Today completes my first full week of training. (I started this blog a few weeks ago -so this will be an update and a look back .)
I downloaded a plan from the Internet and it seems quite reasonable. Of course in my head I was a week behind schedule but when I put dates to the plan I am actually two weeks behind! I skipped week one and I will skip week three to put me on track. Good thing I figured this out in week 2 and not week 10!
The training schedule includes running, cross training, strength training, and stretching - a well balanced plan. Every weekend includes a 'long run'.
I've been running on the treadmill and training inside the gym in our building. Yesterday was a beautiful sunny day and (relatively) warm so I decided to hit the pavement and tackle my long run outside. It was the first time I have run outside. Wow did it suck! I needed to do four miles and ended up just under 3 miles (according to my pedometer). And I walked a good portion of that.
I had some wardrobe problems and had to consult a marathon veteran to find out how to best combat wedgies. (Thanks Lisa D. for all of the advice and the phrase that was the most unlikely thing I would ever have someone tell me in my life - I inspired her to go out and have a run that afternoon. Really? Wow that was pretty cool.)
I spent a week in gum paste flower class in Atlanta. What a challenge to keep up with my routine. I did book a hotel with a gym, but what a crappy gym indeed. It was a small, hot, windowless smelly room that had one treadmill, one eliptical, and a rack of dumb bells. I checked with the front desk about the air in the room multiple times. They were less than helpful. I would exercise with the door propped open by a dumb bell and that helped a little bit. The night I had to do my "long run" I left the door propped open for a few hours before I ran in an effort to try and cool the room down pre-run. While the front desk staff was useless in turning on any air conditioning they were very good about making sure when I asked to keep the door propped open it stayed open. The weather in Atlanta was freezing (in the 20s and 30s) and we were in an industrial area - if you are wondering why I didn't try to run outside. I did maintain my schedule, I was under the non-sweeping pace but I logged the miles.
Last night was the end of training week 5. My "long run" was 6 miles, the most I have done in one session to date. It wasn't bad. Did you know when you run that far you burn over 600 calories! I'm still not at the pace I need to not get swept. (So start preparing those nice phrases that make me feel better when I do get swept "it was your first time, you'll do better next time", "it was the effort that counts", etc.)
I still need to get outside and log some miles. It was absolutely freezing here this weekend (in the low 20s). Maybe next weekend I can get out to Central Park and test some of the course.
