Gas Fumes A La Carte

Wow! I had no idea how dangerous running on the street can be. I went for a jog by myself yesterday and every time a car went past I gagged on it's fumes. I tried to go down less traveled roads, but could not escape the smell of exhaust. I went home feeling I had gone out to be healthy only to come back polluted. I think I just hit the road on a bad day, but I am a car away from wearing a mask when I run. So anyway I am not off to a real grande start for my training and I am starting to feel like I may never be ready for this race. I could surrender to this thought if it weren't for another thought of "you feel great, and your body is healthier for it". I find women are funny this way, especially myself. We want so badly to be fit and healthy, but when the weight doesn't come off fast enough or we aren't able to run 10 miles the second day of training, we throw in the towel and grab the bag of chocolate. Well that bag is calling me too! But I don't want to go back to feeling that way. I am finding that my work is rewarded in small doses. I regained the only pound I lost, but when I go out running now I don't feel like lead filled water balloons are attached to my body and legs.

Here are my stats for yesterday:
distance-1.5 miles
cross-training- 4 sprints during my run the distance of one block
weight-+1

When to say When

Did some more trail running today but only made it about a mile. Both me and my partner were not feeling into it and were complaining of stiffness, sore ankles and knees. Not a very productive day. All I can say is at least we tried. We are out there and we are giving it a good go, but today we had to just know when to stop. The run felt counter productive and we didn't want to feel sour about it. There will be many more days like this I am sure and that's ok!

distance: 1 mile
cross-training: none
weight: -1 lb. (at last!)

The Run Down

I finally went running today. We went about 2 miles and ran about 1.5 of it. I felt pretty tense the whole run, but I had had a rotten day. The pilates DVD has been sitting idle for a little while so I think tomorrow I shall make time for it. Every run I feel stronger, and my body feels a little more firm. There is still a definite jiggle, but at least my knees don't hurt as much after I run. No weight loss yet and I am a little frustrated. I thought by now I would at least lose a pound. I even cut out my after dinner chocolate chip raid. I guess what matters is how I feel and physically I am feeling a ton better than I was 2 weeks ago. The real training is yet to begin though. I think we need to throw in sprints and hills at some point. The women's Fitness magazines call this strength training and I feel I could use a little of this. A 5k run is nothing to some, but right now I see it as a marathon. I am not even close to running a whole 5k. I need to remember that the race isn't until April and not get discouraged.
I just had a thought. Are my old running shoes going to hold up to this training? And do I really want to race in them? I really doubt it.
I have decided to keep a running tab on each post of distance ran, cross-training done, and weight loss. So here is a run down:

Day 1-
distance:1.5 miles
cross-training:45 min. Pilates
weight: no loss

Day 2-
distance: about a mile
cross-training: 45 min. Pilates
weight: +2 lbs.

Day 3-
distance: 1.5 miles
cross-training: none
weight: no loss

Day 4-
distance: 0
cross-training: 0
weight: no loss

Day 5-
distance: 0
cross-training: 0
weight: holding stable

Day 6-
distance:1.5 miles
cross-training: 0
weight: no loss

Lazy Days and Running Pant Alterations

I have not ran in two days now and feel really lousy about it. I didn't run yesterday because it isn't good to run everyday, so I took the day off. Today I had no excuse. I just got busy and by the time I thought about it I was starting dinner. Of course I over ate and feel even worse. Tomorrow I am going running with my friend again so at least I know I will have to go tomorrow. This is why having a training partner is so crucial. There are always going to be days I don't feel like going, but if I know somebody is expecting me then I am obligated and it is fun.
I finally got rid of my excess thrift store running shoes and feel pretty good about it. I have two pairs left and I am not quite sure why I kept the second pair. They are pretty but the tread is completely gone and the laces have seen better days. I know I won't run in them either for fear I will end up with nasty shin splints or sore feet. I guess I will have to retire these also.
I wrote earlier about how I finally found the perfect running pant and I would like to retract this statement. Instead of being too short, they are too long. On my last run they kept catching on the bottom of my shoes pulling them further and further down my waist. I was really annoyed by this. I think I will have to take a pair of scissors to them. Well, more to come tomorrow...

Trail Running

Today I escaped my neighborhood and found a nice trail along the river running through town. My running partner finally decided to run again and we jogged a very respectable 1.5 miles. We actually went 3 miles, but we walked half. My preference is definitly trail running. I love how the terrain changes and makes your body adjust to it. This way you are also training your body to have balance and control. I think if I trail run at least a couple days a week this will make an improvement in my running form and strength.
I am finding that the first 1/2 mile or so I feel heavy and stiff even if I have stretched. Eventually I loosen up and feel great, but I wonder what I can do to overcome this. I can't run my scheduled 5k race (which is a trail run) and start off like a slug! If I throw in some cross training maybe this will help.
Running on the trail was a little frustrating though. There were so many bikes coming from behind that by the time they were upon us we could just barely get out of the way. I don't understand why they can't warn us. Another problem we had, which may have attributed to the amount of walking we did, was my running partners dogs. She had one dog that was not very social and wanted to attack other dogs so every time somebody with a dog was approaching we had to stop and move out of the way. This got to be annoying soI may suggest no dogs next time.
It has yet to be a full week of serious running but I am starting to feel very good. My body seems to be slimming somewhat even though I have not lost weight and I have more of a spring to my step when running. I can only get more motivated from here, right? The only part that is still not slimming is my belly, but this may never go away. I am still doing the Mari Pilates workout and can feel the areas it is working. I have never had a video workout actually do anything for me, but this is something!

My Search for the Perfect Running Pants

I finally broke down and bought a new pair of running pants. This was another item I always bought at the thrift stores and 5 pairs later still didn't have one that fit very well. Most of the time they were too short. I come across this a lot and I am not sure if 5' 8" is just tall or if they make running pants shorter than average. I was determined this time to find pants that didn't look like high waters. So I headed to the mall, which is like a foreign country to me, and wouldn't leave until I found what I needed. Being cheap I scoured the place for big sales. I ended up in JC Pennies and found a clearance rack of sports wear. Now, I may just be a nut, but when I saw that a $40 pair of pants was marked down to $5 I began to salivate. By the time I was done I had bought 3 other pairs of pants and saw on my receipt I had saved $145 dollars. This makes me understand why people flock to the mall. I still hate going there, but I feel like I may be developing a mild addiction for mall sales.
So my pants fit great and I think my jogging pants make my butt look a little slimmer. Maybe someday I will trade in my thrift store running shoes for a nice new pair of clearance rack shoes. Small steps!

I Need A Dog!

Did Pilates again today and I think I feel slimmer, but I don't know. Still can't fit most of my pants. This is really only the second day though. I guess what matters is that I feel better than I have in a while. Running is definitely a stress and tension reducer. Today was such a crazy day I thought my head was going to explode from the stress, and then I went running and all that melted away. Since my running partner backed out again I only ended up running 15 minutes. I could have sworn it was longer than that. The main problem I am having is space and light. My husband doesn't get home until late when it is getting dark, and I live between a railroad and a highway so this limits my availability of space since I have to stay near home. At least I have the weekends to explore new trails. I need a dog!
My current thrift store running shoes held up ok today, although my knees hurt a bit. I have a feeling this is not so much the shoes as the blubber bouncing up and down. I especially feel it in my love handles and stomach. Hopefully this will get better. I don't even remember when I lost the ability to cross my legs comfortably. Now when I do my leg falls asleep. Enough feeling sorry for myself. I can't expect results overnight, but it sure would be nice. Now if I could downsize my food intake for the day (which may be my toughest fight) then I might get these results faster, but I love food!

Note: I actually gained 2 pounds how depressing. Either this is new muscle or the 1/2 bag of chocolate chips and about 20 pretzels I binged on the other night.

The Trouble with Shoes

I was going through my closet to find my usual pair of running shoes, which I bought for $1 at a second hand store, when I realized I had four other pairs just like it. All from the thrift store and all beat up. I think I used the others once before they sat in the depths of my closet. I at least tried them all but found each to be extremely uncomfortable. Maybe investing in a new pair would be the smartest option, but I know this will not happen because I am very cheap. When I see a pair of Nike's or Saucony running shoes that seem perfectly fine at the thrift store they seem to call my name. I try them on and walk around a bit, feeling this time I found the perfect shoe and I only spent $1. I laugh at the folks shelling out tons of money on fancy new shoes, ha, ha, ha! Then, with renewed enthusiasm to hit the pavement, I head out for a jog. Usually by the time I get back, my knees are throbbing and I have the worst shin splints in history. Yet, I may never learn my lesson because there are many more name brand running shoes on the shelves of thrift stores just waiting for me. My closet shoe collection will grow to new heights and the women's fitness magazines sitting on the table displaying beautiful new shoes will never be used. Eventually I will have to downsize my collection and my shoes will end up back in the thrift store awaiting the next sucker.
My lesson to you all: Buy new shoes!