Hard day for me too! – Meghan July 16, 2008

Those who run together, struggle together! I also had one of the toughest runs in awhile, mostly because of the heat. For the past few months I have been running in the air conditioned gym at my apartment complex on the treadmill. Today, I decided to try going for a run outside. Smart idea on one of the hottest days of the summer thus far, especially at 3 pm when the sun is at its peak! I survived, but barely. The best moments of a run for me are obviously the end, but also those few few minutes when you’re legs are fresh and you feel light on your feet. I had that feeling before my run and I think I ran a bit too fast in the beginning making the end really tough. On the plus side, I ran through a very nice neighborhood and had fun imagining my life in the future with a nice house, a big yard for a couple of huskies and a few kids to play in

On another note, does anyone know anything about mileage trackers for runners? I have looked at two different kinds. One type has a foot pad which sends a signal to a receiver that you wear on your wrist (e.g Nike+ sport band). The other type is a device that contains GPS (e.g. Garmin 205). I am looking for something that is accurate in terms of mileage and the foot pad types seem to be less reliable based on reviews I have read. The GPS seems better for this but is more expensive. Any runners out there have any experience with either? Is is worth spending $100-150 for accurate mileage? Is there a foot pad type out there that is reliable? Thanks for any input anyone might have!

Exhausted-Kirsten July 16, 2008

Have you ever had one of those runs where even before you started you knew it was going to be a struggle the entire run? I knew the minute I woke up that todays run was not going to be fun. Well my mental prediction fell nother short of my physical state. I ran in the worst heat I have ever run in. I came home almost as wet as I did after running 5 miles in the rain. It was a struggle the entire run. I think today (or maybe I am just hoping) that I am just all around exhausted, and thus my running wasn’t the best it can be. I realize in this training you will have good runs and bad, you will love it and then hate it, you will feel you are progressing and then the next day you feel struggle. The bottom line is, you keep going no matter what, because the end will be worth it all.

I also realized I am not giving my body enough of the right energy it needs for my running. So I am really going to make more of an effort to be aware of what I am eating. The last run I felt sick because of the salad I ate (which while salad is healthy, it is not easy for the body to digest) and today I ate a hotdog and chips and my body was rejecting that food too. I am asking a lot of my body; in return I need to give it the right things.

Well, it’s over and I finished it. You just never know what a run will bring…it is so dependent on your mood, your environment, the day you had, the weather, the food you ate, the song you are listening to, the distance you have until the finish line, the elevation…the list could go on.

Sick and Tired – Silvia July 16, 2008

I can’t believe that I am ready to give up after one week. Not really. But I had one of those days. I was tired, as in sleepy tired. My upper back was sore and I had stomach pain…all I wanted to do was have a ten hour massage and sip Cosmos – not teach summer school, not run 3 miles and not grout the stairs.

I went to the gym anyway and I just wanted to walk. Walking counts doesn’t it? It seems so silly that I would be too exhausted to run a measly three miles, but I was and I was hurting. I weighed myself hoping that a pound lost would boost my spirits…nada. I weighed the same. Bummer. Why bother? Because I want to run a marathon. It’s not about the weight; it’s not even about the cheeseburger. It’s about fulfilling a lifelong dream and about pushing myself above and beyond what I mentally I think I can do. Frederick Douglass said that there is power in the struggle. Every time we do something that is out of comfort zone makes us stronger…even though we may be kicking and screaming all the way.

I turned on my Ipod and the Beatles filled my ear. I heaved myself onto the treadmill and walked a few minutes to warm up. Then I cranked up the speed to 7.0 and put one foot and front of the other over and over again. It’s that simple. But it isn’t.