Monday, July 30, 2012

Time is Subjective

So my cul-de-sac as treadmill seems to be working out so far. I got out a little later than I planned on and when I came back inside, Amy had turned on the TV for Gavin and was watching Baby TV with him.

My big issue at this point is that I dislike running while having to constantly keep an eye on the time. I'm on week 2 of Learn to Run, today was 5 min walk warm-up, followed by 7 reps of 2 min run 2 min walk. How is it that the 2 minutes of run feels SO much longer than the 2 minutes of walk?! It's not that the run is that difficult; I'm following the directions and doing a very slow, shuffle-y jog so as not to injure myself. It just feels so tedious at this point. I am remembering with longing those days of being able to bang out 7 k, no problem. ..Hitting a rhythm and just bopping along, feeling like I could go for ages without getting tired and not having to continuously check my watch. I know if I keep it up, I'll get there again. I have quite a few weeks ahead of walk-run intervals before getting to longer periods of running.

My run schedule is Mon/Wed/Fri...weigh day is Monday. I won't be publishing the actual number, just the loss/gain each week and the total.

So... This week = -1.9, Total = -1.9. Yay, me!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Trying to fit running in...

Part of the reason I gave up running when I went back to work was that I couldn't seem to find a time of day to fit it in. When I was on mat leave, I'd drop the kids at school and take Gavin in the jogging stroller. I've always preferred to run first thing in the morning if possible. Unfortunately, Dave's job requires that he leave at 5:30 am (which he just LOOOVES - ha!), and I am just not getting up at 4:30 am to go before he leaves! Afterschool gets swept away with kids's activities, dinner prep, dinner cleanup, homework, bedtime, and before you know it, it's 9:30 or so and I'm wiped out. I suppose I could go work out at that time of night; I have tried but it just doesn't work for me very well. 
I think I finally figured something out, tried it this morning and it worked beautifully. It seems so obvious I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner! I don't have a treadmill, but I do have a cul de sac (as an aside, this word has always sounded faintly pornographic) right outside my door. I go out there at 6:00 am and do laps up and down the street, around and around. The kids are usually asleep until at least 7:00, but they're old enough now that if they do wake up they can get themselves some breakfast or help Gavin if he wakes up. And if they do need me urgently, I'm just outside on the street.
Here's my little workout spot:

I really hope this will work! Week 2 of Learn to Run 10k starts on Sunday.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

I'm Ba-a-a-a-ack

Um, yeah, I haven't posted for such a long time, I actually forgot how my blog works! As in how to get into the dashboard. This blog seems to be in its death throes, in danger of becoming a necroblog. So here's a little CPR. Get the paddles!

It's been a rough half-year or so. My dad passed away unbelievably quickly from cancer in January. It was really tough. For me it triggered a bout of depression such that I struggled to do anything else than what was absolutely required and expected of me. Stuff for work and family got done, but I felt like a black hole was sucking me in and I just couldn't get away from it. It wasn't until my hubby asked why I seemed to be in such a funk, and I replied, "I don't know. I just suck," that I heard myself and clued into what was happening. Messed up sleep patterns, drinking too much too often, low energy, no enjoyment in anything. Classic depression. Off to the doctor I go, he ups my anti-depressant dosage and...voila...I am coming back to myself. Finally.

Unfortunately, six months of inertia has resulted in me being the heaviest I think I've ever weighed, aside from post-partum poundage. It makes the coming-back-to-myself that much more challenging. It's a decision to make though: to wallow or move on. I finally feel like giving a crap about what I eat and have even decided to venture back into running. I think that is mostly what these posts will be about for the next while.

So running. Wow, it's hard when you haven't done it for a while! and when you're carting around ?? extra lbs. (I know no-one really reads this, but I'm still not up to posting my weight for the world to see). I started back on the good old "Learn to Run 10K" program for preparing for the Sun Run (which I am not preparing for, btw). I just would like to be able to run for more than 5 minutes without feeling like I am going to puke. Or need the paddles (see how I did that?).

Reviving me. Reviving my blog.

I'm b-a-a-a-ack!