November Totals

So I've not been very active for a few weeks.  Blame it on a cold or a sinus infection or a cough.  Or Thanksgiving.  But tonight I went back in.  Ran on the endless track of a treadmill.  3 miles.  Low 11min/mi. pace.  Didn't feel like doing it, but glad that I did.

So, for the totals:

November 1-30
Biking:  7.6 miles
Running:  12.31 miles
Mileage totals:  19.91 miles
6 days total for all three disciplines

Ugh.

How to Get Massive Thighs . . .

. . .  Ride the stationary bike and do spinning for 30 minutes.  Ended up doing 7.6 miles.  When I got off, I made my fat, heavy thighs stomp over to the treadmill and run a half mile.  Talk about hilarity!  I seriously felt like I had a 50-lb weight strapped around each thigh.  My legs felt like they were slamming down into the treadmill like a giant's legs might do.  Oh, this will take some getting used to!

First PR

Small milestones are worthy of note, I do think.  :)  So, here's one:  I just set a new PR (personal record) tonight:  a (nearly) 11-minute mile!  It felt GOOD.

I discovered that I am slow to warm up, and that is what has damaged my runs.  So tonight I warmed up for half a mile on the treadmill, got off, stretched, and then started my run for real.  I began the pace at 12 minutes/mile, and then after the first half mile I bumped it up one level every quarter mile.  By the time I had finished 2 1/2 miles, I began to wonder if I could run a sub-11-minute mile, so I started to increase my level a bit more frequently, and the last 1/8th mile, I nearly stayed on the buttons.  Ha!  That last 1/8th mile, I could totally see the "finish line":  that green ball sailing smoothly around the track to "the line".  I truly felt the adrenalin rushing through me.  It was great!

A side note to share:  this exercise is encouraging other good habits to develop.  I have always been a fair-weather water drinker.  I just don't think to do it; don't crave it.  It's not that I hate water.  I'm just not thirsty that much.  But I am realizing my body's need of water with all this exercising, so I am trying to listen.  My first goal was to get exercising.  I see my next goal is that of increasing my fluid intake.  All for a healthier me!  It's awesome!

My cat is curled up in my lap right now, having just got her fill of salt from my skin.  So now I am off to drink some water and help balance those electrolytes in my body.  Excuse me, Lily.  :)

Treadmill

My knee was feeling better after several days of not exercising it, so I went to the gym to run.  I find that after several days of no exercise, my anxiety levels start to rise.  Exercise is doing me a world of good in helping to control that, and I am starting to find myself craving the exercise in order to release that anxiety.

Today I had no knee pain after running 3 miles.  Yay!!!  The last little bit of it I ran a 10-minute pace, too, which was good to see.  At this point, though, it's hard to believe that, with practice, this pace could be maintained.  But, it CAN be done.

I had issues with the release cord, and yanking it off accidentally, which of course did its job and stopped the track under me.  I am so not techy, so spent a solid minute or two trying to figure out how to rectify the problem.  I eventually did, but not after turning the machine all the way off and starting over.  Ugh.

The first 1.06 mi was at a pace of 13.69min/mi.  The last two miles were at a 11.15min/mi pace, averaging out to 11.75min/mi.

Knee Grief

In the past, I have had issues with my knees having some serious pain from strenuous running or hiking, to the point of nearly needing to be carried down the mountain.  I've thought I escaped this, as, following a month of training I hadn't experienced any pain.  Well, let me tell ya!  Today it caught up with me!

I ran on the treadmill, and over the course of my run, I could feel that creeping pain coming into the outer side of my knee.  And I learned a lesson:  when the pain starts, quit running!  But do you think I did?

Thirty-eight minutes and 3.25 miles after starting my run, I got off the treadmill, stretched, and then hobbled to my car.  Got home, poured in the ibuprofen, and sat down.  The rest of the day has been fine until I move from my chair.  Gasp!

The up side of this is that I will not be running or biking for awhile, as these disciplines do not help the problem knee heal.  But swimming?  Ah, and I am so lacking in devoted time on this venue.  So, it's not all bad, right?

~Faster by forty!