Running for two--or, mostly walking

I took yesterday off and lounged (it was a holiday).  I really enjoy having a really relaxing day sometimes with no pressure or plans or anything.  My calves were still a little sore today, so I just did 1.5 on the treadmill.  SLOW.  Who am I kidding?  I'm always slow, but speed isn't what it's about.  Getting out there and using my body for something good is what it's about.  Sitting around is enjoyable at times, but you can't do it every day.

Oh, did I mention that it was 5 degrees when I got to work this morning.  5.  I know I grew up in Michigan and all, but I never got used to the cold.  Snow, rain, hail, these things I can handle.  I draw the line when it comes to cold.  It was a good thing I was running on Monday or I would have probably frozen.  It made me appreciate those who came out to cheer us on all the more.  It also made me appreciate Planet Fitness.  Anyway, I don't think this is even an inversion.  It's just cold.  Is winter over yet?  (Have I lost my commando points yet?)

I have changed my fitness routine to try to be more well-rounded.  Running only develops certain muscles, while others are neglected.  Don't get me wrong.  I'm not going to start lifting (my most hated of all forms of exercise) or anything.  When I started running at the gym I intended to do some lifting, mostly lower body, but that happened about twice.  No, I'm opting for the more soothing, calming, enjoyable activity of yoga.  I've taken classes before and really enjoyed it.  I need to increase my flexibility, especially in my hamstrings, so I figure this is a step in the right direction.

So, today, instead of running, I did 30 minutes of yoga.  I haven't done yoga for a long time, so today I was mostly learning the poses for a new routine, but I should be able to do it longer (and be more focused) once I get back into the groove.  I have to admit that I'm easily distracted, so I think I might need to find a different room to do it in, too.  There's too much going on in the room I was in today and I allowed myself not to focus, but instead to look around the room at all the stuff.  And believe me, when it comes to stuff, we have a lot of it.

Anyway, my plan is to still run 4 times a week and do yoga 3 times a week.  This increases my fitness routine to 7 days a week, but decreases my mileage.  I'm hoping that having some rest days will help me to have more energy to run, since I've been so tired lately and my runs have felt pretty fruitless.  Also, the tight hamstrings.  Have I mentioned the tight hamstrings?  I would love to get to a point where I could run and do yoga in the same day, but, like I said, I've been tired.  So, 3 rest days a week that aren't total rest days, I'm optimistic. 

So, I'm still tired today.  It's getting kind of old.  I think I might take a page from Paul's book and start taking more naps.  I really didn't want to go to the gym today.  I was tired, like I said, and really wanted to get a jump on that whole taking more naps thing, but I went to the gym anyway and promised myself I would take a nap after work (which I did and it was awesome).

I did 1 mile on the treadmill and decided to do some elliptical because the treadmill just isn't doing it for me lately, so 15 minutes on the elliptical.  I'm counting it as 2 miles total.  Here's the thing:  I'm getting a better workout on the elliptical these days.  It used to be the other way around, but I've gotten pretty treadmill lazy.  So, when I run on the treadmill, I go at a REALLY slow pace and kind of run walk.  If you're running as slow as I am, you can pretty much start walking without changing the settings (yes, it's that slow).  So, since I know how easy it is to walk, I get tired and I start walking.  On the elliptical, however, I can slow down when I get tired (which I do), but it still makes me keep doing the running-like motion, which is where the workout actually comes from for me.  So, I know I've said before that the elliptical doesn't help my running, but it does help my stamina.  I think I'll try to just mix it up like I did today and see how that treats me. 

I slept in this morning until an embarrassing time (embarrassing for somebody else if they knew what time I got up, not necessarily for me because I love my sleep). Went to the gym with Paul and did 30 minutes on the elliptical. I'm calling it 2 miles. I know what I said yesterday about mixing it up, but I really felt like getting a good workout in today, so I stuck with the elliptical and I felt pretty good about it. It was pretty warm today, so I was tempted to run outside, but pretty much all of the sidewalks are covered with ice from all the snow melt re-freezing. I did try to run home from the gym, but the ice really made it difficult. I tried to do a little skating in a few places, but wasn't really excited about the idea of falling on my butt (or face, as the case may be), so I kept the skating to a minimum.

I spent some time today trying to plan out what I want to do during our trip to the Green Valley Spa in February.  I mean, obviously I want a massage, but what kind of massage?  They have at least 50 types of massage that they offer (yes, I'm exaggerating, it's more like 15) and it's hard to know which one is best.  Maybe a facial would be nice?  They have 5 kinds of facials.  We could do some hiking, but there are so many great places to go in St. George that I wouldn't know where to start.  Run with the St. George Running Club?  Well, Paul has pretty much told me that I don't have a choice on that one.  Anyway, this free trip to the Green Valley Spa is actually going to be anything but free, but it'll be worth it.  If anybody has been there and has suggestions for which kind of massage I should get, let me know, I'm open for suggestions (I know.  If the biggest problem I'm having is that I can't decide what kind of massage to get, I must be doing pretty well).

Week 2 of my new exercise plan and I'm already off schedule.  Oh bother.  I totally meant to do some yoga yesterday, but it just wasn't in the cards (church, football, sleeping, vacuuming...these things were in the cards).  Oh well, I'll just chalk it up to New Year's Resolution Failure and try to just maintain from here.

I usually leave work at 11:00 to go to the gym, then I do my workout, come home and shower, eat something and go back to work in time to clock back in at 1:00.  It works out really well because I don't feel rushed and I can take a real shower instead of a five minute hurry up shower.  Well, what I meant to say was that it works well in theory, but today it didn't work as well in practice.  I lost track of time at work and ended up not leaving until 11:30.  Then I spent 15 minutes in the parking lot trying to get the ice out of my wheel wells.  Once I got home it was 11:50 and I was so tired that I decided cramming in a workout wasn't worth it and took a 30 minute nap (which turned into a 50 minute nap and was awesome). This plan actually worked out really well because it was pizza Monday at Planet Fitness.  So, I went to the gym with Paul after work, ate a piece of pizza, did 15 minutes on the elliptical, ate another piece of pizza, did another 15 minutes on the elliptical and came home.  I fully intended to get some treadmill running in today, but the gym was pretty crowded so there weren't any treadmills available.  C'est la vie.  I had a pretty good workout, since I was feeling so fresh from my awesome lunch nap, so I'm happy with it.

I listed to a past favorite praise song at the beginning of my workout and it got me thinking.  This song talks about how God's love endures forever.  It encouraged me to think that, despite the fact that my endurance level is pretty low, God's Love endurance level is such that he never stops loving.  His love endures forever and it isn't dependent on my performance or on anything else.  It is what it is and it'll never end.  How comforting to know that there is nothing that I or anybody else can do to separate me from God's Love (see Romans chapter 8).  I know this to be true, but C.S. Lewis states that we need to be reminded more often than we need to be instructed.  I'll consider today to be a reminder.

30ish minutes of yoga today.  I modified my old Ashtanga Yoga routine and it went a lot better than the 30 minutes I did last Thursday.  Honestly, if my yoga is too serene I get bored.  That's why I like Ashtanga.  Lots of movement.  Also, I know a woman who is totally ripped just from trail running and Ashtanga Yoga, so I figure it's worth a try.

I was going to go check out the new thrift store that is two blocks from my house after work, but I forgot that it was going to blizzard today.  Oh well, maybe it won't be snowing tomorrow after work.  There's always hope. 

Took a nap during my workout time today instead of going to the gym.  I just couldn't get out the door.  Going up stairs is tiring.  I planned to do a workout after work and go with Paul, but Paul is taking some time off.  Oh well, I'll just have to definitely go tomorrow.

Went to the gym at lunch time.  I started on the treadmill and was feeling pretty good.  Not spectacular, but I was feeling okay.  However, about 5 minutes into it my ankles started hurting, so I took a short walk break to see if that would help.  It did help, until I started running again.  I ended up doing only about 9:00 on the treadmill and then gave up because my ankles were really starting to bother me and I didn't want to make it worse.  I hopped on the elliptical, but only had enough in me for 15 minutes.  So...tired....

I didn't run again yesterday.  I took a nap during my workout time and then made an appointment with my doctor and made some other phone calls.  I really planned to go running today, but the tired is really getting me.  I'm not sure how I'm going to even walk 5 miles in Moab, let alone run it.  Oh well, I paid money for it, so I just need to finish.  I don't need to win any awards or anything.

I hid out most of he weekend.  I only left the house today to have breakfast with Paul at Angie's and then to buy groceries.  I mostly watched football and slept.  I didn't even keep my phone on me all weekend.  I really just wanted to hide and sleep.  It worked out well. 

Another goose egg.  I had an awesome nap during my workout time.  I think it is quickly becoming my nap time.  Luckily I am going to see the doctor on Thursday, so hopefully I'll have some news after that.

I felt sooooo good today!  Or, to be more specific, I was really energetic when it came to workout time, so I went to the gym instead of napping.  I definitely could have done more than 2 miles on the treadmill today, but I didn't want to push it, since I've been slacking off and haven't really run more than that lately.  Anyway, I hope I feel well enough to run tomorrow; if so, I'll try to do a little more.

I had a really good song today during my run that related to running and my relationship with God.  The second verse of the song says, "Broken, I run to You for Your arms are open wide.  I am weary, but I know Your touch restores my life." I just pictured myself running into the arms of Jesus who was waiting for me to come and lay my burdens on Him and give me rest.  The world makes us tired with all of its worries and expectations, but His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

Another great nap.  I was kind of disappointed that I was feeling too tired to run, but the nap turned out really well.  Oh well, I guess I'll have to try again another day.

I didn't get a break today because I was leaving work early for my doctor's appt.  It went well.  That's pretty much all there is to say about that, except that I was shivering the whole time because it was so cold in there.

Another day, another nap.  The nurse from my doctor's office called me and said all of the blood test results were good.  I wish that was comforting, but my arm is still hurting from the flu shot.  It was my first one and I have to say that the pain is only slightly less than my last tetanus shot.  Oh, and have I mentioned that I'm a big baby?

Well, I wasn't going to say anything, but since Lybi figured it out...Yes, I am expecting.  I am a little frustrated with how tired it is making me, but I'm almost nine weeks now, so I'm looking forward to the next month being over so I can have energy again.  I'm really jealous of Jamie, who it appears is not experiencing the fatigue that I am, even though she is the pretty much at the same point in her pregnancy.  Oh well, like I've said a million times, I'm still doing Moab, I'll just probably be doing it slower than I originally hoped.  When I told my co-worker Brian that I was still doing Moab, he said, "You can still run?"  My response, of course, was, "Well, my legs still work."  Anyway, I have been wanting this for a long time and am extremely excited.  Any wisdom that anybody wants to impart to me, I'm all ears.
 

I'm still really tired.  People don't tell you about the tired.  Books say fatigue, but this is ten times worse than any fatigue I've ever experienced.  I feel like a big baby, but I struggle to keep my eyes open at work, I drag my feet when walking down the hall, and I scuff my shoes on the treadmill.  Oh well, at least I actually had the energy to do the treadmill today, although I had planned on doing a lot longer.  The timing for everything was off today.  I am so tired that I can't run on the treadmill anymore.  I just walk 2 miles.  Hopefully I'll have more time to do more than that the next time I go.  I really envy the ladies who can run through pregnancy.  I can't complain too much about the tiredness because at least I'm not nauseas.  

Another 2 walking on the treadmill.  At least my heart rate is still getting up since I'm so tired.  It's sad when I sweat after walking 2 miles, but I guess it means that I'm working.  I still haven't really gained any weight since I got pregnant.  I gained all that mysterious weight when I started running and haven't gained anything since the beginning of December.  I'll just try eating more, not that I need another excuse.

I fully intended to go to the gym today, but my body had other plans.  Last night I told Paul I would go to the gym with him in the morning if I was up, but not to wake me if I wasn't.  Well, I was awake when he went to the gym, but I was especially tired, so I decided to wait for the early-afternoon energy boost that I usually get.  It never came.  When Paul came back I was feeling a little less tired.  We bought groceries and that wiped me out (can I count grocery shopping as mileage?).  We went out for a nice long brunch and I was tired enough from grocery shopping that, even after sitting around for an hour and a half at Angie's, I took a two hour nap.  I did some housework and talked to my mom (who told me not to stretch my arms over my head or I would cause contractions), then took another one hour nap.  I did a little more housework, then sat around for the rest of the evening.  I went to bed at my normal time and slept in the next morning.  I have to admit, though, I was feeling great when Sunday came.

So, I've heard it said before that being pregnant is like running a marathon every day.  I finally understand what that means.  You don't have the muscle soreness (praise God!), just the fatigue.  Here's the thing, though, when you run a marathon (this is from observation, not experience), you're pretty tired afterward, but you take a nap and take it easy for a few days and you recover.  The thing with being pregnant is that you run that marathon, you take a nap and take it easy, then you run a marathon the next day, take a nap and take it easy, then you run a marathon the next day, take a nap and take it easy.  It isn't the fatigue, it's the accumulated affect of many days of fatigue piled on top of one another.  I'm told it gets better after the first trimester.  I'm only a few weeks away, so I'm looking forward to that. 

So grateful for Pizza Monday!  2 miles on the treadmill and 2 pieces of pizza.  And I think to myself, "What a wonderful world."

Okay, it's decision time.  Moab is about four weeks away and I have done a total of 6 walking miles in 2 weeks.  I'm not going to run Moab.  I'm still going to Moab and I'm definitely still getting my shirt and hat (I didn't pay $50 for a 5 mile race not to get any souvenirs).  It's just that, while everybody else is getting up early and standing in the cold and running a race, I'll be sleeping in and eating ginger pancakes with apple butter at the Jailhouse Cafe.  I'm really trying to see the downside of this decision.  I'm pretty disappointed in myself, but I think it's the right thing to do.  If I had gotten pregnant one month earlier, I probably would have had enough time to recover from the first trimester fatigue a little and at least walk the 5 miler, but I drag my feet doing 2 miles on the treadmill right now and I don't see it getting anywhere near 5 in the next month.  So, disappointing, yes, but at least there are pancakes to be had.