Run or Jog?

If you run you are a runner. It doesn't matter how fast or how far. It doesn't matter if today is your first day or if you've been running for twenty years. There is no test to pass, no license to earn, no membership card to get. You just run. - John "the Penguin" Bingham


Jog: to move up and down or about with a short heavy motion. - Merriam Webster  

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a jogger...it just doesn't look good according to Merriam Webster. Besides there are days that I just don't feel that svelte and to have someone say that they saw me "jogging" doesn't make me feel any better about myself. I want to feel strong and somewhat swift on my feet! One of the first things I read in a book called The Complete Book of Running for Women says in a nutshell, that running is anything that is faster than walking.

YESSSS!!!! I LIKE THAT.

So yeah, I run. Been a running for a while, but more consistently for the past 2-3 years. The idea to run came to me way back when we lived at Salmon Creek Estates. We used to run around the condo complex or go over to Alki Middle School and run on the track. In fact, that's all we used to do - run on the track. How BOR-ING! I never really reached any sort of distance with all the effort I put into it either. I felt pretty good about myself if I could run at least one lap without stopping and running a mile and not losing count of which lap I was on was a huge accomplishment :) Back then I didn't have any idea what this running stuff was about, so really, I was pretty clueless.

These days I'm slowly, but surely running 3, 4 and 5 miles. I have long since abandoned my latest training plan that I started last fall, topping out at 7 miles...man that hurt. I keep at it though and run at least two times a week on the treadmill and out on the road on the weekend, if there are no cycling events scheduled. In past years I would run until cycling season started and then abandon all efforts to improve my running to ride instead - I do have my priorities straight after all. However, my goal this year  is to continue running more regularly during the summer months so that when it's time to hang up my bike, I won't have to work so hard at building up my base miles this Fall/Winter. I must be getting it.

Really though, I have come to enjoy running more than I have in past years and hope to continue on for as long as my body lets me. Although I'm not one to really pay attention to what my body is telling me. Not right away anyway. The year that we did the Livestrong Challenge 5K I ended up with a stress fracture, but didn't know it. After Livestrong I continued to run and ride and ignored it all the way until December of that year. When I finally visited the podiatrist and he took a look at the x-ray he mentioned that it looked like I had a stress fracture and that it was nearly healed and that I should lay off running until the beginning of the year. Which worked out since the next event was the First Run at midnight on Jan 1, 2009. It was a perfect time for a rest! Yeah, I don't allow much time for rest after an unknown injury.

I'm more apt to take a day of rest when I feel puny or even a few days if needed. I don't freak out (as much) when I do take a rest. Restless, I do feel restless sometimes, but I get over it. It's amazing that even when I'm still sleepy and get on the treadmill that it doesn't take long to "wake up" only to feel sleepy again afterwards...hehe. Anyway, enough blathering on about running

Bottom line is...I like running not jogging.

Run-Ride-Run Bay-Bee!

37 days...

The days keep ticking by and we are getting closer and closer to Blue Lake 2010.

So far I'm way ahead of the game as I have upped my running considerably over last years pitiful training for my first Duathlon. When I'm feeling good I'm doing at least 9-10 miles per week. Which isn't a lot, but after I looked over my run stats in the months leading up to my first Du I'm amazed that I was even able to do last year's Du without dying! My goal for this year, besides finishing, is to get as close to 2 hours as possible. Last year I finished at 2hrs 11 min. Not bad for a first time out.

Having a gym membership has definitely helped. Tom and I usually show up around 5:15 and I'm on the treadmill as soon as I can get up the stairs and settled in. Since Tom's spin class starts at 5:45 I have all sorts of time to run and do different things while he in his class. For the past few weeks I have incorporated Bricks into my run training once a week. That will really make a difference on race day.

I love stats...so here's how the last month or so looks for running...

Looking forward to more runs and logging more miles. This year I feel so much better as a runner that I think I AM a runner!

Time trial tonight (if no rain) and RACC this weekend...Run Ride Run baby!

Vancouver Bicycle Club Time Trial...

(photo pirated from VBC website)

35 minutes of pure fun!

Tonight was the first Time Trial of the season. Tom and I made our way down to the Port of Vancouver Administrative Office and paid up our 4 bucks (for the both of us) and got the bikes ready to go and then did some laps around the building to warm up a little. We were riders 29 & 30 - there were 40 total riders tonight.

The wind was particularly nasty and I was a little concerned - I don't do well with the wind and would much rather just stop riding if given the opportunity, but we paid GOOD money to do this tonight so it was best to not waste that!

The first 5 miles were pretty much agonizing. The only thing that I looked forward to was the turn around and knowing that the wind would be to our backs instead, it was pretty bad. Once we made the turn around it was better, but still a little breezy. Once I settled into a rhythm, it was pretty smooth. I even passed another cyclist on the way back. THAT was a total boost to my confidence. I don't think I passed anyone at the last time trial we did. On top of that, there were still 3 or 4 other people on the course when I finished.

A time trial bike would be cool and seeing all sorts of different TT bikes tonight just makes me want one even more - SO COOL! I know better though, it's not really a practical bike - clip on aerobars will probably be the way I get to go, buy hey, aerobars would be good too!

Final time was 34:28, not bad for the first time out this year!

Back at it...

It has been a little while since my last post - allergies hit, blah.

Last week I started out by just running on the treadmill at the gym and even got into the pool and did a little swimming! That wasn't all that horrible either, I was pleasantly surprised! Yeah, so I took swimming lessons as a kid and spent time at the pool, but mostly all I did was play around in the water! Swimming laps is hard! It's all good though, I need a new challenge to keep me motivated and active and the sprint tri (Blue Lake 2011) will be the ticket! A long term goal, but still...something to shoot for.

So, even though Blue Lake 2010 is still a few weeks off, I'm getting a head start on my tri training and starting slow with swimming to begin with. I'll add more training to the mix as well as good nutrition (my downfall for sure!) This will be my accountability tool to keep on track...that's the theory anyway!

Run, Ride, Run Baby!