Category: Fitness and Diet

Four Miles – and Team in Training Doubts

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Today I did my four mile run in the fastest time yet – just over 45 minutes. I even did some hills, even though today was to be a flat run day. You try finding a flat surface that’s more than a few blocks in any Seattle neighborhood! I can’t find it, that’s for sure!

I was sluggish on my run, but I think I did pretty well. I need to figure out my appropriate running food is. I think that some research must be in order.

As for the Team in Training – oof. I think I’m going to choose to opt-out. I’ll have more on this in my primary blog.

Saturday is my five mile run. I think I’m going to start looking for a local women’s running group (if Team in Training doesn’t work out, which is likely.)

BTW, if you’re reading this, holla!

Team in Training

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Uh oh, what have I gotten myself into?

Yesterday I went to the Washington/Alaska chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training informational meeting held at the REI flagship.

I am SUCH A SUCKER.

No doubt that they do good work (they have a 3 out of 4 star rating through Charity Navigator), and considering the healthcare gaps in this nation, and the expense of fighting cancer, I’m glad that there are organizations that help fill in the gaps with emotional and material support to families who are undergoing treatment for serious (and expensive) diseases.

However, there are a gazillion other charities that I’m also fond of and wanting to give my time to. Many of them local (think globally, act locally, etc.)

The thing is, not all charities have distance training as part of their draw.

And so I went to the info meeting, plopped down $50 to start (and got a moisture-wicking t-shirt), and signed up to train for a marathon in October.

The catch is that in order to get to the end point of all this, the marathon, not only do I have to train, but I have to raise $3200 (maybe less) for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by October. I don’t have that money in my bank account (and I know that many of the people I know also don’t.) They assured me that we will learn how to fund raise – and yes, this is what I’m worried about, not the actual marathon.

I can back out at any time before July – though I’m sure there’s pressure to not do so. I will have only lost $50 (to a good cause) and gained 2 months or so of training. I’m so intimidated!

Also – a half marathon is a crazy distance. A whole marathon? OMG.

I’ll be thinking on this for awhile.

In the mean time: My Fundraising Page

3 mile training run with 6 100m sprints

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I’ve been up since 4:30am this morning, since my husband had to catch an early flight for work. It was grey until just a bit ago, and I ran out of time to waste if I was going to get my training run in before I had to be anywhere. A cup of coffee offered me only sporadic energy, so I went out feeling a little drained. Lack of sleep (thanks partially to some before-bed chocolate) made me sluggish and cranky, but I did rather well, keeping a pace of 11:26 min/mi. Despite thinking I was running a flat route, my Garmin let me know I was actually had an elevation change of over 700 ft!

I have a four mile hilly run on Thursday, and a five mile on Saturday – which I think I’ll do at Green Lake or some other pretty park area.

I was a bit baffled by the sprints part of my training – I’m considering seeing a sports doctor/trainer to see how I can maximize my running and minimize the impact on my body. My bunions are not happy!

My First Run with Garmin Forerunner 405CX

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Yesterday was my first run with my Garmin Forerunner 405CX. It’s an expensive wrist computer, to say the least, but giving me a new dedication to properly training.

It was difficult finding a GPS heart rate monitor that fit my tiny wrists. At first, I wasn’t going to get the Garmin because at it’s tightest it still was loose on my wrist. Luckily, it comes with a fabric strap that cinches down tighter. The weight on the 405cx (and the 405) is more evenly distributed than the 305, and the more blocky models, which makes me more comfortable running with it. It syncs wirelessly to my computer (another huge plus!) and gives me great graphs for both my route and heart rate. Seriously, the amount of data that I get is unbelievable.

Yesterday I went for my four mile training run in the neighborhood. I wore my Nike + SportBand as well, to see if I could properly calibrate my steps. The run was challenging (especially in the midday warmth which I haven’t experienced this year.) I got through it, though, and every day seem to be running faster.

I’m really impressed with what the Garmin has to offer. It’s definitely an investment, but I think that if you’re serious about training (and I dare say I am), it’s worth it. I still love my Nike+ SportBand, and believe it’s the best $60 you can spend to start running and getting some stats.

Rock Riot Run 5K and New Toy

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I did the Rock Riot Run 5K today, despite not getting enough sleep, and barely finding the starting point. It was a small run, I think the first ever, and is part of UW on-campus events to reduce dating violence and address domestic violence issues. I was definitely a decade older than many of the organizers and participants.

I completed the 5K in 33 minutes and 58 seconds. I couldn’t believe I actually did a 5K, because my Nike+ SportBand was telling me that I only did 2.79 miles. Then it occured to me – it’s not calibrated right! I barely really calibrated it, and really didn’t properly do so when I first got it. I’ve been actually runnning MORE than I thought I was, meaning my actual times are really better than I assumed.

I said to myself, “That’s it, I’m getting a GPS.”

I checked out a few places, and finally settled on the too-big for my wrist (but just good enough) all the bells-and-whistles I want (ooh! touch sensitive bezel!) in the Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor. I’m looking forward to trying out this bad boy come Monday (or tomorrow, if I can’t wait that long.) It’s hard to find a user friendly GPS and HRM that also syncs to the computer. I’ll still be wearing my Nike+ SportBand, but I’ll at least be able to properly calibrate it.

Over all, a very successful day. I’m pumped to start signing up for my next race challenges. Whose gonna join me?