Zippygirl Runs » Uncategorized

Update and Running Plans

Jenne — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:07:04 +0000

I never came back to post that I didn’t actually get to run the 5K (didn’t pick up my packet the night before, like a dummy.) I still had a great day– walked about 11-12 miles, hooping with my hands for part of that time. My hips were REALLY, REALLY sore, though. Walking with two people who set full marathon PRs that day, I was the only one limping!

I’m not prepared for my half in February. I had to stop running because of my sore hips. The good thing about the half is that I can walk as much of it as I need to. I think I’m going to do a 9/1 run/ walk. I’m also going to do most of my training on the treadmill up until then because of the brutal hills where I am. No time to both adjust to the hills and adjust to running again! I’m just going to do one or two runs a week outside.

Diet-wise, I’m doing very well with the no pop and kind of well with the no potato chips/ French fries. I’m going to extend that until after the half. I wouldn’t mind losing five pounds, but I’m not expecting it. Because of my issues getting enough calories when I’m not eating junk, I’m going to make a special effort to do one or two juices a day plus a green smoothie on days when I don’t have Chipotle.

Hoop Dreams

Jenne — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 20:35:19 +0000

People who have always been fit have no idea what it’s like to struggle with fitness. Several different things have happened over the past few days which have really brought that home to me. I have been struggling to do a real pushup. Every day, I make more progress, but I’m still not doing it correctly. At dance class, the instructor tried to motivate me to do it better, but what she didn’t understand was that what I was doing showed progress! I simply can’t, yet, go all the way down and then lift myself back up, but I’m closer than I’ve ever been. It’s hard for the naturally fit to know how to communicate with those of us who struggle.

Now, too, the home workouts I’ve been following have taken an unfortunate turn. They used to be about striving to be your best, but lately, they’ve become focused on disordered eating and criticizing those who are less fit or those who have fallen off the new year’s fitness bandwagon. I feel like this is the wrong message to send. I don’t do this so I can feel superior to other people. I also don’t want to be extremely skinny or have a very low body fat percentage. I also don’t want to look at peanut butter as a once-a-week splurge. That’s not a path to health or a healthy relationship with food.

There is a need for a kinder, gentler movement and I would like to be part of it. I want to be part of a movement for everyone to enjoy exercise. I want to be part of a movement that says exercise is for everyone, not just those currently considered aesthetically pleasing (which, as we all know changes…)

I have a new project. A project and a goal. My project is to document my learning journey with my hula hoop. I just cleared and cleaned an area of my living room (which has awesome high ceilings) for the taping space. My goal is to decide which certification to take and become a certified hooping instructor. Everyone needs a hoop in his or her life! I probably wouldn’t have time to teach on an ongoing basis, but I would love to get good enough to do weekend hoop-ins or workshops. One of the reasons I’m documenting is so that I don’t forget what it’s like to be a beginner, so I can help figure out why people can’t get the hoop going. (I also want to make my very own montage. Everyone needs a montage!)

Right now I’m working on chest hooping. I hope to have chest and shoulder hooping mastered before I get my LED hoop from Astral Hoops (link opens in this window.) It should be another three weeks.

Tomorrow, I’m running the 5K associated with the Houston Marathon, and then I’m cheering Terzah on as she BQs! And I’m bringing hula hoops!

Motivation

Jenne — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 07:48:16 +0000

2012– I think I need to bring back the fitness blog hard core. As always, I love to workout, but I do not love to be consistent with my diet. Being vegan helps a LOT, but I still love potato chips, cola, candy, and French fries. Even worse, I do not love to plan my eating, so I end up drinking coffee all day and then having a snack attack at night. These are the same bad eating habits I’ve always had, although I’ve been protected from them somewhat because of all of the stuff I don’t eat (like cheese.)

As I said before, I’m avoiding French fries, potato chips, and cola this month and it’s turning out to be a little harder than I expected. Especially potato chips. I really was eating them every day. Now I have to find real food to replace them! I’m about to run out of my frozen vegan gluten-free mac and cheeze, so I have to start making food! I need to just plan a boring breakfast, boring lunch, and boring dinner, just so I have SOMETHING available, since I don’t normally plan for food until I’m STARVING.

I still haven’t run this year, which means Sunday’s 5K will be interesting. I am doing Bodyrock, dancing, and hula hooping, so I’m not completely unfit. Should probably plan to train for next month’s half, though.

Obligatory New Year’s Post

Jenne — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:01:07 +0000

Happy new year!
I haven’t made any New Year Resolutions per se, but I am working on some healthier habits this year (as always.) I’ve tried so many different time tables for changing bad habits– this year I’m trying to change two or three bad habits each month. By the end of 2011, I was doing better about getting to bed at a reasonable time and getting up at a reasonable time. Not yet ready for morning workouts, but I hope to get there by this spring. This month, I’m focusing on some diet changes and doing the Bodyrock.tv 30-day challenge. I had to start late due to being on the road, but I’m catching up.
The diet changes this month are no soda and no potato chips/ French fries. I had gotten into a bad habit of eating French fries and a cola on my way home from my Tuesday night dance class. I haven’t had class since I made this decision, so it will be interesting to see how I handle it this coming week.
I think next month, one of the things I should work on is eating earlier in the day.

No PR

Jenne — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 06:01:21 +0000

Well, once again, I ran a 5K in more than 33 minutes. 33:34, according to my Garmin. I felt better for this race. It was hillier, but I handled the hills really well in the first two miles. I slowed down a lot in the third mile. My next 5K is in January (Houston), though I am planning to do the club’s fun run in November. I’m also doing that 11K (guaranteed PR!) on the 11th. I’m starting my half-marathon training this week. It will basically consist of getting my mileage up to 40 miles, the long run up to 15 miles, and working up to full Yasso 800s at a 9:45 pace.

I’m very happy about how I felt for the first two miles, but I’m not sure what happened on the third. I’m not sure if I lost my energy or lost my concentration, or what. I guess I was scared that I would get nauseated again (I didn’t.) The next 5K is a fun run on the same course as the September fun run I did. I’ll be able to see what improvements come from my half-marathon training and diet changes.

I’m also wrestling with the realization that I really am allergic to wheat. This weekend was a veg fest (all the food was vegan) and I had cupcakes and donuts and corn dogs and a meatball sub and now I have itchies and my rosacea is angry. I will also have the digestive issues. I hate this. I’ve been debating with myself over whether I am actually allergic or whether I’m one of those bandwagon-jumpers. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good bandwagon, but this is real.

I think instead of going the wheat substitute route, I’m going to try to work up to a 60-70% raw diet (with room for beans and occasional wheat-free baked goods, of course.) I do actually really like fruit, so that should satisfy my taste buds. I should also give up sugar, but I think I will see if that evolves naturally as I go more raw with my eating.

Note that while I am an ethical vegan and don’t compromise on that, I am going more raw for health reasons and don’t plan to be all evangelical about it. Unless, of course, it truly makes me feel as awesome as people claim it will.

40!

Jenne — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 07:46:55 +0000

I’m 40 now! And I’m up way too late. I feel like a little kid going around saying “I’m THIS MANY!” Holding up my hands four times.

For my birthday, I’m getting a bike as my big gift from my husband. The big issue is I have to pick it out! I have a cute purple Ragazzi (the European version of a low-end Murray or Huffy) but it’s just too heavy and unreliable for me to commute with here with all the hills. I’m looking at urban/city bikes and some crosses, but I think I’ll be shopping for a few days at least before I pick the right bike.

I’m “tapering” right now for my 5K. Trying to get enough water and prepare myself mentally to run as hard as I can on Saturday. I know it starts on a hill (and probably ends on a hill. And is pretty much uphill the whole way) so I’m trying to prepare mentally for it. My weakest running muscle is definitely my brain.

Last run of my 30s

Jenne — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 03:53:20 +0000

So, tonight I did my last run of my 30s, 5.32 miles in just over an hour. Not too bad for me, considering it’s a hilly course (surprise!) I did the first two miles with Blackie, then dropped her off and did the rest alone. Tomorrow I turn 40. Saturday, I run my first 5K as a 40-year-old. (I’m also going to the Dallas Veg Fest as soon as I’m done with the run. Hope I’m not too tired for the drive!)

I don’t really have any big thoughts about turning 40. I accomplished a lot in my 30s, including completing a marathon (Cellcom Green Bay in 2010) and earning a PhD. I think my 40s will be even better. I hope to become a true age-group competitor (considering I have some friends in their 40s who smoke seven-minute-some miles in marathons, I have a LOT of training to do!)

I don’t think I’ll make my half-hearted goal of 155 pounds by tomorrow. I’m holding steady in the 158-159 range. It’s no big deal, but I should perhaps reconsider all the potato chips I’ve been eating.

Two Good Workouts in a Row

Jenne — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 02:00:43 +0000

Normally I wouldn’t want to do a long run followed by 800s, but this week, I had no choice if I wanted to fit in both and still get some rest before my hilly 5K on Saturday (it probably seems funny that such a below-average runner is taking such a small race so seriously, but I want to TRY to be a better runner, for perhaps the first time in my life, and this is a start.) Yesterday, I did the first half of my six-ish-mile long run with Blackie, then dropped her off and did another three miles. Hilly. Today was 800s on the treadmill (there are just no areas close enough to me to make doing 800s outside worthwhile, unless I want it to be hill training.) I started out planning to do 4, but decided to do 5 since I had done four last time I did them. I did 10:00 (pace), 9:50, 9:50, 9:50, 9:45. I’m pretty happy with that, since my recent 5K hints I should be doing them in 11:00!

I need to get in another 5 miles by Wednesday to get my first 20-mile week. I’ll probably have to do 5 on Wednesday, since tomorrow is my dance class. Then I’m just going to walk on Thursday and Friday.

No Run Tonight

Jenne — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 00:41:27 +0000

I’m bummed because I can’t run tonight. Today was Homecoming for the school where I work, so I went to my college’s tailgate before the game. Unfortunately, between the almost-90-degree weather, full sun, and about 20 barbecue smokers, I started coughing and couldn’t stop. Finally, a friend who is the mom of an asthmatic told me I really ought to go home. (Usually, it takes someone around me with more experience with asthma to tell me I’m having an attack. I’m kind of dumb that way.) I tried to stick it out, but it just kept getting worse. I went home without going to the game and took a nap in hopes that I would feel better tonight for a short lap around the block (around 2 miles.) Nope, it has not cleared up.

Asthma sucks.

Still hoping to do 5 or 6 tomorrow. It’s supposed to cool off dramatically Tuesday– I hope I get to wear my awesome skirt sports hoodie! Also, I hope that means we’ll have a cool day for the 5K on Saturday. The Hilly 5K.

Eight Days Later…

Jenne — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 03:56:53 +0000

I can finally run again after my last run, which was about four miles in Florence. I got sick from the smokers and possibly a cold, but now I’m feeling mostly better. Got an early birthday present: a Garmin Forerunner 305 watch! Yay data! I was also happy to see that the day after my trip, I was back to 158 pounds. I’m trying (but not too hard) to get to 155 by my birthday (next week.) Lots of salad and smoothies! And water and getting enough sleep.

Tonight’s run was an easy run. I tried to keep to a four-four breathing pattern (my conversational pace), but the hills make it hard. I have to keep reminding myself that the hills are making me a stronger runner. Still, it would be nice to have a flat run once in a while! At least this time Blackie stuck with me the whole time. It’s finally getting cooler for her.

My next 5K is next Sunday (not the one coming up this weekend.) I still hope to break 32, but with the hills and missing so many days over the past three weeks, I’m okay if it doesn’t happen. I’ll do a speed workout on Monday– probably 800s at faster than 5K pace. I think speedwork is making a difference– I’m so close to getting faster all around!

Oh, yeah, and I signed up for an 11K on 11.11.11! So I’d better start doing some longer runs!