3-28-12: Waited til Wednesday to start my three runs/week cycle. Not smart; now I have to run Friday and Sunday to fit them all in. Went to the gym at noon to run and realized I had not had anything to eat since last night. Also not smart. How am I supposed to run for 25 minutes? Bottom line: I didn't. I struggled and struggled to maintain my progress and stopped at 22 minutes. I learned the importance of giving my body the fuel it needs to succeed. You really can't run for long on empty. (1.85 miles)
3-30-12: Did it. Ran 25 minutes. I'm up to running 1.75 miles without stopping! Also, for two- four minutes songs I ran at a much faster pace. I felt like Trish, the machine! (2.04 miles)
4-1-12: I RAN A WHOLE 5K TODAY!!! April Fools! I did, however, run 25 minutes again. (2.06)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Week Twelve: Cool
3-20-12: "WHY DO I HAVE TO DO IT AGAIN?" I whined all day. I've already run for 22 minutes. I already did my impossible! Today was a struggle to find motivation. Is it always like this after a success?
Anyway, after a pep talk from Ben which included the words, "because once is nothing," I went back to the Y and ran the stinkin' 22 minutes again. It was hard. (1.90)
3-22-12: Got to run with Sarah at the Y today. It was fun! Yes, I know I just said running was fun. But you know? Watching those minute-milestones go by (Remember when we thought two minutes was hard?) while we keep on running is really cool. At the end of the run, I looked at Sarah and said, "We can just do this anytime we want now." Way cool. (1.97)
3-25-12: Did it yet again...22 straight minutes. It was harder this time. Maybe I am losing interest in my music. Maybe I'm just tired. Oh well. I did it. (1.85)
Anyway, after a pep talk from Ben which included the words, "because once is nothing," I went back to the Y and ran the stinkin' 22 minutes again. It was hard. (1.90)
3-22-12: Got to run with Sarah at the Y today. It was fun! Yes, I know I just said running was fun. But you know? Watching those minute-milestones go by (Remember when we thought two minutes was hard?) while we keep on running is really cool. At the end of the run, I looked at Sarah and said, "We can just do this anytime we want now." Way cool. (1.97)
3-25-12: Did it yet again...22 straight minutes. It was harder this time. Maybe I am losing interest in my music. Maybe I'm just tired. Oh well. I did it. (1.85)
Total miles run in 2012:
58.63!!
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Week Eleven: a Breakthrough!!
3-12-12: Back on the treadmill. Feeling a little down since the race, like the excitement is over. Ran 1.76 miles, the hardest training yet, 5 minutes, 8 minutes, then 5 minutes running.
3-14-12: There's no way I can do this: run ten minutes TWICE, with a three minute break in the middle. But guess what? I did it. 1.76 miles.
3-18-12: THE BIG DAY. I mean it. Today, according to my program, I should run for 22 minutes straight. No breaks. I have serious doubts that this will happen, but I am going to give it my best. I am excited, because if I finish, I will run (more than) a complete mile, and I'll be able, finally, to get my new running shoes. I am also happy to say that I bought earphones so I have a runners mix to listen to and maybe that will help me keep it up.
3-14-12: There's no way I can do this: run ten minutes TWICE, with a three minute break in the middle. But guess what? I did it. 1.76 miles.
3-18-12: THE BIG DAY. I mean it. Today, according to my program, I should run for 22 minutes straight. No breaks. I have serious doubts that this will happen, but I am going to give it my best. I am excited, because if I finish, I will run (more than) a complete mile, and I'll be able, finally, to get my new running shoes. I am also happy to say that I bought earphones so I have a runners mix to listen to and maybe that will help me keep it up.
I watched the minutes go by. Five. Eight. TEN! FIFTEEN! There's no way I can make it to twenty; maybe everyone will be fine with just 18 and I'll try for 22 another day? No, keep running. Eighteen. Nineteen! TWENTY!
I JUST RAN FOR TWENTY MINUTES!
The last two minutes, I cried. Tears mixed with sweat as I pushed through, not tired now, only giddy with pride and joy, as I finally felt like I accomplished the impossible. I ran the twenty-two impossible minutes. I can't believe it. Remember my first blog entry where I said I wanted to punch impossible in the face and then have a good cry? That happened today.
That. happened. today.
1.96 miles
Week Ten: My First Race!
3-5-12: Happy to be home and back to training. I've got a big day coming up on Friday. My first ever 5K! 1.81 miles, running 5 minutes at a time now, with walking in between.
3-7-12: Ran 1.81 miles again. Last run before the big race. I am really excited and looking forward to FINISHING something!
3-9-12: A day that I'll hopefully always remember. My bib number: 788. My partner, my rock through this race: Sarah O'Bryan. The race: The Shamrock Run, in downtown Savannah, GA, starting in City Market and winding around several squares, Forsythe Park (the whole thing!), back around the squares, and finally finishing back at City Market. The weather: drizzly, wet, sometimes raining. I was so happy to share my excitement with the beautiful city that I love. My husband was so supportive, and so proud of me. I had told Sarah that this run would be a metaphor for me. I was going to cross a literal finish line but would take away an even more important lesson for my life: if I set my mind to do something, I can do it! I couldn't wait to start!
3-7-12: Ran 1.81 miles again. Last run before the big race. I am really excited and looking forward to FINISHING something!
3-9-12: A day that I'll hopefully always remember. My bib number: 788. My partner, my rock through this race: Sarah O'Bryan. The race: The Shamrock Run, in downtown Savannah, GA, starting in City Market and winding around several squares, Forsythe Park (the whole thing!), back around the squares, and finally finishing back at City Market. The weather: drizzly, wet, sometimes raining. I was so happy to share my excitement with the beautiful city that I love. My husband was so supportive, and so proud of me. I had told Sarah that this run would be a metaphor for me. I was going to cross a literal finish line but would take away an even more important lesson for my life: if I set my mind to do something, I can do it! I couldn't wait to start!
The air horn sounded (I was a little disappointed; I had wanted a gun!) and as soon as we crossed the start Sarah and I began jogging. My goal was to jog for the first mile, which would be the first time I ever ran continually for a whole mile in my life. About three minutes into it I had doubts, of course I couldn't run the whole mile! But then, after we rounded the third square, our families were there, cheering us on. I have never felt so proud! I love them so much, and the fact that they were cheering for me made my heart full. We left our families behind, kept running, running, longer than I ever had... and I knew it had to be close, the one-mile mark, when
I fell flat.
When I got up, my hands were burning and my knee hurt, but mostly I was embarrassed... then I saw it. The one-mile marker was twenty feet in front of me. I couldn't run since I was shaken up, so I walked past it. I felt like a loser. Who was I fooling? I couldn't stop the tears, they came and I was so tired from all that running, and so stupid and it just wasn't supposed to be this way... ugh.
Luckily Sarah, after making sure there was nothing really hurt on me, insisted we run again. So we did. We ran around Forsythe Park. I wanted to walk so much more than Sarah seemed to. She was always in front of me. I just really wanted to walk and she just. would. not. stop! So I kept jogging. And jogging. We saw our families again, and they gave us high fives! We were almost there! I was cheered on by a stranger (probably drunk) on the side of the road and tried to let that motivate me. I begged Sarah to walk. She did, for ten seconds. She insisted that we run accross the finish line...I could see it up ahead! ok, ok, I have to do this, but my body is soooo tired... step, step, step...Sarah slowed down and, side-by-side, we crossed the dang finish line with incredibly large smiles on our faces (inside joke!). I did it. Someone took our picture. I waited til we met up with our families for a minute, then we were done.
I had finished the race.
It was hard, wet, and I fell. But I ran most of it, and my time was great, for me- 45 minutes 16 seconds- a 14 and a half minute mile three times in a row! Official race results:
1631 Trish McKay Savannah GA 788 32 F 45:16.6 14:36/M
Week Nine: DC
My first vacation in forever, and I have no idea how I will run while there. I end up walking 5.8 loooong miles one day around the National Mall, and 1.5 miles on two other days. I am totally counting this as part of my training!
Total miles run in 2012:
40.76!!
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