Running With Dogs

This morning I headed out to do my week 7, day 3 run.  I haven’t been able to go running since my last post which was more than a week ago due to toothache and other hassels.  I was a bit worried about how I would handle it after a break like that.  Jaydee was so excited when he saw me getting ready to go that he was almost jumping out of his skin.  What enthusiasm!  He must have really missed our runs.  I took it a bit slower this morning but handled it reasonably well.  I think I’ll be right to just pick up where I left off.  I’m not sure if I will be able to do the Jetty to Jetty fun run on Sunday.  Depends whether I will have someone available to take care of my children while I run. 

Well, not really a bike, but an elliptical trainer. I think I need to keep up the strength in my legs, since they’re the limiting factor in how far I can run. I don’t get out of breath when I run, so I can go further if my legs can deal with it. I thought I’d do the 28 minutes I would otherwise be running, but after 15 minutes, I wanted off. It’s not the most mentally stimulating activity, in the one spot, watching Sesame Street with the kiddies. When I got to 15 minutes, I figured I was over half way so I kept going and actually spent a full 30 minutes on the contraption. My legs are tired, so obviously they’re getting a good work out, and my shin felt fine. My thigh muscles were tired, and they usually don’t bother me when I run. I think I’ll do the 30 minutes 3 times a week for next week too, and keep treating the shin, then see how it goes. The Jetty to Jetty run is on the 22nd, which is only a week away. Not sure if I’ll do it, will see how things go. You can register on the day so I don’t need to decide now.

It was a really nice morning this morning, but Sinner was a bit sluggish. He’d already had a half hour run with my hubby, so he didn’t really want to go out with me. This is a dog that will easily run over 12km! I reckon he figured he was done for the day, and wanted his breakfast. When he figured out he had a bit more to do, he settled in beside me and trotted along enthusiastically. Frustrating to see broken glass on the path today, in two spots. We had to go quite wide to avoid it.

Legs felt good today, but after about 2km, my right shin started hurting again. I decided to walk the rest of the way. I figure the fact that it had felt so good for 2km meant it was recovering, but maybe it just needed a bit more time. Ice, stretches and some anti inflammatory cream should get it back on track, but I might hold off on the pavement pounding for a little while.

I was expecting some intervals today, for some reason I had it in my head that we’d be doing broken up runs, but nope. After a brief walk, shorter than the usual, we were off for a 28 minute run. It was only 3 minutes longer than last week, but I really felt it, particularly in my right shin. My hubby thinks it’s shin splints, I’ll probably start taking it a little easy for a while. I’m using an anti inflammatory gel on it which really helps, but on a nicer note, according to Google Pedometer, I did 4.2km, so increasing little by little.

I ended up going out for my week 7 day 3 run this afternoon, when I got home from work. I don’t know if it was because I’d been on my legs for 6 hours at work already by the time I got out, but I struggled with this run again. I’m finding that the first 5 minutes are the hardest, I so want to quit, but if I get through that, I can keep going. Then, again at the 18 minute mark of the 25 minute run, I’m ready to stop, but my head tells me I’m on the home stretch and it’d be a shame to stop now. It was around 3.30pm when I got out today, so a bit warmer than usual, I prefer running in the morning. Sinner noticed the difference too. Anyway, I took the GPS again, and by 25 minutes, I’d clocked up 4km, and had consistently kept a pace of around 6 1/2 minutes per km. Even though I’m finding it hard going, each time I go out, I seem to extend the distance a little. I’m looking forward to a bit more interval training next week when we start week 8. I’m back to a sore shin and sore knees, but hubby tells me that’s not uncommon for beginner runners. Oh, I checked my weight at work today on the walk-on digital scales, and I’ve lost over 1/2kg in weight. That’s an extra incentive to keep going, maybe by the end of this I’ll be able to get my wedding ring on again.

It was a cool, blustery day today and we decided to take the kids to a playground that they have been begging to go to for ages. Hubby looked after the kids while I went for a run around the park area nearby. The path I followed wasn’t as long as I would have liked and I ended up doing 4 laps before I finally finished. I was hanging out for the end of the run by the time the podcast announced that there was one final minute to go.  My knees were a bit sore during the run today.  I expected that running on a relatively flat circuit would be easier than running up and down the hills around home but it actually seemed more difficult. Maybe I was trying to run faster. I did have trouble setting the right pace and finding my groove today.

After a late night last night, I slept in way too long this morning which kickstarted a very choatic day. By 4.00pm I had had enough and decided to head out for my run. I found a couple of the hills tough going today. I found another path about halfway through my run and headed down it. Before long my mp4 player stopped. I knew I should have charged the battery. I just estimated how long I had left to run so I’m not sure if I did the right amount of time or not. It really was a stagger up the last hill. As I had no music to listen to I started thinking “this is the hill that never ends, it goes on and on my friend…” I don’t think it helped. I prefer to run in the mornings rather than afternoons so will endeavour to go to bed earlier next time.

I had to go out early today, because my hubby is carpooling now and his ride was due to arrive at 7.30. So, I was off around 6.45 am. Not too cool, the sun wasn’t up yet and the moon was still high in the sky. Quite like this time of day, but it wasn’t that easy to get up. Sinner was a bit sluggish too, maybe he would’ve liked an extra half hour in bed. I saw a large flock of short billed corellas and was divebombed by five rainbow lorikeets.

I went a different route today, the runs are getting longer and I’m getting tired of doing increasing numbers of laps of the same lake, pretty as it is. I measured the run on Google maps pedometer (listed in our links) and it was 3.97km!! Boy, my legs were heavy. The last quarter of the run was so tough, more of a shuffle than anything, but at least I kept going. I was walking home in the 5 minute recovery period and my hubby’s lift drove past me, so off I went at a really quick run so he could leave. I was surprised I could even run after such a short walk, never mind run fast and run up a slight hill. I think if I do okay on Friday, I’ll move onto week 8 next week, it’s back to intervals for the first two days so should be easier than four straight runs of 25 minutes. We’re on the home stretch now and I’m feeling pretty confident I’ll get to 5km and finish the Bridge to Brisbane run.

I put off running yesterday as it was my twin sons’ 9th birthday and it seemed like a good excuse. This morning I did the week6, day 3 run which was a 5 minute warm up walk, 25 minute run and 5 minute cool down walk.  The weather was fabulous this morning and I found the run quite pleasant.  Once I found my groove it seemed easy going.  The first 10 minutes of the run I struggled with Jaydee pulling very strongly ahead of me.  Eventually he gave up and was content to just plod along beside me and it was much better.  Today I followed the road and turned around at the halfway mark and headed home. I found this easier than doing laps of the playground on Friday, even though the playground is flat and there are a number of steep hills to conquer when I follow the road. I felt better after 25 minutes of running today than I did after a couple of 60 second runs in week 1 so the program must be working. Now I’m looking forward to the next run, rather than dreading it.

Today started out quite pleasant, it wasn’t too cold at all, and the sun was coming up and the birds were singing. No sooner had I got into my 5 minute warmup walk but Sinner had to do a poo. It was a fair struggle to get my little armband pouch open to get a plastic bag out, then getting my phone back in and zipped up took a bit of contortioning. Then, my mp3 player slipped out of its pouch, so had to wrangle that back in. Off I went, all was good. Then, I came across a dog, looked like a Labrador mixed with a Rottweiler, it was just standing in the middle of the road waiting for me. As Sinner and I approached, it crouched and stared at us. I grabbed a rather large stick and just kept going. The dog just sat there and watched us pass. Whew! Then, a bit further on, we were rushed at by a Border Collie baring its teeth. I’d got rid of my stick after surviving the last dog, so I just ran at it and roared in its face. It turned back, and the owners were nowhere in sight. You’d think you should be able to go for a run without being hassled by irresponsible people letting their dog get in your face. Then, to top it all off, the battery died in my mp3 player. Robert hadn’t even got to saying we were half way through the run, although maybe he doesn’t say that. It was the one day I’d also gone out without my watch, so I had no idea what I was up to. Fortunately it was one morning that my hubby wasn’t getting a lift to work so I didn’t have to rush home, and I just went the same way I did on Saturday.

Today’s run was a 5 minute warmup walk, a 25 minute run and then a 5 minute recovery walk. Seems that’s the schedule for the other two days this week. I found it hard today, harder than Saturday although the running time was the same. My knee and my shin both hurt, but it got done. I’ll see how I go for the other two runs this week but if I’m still finding it a struggle on Friday, I may just do week 7 again. I’ll still have the program finished by the Bridge to Brisbane with a week to spare, and I don’t see any point in pushing on if it’s that uncomfortable. Fortunately I don’t get puffed or get a stitch or anything, it’s just my legs that tire.

I’ll be entering the Jetty to Jetty run today, I’ll be doing the 3km, and hubby will take the children on the 1km route. Should be a nice morning out. My hubby told me today there was a program for going from 5km to 10km. Bless his soul. But, you never know.