Pleasant Surprises

So it appears as though I can not keep track of time anymore, since again it has been two weeks since I last updated things. I am going to say it's due to it being that time of year...I (like most people) am just really really DONE with winter and being cold. I mean REALLY! Enough is enough. But alas, I also know better...this is Cleveland, it is only February, it will snow again. However, I also believe that it is the brief glimpse of sunshine coming through my office window that is motivating me to get things updated and back on track!

Week of February 9th - 15th; ok so I think I only ran twice this week, I've started logging my time via my iPhone and have stopped using my log books...this process still needs to be perfected since I appear to be missing the ability to ad on notes about aches and pains on the iPhone app, and am using it primarily to track calories burned since that's my current focus and assignment from Trainer-Steve. Anywho, I digress.... For the week in question, using the two different elliptical machines and walking and running on the treadmill, I logged in 38.67 miles and burned exactly 4,000 calories during just my cardio workouts and granted myself a long overdue day of rest on Sunday the 15th. Although I must admit, my day was all off kilter with not going to the gym in the morning...

Week of February 16th - 22nd; for the first time since waaaaay back in November I was able to string two days of running together. On Monday, the 16th I ran for 30 minutes and then again for 30 minutes on Tuesday, the 17th. It felt AWESOME... well, that is until the pain set in. Yup, my left heel is really being stubborn with this whole returning to running thing. But the good news is it felt fine come Wednesday morning. So I was able to get in two more running sessions in the week; one on Friday and another on Sunday and each was for 35minutes! I think I just need to come to terms with my new running routine...if I choose to run, then I will be icing my foot later that day or evening AND my night splint is pretty much needing to be worn every night. My totals for the week 40.32 miles and 4,000 calories burned during my cardio workouts.

So with my frustrations mounting around my running and heel pain I have been concerned with whether I will be able to run the "Bridges..." 5k next month. Trainer-Steve isn't sure where my frustrations are coming from, he's comfortable with the way things are progressing and if I can come to terms with not pushing myself during the race, that I should be able to run it...well that and presuming the weather that day is decent. If it's too cold or icy, he says I should pass on it -- THAT is going to be a tough one for me to do! He also feels that since the heel pain typically dissipates fairly quickly and is never more than a 1 or 2 in pain AND as long as I remember to ice and stretch that things are getting better. I guess I just want no pain, and I want to be able to run 2 -3 minutes faster than I did when I was running more frequently. What? Is that asking too much? Hmmmph. WhatEVER...

Finally my friend G and I decided to go do some shopping, clothes shopping!!! He wanted to pick up a couple new work shirts and pants that fit and me, well I just really wanted to buy a new pair of jeans. Now I went shopping a couple of weeks ago with my Mom to look for some work clothes that I am seriously in need of...I have not done any clothes shopping (other than workout apparel) since I've been with Trainer-Steve and well one day walking up the hill to work, well I almost lost my skirt!!! -- it was slipping right down over my hips! Now I had no clue what size to even try on...Trainer-Steve had said probably an 8 or a 10. An 8 or a 10?!? I thought maybe he was on crack or something....I have never EVER worn an 8 and after thinking back I remembered being in a size 10 for about a second back in the summer before I started my junior year of high school, which was back in 1983...yeah 24 years ago! So anyhow I grabbed a few 10's for laughs and my Mom and I headed into the dressing rooms. And MUCH to my surprise and amazement....they fit. OMG! So I ended that first shopping excursion with two pair of work pants both in a size 10! And then this past weekend, while trying on jeans and making poor G look at me in each pair and tell me what he thought, I just wasn't overly thrilled with the way ANY of them looked. So, I grabbed a pair of 8's.... And yes they were a little snug (snug, not tight....I mean not like the "tight" i wore back in the day when you'd have to lay down in order to zip em up!! lol... they were snug, ya know where ya have to take a little hop to get em on -- this IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!). G insisted the 8's looked the best.... So I bought the 8's! I even took the jeans over to my Mom's to pass the Mom test -- they passed! Now, although I really think the a size 10 is more of where I am at, I also think it is going to depend on the style and cut of the pants. BUT, that doesn't change the fact that I get to say this -- for the first time in my life E-V-E-R -- "I am in a size 8!"

Long Overdue Updates

I think maybe it's the weather... I can't believe I haven't updated my blog in so long (is that a sign of a boring life?, hmmm, maybe...lol). Anywho, rather than providing lots of boring detail I'm going to do a couple of weekly updates to bring things up to speed!

For the week of January 19 - January 25: I managed to get in a total of 43.39 miles which was mostly elliptical work, with a little bit of running tossed in. As a reminder, Trainer-Steve got me started out running for 1 minute and then walking for 2 on the treadmill. I was then able to advance to a 2 minute run - 2 minute walk. All of this is at a 12 minute mile pace. The good news is that the foot has been feeling pretty good and I'm not having any of the breathing issues I used to have! During this week though, Trainer-Steve informed me that now that I'm starting to run a little more my goal is not miles per week, but instead it is to burn 4,000 calories in cardio per week. Now that may not seem like much to some of you but the thing is I know that that 4,000 goal is going to be increasing which means I will probably be having to start adding in some additional workouts...which means evenings or figuring out something at lunch time. So, calories burned for the week 4,067.

For the week of January 26 - February 1: 40.84 miles; 4,131 calories. I did the 2 and 2 run/walk routine 3 out of 6 days that I did cardio.

For the week of February 2 - February 8: 45.86 miles, 4,009 calories. This was a truly great and exciting week for me!! On February 2nd I got to run for 20 minutes straight, at a 12 minute/mile pace and let me tell you it felt WONDERFUL!! Then on February 5th I got to run for 25 minutes straight, 12 minute/mile pace and then on February 8th I ran for 30 minutes!! WooHoo!

Now for the bad news...my left foot was bothering me some the rest of the day after running the 30 minutes. But, when I woke up this morning it felt fine. I'm supposed to do cario with Trainer-Steve in the morning and I'm technically scheduled to run but we'll see what he lets me do...

As of right now I am really hoping and aiming for running my first 5k for the season on March 29th - Bridges to Recovery race. Which I think is an appropriately named race to be my first one back, lol Ok, I know it's reference is recovery from alcohol and drugs but for me it is taking on another meaning. This is also the first race I ever ever ran 2 years ago so I am really hoping I will be ready for it this year!