Thursday, December 29, 2011

Cold Winter Days

To Do List:

1. Get long running pants.
2. Start blogging about running again.
3. Get out of bed (it is 11:18) and go for a gosh darn run!

It's the end of December, and been a while since I posted. If you are a friend reading this, thank you. Even if you never tell me how humorous my posts are (they are, I know it), how proud of me you are, or how much you love me, I know that you care. (The hard part with self-deprecating humor is that someone might take that previous sentence as a statement of fact, rather then humor.)

To bring you up to speed, I'm still out there running. I average about 9 miles a week-3 runs of 3 miles. Due to work, sketch, and other commitments, that number is a bit lower then I would like. My ideal would be to run 3 miles a day 4 days a week, and maybe do a little something else to keep me limber. (this is the whiny part) It's just hard to get out when it's dark and cold after work, and more fun to go out for dinner with friends or watch Glee. However, there probably isn't another time in life when I will have this much freedom to actually commit to running for distance. Yep, distance. Still proud of my penguin status.

I've registered for a 5K in February, and know I can do the distance. A friend wants to RUN the Bay to Breakers. All 7.5 miles of it. So I've registered for that. It seems to me that I should run a race at about a 10K (6.4) mile length before that. So I'm looking into a few races in April. One is on the 1st and is through the SF Dolphin South End running club and costs $5. It's flat and looks totally doable. The other is the Presidio 10 and has the hill between Chrissy Field and the Golden Gate bridge to run up. That one looks harder and costs 7 times more then the DSE club run. Since they are 2 weeks apart, I might just do both-the first for distance (to prove I can) and the second for the hill running. Anyone want to sign up with me?

I found a training schedule that if I start middle of Jan. will have me ready for early April 10K.
http://running.about.com/od/racetraining/a/10Kadvbeginner.htm

Then, I just have to add in an extra mile to that distance to be able to finish the B2B. It sounds easy enough.

As a reminder, I did ask people to hit me over the head with a 2x4 if I ever signed up for a 10K or half marathon. I'm amending that statement to just include the half marathon. I think to get into shape to run that far, I would need to loose a bit more body mass.

Any pointers on nutrition, stretching, how not to die while running in the cold are greatly appreciated.

It's now 11:33. Still cold out, but I just remembered I own long underwear which I could wear under my running shorts. That is going to be a great fashion statement. Guess I'd better hit the road. It does eliminate my To Do list.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Pictures!

Here are pictures of me finishing the race!

http://www2.brightroom.com/email/86594/1453/113931834

Love,
Kristina

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Bridge to Bridge

The part of me that feels good when I participate in community activities wants to talk about Special Olympics, and how awesome the organization is. It would be amazing to say that I participated in the run today purely to support them.

But, that would be extending the truth, A LOT.

Really, I ran for a much more selfish reason.

To prove I could do it.

Guess what? I did!

Due to some major Muni issues (three busses disappeared off the map) and my car being in the shop, I almost didn't make the race. Luckily, a very round-about route was available. Seeing other runners on the bus was cool-some had the shoe chips on, some had their bibs pinned to their shirts. We broke through the fog and reached the sunny, humid starting line.

Oh, you know that hill? The one at Fort Mason? A city block length at 30% grade.

Nailed it. Jogged (slowly) the whole way. Passed people who started walking.

In fact, I made the whole distance without stopping.

(I am very proud of this. This is why I'm telling you. It was hard, I was worried about it, and I did something I didn't know I could do.)

That seems to be my personal theme this year. Doing things I didn't know I was capable of. The experience is both educational and awesome.

Pictures, if possible, will be posted as soon as I find them.

Anyone want to find a 5K to run in early November? I want to work on speed next....

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Dry Run

There are days where everything seems to point to questions. Questioning judgement, ability, career choice. Those days are wearing. For me, they lead to a desire to just disappear from the world for a little while.

Instead, I went for a run. Met a friend at the Ferry Building, then took the route that I *think* I will be running on Sunday. As predicted, the Ft. Mason hill is more then I can complete. The rest of the run isn't so bad-the route is flat and the tourists only slowed me down twice. The setting sun was beautiful-it threw the people walking toward me into shadow relief.

Sunday is going to rock. So excited to earn another t-shirt, and another memory.

Who wants to find a 5K to run in November?

Sunday, September 25, 2011

4.5 Miles!

That 4 Step plan I posted last week? Guess what. I mostly followed my own plan.

Step 1 ---> Run 3x week. Check. Still two of those days are weekend days, but it's still 3 days in a week! And went for a walk on Tuesday. So that counts as exercise.

Step 2 --->Increase Distance. Did a run 4.25 miles last week. Today, see headline.

Step 3 ---> Incorporate a few hills. Check. Today, I took that hilly route, the longer version. For the FIRST TIME EVER I made it up the hills without stopping. That does mean the pace was slow. The only people who didn't pass me were the walkers. BUT I DID IT!!

Step 4 ---> Dry Run. Still planning on it. Aiming for this week.

Today's run suffered a slight rain delay. Once that was over, I set out. That route you've heard me mention, the one with the darn hill? You know, moan, grouse, complain. This time I slowed it down. Seriously slowed it down. Down the hill, hardly lost my breath. Up the hill, moan, grouse, complain. It was hard. It was foggy. It was humid. I still finished.

The reason why I need to hit 4.5 miles is pretty simple. My race bib arrived in the mail, along with a race pamphlet. Turns out the course is 4.5 miles, not 4.3. So I need to keep the distance going.

Again, I say I'm training for anything longer then a 5K, please remember to talk me out of it. :p

Anyone want to go for a run this week?

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Bridge to Bridge Training

The Bridge to Bridge is coming up in a few weeks. That means I need to get to 4.33 miles of distance with two notable hills. The Fort Mason monstrosity and then the hill at the end of the race into the Presidio.

Of course I have a plan.

Step 1: Keep jogging at least 3 days a week. ---> I'm just barely making this one. Weekend runs are easy, weekday runs require more planning ahead. This week, I hit 3, though two of the runs are Sunday and Saturday.

Step 2: Increase distance. ----> Today I hit 3.75 miles of sunny City jogging! The secret is that I'm going just a tad slower then before. This eliminates gasping for breath at the end of the run.

Step 3: Incorporate a few hills. ---> Working on it. That loop with the hills at the end is still beating me. The incline I can handle, it's the steepness at the end that currently conquers me.

Step 4: Dry run the week before. ---> Anyone want to meet at the Ferry Building on the 29th for a dry run? I figure if I can do the run a few days before the race, I can do it day of.

This is a foolproof plan. It incorporates realistic goals and several steps are currently in place. All I have to do is stick with it. Which is the downfall of every plan ever invented-sticking too it. :)

On a side note, I've been pontificating the Couch to 5K program lately. For those who are interested, here are the links to the program, and another to the podcast that I relied on to get myself going. Both are easier then I expected, and it doesn't take that much time.

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

http://www.nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/couch-5K-running-plan.aspx

Shout out to Pam for the lovely compliment at the end of a long work week. Thanks, Pam!

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Saturday jog

I love the fog. It keeps things cool and I don't sweat like a pig (yes, I know pigs don't sweat-that's why they wallow). There's a beauty to jogging through a puff of cloud to come out on the other side.

I love the park. It's full of beautiful plants. The people are generally nice, even if they do walk in the middle of the path and I have to jog around them on the hole-y grass. Lots to see, interesting people to watch.

I don't love the part of the park that meets the Haight. Today I jogged past a man who was rolling a joint (not a big deal) who smelled like feces. That always ruins that part of the city for me.

Such a comfortable jaunt, I kept going. And going. And somehow ended up jogging almost 4 miles.

That bodes well for the 7K I'm looking at for Oct. 2. Anyone out there want a jogging partner who is running a little over 12 minute miles?

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Plate to Plate 5K!!!!


Are you there god?

It's me, Kristina.

Guess what I did today? i finished my first EVER 5K run!

Go ahead. Tell me how awesome I am.

A few people deserve a lot of credit:
1. Everyone on FB who suggested the Couch to 5K training program. Cass, Mary C., Jannie, LIZ, Jeka, Super Char, Jeanne, and Jamie.
2. Amanda P. for her unwavering support and remembering to check-in pre- and post- race.
3. Mom, who came to the CIty to stay for the night and come to the race in the morning.
3. Scotty, who loves me no matter what. He's my brother, he has too.
4. Eric. Ditto.
5. My co-workers who made sure I knew I was supported.
6. Everyone who takes the time to read these posts, even if they don't care that much.

Some highlights:
-Mer joining me to jog most of the way
-Foggy weather to keep it cool
-Finishing in right field where homeruns from the other team are stopped.
-Finishing the race in UNDER 40 minutes!!!! (P.S. Thanks, Mer)
-Walking past the dugout to see where the Giants players hang out
-Getting my Safeway bag, getting some bananas, then literally slipping on someone else's banana to fall. I slipped and fell on a banana. Let the jokes begin.
-Seeing Mom and Scott after I got to where the were in the park.
-The surprising and immense satisfaction of completing and meeting a goal.

I am so proud of myself.

Feel free to feel the same.

With sincerity, this was a long process, and took more from me then I thought. It also took less stress and work then I thought. For the present all I can say is, wow.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Recovery

Went out for a jog today. Swelling in the knee has started to go down, and the lacerations have all scabbed over.

It wasn't painful. That was amazing. The water on the knee feeling was mostly gone. A little ice, a little advil, and it's feeling pretty good.

Guess whose running across home plate on Saturday?

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Mother-loving-banana-hugger

I can jog three miles. I can jog three miles.

Unless that jogging takes me off-track. Then it's a whole different kettle of monkeys.

Today was the last class in the neuropsych series...child assessment...psychosis stories...lady who always had a story to share...done! Left Bezerkeley for Lake Merritt. Lake Merritt is a three-mile loop that smells funny but is pretty flat. Plan was go for a run, then head to Pippinland for some chattin' and grubbin' and baby-huggin'.

About a quarter of a mile in, the path goes from paved to unpaved. Unpaved looks like lots of rocks poking out at odd angles, loose pebbles, and the odd root. You can guess what happened. My toe caught a rock, and....I tripped. Fell forward. Rolled onto my back.

The nicest guy stopped his jog to make sure I was ok. Two other people asked if I was hurt badly. Those people restored my faith in humanity.

Assessment of injuries:
-Left Palm: Scrapes
-Right Palm: Small laceration, 1 embedded pebble, scrapes next to the (healing) wasp sting.
-Left Elbow: Surface scrapes, no blood.
-Left Knee: Scrapes with seeping blood, bruise/swelling under the kneecap.
-Left Shin: Road-rash from knee to half-way down the leg.

Knee is the worst in terms of depth of laceration and pain. Having a hard time straightening the leg. But the injury is only a few hours old, so there's time.

What did I do after this spill? I did what any athlete would do-had the guy help me up, walk it off for a bit, and keep jogging. See attached map for how far I got....

The odd thing is this-the jogging didn't feel great, but it didn't hurt that horribly. Until I stopped running. That's when the pain set in. Pounding pain that shot through my leg and prevented me from walking without a limp. I'm not ashamed to admit i teared up. It hurt that much.

Thank goodness for the Pippins! I went to my friend's house, and they had the apoco-kit of injury treatment. I got things cleaned up well enough to dress. Then took a shower when I got home, swore like a sailor, and poured on the hydrogen peroxide. Two words: OH F*&^*!!!

Now I have painkiller and ice incorporated into the treatment regime.

Wish me luck with healing. The 5K is a week from today. Got the bib in the mail this week. Like I said, don't care about the time, just want to finish.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Easier route

Running in circles is boring. Even if you get to run around a beautiful lake and kick at (not kick, kick at) pigeons. Even the turtles trying to sun on the submerged logs have their charm.

Running up hill at the end of a run is hard. Even if I get hit by sprinklers and accomplish something difficult. It's hard.

Running a route with fewer uphills, all of which are in the first mile, is better. Getting on paths big enough to pass tourists is better. Getting out of the park, if only for a few blocks, is better. So this new route seems to be the new favorite. Even in the wind (into the wind, uphill both ways-Dad) didn't slow me down.

Sounds like I found my new 3 mile route!

Oh, and if you notice the ending location is not where I started, that's because I needed to get a few things at the grocery store. Who wants cranberry oatmeal white chocolate chip cookies? Next goal-better then Hot Cookie.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Goal: 3 miles

Goal: Accomplished.


New goal: 3 miles without having to jump over fat pigeons the tourists are feeding.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Miss me?



I'm baaack!

It has been a while since I've blogged about the running process For those who have sent the love and support about the last post-YOU ROCK! That new swimsuit has now swum in the Sea of Corez and provided some lovely tan lines. For the record-yes, I did get a sun burn; Yes, it is almost done peeling.

The Couch to 5K program is complete! After thinking things over, I did move on to the 9th week run. I was jogging 2.75 miles on my little hilly route in 30 minutes. Pretty good, if I do say so myself. With the trip to Mexico, the plan was to take the week off.

Now, there are a few reasons for taking the week off. One-it's vacation. Two-the weather was quite warm. Not quite warm. Crazy hot. Insanely hot. Melt-your-face hot. 100*+ during the day, and in the 80s after 9 pm. Past experience with hot day jogs convinced me I would die. As in drop from heat exhaustion. And margaritas are better at night.

SIDEBAR: Came up with a way to make money. Take a bunch of people into the ocean at about torso-deep. Have them stand in one location without using their arms for an hour. Call it a core workout. Float out some music and change position every 90 seconds to keep it interesting. You know people would pay a lot of money for an "Ocean Core Workout". We could even make a video! Try it-it's harder then you think.


Looking forward to getting home and resuming exercise. The heat slows me down and lack of sustained exercise was making me feel lazy. Relaxed (hard to not be) from the slow pace of life. See the above picture for one of the beaches we spent time at.

The trip home was reminiscent of the trip to Greece (see-"How I made 3 out of 8 flights" in the History of Kristina). Late bus, no one spoke English, I didn't speak enough Spanish to understand anything, bus broke down, nice gentleman who gave me a ride from the bus stop to the airport, and making the plane because it was already delayed. The usual.

Got on the plane. Than it hit.

Food poisoning.

Worst places to get food poisoning-confined spaces (like an airplane), lack of access to a bathroom (like when taking off or landing), when you smell everyone eating food (like the start of the flight). Suffice to say I was glad to get home, cried through the night, didn't sleep well, and got a good core workout.

No run on Tuesday. Or Wednesday.

But Thursday, first run back!

Only did 2 miles. (Pshaw. Listen to me: "Only 2 miles". Who am I?)

Mile 1 was pretty comfortable. A few stitches in the side as I went, got pretty sweaty, and by the end I wanted to keep going. (Ha ha ha. "Wanted to keep going." Stop. I'm killing me!) Glad I stopped when I did. My hand was shaking as I held my glass of water. Guess I need to eat things other then saltines and Gatorade.

Next goal-3 whole miles on a flat course.

The Plate to Plate 5K is in 3 weeks! Look out for the countdown...

Saturday, July 9, 2011

unexpected information

Two things to talk about, and it took me a few days before I could post these thoughts.

Last time I didn't know if I would move on from week 8 or stay at that level. Two days ago, I completed Week9Run1. That got me up to almost 2.4 miles. For those of you keeping track, that is .7 miles off of my distance goal. On the other hand, there is no way I'm going to maintain a 10 minute mile pace.

Message here: YEAH!!!! I RAN A FULL 30 MINUTES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY ENTIRE LIFE!!! That is a major accomplishment.

The plan is to complete week 9, then start to increase distance. I'm thinking of track running, though there is distaste for running in circles. SOOOOOO glad I left enough time to finish training to finish the distance.

Second thing:

Went shopping for a new swimsuit yesterday. Usually something I avoid. Why? Because as any woman who is sightly uncomfortable with her body will tell you, swimsuit buying will point out every part of the body she is not comfortable with. Personally, I fall into that category. However. I found a few suits (there weren't that many to choose from). Then I went to try them on. Since my pants have been a little baggy, I decided to try on a variety of sizes.

Guess what?

I've got a new swimsuit (approved of by three people who saw it later that night). It's two sizes smaller then the last swimsuit I bought.

So I went to the regular clothing. I usually buy tops or dresses, since those are generally sizes I can handle. Then there was yesterday.

I bought pants. And shorts. And capris.

All two sizes smaller then the last time I tried on pants.

F*#&ing running. Now I have 7 new bottoms (only keeping 3), 2 swimsuits (only keeping 1) and a dress (keeping it-goes great over the swimsuit). All because of running.

Donated blood this week. My blood pressure is down.

The lesson is this:

Even if I don't really like the running/jogging. Even if my muscles in my legs hurt the next day (which is likely from the stairs I did before a walk with darling Char yesterday). Even if, and this is the big one, I think it's hard and maybe I'm hurting my knees or the bottom of my feet. Or really, even if I don't ever see myself as a jogger.

I'm going to have to keep it up.

Think of what could happen if I keep jogging and don't change eating habits (as per the way life is working now). I don't even know what I weigh any more. A friend keeps threatening to buy me a scale (have never owned a scale. Scared of them) to keep track of my progress.

Who wants to take a jog tomorrow morning? I've got to to 30 minutes.

This should feel crazy. But it doesn't. Weird.

PS Love you, Svenny! Thanks for the couch time!!!!!

PPS Carpel tunnel is activated by 3 hours of pinball playing. Love the PinBall Museum!

Friday, July 1, 2011

28 minutes- Week 8

It's been a while, so for those of you sitting on the edge of your seats, I am sincerely sorry. If you are sitting on the edge of your seat (i.e this blog is what you live for) again, I apologize. For a completely different reason.

Here are the short and long of it. Summer vacation started one week ago! This means that on Monday I procrastinated sooo much, I missed the run. Then on Tuesday, rain. Huh. Rain. End of June. California. Huh.

Anyways. After the rain (washes away the tears/and all the pain) stopped on Wednesday, I put on my running shoes and left for the first run of Week 888888888 (hear that voice fading out dramatically). The fact it has been four whole days since my last run had me a bit worried. Was it going to be hard? Would I be able to run for 28 minutes without stopping? The answer to both questions was:

YES!

The relatively flat Stow Lake route has given me the chance to watch Canadian Geese grow from yellow goslings to full-flighted poopers. I see older asian men and women out for their constitutional. It's tourist season, and without a permit you can't shoot them. Unless they hand you their camera. But it is so cute to see them out with their backpacks and sensible (or not so) shoes. Can I pinch their cheeks?

Today was a different route. This is actually an old training route from the Avon walk last year. When I was walking 3 miles every other day, this route fit the bill:

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4618018

It's a loop, and once I go out, there's no going back. Notable sights are bison, portals into the past, the turducken creature, and tourists (this time on bicycles!). Also of note is the fact that no matter which way one approaches the loop, going out is downhill and coming back is uphill.

This poses one major question. Do I...
a. Go out on the sharper downhill slope and come back on the more gradual, though still discernible, uphill slope.
b. Go out on the softer slope then run up the bigger slope, knowing there is no hill at the very end?

I chose A. Here's what that looks like, in mental monologue form:

Man, this warm up-walk seems long. I better stretch. Mmmmmmm. Stretching feels soooo goood. Maybe I should stretch before every run.....
Hm. Is that guy on the bike homeless or just running errands?
Oh! Tourists! Better blend into the tree-no, wait. Didn't get the permit.
Ok, lets start jogging!
Jeez.
The first five minutes seem really easy. And I'm running a little faster then I normally do. This feels pretty good!
Oh! Downhill! Zoooooooooommmmmmmmmm.
Frisbee! Darn the golf course.
Just keep jogging, just keep jogging!
Wow! Half way through? And I'm up to Sprekles? This is going to be awesome! I may hit a whole 2.5 miles!
Squirrel!
There are the bison, there are two people taking up the entire walkway, and now I'm going to not step in that dog poo. Stupid dog poo non-picker-uppers.
Crossing the street-don't hit me, idiot! Can't you see me jogging here?
Cop on a horse. Hi horsey! Sir.
This is where the uphill part starts. Maybe I should slow down just a bit.
Ok. This is more of a hill then I remember.
Oh, tourists sitting. Gotta keep going.
Keep Going
Why are you walking! Sweat doesn't bite!
Keep. Going. Keep. Going.
5 walking steps! Not acceptable. Jog!
5 more minutes. I can do 5 more minutes.
Stitch in side. Sweat running into eyes. Legs burning. Can't keep going....
60 seconds left. Must. Not. Stop. Running.
Must. Run. Extra. 20. Seconds. To. Make. Up. For. Walking.
Voice says stop running.
WALK NOW YOU CRAZY LADY!

And here's how far I got!

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4618015

Since this is now my goal (do the loop without stopping), I may stay on Week 8 for an extra week. We'll see how the last run goes. On Sunday.

TTNF!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

TightAss

As the title suggests, I'm noticing muscle changes in my body.

There's the obvious one.

Then there are the less obvious ones. Like my calf muscles. Those are getting defined and there seems to be a line drawn on my lower leg. And the tight muscles. Those are getting better.

Stairs. There's no hiding huffing and puffing after climbing a flight or two of stairs.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think I'm starting to like this jogging thing.

Still working on completing two miles in 25 minutes. It would be really nice to get to the 5K and finish closer to 35 minutes then 40.

Darn it. Am I now a jogger?

Friday, June 17, 2011

TWENTY-FIVE MINUTE JOG TODAY

(see title)

The best part is the support from the people who care about me. Love you all.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

90 degree jogging

The plan was to wake up early, go for my jog/walk, then shower and go to work. Setting the alarm clock for 5:30, I tallied off to sleep last night.

Unfortunately, the alarm was set for 5:30 pm.

Waking up at a quarter after 6, I got ready for my day and headed into the heat of the East Bay. There were a few social engagements after work-a retirement party for a woman I adore, and a BBQ with a staff I will miss. Luckily, I was able to get out of work at a reasonable time. Took my gear, changed at work, then headed to a friend's house to take my jog.

Let me tell you what a 90 degree afternoon feels like in Concord. It's discreet. You may assume 90 is an obvious heat, but once you are in it, particularly after the cold and rain of the previous month, it's hard to tell just how warm it is. The skin heats. Feet feel the radiant heat through shoes. Sweat pours from the skin and drenches the body.

That's after just 2 of the 5 minute warm-up walk.

A bit dramatic? Sure. But it was hot enough that I felt the need to walk a few steps as I went. Biggest challenge? Hill at the end of the second 10 minute jog. I kept needing to walk up the hill, but I made myself jog all the way down.

Remember that part about hating to sweat? Yeah. I sweated. It was gross.

Best part was the cold shower at a friend's house. You know it's hot when you are still sweating after a cold shower.

Got a few comments about the red face at the retirement party. You know what? Badge of courage.

Almost done with Week 6. Tomorrow morning, I'm meeting a friend from work to help her start the Week 1 jog. She seems excited and nervous. It's great to pass along this energy and enthusiasm for an activity I never thought I would enjoy.

Anyone want to come jogging soon?

Friday, June 10, 2011

Week 5? What week 5?

Newsflash! Kristina just completed a full, nonstop, 20 minute jog!!!!

It was a breezy though sunny Friday. The students had finished school. Kristina attended a staff lunch and (didn't) leave work early to get home around traffic. Following a lie-down and reading a bit of her book, Kristina pulled out her running clothes. Donning said clothes, she headed onto the street.

A five-minute warm-up walk got Kristina to Stow Lake. Stow Lake is preferred jogging area, as the path is wide enough to accommodate passing wandering tourists and flat. Notable items at this time are the goslings which are growing their juvenille feathers and have begun swimming on the lake.

She began jogging by the Strawberry Hill bridge. Pace was somewhat slow though several walkers were passed. Only one other jogger passed Kristina early on. This did not discourage her and she continued to practice breathing while jogging. She only slightly regretted eating a snack before heading out.

By the end of the jog, the only notable soreness was in her glutes. When interviewed, Kristina reported, "I'm really proud of myself. This is the furthest and the longest I have ever run in my life. It wasn't quite two miles, but it was a lot closer then I thought it would be. I think I can actually get up to 5K by the race!"

Chloe, Kristina's furry cat companion, reported, "Purr. Puuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Meow." Roughly translated, this means "OK, you're back. Where's my dinner?"

Next on Kristina's weekend agenda is a comedy show, Meet-Up event, dinner with a friend, and a day of reading outside. You can always offer her words of encouragement on this post or by following her at her blog: www.kristinaswalking.blogspot.com

Thursday, June 9, 2011

8 minute Intervals!

Ok, so here's what happens week 5. There are 3 different runs. The first has 5 minute jogs with 3 minute walks between. The second (finished it yesterday!) has 8 minute jogs with 5 minutes walk in between.

Here's what I learned on that jog.

Leaving one of my schools, I headed down the street toward the path that follows a canal. It's a prettyish spot, flat, and has wide paths which are great for jogging. Jogging for 8 minutes got a little boring. It wasn't difficult, at least, not in the sense that I was unable to do it. Even with music, I didn't shut down my brain and I got bored.

Now, I'm hoping this was a fluke, or reflection on it being the first warm day and nearing the end of the school year (what exactly do I need to finish before taking off for the summer?). I did get a bit of a side stitch, which gave me something to think about. After checking my distance, I noticed I went further then anticipated. The distance does include the warm-up and cool-down 5 minute walks.

Tomorrow is a full 20 minute jog. It's supposed to be 2 full miles, though I'm sure I won't get that far. Then comes the choice-do I jog for time or for distance? Since I built in extra training time, I think I'll focus on the time rather then distance for now. I can always add in distance as I go.

Half-way through the Couch to 5K program! Pretty exciting to think I'm getting there.

Ok, off to tune my new Uke.

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Rain? June?

In case you hadn't noticed, it's raining outside. RAINING. In June.

If I lived in a place like Indiana where summer thundershowers were a regular thing. Or south of the equator, where winter is about to start. That would feel normal, perhaps refreshing.

Rain in June. Amazing.

And I'm just waiting for a break in the weather to go out for Week 4, Run 3.

For all my concern early on, this week was not as hard as I thought it would be. The 5 minutes of jogging feels right. Breathing is the activity requiring the most attention. I breathe heavy but not hard at the end. Stretching is the other area I would like to be more consistent with. I stretch at the end, though not necessarily at the beginning. These will come with practice. Or just doing it. (I always thought that Nike like was crap until I figured it out. Darn those advertising people for getting something right!)

Another realization-this week was the start of more jogging then walking. 16 minutes of jogging in each workout to be precise. So from here on out, these are no longer walk/jogs. They're jog/walks.

Until the rain breaks, or slows for a while, I will go make some breakfast (lemon buttermilk scones anyone?) and drink some water. I have a book I'm in the middle of, and intend to finish today. I love sitting in my chair by the window with tea and scones and a book.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

This is a whiney post. Feel free to skip it if that drives you crazy.

After a lovely weekend camping with a group of friends, I am home. Today is a furlough day. I slept in, did laundry, convinced my cat she is loved, and have generally been productive.

The problem: it's raining.

Pants are not water proof, nor water resistant. My one rain jacket (who needs more than one?) gets too warm when I exercise. My hair is already frizzy from the humidity, and jogging in the rain isn't going to help that.

I just don't want to start the Week 4 workout.

The jogging bits are getting longer. Two rounds of 5 minutes of jogging, with some shorter jogging bits in the middle. While this is the point to getting up to 5K distance, it sounds long. Like a much bigger leap then last week's workout.

Here's the other part. Did the math. The Couch to 5K program is designed for people who can jog a 10 minute mile. That yields 30 minutes of jogging, which is the goal of the program.

10 minute miles are not going to happen at this point. So far, my best calculation is at 12 minute miles by the end of the training. That isn't going to get me to Home Plate in 30 minutes. My worry is that I'm going to have to add another module into the training to increase my jogging time to complete the 5K. Meaning I will have to jog faster (which seems difficult from this perspective) or spend the last few weeks increasing my distance until I can complete 3.1 miles.

Ok, looking at it that way it doesn't sound as bad as it did in my head at the laundromat this morning. 12 minute miles x 3.1 miles = 37.5 minutes. So I add 7 more minutes of jogging time. I'd Blame It on the Rain (yeah, yeah). I'll blame it on whatever situation sounds the most likely to need the blame.

In actuality it's my optimism that needs a shot in the arm.

Anyone got a shot of sunshine to share?

Guess I should hit the road, even though I don't want to.

It feels better after I'm done, right?

(As of 4:33 pm, yes, it does feel better after I'm done. I jogged 16 minutes total today! That may be the most jogging I've ever completed.)

Friday, May 27, 2011

Week 3? Check.

Have Friday off. Leaving for a camping trip in a little while. What am I going to do? Better get my last walk/jog in for the week!

On Wednesday, I took my workout outfit to work and walk/jogged through the neighborhood. Forgot to bring socks (nuts!) so went without. Found a few spots on the arch of my shoe that rub, and learned a valuable lesson about why socks were invented. Anyone on the entire planet who jogs in shoes without socks is nuts. Declarative statement. Of course, I could just have shoes that require socks.

Learned something else on this week-o-walk/jogging (don't feel like I get to call it actual jogging, yet). Pacing. I kept starting out too fast and then I'd be tired and sweaty. So I'm keeping myself to penguin rates and ignoring the other people who go faster then me. Good thing I haven't gotten passed up by any of the older people who circle the lake in my neighborhood.

Two sets of canadian geese families are living by the lake. The older goslings have just molted their baby feathers and are growing their juvenile set. The baby ones still have baby feathers and are the size of the mallards who hang out nearby. The misting rain that started at the end of my walk/jog doesn't feel like spring, but Mother Nature keeps putting spring out there.

I'm off for a camping trip, so I'll see you all next week. Week 4 is a bit intimidating, but I'm pretty sure I can handle it!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Week 2 Run 3

I finished Week 2!

After a slow start to the week (rain in May? Seriously?) I got out for walk/jogs numbers 2 and 3. This week has been a bit challenging. The school year is starting to wind down. While I look forward to the summer, having a chance to get work done with fewer interruptions, I have spent so much time and energy on work this year that I've forgotten what it is that I want to do with my time. I was thinking about this before run2.

What do I want to do with my life?

Big question. Having a hard time figuring this out. I have an idea of what I want, just not totally sure how to go about getting it. What am I willing to settle on for myself, what do I not want to settle for, what am I ok with? These thoughts have been filling my head the past few weeks.

How does this relate to the walk/jogs?

For the first time all week my mind cleared, my gut feelings quieted, and I just lived in the moment.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Week 2

Yeah! I made it to week 2!

So here's the crazy thing. On the last day of week 1, I started jogging before the cue to start. Then I felt like I could keep going even though it was time to walk.

What? Right.

Amazeballs. (That's for Kat).

So today was the first walkjog of week 2. 90 seconds of jogging with 2 minutes of walking. Sounds simple enough. The challenge is not jogging too fast. I noticed I was running out of breath on the second of the jogs, so I slowed down just a bit, which helped. Anyone got any suggestions on breathing while jogging?

On the plus side, I feel great. I'm sleeping well, sugar cravings are dropping (though not gone), and the muscles in my glute are strengthening.

Every City day should be like this one. Right now there's a breeze, puffy clouds have flown over all day, and the sun has shone without reserve. What a lovely Sunday.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Bummer

Not a big bummer, but frustrating. Took the car in for a check-up (of course they found all sorts of fun things to fix!). Took them an hour to pick me up from work. So my walj time was taken away. Moved it to tomorrow-will duck out of a meeting and go for my walj before the rest of the events of the day kick in.

Monday, May 9, 2011

Day 2/3 (Huh?)

So, if today is my third day of training, but my second jog/walk, is it day 2 or day 3?

Either way, I've got it figured out.

Step 1: Sort laundry.
Step 2: Take basket of laundry and return audiobooks to library.
Step 3: Washer the laundry.
Step 4: Put laundry in dryer.
Step 5: Go for walkjog.
Step 6: Sweat over clean laundry while folding it.

Step 1 is complete, putting on my shoes now.

Look out world! Kristina's plodding your way!

Curtain up! Light the lights!
You got nothing to hit but the heights!
You'll be swell. You'll be great.
I can tell. Just you wait.
That lucky star I talk about is due!
Honey, everything's coming up roses for me and for you!
-Gypsy, Stephen Soundheim

Saturday, May 7, 2011

5K

I signed up to run a 5K.

I haven't run. Not really. Not ever.

Jogging at softball practice in elementary and middle school, yes. Walking 40 miles in a weekend-I can do it with the training.

Something is different about running.

There's the jiggle factor. There is nothing cute or comfortable about all the parts of my body that jiggle when I run. My BBW sisters, heck, anyone who knows what it's like to have your thighs wiggle faster then your foot fall, knows how uncomfortable that can be.

There's the sweat factor. I hate sweating. I feel dirty and smelly and uncomfortable. In fact, I shower daily because I am so aware of not wanting to be smelly. You find me smelly, it's temporary. Or at least let me know and I will do something about that.

Then there is the pain factor. I've had shin splints. They such. I had knee problems when I was catching (softball) and was in a knee brace for a while. Don't get me started on my past ankle injuries. Just ask a family member about the number of times I've rolled an ankle for no good reason. The threat of possible pain is enough to prevent me from engaging in a new endeavor.

So why in the world did I sign up for a 5K that needs to be run and not walked?

(Is that previous question grammatically correct? I can't tell. Run? Ran? Whatever.)

One reason: At the end of the race I will get to run across home plate at ATT park.

That is the only reason I will take up running.

Let's not call it running. It's going to be more like jogging. I've been looking at the Couch to 5K (c25k) website, and there is a board for people who are slower called "penguins". I'm going to be a penguin on the road.

The C25K is a 9 week training program. The race is at the end of August. That's 16 weeks away. I spent 20 weeks training for the walk last year. This may be a bit of overkill, but I have limited faith in my ability to make it through the training. In fact, just starting with 20 minutes of 60 seconds jogging, 90 seconds walking seems like a huge deal.

Today is my first scheduled walk/run. It's gusting wind outside up to 25 miles per hour outside. I'm sitting in bed watching the Negotiator on TV, which is a great movie. My cat is sleeping next to me. There's errands to be run, my car needs to go into the shop, and I have a show next weekend which requires a lot of time. There's a list about a mile long of why sitting on my butt at home seems like a better option for today. For life, really.

But. But but but but but but but.

I really want to be able to run across home plate.

I started an activity log on a running website. Just made it the opening website to my web browser.

So here it is. The moment of truth. Am I going to go put on my workout clothes, load up the music that has the intervals pre-recorded (so I know when to walk and when to run), and leave out the front door?

Friday, April 1, 2011

Follow-up

An hour later, I'm home. Reward is beer at the bar with roommate and the ball game. Happy Friday, friends.

Get off your butt, K

There was a plan-get home, take a walk, enjoy the sunshine, and then get back home in time to shower and head out to watch the Giants game.

Let's review. Here is the plan:

1. Leave work on-time. DONE
2. Take a walk.
3. Shower.
4. Watch ballgame at local bar.

This is what you would see if you were next to me. I'm in my room. Sitting on my bed. I've put on my walking pants, a tank top, and one white sock. And am currently typing on my blog to talk about my lack of motivation to go out for a walk even though I know that I will feel better once I've gone.

Just writing this is helping. Look! My other sock just went on!

There's hope.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

End of Week 1

Just a quick check-in between sketch rehearsal and bedtime. On an unrelated note (to the point of this blog), all sketches which are cumbersome to read aloud should be read backward. As in each word in the sentence is read backward. It's hilarious!

Ok, here's the status. I'd like to say I hit my goal of 6 workouts last week, but I didn't. I did get 4 days of exercise in, primarily on my little circuit. Thanks to Anne and Sparks for the lunge corrections-my knee feels much better. Due in part to the first mostly unscheduled weekend in the last three months, I did my fair share of sitting on the couch and watching movies/reading books. And the weather. Yeah. That stopped me from going out for a walk on Friday night. Not because I got home at 9 and was exhausted and went to bed early...

This week is off to a great start-circut Monday and the last of the dance classes Tuesday. Tomorrow, I'll need to exercise after dinner with Edna-she always suggests delightful places with delicious food. Translation-I may feel full, but I'll suck it up to get the workout done.

A few thoughts along the way....

I'm not a doctor, though I played one in high school. But if I was a doctor, I'd prescribe an hour of sunlight for everyone in Northern California.
The blooming crocus by my bed makes my entire room smell deliciously perfumed.
Counting reps out loud makes them easier.
Flutter kicks are hard to keep going.
Burlesque chest.

TTFN. Ta Ta For Now.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Goal #1-Met!

Kristina's At-Home Workout

5 lb. dumbbells

Activity Reps
Arm Curls 20 each side
Outward arm lifts 20 each side
Triceps kickback 20 each side
Squats 20
Lunge 20 each side
Crunches 25
Flutter Kicks 20 each side
Dumbbell Fly 20

Week # Number of Circuts
1 2
2 2
3 3
4 3
5 3
6 3

Walking Schedule
Week # Number of Walks/ Days Total Distance for the week
1 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 8 miles
2 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 10 miles
3 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 12 miles
4 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 12 miles
5 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 14 miles
6 3 / Fri., Sat., Sun. 15 miles


Week Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
1 Circuit-DONE dance-DONE Circuit Walk Walk

Sunday, March 20, 2011

I bet you didn't expect to see this again!

8 months and 7 days since my last post. I reread the entries about the Avon Breast Cancer Walk and was reflecting on the changes I've made in myself since then. Some of those changes are small-I drink water during the day, drink soda only occasionally, smile at people as they walk through the neighborhood, those sorts of things. Other changes are related to expectations. 10 mile walks are perfectly reasonable as long as there are no stairs. My body tells me that I need to go out and work muscles and I listen. Committing to large challenges, while scary, is an opportunity to prove to myself how strong a woman I am.

So why start blogging again? A few reasons. One goal I haven't met was to continue walking. Joining the walk was one way to engage in regular exercise. I felt better, stress levels were lower, all those good reasons to exercise applied to me. Now my walking is sporadic. At best I get in one weeknight walk (as opposed to the four a week during training). Weekend walks are great when they happen, but they don't happen every weekend. Since goal-driven behaviors are the most likely to succeed (just put on the psych hat), I know I will get back into regular exercise with a specific goal. I'm hoping this blog will help me stay true to that goal. Guess I should set one...

Another reason to re-start blogging is that some of you have asked for me to continue writing about my experiences. I can't say the masses demanded kristinaswalking resurrection; I can say a friend or two asked if I would keep blogging. Poor grammar, run on sentences, and random observations seem to work for those friends. In all seriousness, blogging is an interesting medium. There's a fine line between journaling and divulging personal information on the internet. For example, I've recently joined a dance class which I am happy to discuss off-line, but won't post information on-line. I realize I'm rather conservative about which information I will share in a public forum, as privacy issues may have unintended outcomes. So if something I write about seems vague, or you suspect there is more to the story, that may be the case. Just ask! You know I'm always willing to talk about the events in my life.

The last reason is more personal. We'll call it finding my voice. Recently I had an experience where I exercised my voice in a way I didn't believe myself capable of. Advocating for others has aways been a passion of mine. Advocating for myself has been a challenge. I'm proud of myself for being clear about what I wanted and needed. I have no regrets for my handling of that situation. In part because I acted with integrity, but in the broader sense because I found and used my voice. So here is a way for me to practice using that voice.

Today is the warm-up. I have made a real goal: By Tuesday at 10 pm I will post a work out schedule for the week. If you have read this far, your thoughts and feedback is valued.

And now to post this in the ether.