4-miler & MObama arms

Four miles run on the greenway this morning. Here are the splits:

mile 1 – 10:36
mile 2 – 10:08
mile 3 – 10:12
mile 4 – 9:51
total – 40:47

I promise not to post splits for every single run! The greenway has markers at every 1/4 mile, so it’s hard not to obsessively track my pace. And I don’t have a Garmin (yet), just my trusty Timex Ironman watch.

my local greenway (photo from tricharlotte.com)

I’m really happy with this run because it tells me that last week’s 4-miler on the greenway wasn’t just a fluke, in terms of speed. Coming off of a few weeks of treadmill running, I wasn’t sure what to expect pace-wise. This is a pleasant surprise – especially that last mile in the 9’s! On the treadmill, most of my runs were in the 11:20 pace range, and that felt like I was pushing it!

Lest I get too excited, I need to remind myself that the greenway is basically flat, and anywhere else I run around here will have hills hills hills…

In years past when I’ve started running, I haven’t felt nearly this strong. This is probably obvious to most people, but I’m shocked to find that the strength training I’ve been doing since late February is paying off! I can tell that I am recruiting different muscles when I start to get fatigued on a run. The exercises that I do concentrate mostly on my twiggy upper body, but I am incorporating some squats or lunges and these lifted-bridge thingys, too. I can’t wait to see how strong I’m feeling by the end of the summer. Michelle Obama arms, here I come!

DC recap

Well, there was no running on the DC trip afterall. But I did do a LOT of walking on Saturday, basically from 7:30AM to midnight! Friday and Sunday were mostly spent folded up in a car… It was a long way to go for such a short trip, but I had a lot of fun with my sisters, and I always enjoy getting out of town for a few days.

We were able to squeeze a lot of sightseeing into the limited time we had. We started at the National Museum of American History, where I think we all agreed the highlight was seeing the original Star-Spangled Banner that inspired our national anthem. It was huge, measuring 30’x34’! Next, we moved onto the sculpture gardens outside the National Gallery of Art and the Hirshhorn Museum. These were beautiful spaces and had some interesting works, but the sun was blazing down on us in what turned out to be 92-degree weather. Too hot for much contemplation!

We sought solace from the sun in the National Museum of the American Indian, the newest addition to the Mall. This museum interested me primarily from an architectural standpoint (its design is reminiscent of the wind-sculpted cliffs of the southwest), but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying the exhibits as well. After a quick dinner break, we joined a tour group to visit the major monuments, including the Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR, Vietnam, Korean, and WWII. Halfway through the tour a storm moved in, dumping rain on us at the Vietnam Memorial. The rain seemed to suck the remaining life out of us, and we were happy to head back to the hotel for some much needed rest.

I hope to post a few pics from the weekend once my sisters email them to me. Someday I will actually get a good digital camera of my own!

One other highlight of the weekend was a trip to the Fractured Prune, a donut shop that is part of a small chain that started up in Ocean City, Maryland. Yum! I’ve been to the original shop in Ocean City (I have family in that area), and there is actually one here in Charlotte that I’ve avoided for fear of starting a really dangerous habit! This place has the best donuts! I’ve always sort of dreamed of opening my own shop… Future franchisee…? Hmmmm, something to consider!

***
Since this is a running blog, here’s how I fared last week:
2 runs for a total of 7 miles
2 strength training sessions for a total of 1:20

I’m disappointed in the shortage of running, but my legs took a beating on Saturday, and I was probably due for a step-down week anyway. This morning I did 40 minutes of strength training and hope to fit a run in either tonight or tomorrow morning. My goal is to get in 4 runs this week for a total of 12 miles.

Greenway run and Washington fun

I finally did it. I ran outside for the first time since December! And it felt great!

This morning I decided to head over to the greenway near my neighborhood and run 4 miles. The weather was perfect - sunny skies, light breeze, and about 65 degrees. The greenway is a mostly flat trail that runs along a swampy creek on a mixture of paved, boardwalk, and dirt/gravel surfaces. Last summer I frequently saw snakes beside or on the path - *shudder*. But otherwise it is a great place to get away from the traffic and enjoy some different scenery. I'll probably start going there about once a week, maybe more as the weather heats up.

Here's how the run went down:
mile 1 - 10:33
mile 2 - 10:34
mile 3 - 10:45 (includes a 1-minute walk break at the 2-mile mark)
mile 4 - 10:12
total time - 42:04

This may have been my last run for the week because tomorrow I am headed to Washington DC with my sisters for a short getaway! Yay! I would love to run along the Mall, past all the monuments, but realistically I know it won't happen. I'm debating whether to throw in my running clothes on the off chance that I might hit up the treadmill in the hotel fitness center for a quick 30-minute run...

Washington DC is one of my favorite cities, and I'm so excited to hang out there with my sisters. We used to live on Andrews Air Force Base (home of Air Force One), back in the late 70s/early 80s. I was too young to remember much about it, but I've since been back to DC twice as an adult. My mom loves to tell the story of how she and several other military wives got to ride down the Potomac at sunset in a military helicopter (in restricted airspace!). There's just something about the area that holds good memories and feelings for me.

Anyway, enough about that! I have some last minute errands and packing to do, so I better get to it. I'm taking the pup to the dog park this evening so she'll have a chance to wear herself out before her weekend at the kennel. More to come next week!

100 Things About Me

1. I’m an Air Force brat and spent the majority of my childhood moving every 2 years around the southeastern U.S.
2. I’ve lived in North Carolina for 23 years of my life (that’s 72% for the number lovers out there)…
3. …but I’m more likely to say that Virginia is “where I’m from”.
4. I only lived in Virginia for just over 3 years (ages 8.5-12).
5. My dad proposed to my mom on the 4th date. They were married for 39 years and 8 months.
6. My dad died April 17, 2007, after a 9 month battle with the blood cancer Multiple Myeloma.
7. I hate cancer.
8. I worry that my mom will never start living life again.
9. I worry that I will never start living life again.
10. I have 2 sisters. L is 2 years older than me, and S is 7 years older.
11. At Christmas, my sisters and I always opened our gifts from each other first. We continue this tradition anytime all 3 of us are together on the holiday.
12. Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love the decorations, carving pumpkins, and creating costumes...
13. …but haunted houses and scary movies make me uncomfortable.
14. There is nothing like trick-or-treating on an Air Force base – amazing!
15. My favorite candies all have this in common: peanuts and chocolate.
16. I strongly believe that Peanut M&Ms with pretzels and iced tea is the most perfect food combination.
17. I often eat pretzels – just pretzels – for dinner…
18. …but usually my meals are pretty well balanced.
19. My idea of well balanced is a plate of nachos and a pint of Yuengling from my favorite pub.
20. I am blessed with a fairly high metabolism.
21. My sisters are not.
22. If I ever had to really watch what I eat, I’m not sure I would have the discipline for it.
23. Fortunately, I love vegetables…
24. …except for lima beans, butter beans, and kidney beans.
25. I thank my mom for that – both the love and the hate.
26. And the high metabolism.
27. Even my dog is skinny.
28. Her name is Libby, and I adopted her from a shelter in December 2007.
29. She looks like a tall, 50-pound Jack Russell terrier.
30. Even though some days I wish I didn’t have to walk her, I still think she’s the sweetest, best thing to happen in my life.
31. Except for my 3 nieces, of course.
32. They are 8, 11, and 14 – and growing up too fast!
33. I miss the days when they were naive and innocent, but I love watching their unique personalities emerge.
34. I love being an aunt…
35. …but I have no plans to have children of my own.
36. Owning a townhouse is enough responsibility for me.
37. It freaked me out to buy a home because it meant I was settling down somewhere.
38. At least for a few years anyway.
39. I still dream of living in Washington DC, Denver, Portland, or somewhere in Vermont someday.
40. My paternal grandparents used to live in Wyoming.
41. I spent a summer out there and fell in love with the wide open spaces and huge sky.
42. And the extremely low humidity wasn’t so bad either.
43. I don’t handle high temperatures and high humidity very well.
44. Unfortunately, North Carolina summers feature both.
45. My ideal weather is 70-degrees, partly sunny, calm winds, and low humidity.
46. That’s why Fall is my favorite season…
47. …and October is my favorite month.
48. My ex-boyfriend was born in October.
49. He was German.
50. We dated for 5 years before it became apparent we wanted different things in life.
51. That’s the polite way of saying I wanted a ring on my finger and he wanted to relive his early 20s.
52. I hope my next boyfriend is at least 5’10” and weighs more than me.
53. For the record, I am 5’7” and weigh 130.
54. I’d like to get down to 125, but I’m not trying very hard.
55. I left home at the age of 16 to go to the NC School of Science & Mathematics, a public boarding school, for my junior and senior years of high school.
56. It was one of the best and worst decisions I’ve made.
57. I could not have been better prepared for college…
58. …but my self-esteem took a beating.
59. I’m still trying to get over it and regain my confidence.
60. In college, I studied architecture and geography (urban planning).
61. I have never worked directly in either field.
62. Currently, I am a consultant in corporate real estate facility planning…
63. …but I aspire to become a librarian or teacher.
64. My aunt is a librarian, and I’ve worked part-time at various libraries over the years.
65. I think teaching is my calling, but that self-esteem problem is holding me back.
66. When I was a kid, I thought I would join the Air Force like my dad.
67. I received an ROTC scholarship but turned it down when my dad warned me that the “modern” military isn’t the same as when he joined up.
68. I think both of my parents were relieved.
69. But I still sometimes wish I had gone through with it.
70. I don’t consider myself extremely patriotic, but I value the freedoms and opportunities we have in America.
71. My only international travel to date was a week spent studying parks in Paris during my senior year of college.
72. New Zealand is tops on my list of places to see, but I would be pretty happy to go just about anywhere.
73. My sister, L, was born in Turkey.
74. I was born in Nebraska but lived there for less than a year.
75. I don’t remember a lot of details about my childhood and often mix-up real memories with stories I’ve been told.
76. My sisters and I believe this is because we experienced so much growing up that our brains only have room to hold onto a few bits and pieces.
77. My favorite color is red. Or orange. (Go Denver Broncos!)
78. My favorite book is The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck.
79. My favorite movie is Thelma & Louise (except for the rape scene).
80. I don’t have a favorite musician because my tastes are way too eclectic.
81. For example, I like Willie Nelson, Billy Joel, Tori Amos, Coldplay, and Kanye West…
82. …today. But who knows about tomorrow??
83. Simple things make me happy.
84. Like salty french fries dipped in a vanilla milkshake.
85. And singing Christmas songs with my sisters. (Even though none of us can sing well.)
86. And hanging out with my best friend, sipping drinks outside in the fresh air.
87. And going hiking.
88. Someday I hope to hike the Appalachian Trail, maybe after retirement.
89. I also hope to run a marathon (sometime before retirement).
90. I know a LOT about the various marathons in the U.S., thanks to MarathonGuide.com and my obsessive nature.
91. I tend to research to death anything I have even a remote interest in.
92. My dad also did this.
93. Sometimes it gets me into trouble, like when I read that jumping out of an airplane is like stepping out onto a supportive column of air.
94. You can’t believe everything you read.
95. Skydiving was the most terrifying experience of my life…
96. …but I’m glad I tried it.
97. And I hope that I keep trying new things as I get older.
98. I think that’s one of the most important things in life.
99. To keep pushing the boundaries and discovering new parts of your character.
100. Did I mention that I love running…?

Thanks for reading!

***

Ran 3 miles this morning, on the treadmill once again...

Week in Review

Five miles done! Yes, I did them on the treadmill (more on that later), but I'll take it. So here's how the week went down:

Monday..........2.55 miles in 30 minutes; 40 minutes strength training
Tuesday.........off (birthday!)
Wednesday....2.65 miles in 30 minutes
Thursday.......40 minutes strength training
Friday.............3.43 miles in 40 minutes
Saturday........40 minutes strength training
Sunday...........5 miles in 58:30
Totals.........13.63 miles; 2:00 strength training

My friend Ruby and I meet 3 times a week at the gym in our neighborhood, for about half an hour. We hope to extend our time there as our fitness levels improve, but for now this works. I think for me it is more about forming the habit of working out regularly than worrying so much about distance. It's great to have the accountability, and the time seems to fly by while we catch-up with each other.

Now, about the treadmill... There is absolutely no reason for me to ever need to use one. The weather in North Carolina is mild. I live in an area with plenty of great running routes right outside my door. I'm not coming back from an injury or anything that would require the lower impact of a treadmill. My only excuse is that I have recently developed an irrational fear of running outside.

Will I be able to cover the same distance outside as I'm doing inside? Will I be able to run as fast (relatively speaking...)? Will I kill myself by trying to run too fast when I encounter other people?? Will the hot guy who lives down the street laugh at my barely-faster-than-a-walk pace...?

My heartrate is escalating just thinking about it! Or maybe that's from thinking about the hot guy... Anyway, I've got to just get over myself and go on the inaugural outdoors run and then everything will be fine. Like jumping into a swimming pool, right? (...sigh...)

***

Still working on the 100 Things About Me post; I hope to have it up by Wednesday. I also hope it won't be the most boring piece of writing ever... Oh wait - there's already a blog with that claim to fame. Phew!

Might as well face it...*

I’ll admit it: I am addicted to reading about running, whether it’s in magazines, books, newspaper articles, blogs, or any other written form of communication (did Pre keep a diary??). Reading is one of my passions anyway, and when you combine it with the subject of running, the addiction reaches fever pitch. The great thing about blogs is that I can feed the fire on a near hourly basis!

Not Born to Run is the first blog I stumbled across that I absolutely had to read every day. The stalking started in August 2006, back when Jeanne was still “just a runner”. She’s a full-fledged triathlete now, tricking herself into training for the Half-Ironman distance. Not Born to Run is a fabulous mix of training log, psychoanalysis, DC area guide, pop culture commentary, and just about anything else you can think of (including colonoscopies - HA). Jeanne’s tone is largely self-deprecating, but her underlying message is one of hope and a feeling that it is never too late to try. Plus she is just darn funny. I love to see what she’ll do next and where her adventures will take her!

Around the same time that I found Jeanne’s blog, I also discovered 21 Days. Jess started out with the premise that it takes 21 days to form a habit – in her case, a running habit. Nearly 4 years and a marathon later, I think she can safely say that she has achieved her goal. Jess runs through the heat, hurricanes, lizards, and bugs of southern Florida, but she’s a Minnesota girl at heart. It’s a fun mix and makes for some great stories! 21 Days is well written (Jess is an English professor), super humorous (drunk posts, anyone?), literary (better book reviews than the NY Times), and real (no sugar coating here). All around swawesome! I look forward to seeing how her running continues to evolve as she welcomes a little one into her life in a few months!

This analogy doesn’t really work, but if I were stranded on a desert island and had to pick 5 blogs to take with me, these are the remaining 3 that would round out the list:

• runner’s rambles – Aron is relatively new to running but has already completed 2 marathons and hopes to BQ at her 3rd in May. She is incredibly positive and inspiring! And her detailed training information is wonderfully educational for this aspiring marathoner.
  
• DC Rainmaker – Ray’s blog is packed full of great information, gorgeous photos, and amazing stories of his travels, cooking, and super-human triathlon training. He packs more into 24-hours than anyone I know – and, lucky for us, blogs about it all.
  
• Frayed Laces – FL is another super-human athlete, but the inspiration I draw from her is her ability to overcome all sorts of obstacles (including a broken pelvis) and stay positive throughout. She is always looking forward to the next big thing. And she shares all sorts of great tips and information along the way!
  

These are the people I turn to for intermittent inspiration (plus a few dozen others listed to the right). They’ve helped me get back on the road to consistent running and have taught me so many lessons. My hope is that this blog might serve the same purpose for someone else and keep this great virtual community growing!

***

*Shout out to Robert Palmer! Is anyone not playing air guitar now??

Five miles on the schedule for tomorrow morning.

Hello, my name is....

Kate!

I’ve had this blog set up for a couple of months now, but so far its only use has been to make it easier to keep up with all the great blogs I follow, and to give me an identity when I (rarely) come out of the dark to comment on someone’s post. Now seems as good a time as any to begin posting some of my own thoughts to the wide world.

A little background on my athletic life: I was a very active kid, playing soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, and running track through high school. In college, all of that came to a screeching halt. It wasn’t so much a conscious decision to stop as it was simply that I found my time being filled with other things (primarily the rigorous demands of architecture school). There were still moments when I returned to my old ways: a college course in tennis, hiking and camping trips, sea kayaking with my roommate, a brief foray into mountain biking. But I missed the camaraderie and accountability of team sports.

Fast forward to 2009 (and 32 years of age) and I am still struggling to lock onto my inner motivation and will to become the runner I long to be. I’ve participated in a couple of different running programs (the Jeff Galloway Run/Walk training group and USAFit), and I’ve completed 2 half-marathons. But the end of each program marked the end of consistent running. (Hence the blog title.) And here I find myself starting over once again.

This time feels different. Maybe it is just the eternal hope of Spring. Or maybe it is a change in my perspective brought on by a piece of wisdom from my oldest sister (I have 2). I was talking to S for the millionth time about my ambitions to run {fill in the blank} Marathon in 6 months and how I wasn’t sure I would ever be able to run 26.2 miles and reach one of my life’s goals. She stopped me with a simple question: “Why don’t you ever train for a 5K or 10K?”

In all the time that I have run consistently as an adult, I have always been training for the half-marathon or longer distance. I blame it on my athletic background and the feeling that I’m really not a beginner (even though all the evidence indicates otherwise). 5K? 10K? Those are races that any old schmoe could do. But a marathon? Now that’s the race for REAL athletes! But my sister’s simple question suddenly made so much sense to me. When I finally run a marathon - and I WILL - I want to do it right (if there is such a thing), and that means first becoming a consistent runner.

So here I am, in my 4th week of regular running, aiming to have completed 4 runs by Sunday for a weekly total of 12 miles. It pains me to write such a low number, but I am staying focused on consistency.

***

This blog will primarily focus on my running obsession, but other bits of life will invariably find their way here. Stay tuned for a post about the blogs that first hooked me into this virtual running community, and the infamous 100 Things About Me list (it seems the simplest way to let you get a glimpse into my life without having to write endlessly). More to come!