..!
It was really nice - I think I ran a bit more than I was supposed to because I kept getting into these little jogging "grooves" and didn't want to stop... that's a good thing, though! Plus, it was really hard to try to count seconds while doing my breathing exercises so I don't get a cramp in my side! Have to invest in a stop watch...
The only problem I had was that my old running shoes suck! :( They weren't cheap - New Balance - nice pair of shoes so I'm a bit pissed! I have had them a while (but they aren't worn out) and they've always rubbed at my heels (my heels have been slipping in them)...
I've been on this kick for the last couple years now that I'm going to start running. I always enjoy it but have just never been able to stick with it! I think these damn shoes have been part of the problem! lol... They hurt so much that I just haven't wanted to wear them...
Well, yesterday I just sucked it up and just kept going. When I got home I had rubbed a huge amount of skin off my right heel :( Left heel hurt a bit but was not badly "torn up." Immediately emailed my runner dad. The email went something like the following:
Hey,
I've decided to start running (again!). I went out this morning just for this little run following this plan I found but my shoes are killing my feet! I've rubbed all sorts of skin off my heel and it hurts like hell. Any suggestions on what I can do to help prevent this? Maybe some kind of insert/band-aid/wearing two pairs of socks/anything?!
I had a few more running shoe-related questions but can't quite remember what they were. Anyway, he actually ended up phoning me a couple hours later and spent 25/30 minutes going over shoes and feet with me! :) So great having runners in the family! Told me it was a size problem and that I might want to buy an insole to put under the shoe insole. Thought about that and then I asked him about this running shoe store that we have here in San Diego. His answer to the running shoe store was quite funny: "Oh, yes, well, I wasn't going to suggest that since you will end up paying a bit more there than you would anywhere else but I'm glad you brought it up!" He then proceeded to talk about this place and sing its praises for at least 15 minutes :) He told me all about pronating and that my feet were probably over-pronating (no idea how to spell that!) and that the Roadrunner place would do this whole diagnostic thing to help me find a pair of shoes that actually fit.
So, I decided to go down there today and explain what has been going on/try to find a decent pair of shoes. They were so helpful! My goodness - so nice to find a store full of people who actually have a clue as to what they are talking about! The diagnostic thing was fun :) They had you walk over this mat that showed where you were putting pressure on your feet (sure enough, I am a total over-pronator! lol) which is probably not helped by my dancer-esque frame (long legs, high arches, narrow feet)... Then I had to run on the treadmill for a bit so the machine could see how I run and do some more foot pressure things. Very cool all this technology! :) He then gave me three shoe recommendations and recommended some in-soles to go with them.
So, 1.5 hours and $160 later, I am the proud owner of a new pair of shoes! :) They feel great - even with my messed up heel! Oh, and I didn't spend the whole $160 on shoes - $30 of that was for the insoles and another $22 was for these blister-preventing socks... I'm sure I got suckered into buying the $22 socks but if they help this heel thing then oh well! And if they don't really work then it's no great loss :)
I can't wait to go out for a second run tomorrow with my new toys! lol I really want to go out tonight but my heel is still bothering me (I actually had to take my shoes off for tai chi last night - thank heavens we were inside on the mat!) so I think I'll give it a day off and go out in the morning :)
Oh! Here's some "running shoe porn" for you ;)
Don't say I never give you anything!
Here's the website.
For Week One, I am supposed to do three workouts that are all the same. You go out and walk for 5 minutes at a brisk pace then alternate 60 seconds of jogging with 90 seconds of walking for 20 minutes.
I just went out and ran around my townhouse complex since I just didn't feel like driving to the gym! Besides, I'm not too crazy about the "gym culture" esp. not at the one I've been going to! The clientele are a bit much..!
It was really nice - I think I ran a bit more than I was supposed to because I kept getting into these little jogging "grooves" and didn't want to stop... that's a good thing, though! Plus, it was really hard to try to count seconds while doing my breathing exercises so I don't get a cramp in my side! Have to invest in a stop watch...
The only problem I had was that my old running shoes suck! :( They weren't cheap - New Balance - nice pair of shoes so I'm a bit pissed! I have had them a while (but they aren't worn out) and they've always rubbed at my heels (my heels have been slipping in them)...
I've been on this kick for the last couple years now that I'm going to start running. I always enjoy it but have just never been able to stick with it! I think these damn shoes have been part of the problem! lol... They hurt so much that I just haven't wanted to wear them...
Well, yesterday I just sucked it up and just kept going. When I got home I had rubbed a huge amount of skin off my right heel :( Left heel hurt a bit but was not badly "torn up." Immediately emailed my runner dad. The email went something like the following:
Hey,
I've decided to start running (again!). I went out this morning just for this little run following this plan I found but my shoes are killing my feet! I've rubbed all sorts of skin off my heel and it hurts like hell. Any suggestions on what I can do to help prevent this? Maybe some kind of insert/band-aid/wearing two pairs of socks/anything?!
I had a few more running shoe-related questions but can't quite remember what they were. Anyway, he actually ended up phoning me a couple hours later and spent 25/30 minutes going over shoes and feet with me! :) So great having runners in the family! Told me it was a size problem and that I might want to buy an insole to put under the shoe insole. Thought about that and then I asked him about this running shoe store that we have here in San Diego. His answer to the running shoe store was quite funny: "Oh, yes, well, I wasn't going to suggest that since you will end up paying a bit more there than you would anywhere else but I'm glad you brought it up!" He then proceeded to talk about this place and sing its praises for at least 15 minutes :) He told me all about pronating and that my feet were probably over-pronating (no idea how to spell that!) and that the Roadrunner place would do this whole diagnostic thing to help me find a pair of shoes that actually fit.
So, I decided to go down there today and explain what has been going on/try to find a decent pair of shoes. They were so helpful! My goodness - so nice to find a store full of people who actually have a clue as to what they are talking about! The diagnostic thing was fun :) They had you walk over this mat that showed where you were putting pressure on your feet (sure enough, I am a total over-pronator! lol) which is probably not helped by my dancer-esque frame (long legs, high arches, narrow feet)... Then I had to run on the treadmill for a bit so the machine could see how I run and do some more foot pressure things. Very cool all this technology! :) He then gave me three shoe recommendations and recommended some in-soles to go with them.
So, 1.5 hours and $160 later, I am the proud owner of a new pair of shoes! :) They feel great - even with my messed up heel! Oh, and I didn't spend the whole $160 on shoes - $30 of that was for the insoles and another $22 was for these blister-preventing socks... I'm sure I got suckered into buying the $22 socks but if they help this heel thing then oh well! And if they don't really work then it's no great loss :)
I can't wait to go out for a second run tomorrow with my new toys! lol I really want to go out tonight but my heel is still bothering me (I actually had to take my shoes off for tai chi last night - thank heavens we were inside on the mat!) so I think I'll give it a day off and go out in the morning :)
Oh! Here's some "running shoe porn" for you ;)
Don't say I never give you anything!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
New Hobby - Running!
So I'm sure you've heard of people who train to run marathons or half-marathons? Well, I'm training to run a 5K.. lol
Start small, right?! :) Babysteps as the FlyLady would say!
Little background:
My dad and younger sister are both runners. Dad has run many marathons, half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, all kinds of stuff on all kinds of terrain. My sister was on varsity track and cross-country for long-distance running in high school and ran her first marathon a couple years ago. Me... not a runner! Apparently the running gene skips a child. ;) I do enjoy running, I'm just not very good at it. I think I just push myself to hard - trying to live up to the family name or something! lol
I, as you have heard, do kung fu and tai chi (well, tai chi really is a form of kung fu - just slowed down a bit!).. I have been doing a ton of that lately - going in 4-5 times a week and spending anywhere from 9-11 hours a week on it (including group classes, lessons, and independent practice). I know, more than some people work out in a year, right?! However; tai chi is not exactly known for it's cardiovascular health benefits so I figured I need to step that up a bit! I have a gym membership through work (it's one of the health benefits) but I just don't use it since I'm not paying for it (!) and I'm at kung fu so darn much!
I've been hearing on the Nest about this C25K program (Couch to 5K) and have been quite curious about it. I honestly just kept blowing it off since I've always thought I wouldn't be able to do it. Then I did some math and realized 5K is only 3 miles... I could do that! It's not like I want to come in first place or anything! So, after my Wednesday afternoon tai chi class (I will miss that when work starts up again!) I decided I needed another thing to do (!) and that I was going to start the program this week.
I got home and logged onto the website for it - Cool Running - to find out what it is really all about. Basically, you spend 9 weeks doing 3 workouts per week. They start out very slowly and gradually work up to 3 miles. It seems so do-able! I figure I can do some workouts at the gym on the treadmill and some I can do running around the townhouse complex just to get a feel for the road as opposed to some fake rubber thing! I'd run around the neighborhood/the block but it's full of steep hills so it's probably best not to start out there!
My goal is to complete the first 9 week session by mid-September then start it over again and plan on participating in a 5K early next year. Taking it slow but I think that's the whole point of this program. I'll keep posting on here about how I'm doing and what each of the workouts are.
I'm starting tomorrow - wish me luck!
Hmmm.. guess it's time to update the iPod!
Start small, right?! :) Babysteps as the FlyLady would say!
Little background:
My dad and younger sister are both runners. Dad has run many marathons, half-marathons, 10Ks, 5Ks, all kinds of stuff on all kinds of terrain. My sister was on varsity track and cross-country for long-distance running in high school and ran her first marathon a couple years ago. Me... not a runner! Apparently the running gene skips a child. ;) I do enjoy running, I'm just not very good at it. I think I just push myself to hard - trying to live up to the family name or something! lol
I, as you have heard, do kung fu and tai chi (well, tai chi really is a form of kung fu - just slowed down a bit!).. I have been doing a ton of that lately - going in 4-5 times a week and spending anywhere from 9-11 hours a week on it (including group classes, lessons, and independent practice). I know, more than some people work out in a year, right?! However; tai chi is not exactly known for it's cardiovascular health benefits so I figured I need to step that up a bit! I have a gym membership through work (it's one of the health benefits) but I just don't use it since I'm not paying for it (!) and I'm at kung fu so darn much!
I've been hearing on the Nest about this C25K program (Couch to 5K) and have been quite curious about it. I honestly just kept blowing it off since I've always thought I wouldn't be able to do it. Then I did some math and realized 5K is only 3 miles... I could do that! It's not like I want to come in first place or anything! So, after my Wednesday afternoon tai chi class (I will miss that when work starts up again!) I decided I needed another thing to do (!) and that I was going to start the program this week.
I got home and logged onto the website for it - Cool Running - to find out what it is really all about. Basically, you spend 9 weeks doing 3 workouts per week. They start out very slowly and gradually work up to 3 miles. It seems so do-able! I figure I can do some workouts at the gym on the treadmill and some I can do running around the townhouse complex just to get a feel for the road as opposed to some fake rubber thing! I'd run around the neighborhood/the block but it's full of steep hills so it's probably best not to start out there!
My goal is to complete the first 9 week session by mid-September then start it over again and plan on participating in a 5K early next year. Taking it slow but I think that's the whole point of this program. I'll keep posting on here about how I'm doing and what each of the workouts are.
I'm starting tomorrow - wish me luck!
Hmmm.. guess it's time to update the iPod!
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