Cross Training Begins

I got home early again today. in time to take a 30 minute ride on my bike. I went about 6 miles in just over 30 minutes (that included 3 stops for cars). i tried to take it pretty easy since i have a 5 mile run tomorrow. i might have overdone it a little a few times, my muscles were burning a little but it is so hard to hold back, i just want to push it the entire way. maybe my muscles won't be too tired to run that far. i think i took off before my gps got a lock since it didn't give me any distance readings.

I've had 4 rough weeks at work and i am glad to have a long weekend this week. i have an event tomorrow in the morning to mid afternoon, and now i am staying up too late to get myself up to run in the morning. maybe i will get motivated but it would feel so good to sleep in a little. we'll see.

thought of the day: people motivate others and are motivated in different ways. sometimes we don't even recognize when someone is motivating us to be what we want to be. sort of like how God uses us in ways that we can't see until He is done in a particular area, the pain and suffering bring us through and make us stronger and closer and allow us to see how we truly are dependent on Him. Or like Mr. Miagui (sp?) from the Karate Kid. Daniel couldn't see that the whole time he was working for Mr Miagui and begging him to teach him karate, all the work he was doing was really training him. sometimes we don't see how people help us. also like the little bird who forgot to fly south for the winter. he ended up freezing until a cow came by and pooped on him, actually warming him up. until the cat came by, saw him moving and ate him. this teaches us the lesson that not everyone who poops on us is hurting us and not everyone who pulls us out of the poop is our friend. maybe i've told that story before, but i do enjoy it.

It's Me Again

Here i am blogging twice in the same day! i did get off early enough to run this afternoon during daylight. I only had to work 30 minutes late today.

I used my watch again today on a distance i had already measured with a truck. the watch said that my first marker for a mile was about .2 of a mile short but my marker for 1.5 miles was not even .1 of a mile short. i turned around when the watch read just over 1.5 miles and when i got back to the starting point it read 2.93 miles. i am not really sure exactly what to believe, but i think it is close enough. my pace was a little slower than yesterday. i expected that, since i didn't stretch after i ran last and where i ran last night was much flatter than where i ran tonight and my calves were very tight. i ran the 2.9 miles in 30.20, not that fast, but i did have to run in place for two very short periods to let cars go by. overall i am pretty pleased for my short time running again.

if i can run saturday i will have completed the first week and will be on my way to being in pretty good shape for turkey season, which is the whole point anyway. bye the way, i have already lost 8-9 pounds by exercising and eating less, i wouldn't say eating better, just less. i have been eating quite a bit of carbs and protein at lunch and really cutting back on what i eat for supper.

well, i can't have two thoughts for the day or the first thought wouldn't be THE thought of the day. (i guess that is a thought in itself).

4 Miles?

Yesterday was a busy day at the clinic but i was determined to get my 4 mile run in. it was 7:30 before i finished work and of course it was dark. i decided to run on a private road behind the clinic. since i had not pre-measured the distance i was going to use my gps watch and see how it worked. i did get the gps to work with the watch and headed out for the run. i am not sure how it worked really. it said my max speed was 137.8 mph. i thought i ran for 37.8 minutes, but when i looked closer (after i quit running) it was 3.78 miles and 32 minutes and some change. it said my avg pace was 8.32minutes per mile, a little fast for me, but the place i was running was pretty flat, i still don't think i ran that fast. so i am not sure how far i really ran. after i ran i did measure the distance so i will know from now on.

i have 3 miles scheduled tonight, hopefully i can get off of work in time to run during daylight where i am pretty sure of the distance and see how the watch works there.

thought of the day: things change, accept it and move on. new doors are always opening, just be ready to recognize them and go through them. always be ready to turn one open door into a new opportunity.

Back in the Saddle

Today i started the training schedule again. i did 3 miles. it only took me 29.36. i was shooting for anything under 10 minute miles so i am pretty happy. i still have lots of sinus congestion but i mainly breathe through my mouth so it doesn't make it that much harder. my last mile took right at 10 minutes (that hill is back in my life) so the other miles were a little faster. it does feel good to run again, i just have to keep on track. this is our busiest time of year at the clinic, so, if i can do it now i can do it any time.

i still can't get my gps watch to work. it was blinking green when i headed out the door (which means it is working) but did not record any distance on the watch and was blinking red when i got back to the house. not sure what is going on. will have to work on that.

supper is about ready now, have to go. the thought of the day is this: even if you find it difficult to work hard and do what is right, keep on, you never know who you are inspiring. to see you get through a struggle, no matter how hard it is for you, can give someone else the inspiration to get through their struggles.

Another Week

Another week has gone by and i did not run any. i did ride my bike once and worked out on my stepper once, along with using my iso-trainer 3 nights. i have been really watching what i eat and have lost about 5 pounds, now the trick is to keep it up and not have a binge this weekend. i have been reading a few of my brother's posts about running and am now really inspired to get back into it. i am just now starting to feel a little better from the sinus infection, still have lots of drainage though. i am hoping next week i can get a full weeks worth of running in.

thought of the day: i got this from a men's health email, can't remember who said it and this may be paraphrazing a bit "to think is easy, to act is hard, to act as one thinks is the hardest". just remember to think and act like what you know is right.

Couldn't Feel Worse (much)

well, i ran on monday and was so excited to be back running. i even ran further than i thought i would be able to. however, monday night and tuesday my throat hurt bad. now my throat is better (but i haven't slept in 2 nights due to the sore throat) but my sinuses are extremely clogged. this afternoon my nose started bleeding for no reason other than inflamed nostrils. maybe i should have wiated to run until it was warmer. this running may be the end of me. i was really gonna try to run today at lunch even though i was feeling bad, but then a farmer called and i had to go deliver a calf.

maybe tomorrow i can get back on track.

I Did It!

Wow, I finally started running again today. I haven't ran in 5 months and i was able to run 4 miles today without stopping. I originally planned on 3 miles. It only took me 43.58 to run it! what a stellar pace. i used my new gps watch to make sure the mileage i had marked off was correct. however, i must not have done something right, it never connected with the watch or came on or something.

the first 1/2 mile was pretty brutal. a little after the first mile i started feeling a little better and i thought i can do 4 miles, hey i can do 5 miles, maybe even 6. then, as i was heading up the small hill to the 2 mile mark i thought to myself, i better leave well enough alone and just make it 4 miles, if that. then, as i hit 2.5 miles i thought, maybe i should just try for 3 miles and walk the rest. then, into my mind popped all the turkeys and elk that i want to be chasing this spring and fall. and i thought, even if i don't finish the last hill i have to try it. so there i went, on up the hill (didn't end up being such a challenge after all) and back to the house (my finishing point).

now my throat hurts, i think maybe from the cold air, or from the drainage going back the down of my throat. my legs feel pretty good and i feel pretty good over all, look out turkeys, i may be in the best shape ever during turkey hunting season (and if not i will still climb the hills and chase them as hard as i can :))

thought of the day: life comes and goes pretty quick, just when you think everything is getting better and going fine it can all change very fast.