What have I gotten myself into.....

The half marathon that I signed up for is just around the corner... I'm feeling good in my training but am slightly freaking out about the tour of Baltimore that I'm going to be taking. Its going to be quite the adventure! And a hilly one at that!!!

I know that I'm able to complete the mileage, I've done 13 miles in my training runs, I'm just getting a bit nervous (AND EXCITED!) about the race in general!

And most importantly... when I finish this race, I can have my Saturday mornings to sleep in again!

What a difference a year makes

This past weekend I went running at Loch Raven Reservoir, I enjoyed the weather, the run went well and overall it was just amazing! The weather lately has been spectacular! warm but not hot and a lovely cool breeze. I remember thinking as I ran up the hill, "hmmm... I remember this being harder."

After I got home I checked my stats and found out how much I have improved in the last year. The last time I ran at Loch Raven was in Aug 08 and I went 5.1 miles in an hour and half (1:32), which averages out to an 18 min/mile (my mile splits were 14:18, 14:05, 15:58, 18:25, 26:59). This year, I went 5 miles in about an hour and ten (1:09), which averaged out to a 13:45 min/mile! (and that includes basically walking for the last mile! My mile splits were 12:59, 12:24, 12:49, 12:17 and 18:02) That blows my mind just a bit!

I'm loving that I'm seeing improvements in my running times and I can feel that the effort required to run had decreased! The 5 that I did on Sunday was an enjoyable experience, and I'm sure that enjoyed the 5 I did last August, I don't know if I can say that I recovered as quickly as I did or enjoyed it as much. This is giving me further encouragement to keep on with training for the half marathon for this fall. If I did 5 miles just fine this weekend, and I'm barely a month into training, I should be able to finish that half! :D

oh, and ps. I heart my garmin!

New Balance Baltimore Women's Classic 5K

From June 2009

Just got done with the run this morning. The run went really well despite the fact that my garmin decided to freeze up on me and not work at all! How sad! I also managed to miss the first water station and with the heat- I really could have used it! I was also surprised to see that the hill that was on the course didn't bother me as much as it could have- Thank you hills around my parents' house! I also managed to do a headstand over looking the harbor ;) too bad I didn't have my camera to capture it!

Did I mention that I managed a NEW personal best!!! I managed to shave almost 2 min off from the last 5K!!! And... if you compare this run to my first 5K from last year... WOW!

Jun 08 41:24 min (13:06 min/mile pace)
Mar 08 36:36 min (11:21 min/mile pace)
May 08 36:43 min (11:41 min/mile pace)
Jun 09 33:56 min (10:57 min/mile pace)

I'm so happy, no ecstatic that I've improved so much in just one year! Its also giving me more fuel for really getting behind training for a half marathon this fall! I know I can do it! Especially when I've seen just how far I've come in just one year! I'm still not sure if a full marathon will be in my future, but I do know that there will be at least one half!

Kelly St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5K

Kelly St. Patrick's Day Shamrock 5K
Baltimore, MD Mar 15, 2009

Place Div/Tot Name S Ag Hometown Gun T Net T Pace
2764 549/696 Kim Raginski F 30 Baltimore MD 38:05 35:21 11:23

From Kelly St. Patrick's Day 5k 2009

A personal best for me! Too bad Aurora went and beat me on her first time out! All is well, I'm very happy with my time, I just wish that the weather had been a little nicer. The cold and damp doesn't do well after you've been sweating.

time for new shoes?

From One Tiny Grain of Sand

I think that its time for a new pair of running shoes...

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

Today was the day of my 5K. Started at the ungodly hour of 5AM to get to DC before the race started at 8.

Had lots of water to help battle the HEAT and humidity that I knew we'd be facing. They were calling for 90 degree temps and I received many warnings about being well hydrated for the race (the cutest ones were from my dad!). I drank so much water that I barely made it through the metro ride to downtown!

We (me, mike, and both of our moms) got there in enough time to find the start line, stretch, and pose for some pics. I still can't believe how many people were there! The moms heard a report of 50 THOUSAND people! All I know is that as we ran past the start line the people were still coming! It was crazy! There was one part where we had to run up a gradual incline and I was shocked at the SEA of people that filled the streets!

The race went really well. It was nice to run on relatively flat terrain. My breathing was good, never really felt winded. I definately enjoyed the people watching (many good looking men without shirts- whats not to like!). This was also the first run without my ipod. I had it with me if I needed it but there was so much going on I didn't even bother. Details on my race can be found here, compliments of my kitties who love me oh so much!


I also had a few emotional moments at the start of the race. I got choked up a few times at all the survivors in their pink shirts running. I couldn't help but feel pride that my mom is a two time breast cancer survivor- an almost 18 year survivor. I really can't believe that it has been that long. And the first round that she had was bad- like 18/24 lymph nodes bad, bad enough that when she was diagnosed the second time the doctor looked at her with shock and surprise wanting to know how she survived it. She just looked up at him and was like, I didn't know that I had any other options.

5K Test Run

My 5K is just days away and felt the need to prove to myself that, yes I can run 3.1 miles. May not be the best decision to make before a race but I did it! I ran the entire 3.1 miles without stopping and clocked in a time of 42:22. It averaged out to just under a 14 min/mile. That is slightly slower than my runs up to this point BUT its also almost a mile more than I'm used to doing. Overall I'm quite happy with myself. :D

Still working out the details on how to use my Garmin 405. I forgot to turn it off when we finished up today and it tracked me all the way home- amusing to say the least. I'm quite happy with it so far, just need to work on the practical applications of it. I have 3 different places where the data can be stored- two online sources (they are in the process of transferring systems) and one on my computer. I'm not quite sure which I like best. Still playing.

Gold Star Day

I totally earned that gold star today! Today is the first day of week 9- the last scheduled week of the Couch to 5K running program. In the 10 weeks that I've been running, I have only missed one scheduled run and that was because I was sick and dizzy and could barely walk. I have run in rain, run in the cold, run with a cold, run with an aching tooth, run right after having my wisdom teeth taken out ... but today was the hardest run. I had to run in the heat and humidity. The actual run part was fine. I had no problems with running for 30 min- (am up to just over 2 miles but not quite 2.5) I had issues with the heat! They were calling for an evening storm so the humidity just skyrocketed from there! YUCK! I'd rather run in the cold and rain ANY day! I may have to switch up my runs to the morning once summer kicks in full force. (yuck! I hate getting up early- but I think my hatred of running in hot is greater)

Only 11 more days to go until my 5K race. I'm really curious to see how I'll do on a relatively flat track and going for the full 3 miles!

Hitting a wall on week 7...

I've been chugging along quite nicely with the C25K running program, that is- until this week. Went into the week actually looking forward to the 3-25 min long runs, esp since I now have my mother's day gift from my darling kitties (what? it totally counts! and sounds a lot better than me spending that much on myself on a new hobby ;)

I did my run on Tuesday with an aching tooth, trying to fight off a cold. News from the dentist said, yep, those wisdom teeth are coming out and I was loaded up with some pain meds. Boy, did I need them! The pain in my tooth/jaw just kept getting worse and with my immune system down that would be when the fight against the cold lost. I spent most of Wed and Thur in bed with various meds. That means I missed my first scheduled run in over 8 weeks!

The internal struggle with that one! I knew that I wouldn't be able to make it for a run with just the task of walking to my car was almost too much for my woozy head. I'll wait and see what more rest and time will do for me. I'm hoping that I can run- or try to run a bit tomorrow morning. The pain in my jaw has now blossomed into a lovely swollen chipmunk cheek. If the tradeoff for no pain is a chipmunk cheek- I think I'm okay with that- for now anyways. They yank my teeth on Monday and I'm hoping the recovery from it will be swift and I can get back to my training schedule.

I have officially signed up for the Komen Race for the Cure in DC. I'm trying hard to not think about how early I'll have to get up to get there on time. I'm still waiting to hear if my mom is planning on coming to watch. She is the reason for me picking that particular race to run in. She is a two time breast cancer survivor and am damn proud of it! Anyone willing to donate, please see below. I'm not usually the type of person to ask but am providing the info for those who want it.


Click Here to Donate

Week 4, Day 1

So, I went into this run with mixed emotions. I was feeling very strong today and didn't notice any problems with my legs or knees. Everything seemed to be lining up for me today and I was really excited about running today..... and then, I started Robert's podcast for week 4 and he said the following:

We will then have 2 repetitions of the following: jog for 3 minutes, walk for 90 seconds, then jog for 5 minutes, and recover with a 2 1/2 minute walk. Then we will repeat the intervals jogging and walking for a total of about 18 minutes.

I almost shit a brick thinking that not only would I have to run for 5 min- that I would have to repeat it!!!! I also had flashbacks of the struggle that I had at the beginning of week 3 (the first time) and how I was only able to run the first 2 min of that last 3 min run.

I did the 5 min warmup and then started the first run. One word- wow. There was such an awesome combination of the weather, feeling my body responding so strongly, not feeling any pain in my knees or in my shins- I also caught a glimpse of my shadow and had a moment where I thought "that is a shadow of a runner."

I easily made it through that first 3 min, no problems, got to the 5 min and kept it slow and really amazed myself as I made it through that one no problem. My recoveries were quick, I was breathing good. Got into the next 3 min, again, no problems and was feeling good going into the last interval. I was running slow, with purpose and was anxious to know where I was time wise. As soon as he said, "ok, lets push it for one more mintue" I really kicked it up a notch and let loose for a few seconds (up a hill). I did eventually slow down because my sense of time doesn't always work so well when I'm distracted and I didn't want to completely wear myself out before time was up.

When time was up, I felt so proud and accomplished and for the first time since I've started- felt no pain or tenderness in my legs! NONE! I normally have a great desire to stretch out my shins after the cool down, but today... I just felt like I could keep going. Was so amazing and I easily got a glimpse of the runner that I feel that I am becoming!

End of week 3?

Today is supposed to be the last scheduled run for Week 3, round two. I do have to say that the runs this week have been MUCH better than last weeks!!!! I finished the run on Thursday and almost had a "was that it?" feeling when the time was up. And that was running in almost 80 degree weather. It was so gorgeous out! And it looks like today will follow through with more of the same!

I've noticed more random muscles popping up through my shins. The knee hasn't been bothering me at all this week *quickly runs to find wood to knock on* I have noticed a little bit of tenderness in my ankle though. I'm observing it and trying not to aggravate it.

I'm definately proud that I've technically been doing this for 4 weeks and haven't missed a workout! I know that I haven't been covering the distances that the podcast and the training program would want me to, but I know that will come with time. I first want to get my body (okay, mind too) used to the idea of running for longer periods of time and then I can start working on distance and speed. :)

Week 3... continued

The rest of week 3 runs did get better than the first one. I ran all of the required times, even if I so wanted to stop! I pushed myself and finished.

Today, I decided that it was in my best interest to repeat week 3. The run actually went really really well today. The first running interval felt good- really! No problems with the 3 min run- by the time I got around to the last run, I was feeling good and was running up the last hill. I think the muscle fatigue that I was feeling toward the end of the last run were because of that hill. I had a brief moment of "oh my god- can I be done now???" and then I pushed on and almost had that "second wind." I reluctantly stopped when the podcast said to. I could have run longer. But by far the biggest part about today's run was the confidence that I gained. My muscles felt stronger in my legs, no sore knee, the walking intervals felt better, was walking faster, just it all felt so much better than last week. This program really is teaching both the physical and mental parts of me to run.

I have been focusing more on the stretching. Its amazing how it seems to help. I've read many articles where people have questioned its benefits. I don't see how I could do this without stretching both before and after.

Now, if I could only convince myself to go ahead and buy the heart monitor/distance tracker gadget that I've been lusting over.....

Week 3: aka the week of hell

wow- this week has been a killer! Its a short warm-up and then 2 intervals of the following, run for 90 seconds, walk for 90 seconds, run for 3 min, walk for 3 min. Its that second run for 3 min that gets me! My run on Tuesday I was only able to run for 2 of the 3 min. Today, I somehow managed to run for that entire time and boy was it rough! I'm still not quite sure how I managed to finish! Not as many issues with my knee. It seems to bug me only during the first part of my run and then seems to go away until we are walking up the hill at the end. I have noticed muscle soreness in my shins. I really am hoping that a lot of what I'm feeling is just my muscles slowly adjusting to my new activity. ;) I also think that there is a very large possibility that I will be repeating week 3 before moving onto week 4. Ahimsa... ahimsa...

Week 2: DONE!

So yay! I finished week 2- just barely. Went to a different place for our run. Was good and bad. Most of it was flat but the run just wasn't as easy as it was on Thur. I'm not quite sure what the difference was- maybe its my knee? My recoveries between runs seemed on par with Thurs. run. And as promised, I got in plenty of water before the run, some food. I could have stretched a bit more than i should have.

looking back...
Tues run- horrible
Wed, did some walking ~2 miles
Thur run- awesome!
Fri- nothing and my knee was bugging me all day! Even walking on it felt off
Sat- got through the run, but not as easily as Thur- I'm thinking mainly due to my knee. I did take it easy and not run up or down any major hills, and we did an extra mile of walking at the end.

So, at what point do I decide that its time to see a professional? I've been icing my knee after runs and using icy/hot and heat pads before bed. There is a HUGE part of me that doesn't want to stop the training- I want to make it to the end of week 9. I want to be able to do this. I don't want to hear a doctor tell me to stop trying to run all together. *sigh*

Today, I haven't noticed anything major but its been quite a relaxing day. I didn't notice any pain with the stairs. Tomorrow will be yoga after work. It felt really good last week and I was amazed at how tight my muscles were. I'm also going to take it easy tomorrow and no stairs- possibly no walking up the huge hill in front of my building, that is if I can get away with it.

C25K: Week 2, day 2

WOW! I'm am amazed at what a difference there was between today's run and Tuesday's run. I felt like I barely finished on Tuesday and felt horrible. Today, I got my "second wind" during the last running interval and just ran. I was almost tempted to keep going. Did I mention that I'm completely insane and that we went running in the rain- the cold cold rain. That we were the only ones out there running the loop and that when we headed back to the car that there was freezing rain? And that I felt so accomplished afterwards!

I had some small glimpses of, "wow, I can be a runner." I talked with my dad and he laughed at the walk/run program and said that he used to do 3 miles backwards. He's funny. I hope that my endurance improves to the point where I can say something like that so confidently.

As for the knee- I noticed some pain during the first running interval but then I stood up straighter and the pain seemed to lessen. It really didn't bother me too much today. I did ice it down when I got home and will rub in some icy/hot before bed.

One more thing to remember for upcoming runs: Take full advantage of the walking portions to fully recover your breath. I did some dirga breaths- yogic 3 part breath- (or tried to with a runny wet nose and many lung fulls of cold cold wet air) that seemed to help bunches with my recovery time.

I'm definately feeling accomplished and proud. :)

C25K: Week 2

Wow- that run kicked my butt! Who would have thought that 30 extra seconds would make such a difference!

The bad:
I especially liked the part where my lower legs forgot how to work and I almost tripped over my feet and almost went nose first into the path. That would have been lots of NOT fun!
Thinking I had had enough to drink today and then getting through the run all red faced and sweating and sooooo... thirsty!
Running in a long sleeve shirt. Thought that it would be cold and rainy this afternoon. silly weathermen!
Stopping a few seconds short of the 90 second running intervals.

The good:
My shins didn't hurt as much. Not sure if I can attribute that to yoga from yesterday or to more stretching before the run.
GORGEOUS weather: 74+, lots of sunshine, bright blue sky and big puffy white clouds.
The extra burst of energy that I got at the second to last interval that made me think that I can actually do this running stuff.
Two extra laps to fully cool down.
Lots of stretching before and after.
Not as much problems with my knee.

Lessons to remember....
WATER! WATER! WATER! I need to make sure that I get extra water on my running days, esp with warmer temps just around the corner.
Stretching = good
Bring more than just a long sleeve shirt and pants to run in.
oh, and icy-hot AFTER my muscles have cooled down, otherwise that shit BURNS!

Week 1: COMPLETE!

I have finished the first week of the C25K training. I made all 3 training sessions and with the exception of Tuesday's run, there was an additional loop done at the park. YAY!

Today's run had me a little cautious of my knee. The first running interval I ran very gingerly and noticed a slight discomfort. As the run went on, I only really noticed it on the hills. Yes, my route has a little bit of hill work in it. I did take extra time to do a few sun salutes before I started and stretched out quite a bit after the cool down- but before the extra lap. At the moment I'm not feeling any pain in my knee but am doing my best to keep an eye on it to make sure that it doesn't get worse.

The weather was much cooler today than the rest of the week. I wish I had brought a pair of gloves to keep my fingers warm. My legs didn't seem to mind that I was in capris/long shorts (they end at my knees), that is- as long as I was running. The cool down at the end is when I noticed that the wind was blowing chilly air on me!

Next week:
Brisk five-minute warm-up walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes. Followed by a cool down walk.

C25K: Week 1, Day 2

I did my second run last night. There is still a little bit of a mental block with this whole "running venture." My brain is battling it out. One side says, who are you kidding? you aren't a runner or an athlete, what do you think you are doing? The other smaller voice is saying, well, maybe I could be a runner, you never know. During the last interval of running I let that smaller voice win out and just went all out. I loved the feeling of pushing off with more force with each step, not holding back trying to conserve, but really running- knees high and just going all out. That was awesome.

Mike and I did an extended cool down and did an extra lap at the park. I still had the weird feeling in my shins- its like they forget how to work the full range of motion but once I stretch them out everything is okay. The only part that kinda bothered me was a weird feeling behind my left knee cap. It feels like an air bubble that needs to pop. Unfortunately that has stayed with me, has also made walking up hills and stairs a challenge.

So, today is a complete rest day. My things are sore, my hips are tight and theres another run scheduled for tomorrow. I'm laughing at myself because I am looking forward to the challenge- I want to do this (even if it means some discomfort along the way).

C25K: Week 1, day 1

I survived the first run!!! YEAH!!!! I thought that I wouldn't have the stamina for the running part, but that doesn't seem like it was a problem (for the first one anyways). The part that was giving me the most problems were my shins. I think its safe to say that no, I can't wear my walking shoes while running. By the end of the run my knees felt like jelly, mainly because I couldn't do the full range of motion of my shins. I hope that new shoes will help. I stretched out my shins and have to say there is no pain- just a little bit of muscles saying "HI! You haven't used us in FOREVER!!!" All is well.

Couch to what?

I've decided to start a running program- wait did I just say that?! What am I thinking??!?! In all honesty, I really do want to get into running. I've always admired the people who could do long distance running. My dad said that he used to be a long distance runner, wonder how much of it was passed down in the genes? The longest I've ever run was probably close to a mile and a half and that was in high school (trying to ignore that that was over 10 years ago!).

I'm going to be following the Couch to 5K plan with the help of Robert Ullrey's Assisted Workout and Training Mixes for your iPod. I've looked at the program before but am super excited about having podcasts to listen to while running.

I'll be walking/jogging/running with my friend Mike- our first run is tomorrow. Crazily enough, I'm looking forward to it. I want to challenge myself to see if I can do it and want to have The Komen Race for the Cure as my goal. I can do this. (I hope) Even if I can't run, I KNOW that I can easily walk the race, but that doesn't help me with the running aspect.

Now, the true question- will I be able to resist buying things for this new hobby before I am officially on board? I have decent shoes, but they are more for walking... I'm going to wait a few weeks and see how the runs go. I'll use that as my guide for if I need other shoes. Second, I'd love to have some kind of heart rate monitor/pedometer thing-a-mob that collects data during these workouts and then puts them on my computer. This is something that I do NOT need, but kinda sorta want a lot.... but again, not cheap and I don't want to put the money out for something that will sit around. Trying so hard to be good.