chimesblog

Maybe.

Just maybe I’m back.

And I can thank my fabulous former roommate for running a marathon last month — 20 minutes faster than she anticipated even!

What am I talking about?

For those of you who’ve forgotten, I used to love running — in fact, that was the ENTIRE purpose for this blog in the first place. It used to be called “Life plus running” and be over at blogspot.com. Then I obsessed over it and ran a marathon. Then we broke up for a while. And then running was a huge pain in the ass because I had to be strategic about it, so it became a chore instead of a beloved pastime.

But now //

// I think it’s fun again*.

And I can blame my old roommates. Both of them. One of them got married and the other came and stayed with me for the evening before the wedding. Danielle and I used to run together a lot in the 4 years we lived together. That’s how I got my start. In fact the last time I ran any significant distance with anybody was a 7 mile run right before the marathon 2 years ago with here.

What better way to get back in the saddle than by enlisting the help of a friend to make running fun again?

So we ran about a 10K. I haven’t run more than 3-4 miles in at least a month. In fact, I hadn’t run AT ALL for 2 whole weeks. And the weird part? I didn’t miss it a bit. Not ONE tiny bit. I was actually DREADING our Saturday run so much that I put it off until we absolutely had to go in order to get the rest of our stuff done before the wedding that evening.

Then it started again. That feeling. The almost giddy feeling I used to have every day knowing that when all my work was done that I got 45-60 minutes ALL TO MYSELF (and, let’s face it, 5 years ago Slipknot was there too). My time to relax. My time to think things out. My time to pound the pavement and bust out all the bad feelings I felt before I made it home and they eeked out into the rest of my life.

Sunday I RAN my errands. I had to pick up a prescription, and guess what? HyVee is on my 5K route. So I ran a 5K. THE DAY AFTER I RAN A 10K.

The thought of being injured again made me very wary of running two days in a row since the PT lady told me not to do that 2 years ago when she released me back into the wild after 3 months of physical therapy. But I’m lifting and training specific muscle groups now. I’m seeking chiropractic care once a week. I’m being SMARTER and I know my body and my limits now.

So all that being said? Yeah. I think it’s back. I ran a mile yesterday too — 2 laps backwards in fact — which makes 3 days in a row of running. Not of running significant distances like before, but the victory here is that I want to run again. It makes me happy. No more hours plugging away at boring cardio machines or workout videos. I have the option to run. Whenever I want. And most importantly I have the drive to run again.

Where am I going with this? Nowhere in particular. I haven’t set any weird crazy goals for myself — except not to get injured again and to continue to enjoy being outside running like I used to. And of course, to get some of the awesome gear associated with running.

*Sorry for the weird typography … I’ve been reading  the typography bible and I’ve been wanting to try some new things for separators.]

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I haven’t run more than 9 miles since last year’s half marathon, but I ran 10 last weekend.

And shattered my old 10 mile PR! By 14 minutes.

Check it out — here are my race times (some are embarrassing — note that my mile time for the marathon is my WALKING pace, though I didn’t walk!).

[previous 10 mi time — Capital Pursuit 2008]

[last Saturday's run — note the epically fast ending at 6:41/mi]

I am definitely giving myself props. And bragging rights.  Not to mention that it was 95° out on Saturday compared to the 50° 2 years ago.  YAY!

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… and I’m not talking public relations.

I’m talking personal record.

I made myself get out of bed this morning bright and early (5:30) and get out and run (6:30 — takes me an hour to fuel/hydrate/wake up).

I go out not expecting to do much, but I figure if I can do 3ish miles or a half hour, that’s pretty good for early in the morning. I totally don’t expect a PR.

I only went 2.83 miles today (I turned around 5 blocks earlier than I normally do for the sake of time), but apparently I set a new mile PR on nikeplus.  It’s not my actual PR because I’ve ran miles in faster times than this, but they just weren’t recorded on nikeplus.  I started using nikeplus when I was distance training for the marathon last year … so my times are pretty slow.

Anywho … here’s today’s run:

Here’s my PR’s from nikeplus:

My PR for a 10K is actually more like 50-something (could be 48-something if I keep my “fast” running trend up and can make it back up to 10K … someday).  My mile PR is more like 6:15 or something. Probably could go faster than that, but I’m afraid to push myself. Never tried running just ONE mile either … except when I was coming off an injury, and there was no speedwork then.

Anyway, I’ve got time to make a real breakfast this morning, so I’m going to go do that now.

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yay for those of you that aren’t big MJ fans (which includes, as I’m finding out, a LOT more of you than I thought).

So I was so wrapped up with being upset about MJ *still* the other day when I ran that I totally didn’t blog about my awesome run.  Yeah, I’ll go ahead and say that I was running for him, in my mind, because it kept me going.  I used to listen to some of his stuff when I ran, but recently only have listened to heavy stuff when running. I can’t believe I could switch at the drop of a hat like that (in this case, the drop of a glittered black fedora hat).

Anyway, due to the fact I was running with purpose and that my mind was definitely elsewhere AND the fact that it was 20° cooler and not deathly humid out, I was able to complete my 45 minutes of running without stopping.  Well — obviously I had to stop at intersections, but I don’t count that because that’s a life-or-death kind of situation. Not stopping=getting plowed by a vehicle.

So this is my longest non-stop run since physical therapy!

Also — I set out to do a JOG…not a run. I had Mexican for lunch (which is a terrible idea for someone with stomach issues, I know), so there was a fiesta going on in my tummy.  I decided I should just risk it and go because it was so nice outside. Lo and behold, I didn’t have any issues. Crazy, right? Yeah. I know.

Oh and nikeplus.com has a new look/layout/functionality.  Not a fan just yet.  We’ll see if it grows on me.  OH and apparently I’m “chimes1″ on nikeplus now … WTF??? I’m THE chimes.

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It’s 73ish degrees out and 50 degrees warmer than 2 days ago when I ran — yes, I live in Iowa.

Most people would think that this weather is fabulous for a run. Not when you’ve been running all winter and the temperature suddenly jumps up. My body is set for about 20-30 degrees (as opposed to this time last month where it was set to run in 10-15 degrees)…and 75 degrees is sweltering for this body right now. I have to ease back into it…you know..with normal temperature increases.

Either way, it was gorgeous out, so I would complain about it.  I had to run 8 miles in this. You might as well have told me to run a marathon in the middle of the rainforest because that’s what I felt like. I had a tank top and super short shorts on and considered taking off my tank top, but I was already getting way too much attention for “improper” attire.  In fact, a 13-or-so-year-old girl walking out of Godfather’s Pizza yelled at me as I passed by, “Hey, it’s way too cold outside to be wearing that, don’t you know??!”  Really? Could that be why I’m drenched in sweat? Probably.

It was really tough keeping going today. I managed to keep it at a 9 minute mile pace..slow, but whatever. This time last year I was at a 10 minute mile pace, so I don’t care.  I had to stop quite a few times for the dreaded walk. I’m sure I looked really strange WALKING in a tank top and shorts..but whatever.  I got a few hoots and hollers from stupid boys in stupid cars.  (oh yeah? well I’m not into 15-year-olds…sorry)

I managed to run across this trail (no pun intended) that I hadn’t discovered before. I guess I almost discovered it several times but always turned the other way or turned around before I found it. I went farther down grand to about McDonalds and decided not to run back up the hill…so I ran down this trail hoping it would lead somewhere (there were a few older women walking it, so I figured I’d be safe). I stopped and asked where it ended up and sure enough it connected with my route.  Sweet.

The thing I forgot about running trails is that there’s bikers and people with dogs and that usually people with dogs don’t use leashes.  Before reading on, please know this: I LOVE DOGS.  I love them sooo much, but I don’t love it when they come flying at me at lightning speed out of nowhere.  Yes — you may know your dog isn’t going to jump on me or bite me, but I DON’T.  I can only assume the worst.  Every dog I see running at me, whether it’s 15 pounds (hey, I own a very mean dachshund that has left scars) or a 200 pound dog looks the same: TEETH and CLAWS (see below).

So if you’re reading this and own a dog, do your dog and everybody else a favor and use a leash. I don’t care how well-trained you think your dog is. Wouldn’t it break your heart if your dog randomly ran out into traffic and was hit?  That is another reason it makes me so mad that people don’t use leashes. Dogs are animals. They make split second instinct decisions no matter HOW well trained they are.

</end rant>

Back to my run: I eventually made it home and now I’m chilling out.

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Went for a run on my original running route, which includes the “hill of death” — a half mile nearly straight up and down. YUCK.

Almost killed me but I refuse to stop on a hill, especially that one since it took me nearly 2 years to be able to actually climb it.

Anyway…add these three together. I was pause happy today and my nike+ was malfunction happy today too.

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