Sunday: In order to stop feeling like a failure when I don't reach five miles, I set out to only run three this morning. Guess who was a semi-failure on that? Gah. It's just so hot...I ran around the soccer fields first, before the sun had risen above the trees, and then spent the rest of the time running on the side of the park that is mostly covered by trees and therefore, shady. It was still hard - it was 79 degrees with 82% humidity, and that is tough to slog through. By myself. I tried to conjure up several running buddies in my head, but they were all sleeping, apparently (slackers!). I also have been running way too fast - my first mile was 11:16, which is not a pace I can maintain for long in this heat. Sure enough, I took about a 30 second break at 1.5 miles, finished mile two at 11:31 pace, took another break at 2.35 miles, and finally finished mile three at 12:53. It is really hard to slow myself down unless I'm talking out loud to someone - then I have to or else I will run out of air completely. How do runners maintain a slow pace on their own? Is there some trick I haven't discovered? If so, please enlighten me!
Monday: It was the Fantastic Four - Jenny, Kathleen, Ashley and myself - I like it when it's just us in our group because we all work so well together. As usual, Brad outdid himself in coming up with our gym workout. Team Jelly had to do five minute sets of wall sits, scissor lunges and these crazy box jumps where we had to jump onto the shorter box, jump off, then jump onto the higher box (in my case step up because I can't jump that high), jump/step off, and reverse. We could tag each other out when we fatigued, although it wasn't easy going from a wall sit to a box jump and vice-versa. Then we did some more sets, although these were sets of 100 total - everything targeted the legs. After that, cardio with Linda - we did a countdown workout, where we started having to hit 100 calories on a machine (I had treadmill), then do 100 squats, then 75 calories (elliptical), then 75 butterfly sit ups (since I'm not doing those due to my still sore tailbone I got to do 150 regular Swiss ball crunches). Our time was up by then, so we never made it down to 25...but I bet I know what we're doing on Wednesday!
Tuesday: I'd like to say that I got up and ran, but I cannot tell a lie. I'm working full-time this week, Monday through Saturday (well, Saturday is only four hours). What can I say - vacation payback is a b*tch! As you can probably tell by my lack of comments on y'all's blogs, I haven't had time for anything, so I chose to read some blogs instead of doing a short run before work today. Next week I will be back to a more normal schedule, and Jenny and I will be running for sure!
Wednesday: Killed.arms.in.gym.today. Hurts.to.type. Back.on.Friday.
For the second time today i clicked off before seeing if the comment showed up.
ReplyDeleteMust be in a rush.
Glad you are here, I looked for you earlier and came back and there you were.
I am laughing about your arms and I thought of you today in the gym about how hard you workout and I am not giving it my all right now.
You make me tired just reading these workouts!
ReplyDeleteYou rock!!
Running in the heat and humidity is hard. Period. After you have run for a while you will recognize how it "feels" to be running to fast and adjust your pace accordingly. Until then, walk breaks are great especially if you are trying to get a certain distance or time in!
ReplyDeleteShelley - do I have to come sit you down and talk about getting the word 'failure' out of your vocabulary?
ReplyDeleteRunning any distance is a triumph! It doesn't matter if you intended to run 10 and did 1.
Running in heat is very hard. Ugh. I find I don't have too much of a problem with running fast unless I am in a race, and then my first mile ends up quicker than I want to be. I make sure that I consciously take some slow breaths, which automatically slows my legs down. Maybe that will work for you?
YOU. ARE. NOT. A. FAILURE.
ReplyDeleteYou are a smart, beautiful and inspiring lady Shelley, don't you ever forget that!
Wow what a workout. Now I feel like such a whimp getting a treadmill to avoid the heat. You rock..
ReplyDeleteI think we have all been struggling with running in the heat.
ReplyDeleteI shouldn't be laughing, but that last sentence was too funny. I'm wondering why you think you need to slow your running down when you seem to be doing okay with it. Those are great times that you listed, in my humble opinion.
ReplyDeleteOff to quilt and sew, which does not hurt my arms. :)
I'm with Lori: every run is a victory! And don't let me caught you calling yourself a failure again: YOU'RE NOT!
ReplyDeleteI don't run in hot weather so I admire you for doing that.
About the slower pace: I suck at that. I need to run slower than I do on my long runs but just can't seem to do it. So no help here, if you have the answer: let me know.
xxx
Why can't you live closer to me Shelley?!
ReplyDeleteI am hoping for a trip to Texas sometime before the end of the year - depends on too many things though - fingers crossed!
Way to rock out the workouts! And if it makes you feel any better, I went to bed at 10:30 last night, set my alarm to 6:00 to get up and swim, then didn't wake upu until 7:15! Must have needed the extra sleep! :D
I rode my bike to work and when I left it went from freezing at my desk to a wall of heat! My jeans were totally sticking to me by the time I got home. I hate exercising in HOT and HUMID weather!
ReplyDeleteGreat workouts though anyway Shelley!!
Running in the heat is really, really rough....work on taking frequent walk breaks (every 5 or 6 min) for a min or so to help temper your own pace.
ReplyDeleteGreat workouts though!