running

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Quick Running Update

October 25, 2009 in Uncategorized | No comments

I dragged my tired butt out of bed yesterday morning at 6:30 to run. Yes, I am still doing it and, surprisingly, liking it. I finished the official Couch to 5K program about a three weeks ago and have managed to keep it up since. Mondays I run after I drop Eleanor off at preschool. I have a nice route that takes me through Glencarin Gardens, downtown Rock Hill, and Winthrop. I run every Saturday morning with a biology professor. We go about 3.5 miles around Winthrop Lake. Running by myself, I have a pace that’s just under ten minute miles.

I really need to sign up for a 5K, which will mark a big milestone for me. There’s one next Saturday at the Charlotte Airport where you run on the runway! At least that one would be flat.

Sarah’s still trucking along with her half marathon training. She’s got three weeks to go!

Running Without Music

September 11, 2009 in Public Introspection, Uncategorized | No comments

For Winston, I tried running this morning without the headphones. Loved it! My wandering mind was enough to keep me distracted. Without the music, I could no longer say to myself “Let’s see, each song is about 4 minutes long and I’ve heard three songs, so I am 12 minutes in.”
Thanks!

Run, like hell!

September 8, 2009 in Public Introspection | 4 comments

I’m sitting here at 8:30 in the evening, with my daughter asleep and my wife at the grocery store. My legs hurt.

I am on week seven of Couch to 5K. This is the week where the program goes from “here are some intervals of walking and running that gradually build up your stamina” to “just run until our little computer voice tells you to stop.” Right now, “stop” comes after 25 minutes. I know that’s not much, but for this little wuss, it’s a lot.

Today was the second day I’ve done the 25 minutes, but my first that I’ve done solo. I’ve found a running partner — a new biology professor who used to run a lot but fell out of it over the summer with the new job and moving. These past two Saturdays, I’ve run with Jason and I am amazed at how much easier it is to run with someone else. My major problem with running (and almost any exercise, really) is that I think too much. When I run by myself, I am constantly psyching myself in and out of going on. “How much further? Do you think I can stop when this song ends? What if I threw up in that sewer grate — would someone stop to see if I was okay? That would be embarrassing! NO! Keep running, you out of shape loser!” When I run with someone else I can at least talk with them, which distracts me from that puny little quitter that sits inside my head somewhere.

Also, I probably need new shoes.

A runner?

July 30, 2009 in Productivity | 7 comments

Inspired by my wife and at the urging of my brother, I’ve started to run. She is training for a half-marathon (likely the one in Conway). He’s plodding along despite bad knees. Impressive on both counts.

Well, running may be a bit of an exaggeration. I am doing the Couch to 5K program, which involves a lot of walking at first. I am just starting; week one involves three workouts of 30 minutes each, alternating between 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking. Yesterday I started downtown and made it to Winthrop before having to turn around. It was a perfect distance for my 30 minutes. My legs are a little sore today and I have some knee soreness, but I feel okay.

This is a big deal for me, not because I was totally sedentary, but because I HATE(ed) running. I am not sure why, but I would have rather done almost any exercise than run. Actually, I do have an inkling why — high school soccer practice. We ran a lot there, and I don’t have particularly fond memories of high school soccer. In fact, now that I think of it, my memories of high school soccer are almost universally bad. Why did I keep coming back for three years? I guess I should exorcise those demons in another blog post.

Anyway, Couch to 5K looks like it may get me into running. It’s even got a cool iPhone app!