Running in the Rain and Other Stuff

One of my favorite times to run when I was training years ago was when it was raining. I liked it because it helped to cool me down as I ran, and because it helped me be less self conscious about how much I sweat because everyone who ran during the rain came back soaked. Last week on one of the days it was raining. I left the house in my running clothes and waterproof jacket. I made it to the end of the driveway as the cold rain started hitting my exposed legs. I then promptly turned around and went back inside. I guess I just didn't have the grit to do something hard that day. I've thought a lot about it since and have decided next time the rain comes and I am scheduled to run, I will just go and not use the weather as an excuse.

On other news, my bike is fixed after years of neglect and being left in out shed. So I was able to go out and ride for an hour on Friday with our little guy. He hasn't realized that his hands follow where he looks as he rides, so there were many instances of swerving from being ran into and reminders to look where you're going. It was nice to get out and do some riding and spend some time with our little guy that wasn't related to going stir crazy in the house.

On a running progress note, I made it out yesterday for a 1 mile run, I ran 2 minutes and walked 1 minute. It was a good run, my legs just felt weak. I will be doing the 2 run / 1 walk for now and will change when I feel it's right. I want to be able to run without stopping again and am not feeling like I can with my weight where it's at. I'm making changes to my diet, I've made changes to my physical activity, and am not drinking my calories like I used to. I'm struggling with my blood sugar and that being in check will be a sign I'm moving in the right direction. So with the changes I've been making and getting my blood sugar under control I should see more success in decreasing my weight, in turn making it easier to run.

I got one day of running last week, and am changing that this week. I have adjusted my training schedule, and hope it will work and not lead to injury. I am increasing miles at a rate that I should be fine and get me the time on my feet that I need. If I am not at a fast enough speed by mid May I will need to change my half marathon on June 14th to a 10k, so I can finish the race in the time provided.

That's it for today. Thanks for reading.

-Riley

Week 2 Starts with a Cold

My running schedule is Tuesday 6:30 pm, Thursday 6:30 pm, and Saturday 6:30 am. I plan on posting some time after each run. It may change as things do over time, but for now that's what I want to do. With these early work outs the important thing is the workout itself. Tuesday I ended up in bed sick and slept for 11 hours. So I thought I would be running the same schedule I did last week, but was still sick yesterday too. So the modified schedule is today (Thursday) @ 12:00 pm, and Saturday at 6:30 am.Then next week I will try for my scheduled times again.

On a brief side note, our 5k that we were going to run on June 24th has been cancelled. So we will be doing the Firecracker Run in O'Fallon, MO on the 4th of July.

My run today was through my neighborhood, it's the same route I ran on day 1 last week. I ran during my lunch break to avoid the heat of later in the day, which according the the forecast will be avoiding a downpour later in the day as well... just to spend my running time in the rain anyway. I should have checked the forecast for my lunch hour as well. I like running in the rain at least. I think it helps me to regulate my body temperature better. I like the route I ran, during the day it's quiet. I will try it again Saturday morning and see how it is at 6:30 am. Today was a good run, I feel better than I have the past couple of days and am hopeful about doing this 5k on the 4th of July!

With the run itself, I have found I am pushing too hard for my first bit of the run / walk. My fastest pace was a 12:23, which I'm not able to maintain for long. That was most likely at the beginning of my run as well. I think if I am a little slower at the beginning I will be able to do better later in the run. I almost made it through the last 2 minute portion of running. I stopped for a couple of seconds and then started to run again and puttered out with about 15 seconds left. It took 5 minutes for me to catch my breath after that. But overall the run feels good.