Healthy Twists

I’m back to tracking my workouts! And honestly, I’m feeling better about it since my last, kinda whiney post (which was perhaps a lesson in, “some things you should just write and then not publish,” but I digress). I feel like I’m more in control of myself as far as eating and working out than I have in awhile, and that’s a nice feeling.

Next week is a “step back” week for mileage, and I’m looking forward to the bit of a break. Then we’re like…6 weeks out from the race…wowza!

So, here’s what went down this week in my workout world:

Monday: I basically took this day as a rest day. I needed it, emotionally and physically. I did do some good stretching, and I took Nina on a walk for about 25 minutes so I got some sunshine and movement in there too. But nothing too exciting.

Tuesday: Oooh…drawing a blank at what I did this day. Maybe I walked Nina? Maybe I took the day off again? Not sure…but I’ve started using one of my iPod touch apps to track my eating and my exercise, so I’ll have no excuse for faulty memory next time.

Wednesday: I did my hill workout for the week. 4.5 miles, half of it uphill. Man, that’s a hard workout, but it’s the kind that makes you feel really proud of yourself when you’re done. It helps that it’s pretty cool, weather-wise, in my area in the morning. That evening I did an hour of hatha yoga…which was quite lovely. Yoga is awesome.

Thursday: I wanted to have a good lifting day at the gym, since I know my strength training has been lacking. But, I ran out of time since I had to get to Mitch’s dad’s house for dinner, so I ended up doing about 10 min on the stairmaster and about half of Susan’s “heart-pumping upper body” program. Um. Yeah. I was pretty sore from this, so I can just imagine what it’d feel like if I did the whole thing. Ouchie.

Friday: I did my “speed” workout, which wasn’t very speedy at all, but that’s ok. I was having a lead-leg week, I think. But I did a combo of jogging and “sprinting” for 4.5 miles, and I can totally see how that will make me a faster runner, if I keep it up.

Saturday: Basically, today was an active rest day. I took Nina on a 50-minute walk up the hill I ran up on Wednesday. I also worked an overtime shift at my job (for a different department), so I spent some time stretching when I was bored.

Sunday: Long run! We did 8 miles in 1:36:xx, or about 12 min/mile. I had about 50 calories worth of raisins at mile 4, but I couldn’t tell if that helped any. Now, although this is a pretty slow pace by most people’s standards, I’m happy with this time, for a few reasons. One, we took some walk breaks, which instead of bumming me out, gave me more energy for the times we were running.

Two, it’s EIGHT FREAKING MILES and that’s an accomplishment, no matter what (this is what I should have told myself last weekend, BTW). Lots of people will never be able say they’ve done that. I have been comparing myself to others for too long, but I feel like I’m over it, you know? This is what I did today, and that’s good enough, better than good enough, really.

Three, at the AFC Half Marathon, the race organizers can kick you off the course and shuttle you to the finish if you don’t reach the 8 mile mark at 1:54, which is a 13:45/mile pace. Now, although I knew I had been running faster than that, as my goal for this race is simply to finish, there was  a part of me that needed to “see” I could do 8 miles in that time.

Now I know, it’s totally doable. I can and WILL complete this half-marathon. Is it going to be easy? Heck no…but I don’t think I went into this thinking that it would be all roses and sunshine. But the pain (physical and emotional), the fatigue, the “hard,” is what is going to make crossing that finish line so very sweet.

(And side note, I will tell people I “ran” it, even if I take a few walk breaks here and there. Say, during the half, I walk a total of one mile and run for 12.1…yeah…I’ll take that. Because this is my race and my experience and I’m proud of what I’ve done so far.)

Phew! Lots of self-reflection per usual….but enough about me. My girlfriend started a new blog about her experience interviewing members of her church who are survivors of Japanese internment camps and I think it’s such an important and interesting project. I know lots of work is being done to record the memories of Holocaust survivors, so that when they pass away, no one can say the Holocaust didn’t happen. I think Lyd’s project is every bit as important. Check it out!

What’s a good blog you’ve read lately, unrelated to food/health/fitness?

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