And The Winner Is...

Me and my brain!!!

Since I have been having such a time running recently today was all about brain training. I convinced myself that I would not let my tired and achy muscles win. Getting back into this routine this week has been rough. We ran Monday Wednesday & Thursday. I think right now I like running two then one day off.

On our no run day we did a 20-minute workout routine by Jay Cardiello which I found on the Runner's World website. I forgot that this workout consists of a lot of lunge work which is good, but getting back into it? Not so good the next morning when it's a run day.

Four walk breaks is perfectly okay

I know that the Vancouver Half will be a struggle, but I'm going to work hard to be half-way ready for 13 miles.

Because I know I can...

I need to...

Probably start posting here on a more regular basis as a way to keep myself on track as far as running goes.

This morning we got out and did 2 miles....and I have to say that it wasn't terrible. I needed some serious encouragement to make it home without stopping to walk - man I wanted to stop! I did it!!

THAT is a success.

What I need to keep doing - which I figured out (again) makes a difference...

hydrate, Hydrate, HYDRATE!

Maybe with a couple of these items...not the vitamin c.

A Whole Lot Of...

Self Doubt...Low Confidence...Negative Self Talk.

I have been struggling quite a bit this year. Ever since we ended the running streak I haven't truly been the same. While I was pretty satisfied with running daily from Thanksgiving to New Years (with the exception of the one day that I had a 24 hour bug) - I have not been very happy about my progress since then.

January was a lot of rest and recovery after running every day for over 30 days. February is pretty much a blur and March was bad because I was sick and it hung on for a lot longer than I have ever experienced. April was a month of allergy related set-backs. Not many, but enough to make me feel like a loser, but at the same time be okay with the end total of miles I accomplished. Really though, March was so sucky that April was great by comparison.

Now, I'm trying to get back into some sort of positive mental mojo. It's been not great. This past weekend we took a mini break and went to Seattle for a couple of days and to see a baseball game. Monday morning we went out for a run and in my own estimation, it was not good. I felt terrible. Not well hydrated and running in a totally different atmosphere altogether. I'm not really used to the amount of traffic as we encountered in SoDo.

Man what a whiner...

In the end I think I was happy that we got out at all. Then spent a lot of the morning and early afternoon walking.

My confidence has plummeted for some reason. One day I'll be feeling pretty good about running, but the next time out may not turn out so great - no matter how much I try to think positive and try not to listen to the voice in my head that says that I'm a loser...why even try...blah blah blah.

For the most of the year I was dealing with foot pain which turned out to be a corn. Now that that is 99% resolved, my feet don't hurt now. Just my head is making me hurt. I know that I can turn around the negative thoughts in my mind, but it's getting easier for some reason to believe those things.

I think what I need is a decent race. I haven't really had one yet. I had to step down the Hop Hop Half to the 5k and didn't even make it to the first race we were signed up for. Maybe the Run to Remember event will help at the end of the month.

Something has got to get better....and sooner would be good.

March...Nothing Good Came from March

This month has been a rough one. First, I was sick and I ended up taking a couple of days off from work and went back the following week only to go home early on that Monday. THEN I was okay enough to go to work the next day to do the Accounts Payables transmittal that I have to complete for the first meeting of the month.

My sickly time was at the beginning of the month and I ended up missing the first run of the year which was okay, because I wasn't feel up for it. Tom went and without really trying ended up 3rd in his age division! The medal followed via our buddy who works for Energy Events. Yay Tom!

After I was mostly better from my illness - which I think was just a nasty cold - Tom promptly got sick and spent a few days down. It's been a terrible month!

SO - what running we did do was very little. We pushed out an 8 miler only for Tom to relapse just in time for the Hop Hop Half this past Saturday. So this time HE missed  a race that we had on the calendar. I decided to go ahead and do the event, but made up my mind before I arrived at the venue to switch from doing the half - which I was not prepared for at all - and ran the 5k race. It was a good decision and I didn't feel bad about not doing my first half for the year.

I spy a bunny...hop hop!

We now have the time to get healthy and start training for the Vancouver USA Half Marathon in June. That one will be a good one - nice and close to home! A favorite of mine :)

My mileage for the month has been very low - only a measly 17 miles (actually 19). I'm not going to beat myself up. Being sick and getting well is more important than logging miles just because I'm a numbers person.

I'm not proud of this, but at least I logged a few miles.

Why Did Running Get So Difficult?

Running has been iffy at best since the running streak ended. I thought for sure that I would be more motivated once we got signed up for a running event or two (actually 4 for me).

I think that I'm just getting tired of running while it is so dark. We run before I go to work, so that means I get up early and try to get in run mode, but it hasn't been working out very well and I have not been able to stick to the running plan. Some daylight will certainly help as I am like a lot of people and am very much light activated.

Right now the other thing that will mess with me is the fact that I am not able to get my run stats downloaded from my watch. We are currently without a computer so no connectivity for now. We'll see if my watch fires up tomorrow morning. If not I'll have to work at not feeling defeated. I already feel bad enough about my physical ailments in general. I don't need my feel like I NEED my watch - even though I do. Maybe I don't...well, yes - I do! Also, I will need to work at positive self-talk - a constant battle in my head. I'm not a loser...I'm not a loser. Losers sleep in and sit on the couch and eat bowls of ice cream while watching YouTube videos...oh hey...that sounds like us on a rest day! Except the ice cream - that doesn't happen very often.

Here is the line up of races that we are registered for already:

March 6 - Fort Vancouver Run 12k, Vancouver, WA 

March 26 - Hop Hop Half Marathon, Portland, OR

June 19 - Vancouver USA Half Marathon, Vancouver, WA

July 10 - See Jane Run Half Marathon, Seattle, WA

This too shall pass - especially when Downton Abbey is over and we are staying up on Sunday night to watch it!