Coal Cracker 10k

Ooh, I'm a bad blogger! I haven't written in months!

I found out that the Coal Cracker 10k race was June 12, and I knew that I was not ready to run it, so I suddenly had an idea: Why don't I volunteer? So I e-mailed the race organizeer (and found out that it's my neighbor!) and asked if they need volunteers. He said that they could always use extra help, so I'm volunteering this morning! I'm not sure what they'll ask me to do, but I'm going to show up at 9:00 am and help out in any way that I can.

I'm trying to think of some good encouraging comments to give the runners, like, "You look strong!" and, "Good job, keep going!" Eh, I'm not that good at comments...but I know enough not to say, "You're almost there!"

I don't even know what the route is, but I'm going to have fun! I'm going to bring my camera, but I'm not sure if I'll have time to take pictures. If I'm handing out water, the runners might get mad at me for taking pictures of them instead of giving out water. lol!

So, in other running-related news, recently I decided to train for a half marathon...and then I decided not to. lol. I think I'm just being too ambitious right now. I should focus on what's directly ahead of me, which is The Loop 5k on June 26. I'm sooooo excited about this race! First of all, it was my first ever 5k race last year, so I want to try to beat my time. Second, my sister is running it with me! She started running this year, and she's getting so much better than me! We've run together a bunch of times (which is a lot of fun!), and she doesn't get out of breath as quickly as I do, and she can run faster! I'm jealous, because I've been running longer, but mostly I'm so happy for her! She is so ready for this race!

After the 5k, we might train for a 10k in August. We're going to work on increasing distance and see how it goes. I'm having foot issues lately. I have so many random pains when running! First it was my shins, then my hip flexor, and now my right foot! My foot goes numb, once it started hurting a lot in my instep and was sore for a few days, and the other day it went numb and I got a blister. Maybe it's a shoe problem? But I've had these shoes for a few months...

In non-running news...I have to have minor surgery on July 16. I won't go into the details, but I have to have a polyp removed from my uterus. The doctor says that it's pretty common, and I'll be able to continue running as soon as I feel better. Hooray!

Also, I'm planning a trip to New York City! Last year, the hubby and I finally got to take a vacation week together, and we did a bunch of day trips, including Niagara Falls, New York City, Wildwood, and a local brewery. We loved NYC and vowed to come back to see more. We might stay overnight one or two nights this year! It's so exciting (but a little stressful) to plan a vacation!

Okay, I think we're all caught up now. Pretty much...I'll be posting pictures from the race later, if I get to take any pics.

Have a great day!

Interval Running

I read in Maxim that in order to lose weight, you need to focus on high intensity, rather than long sessions at a lower intensity. Well, I enjoy a challenge, and I'm always looking for ways to change my routine, so I decided to try the intervals in the article.

Warm up walk: 3 minues
Sprint: 1 minute
Walk: 1 minute

Repeat sprint/walk intervals 8-10 times. I repeated 8 times, because I didn't want to injure myself on the first try. They didn't define "sprinting" but they did say that if you're not out of breath after a minute, then you're not running fast enough. I ran at a 9:40 pace, which for me is pretty fast, but I think I was still holding back a little. I was afraid I would either wear myself out too quickly or injure myself. By the last two sprint intervals, I was pushing the speed up a little, just to see if I could handle it. I'll try a little harder next time.

After the intervals, I still had some time to kill at the gym, so I kept doing intervals, but at more of a "jogging" pace of about 11:00 minute miles. The funny thing is, that's a fast pace for me, too! My usual "training" pace is about 11:30 to 12:00. But after running fast intervals, it was really hard for me to slow down. I wanted to keep running fast!

Good news: I haven't had shin splints for a long time!
Bad news: Hip flexor pain pretty much every time I run...

More good news: I ran with my sister on Saturday! It was the first time I'd ever run with another person, and I really enjoyed it! The time went by really fast, and I think we both ran a little faster because we had someone to compete with. I hope we can run together again soon!

A List of Things About Myself

I'm snowed-in again today. This happens in PA in February. No running for me. I'll probably lay on the couch and watch Smallville on DVD all day. With a break in the middle to do an EA Sports Active workout. Now for a different kind of entry...

10 Bests

1. Best Meal Ever - When my husband and I celebrated our first year of dating, we went to a local seafood restaurant for dinner. We were the only ones in the restaurant, and it made the evening so romantic! I don't remember much about the food (although I'm sure it was good), but I loved the atmosphere.

2. Best Sleep Ever - These questions are tough to answer! (And I'm only on number 2!) I used to go out to see bands, and sometimes I'd be out all night. I'd usually drink something with caffeine, which would help keep me awake for the long drive home, but it would disrupt my sleep once I actually got home. So I'd sleep maybe a few hours and feel like a zombie the next day. But the next night, I'd have the best sleep ever. (Looking back, I really miss those crazy nights hanging out with bands, but I don't miss being so tired all the time.)

3. Best Cup of Coffee - I was going to say the one that I'm drinking right now, but I thought of something else. Last August (I think), I tried to go a whole month drinking only water. I think I made it a few days before I gave in and drank a cup of coffee. That was the best cup of coffee ever.

4. Best Romantic Moment - When my husband surprised me with roses. It wasn't a holiday or anniversary, so I wasn't expecting it at all.

5. Best Childhood Memory - Ooh, tough one! I'd have to say, any time I went camping. Especially with my Gram. She would wake up early and make the best breakfasts.

6. Best Moment of Your Life - It would be nearly impossible for me to pick the best moment. Graduating from college, getting married, driving to Chicago for a conference, driving to Delaware to see a band, seeing Muse for the first time, seeing The Drama Club for the first time, finishing my first 5k race. Oh, and the first song I learned to play on my grandfather's electric organ. There are probably a million moments that could qualify.

7. Best Moment of Revenge - Getting to tease my husband for falling asleep at work. He teases me all the time, and I finally have something on him! lol

8. Best Thing that Someone Has Done for You - Love and support me unconditionally

9. Best Thing You Have Ever Done for Someone - see #8

10. Best Life Changing Moment - Probably finishing my first 5k. That's something that, through most of my life, I NEVER thought I could accomplish, and I knew that it would change how I felt about myself for the rest of my life.

Shin Pain

Sorry for not blogging much. I keep having shin pain, so it's keeping me from running. I'm seriously doubting that I'll be ready for that half marathon.

Today's run was depressing. I ran for 4 minutes and had throbbing, aching pain in my shins (mostly the right one, but also the left), so I stopped and walked the rest of the time that I had. Depressing...but I'll try again. I'm wondering if I should see a doctor about my shin pain. I'm also wondering if I'm wearing the wrong type of shoes...

I did it! GOAL Achieved!

(Can you tell that the sign says "30" in this picture?)

When I started running, I couldn't help but think of the Presidential Fitness Test in high school where you had to (among other things) run a 10-minute mile. I was not athletic as a teenager. I couldn't even run a quarter of a mile without stopping.







So, when I started running last May, I always had it in my mind that I might one day be able to run that 10-minute mile. I tried once last year, and I ran for about 8.5 minutes at the right pace bfore stopping. I felt like if I didn't stop, I'd fly off the treadmill, and I didn't want to hurt myself.







I thought that my 30th Birthday might be a good day to attempt the 10-minute mile again. This time I made it! I tried not to get my hopes up too much, because there was a chance that I wouldn't be able to do it, but I knew that if I tried hard enough, I probably could.

I have evidence! Now, technically, this says that I ran 1.00 miles in 10:03. The counter turned over to 1 mile at 10:02, and I pressed "stop" one second later. I'm counting this as a 10-minute mile because I ran at 6.0 mph (and even ran at 6.1 for about a minute in an attempt to make up for the time it took the treadmill to get up to speed).

I find it funny that for some people, a 10-minute mile is easy! For me, it's definitely a challenge. Speed isn't really my thing, but I was really happy to accomplish this goal. What a great way to celebrate turning 30, by proving that I'm in the best shape of my life!

Excuse my absence...

Ack, I haven't blogged in a while!

I was sick with a sinus cold last week. Luckily, it only lasted a few days, and I'm back to normal now. It's good that I got over it quickly, because my birthday is tomorrow! The last time I had a cold was on my birthday two years ago, and I was pretty miserable, so I'm happy to be over it!

So...I'm turning thirty tomorrow. Goodbye twenties! I'm not sad about it, because it's not something that's in my control. I'm just looking toward the future with a positive attitude. I guess I'm no spring chicken anymore, but I'm in the best shape of my life right now! I'm training for my first half marathon!



Speaking of training, I had to take about two weeks off because of shin splints. I finally feel like I'm really ready to get back out there and train again, so I'm planning on running tomorrow. I might try a special challenge tomorrow, just for my birthday. Tune in tomorrow to see what the challenge is...



In other news, I started reading the Beck Diet for Life. There are a bunch of bloggers reading and following this book right now, and it sounded like something that I'd like to try. I did the first experiment yesterday, where I ate a hearty breakfast and then waited until I got actual physical hunger pangs before eating lunch. Well, I didn't end up eating lunch until almost 2:00 pm! And you know what? I didn't really mind waiting that long. It was actually kind of boring. I felt like I was sitting around, waiting to feel hungry. But I learned a lesson in really paying attention to what I'm actually feeling. At one point, I wanted to eat because my cubicle neighbor was eating a taco salad that smelled really good. But I recognized that I only wanted to eat because I smelled food. I wasn't actually hungry.



So far, I really like the advice in the book!



I'll leave you with a picture of my sis and I at our birthday party last Sunday. The best thing about being a twin is having someone to share my life experiences with!

No LSD run today

I got all ready to run, and as soon as I got out there, it started to rain. At 33 degrees, I'm not prepared to run in the rain wearing a fleece jacket. I ran about 1 mile before going home.



Blah.



This is me being disappointed and angry at the rain that came early:







Wow, that's an ugly picture of me...well, the rain wasn't afraid of my "angry face" and just kept on falling. I'll have to try an 8-mile run on the track tomorrow after work. Ugh...I can't wait for Spring!


My shins were hurting anyway, so I could probably use another rest day. (Trying to see the positive in the situation.)