How Long Will the Motivation Last?

This morning was the first morning where I thought about staying in bed instead of getting up for my workout. Seems like up until this point, there was some magical force that pulled me out of bed and pushed me on my enthusiastic way. I didn't quite feel it this morning.

But . . . I got up anyway. It was HOT (82 degrees F when we left the house) . . . but it didn't matter :)

Ironically, when I checked my email this morning, my Mom had emailed me this quote she found on the Real Simple website:

"I have to exercise in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing." Marsha Doble

On this morning's walk, I tried out my new pace of 13-16 min/mile. Let's just say that Garmin beeped at me a lot and told me to "Speed up." I found I could reasonably maintain a pace of 15.5 min/mile without struggling physically too much, but I had a problem with maintaining enough mental focus to not accidently find myself slowing down.

All in all, in the 34 minutes I walked today my average pace was 16:44 min/mile (and this includes slow warm-up time in the average). Previously my best average was 17:32 min/mile. I'm going to keep working at walking faster, but honestly still feel like I could run easier at this point than I could walk at a fast pace.

Back to Motivation. Feeling a little discouraged, I consulted Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer:

• "Which comes first, motivation or achievement? It would seem like motivation must come first, but it doesn't. The most motivating thing to most of us is to do well (achieve). It feels so good that we want to make it happen again. Each week you'll run farther than you ever have before in your life! What an achievement! And this will make you believe that you can do it again next week. And you will. Each week's achievement will serve to motivate the next week's behavior."

And of course, when I was done with the walk for the day, I did feel great! I was thankful I hadn't given into the lure of the pillow. I hope I can remember that tomorrow.

My right leg is maybe slightly better today. Unfortunately, both of my knees hurt today. Oh my goodness I am old and fat.

Week #3 Goals

Training Days: 3
Total Time of Each Session: 30 minutes
Objective: Fast walking pace (13-16 min./mile)

Should be a fairly easy week as far as the time involved. I experimented with the pace yesterday morning to see what 13-16 min./mile felt like, and honestly (for walking) it felt REALLY fast and hard to maintain. I think it will be an effort to maintain this pace.

What I am MOST excited about for the week is doing my Friday workout in Albuqueque with my mom!!! She's offered to join me, and I think it will be so much fun I will probably want to walk for an hour! I'm excited to have my Garmin chart a new course and also to see if the increased altitude in Albuquerque will have an effect on my heart rate. I found this article that briefly talks about the effect of altitude during exercise. It looks like increased breathing rate, increased heart rate and possibly even "giddiness" can be expected.

FYI: I have always thought the word "giddy" meant lighthearted silliness and excitement, but I looked it up (just in case I needed to warn my mom that I might laugh or giggle on our walk.) It can also mean a dizzy or lightheaded sensation.

We'll see how it goes in "the Q."

The Shoes

My running shoes, pictured above, are the Brooks Ariel 7 . Let me tell you how they became my running shoes:

Once upon a time (okay, a year ago during another period of motivation), I went to Performance Footwear in Tempe and had Footstrike Analysis done. They put me on a treadmill and took a video of me running. They replayed the video in slow motion and examined the position that my ankle was in as it struck the treadmill. I was told that I was a severe overpronator (seen below).

Over pronation means that my ankle rolls IN as I step. This can be offset somewhat by wearing a stability control shoe, helping prevent some of the inward role.
Evidently, another way that you can test your feet if you don't have a fancy running store nearby, is to analyze your arch type. Here is a video that gives directions on how to do the simple test.

Overpronation is generally thought to occur in people with a flat arch (left).

When I did the brown paper test, my arch looked like the normal (middle) arch, so I don't know if maybe my arch is normal and the tendons in my ankle are loose or what else could explain the discrepancy.

I am hoping that there is more harm in NOT wearing a stability control shoe if you are an overpronator than in wearing one if you aren't.

I've never worn Brooks running shoes before. They seem to have really good arch support and a big enough toe box to keep my toes comfortable. Ashley said she's worn several pairs of Brooks too! That made me feel a lot better because if they got her through her training, they might get me through mine too!

Here's the Runner's World review of the Brooks Ariel. It DOES say that it's for someone with "pancake flat" feet, but I'll see how it goes. I don't have any specific concerns or complaints about my running shoes currently. If my right calf/ankle/foot ache doesn't go away soon, I may try switching to a different pair of shoes just to make sure that they aren't somehow causing my continued problem.

The experts at the running store recommended buying the shoes in a size 1/2 to a whole size bigger than I normally buy shoes. I think this was awesome advice because I can tell how much my feet expand with exertion. I usually wear size 8.5 sometimes 9. I bought Size 9.5 in these.

Lastly, I found something funny on the Runner's World site. Evidently, there is a very specific way you should TIE your shoes to ensure they stay tied while running. 50% of you may be tying your shoes wrong. Eek, and I thought I mastered this in kindergarten. Here is a video on how to correctly tie your shoes for running. Luckily, after reviewing, I've been doing it right all along.

For something so simple like running, there sure are a lot of rules if you take the time to research.

Week #2 in Review

According to my Garmin, this week, in 4 workouts, I walked a total of 7.62 miles which took me 2 hours 16 minutes and 31 seconds!!!

I also MET my goal of stretching 4 times this week after each workout. The stretching is obviously easy, but sometimes it was hard not to get sucked into the things I needed to get done when Bella and I got home, so deliberately stopping for 10 minutes to stretch definitely took a concious effort. I don't know if the stretching has helped my shins or me at all, but I know that it felt great and it couldn't have hurt anything.

To update, I really don't think I still have a "shin" issue. I DO have a lingering, annoying problem with my right leg/ankle/foot. It's an ache. It doesn't hurt, and there's nothing that I can palpate to isolate the area of discomfort. Sometimes it feels like my calf, sometimes it feels like my ankle, and sometimes it feels like the ball of my foot.

The ache doesn't stop me from doing anything but honestly, it is always there throughout the day. It disappears when I'm exercising but comes right back as soon as I stop. I'm sick of it not so much from the standpoint of discomfort, but because it causes this lingering worry in my mind that an injury will stop me from being able to progress with my running.

I know it sounds crazy to say (I really do love to sleep), but I LOVE getting up early to woggle. Especially on work mornings, it feels like I am stealing a little extra enjoyment out of a day that is otherwise filled with obligation. It is also really nice to begin the work day knowing that I've already accomplished (physically) what I want to accomplish for the day.

I do worry that as the running starts, and the workouts get harder, that I'll wake up and dread going out because I know the exertion level will be higher. Right now, all I have to do is get myself out the door, and then the walking isn't overly strenuous. I am hoping that since I've got the routine established as far as getting up, getting dressed, hooking up all my high tech gear and taking Bella outside to do her business, that it will help as things get harder.

Speaking of my routine, I was thinking yesterday, about how funny it is, how much stuff I currently have to "ready" before we head out. Here's a rundown:

1. Wake up, and take a big drink of water
2. Get dressed
3. Take shoes and socks outside to put on while Bella does her business
4. Fill water bottle.
5. Wet sensors, and put on heart rate monitor
6. Put Garmin on (putting paper towel under it on my wrist so it doesn't sweat too much)
7. Put hydration pack on, hooking Bella's leash onto the pack before snapping it
8. Put on Bella's collar
9. Hook Bella's collar to the leash/hydration pack
10. Step outside, and turn on Garmin so it can acquire satellite.
11. And we're off!

Geez, imagine if I add an Ipod to the lineup.

Bella and I walked a bit later this morning because we slept in. It was pretty hot by the time we got out there, but the sun went under a cloud for about half of the time and really it wasn't that bad. No mosquitoes this morning which made me very happy! I carried a water bottle and douced Bella with it several times. Each time, she looked at me like I was crazy or like I was embarrasing her. She came home and swam and now she is enjoying some Sunday lazieness. I think she feels like she's earned it since she got her workout out of the way early.

PSYCH 101:Focusing on the Positive . . . and a few mosquitoes

"As you begin developing your training base, one of the most important features of your mental preparation will be an ability to maintain a positive attitude. One of the things that has become clear to us through working with people training for the marathon is that in order to maintain a positive attitude about training and running, it is necessary to develop a positive attitude about life in general. It is almost impossible to be positive about training while being negative about most other aspects of your life." Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer

To develop this kind of attitude, the book recommends adopting the phrase ". . . but it doesn't matter" whenever you catch yourself saying or thinking something negative, especially in relation to training.

"I am really tired today."
"My legs are sore today."
"The weather is really rotten today."

All things that could be easily used to generate an excuse not to run.

"I am really tired today. . . but it doesn't matter."
"My legs are sore today . . . but it doesn't matter."
"The weather is really rotten today. . . but it doesn't matter."

Because it really DOESN'T matter unless I believe it does! I can, and will, run anyway. And I'll be glad I did when I am finished.

This morning was the perfect time to try out my new positive attitude. Just after we left the subdivision, I was attacked by a crazy number of annoying mosquitoes. I swatted one off my leg and left a trail of blood on my hand and calf. Nice. They continued to attack (my legs mostly) the entire time we were out this morning, and by the time we were home, the total count of bites I received was 12. They are currently gigantic welts as my body seems to be hyperreactive to them.

Anyhow, back to the positive attitude. So my mantra for the walk this morning was, "These mosquitoes are realling annoying . . . but it doesn't matter." That was a rough one to start with, but I got through the walk, and now I just have to get through a weekend of itching.

I cannot believe how humid and muggy it is in Arizona right now. I don't ever remember this crazy humidity before, and I must say I am NOT enjoying it (I know, I know . . . but it doesn't matter). I don't think the mosquitoes bugged Bella this morning. If they did, she kept such a positive attitude that I coudn't even tell.

Happy weekend!

Good Morning Humidity!

This morning was so humid! I dragged myself out of bed after not sleeping very well last night, and Bella and I headed out only to be hit by a wall of humidity. Eek! Other than that, it was a great workout. I tried to pick up my pace a bit after seeing I only averaged 18:19 min/mile yesterday. You'll see in the link below that I was able to increase it a bit without getting too crazy.

Yesterday, when we got home, Bella just seemed really unenergetic, and I was worried she'd gotten too hot or thirsty or something. She was fine later in the day, but Rick and I talked about things I could do to keep her cooler.

Partly through the walk this morning, we passed some sprinklers that were on, so I put some water on her head to help her regulate her temperature better. Also, as you can see from the picture above, when we got home, I immediately let her jump in the pool. She stood there for a while and then jumped out--evidently, when she was through! I think I'll make a habit of letting her get in the pool to make sure she cools off enough-her super rough life gets even rougher! She HAS to swim in the morning. Poor puppy.

Physiology 101: Training the Cardiorespiratory System

I distinctly remember one time when I was in college and was hanging out with my roommate, Beth (remember the one who ran the marathon and was a die hard runner). For some reason we were comparing and taking each other's pulses. She found mine and took it, and it was relatively normal. I remember beginning to try to take her pulse and momentarily feeling frustrated because I didn't think I could find the beat . . . and then all of a sudden I felt this GIGANTIC pulse and then a long pause and then another unnatural, gigantic pulse!!! Wow, did she have a slow, strong pulse. I was totally blown away by this rather obvious physiologic difference between the two of us. It was kind of hard to deny the effect running was having on her heart. There was too big of a difference between us for it to be anything else.

"When you first start running, the initial runs force the heart to pump more blood than it is used to pumping. This is an overload on the heart, and the heart adapts to the overload by getting better at pumping. This is primarily accomplished by the heart pumping more blood each beat because the heart becomes a stronger muscle and can contract with greater vigor and force. The more you run, the more the heart adapts, and it becomes easier and easier to run at a certain pace. If you increase the pace, the heart is forced to pump more blood, your heart adapts more, and it gets even better at pumping blood." From Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer

As you exercise, your heart grows stronger and pumps more blood per beat, and therefore, your heart rate at rest decreases because it is more efficient with each beat. I think this is so amazing!

I LOVE to visualize what effect exercise is having on my heart. Sometimes, I get stressed about all the extra beating my heart must be doing because it is not properly in shape and the fact that every heart probably has only a certain number of beats that it can do in a lifetime. If the heart has to beat extra times to pump blood ALL THE TIME, then likely it won't last as long as it could if it were an efficiently trained muscle. And then I found this statistic which I think says it all: the heart of an inactive person beats 36,000 more times EACH DAY than that of a runner. Oh my. Oh my.

When I'm woggling and watching my pulse on the Forerunner, I like to think about how my resting heart rate is going to change as my heart gets stronger and how, when I'm doing the long runs, my heart will be incredibly efficient and strong.

Here are a couple of other ways in which running can help your body:

• Blood Pressure. Running helps lower blood pressure by maintaining the elasticity of the arteries. As you run, your arteries expand and contract more than usual, keeping the arteries elastic and the blood pressure low.
• Lungs. Running helps maximize the lungs' potential. While deep breaths force the lungs to use more tissue, the 50% normally unused lung potential is utilized.
• Bones and Joints. Weight-bearing exercise like running helps stave off osteoporosis by maintaining bone mineral density.

That ought to get me out of bed tomorrow morning! Especially if I remember it's doing the same for Bella's heart too!

Cushy Socks and Equipment Update

I know I like to write a lot about the equipment and things I'm considering. Running is just running, so I rationally understand that I don't need all these luxuries, but I'm an uber-planner by nature. I can best explain this by saying that when I am planning for something like a trip or an adventure, I want to be able to fully enjoy every minute of the actual experience, so I like to do a lot of pre-planning to make sure that some little annoying detail that could have been planned for, doesn't get in my way. Same thing here. I don't want to set out on my first long run, only to have my dog leash or something, really annoy me the whole time. Okay . . . .I will admit it . . . I also like to shop.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way, I got some new socks! I decided to invest in a few models of cushy running socks, so I headed to Sports Chalet on Sunday. I found this article AFTER I bought socks, so we'll see if I regret not researching before I buy. These are the three I tried:

• Nike Women's Elite Running, Cushioned, No Show
  
• Adidas Running Zone Cushion, Low Cut
  
• New Balance Performance Running Socks, Low Cut

I wore the Adidas pair pictured above this morning, and they were delightful! The feel almost silky in my shoes, and they compress my feet and give them support. I think I am convinced that well-made, cushy socks are worth it!

Bella and I headed out this morning, and I fired up the Garmin Forerunner 305 for the first time. Love it!! Today, I set it up in a time/pace, quick workout mode. 30 minutes at a 16-20 min./mile pace. It beeped at me whenever my pace fell too low or high (but not in an annoying way), and it monitored my heart rate, so I can start to get a feel for what certain levels of exertion are doing to my heart. The thing that made me the happiest this morning was that at the end, it told me that we made it just over 2 miles!! It seemed easy. It was easy--I was just walking. However, it was nice to have a gage for what 2 miles feels like when I start running based on distance shortly.

Update on other equipment:

• Hydration Pack. When I tried it at a jog, it bounced more than I would have hoped. It also feels kind of hot and bulky around my waist. I'm not ruling it out yet, but after talking to my friend at work, Sandy, who is a "real" runner, I may just try carrying a small water bottle in my hand (switching hands occasionally). That's what she does, and she said it actually stretches her hands nicely (which sounds really nice because my hands are always so fatigued from work.)
• Leash (and hooking it to the hydration pack). This actually worked really well and I really liked not having to hold the leash. Depending on what happens with the hydration pack, I may consider that other hands-free system which would work similarly to the hydration pack but with less bulk
• Ipod. For now, I have decided against taking my Ipod on the workouts. I don't feel bored on the woggles yet, and I actually look forward to the time to wake-up and think. I'll definitely consider it if I start to get bored or if I need it for motivation on the long runs to come.

When we completed our woggle, I did the stretches I mentioned in Week 2 Goals. It took more time that I had hoped (over 10 minutes) but felt amazing and was worth every minute. It also just served to reinforce in my mind that I MUST go to yoga. I haven't stretched (besides at yoga) in a while, and I had no idea how stiff my body feels when I'm not in the super hot room!

Got Advice?

I am really hoping, even if you haven't run a marathon, that if I write about some product or theory or idea and you know something about it or have some advice, that you'll let me know. I welcome any suggestions or thoughts that you might have. You can leave me a comment, or my email address is amanda_wruble@hotmail.com.

Week #2 Goals

Training Days: 4

Total Time of Each Session: 30 minutes

Objective: Moderate walking pace (17-20 min./mile)

Extra Credit: Due to the minor calf/shin issue I encountered in week one, I would like to incorporate the stretching exercises from Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer into the end of each of my workouts to help prevent future injuries.

Ashley, A Living Legend

My remarkable sister-in-law, Ashley, has run not one but TWO half marathons!! With all of the time I have been spending thinking about running lately, that's just about as close to a superhero to me as anyone could be right now!!!

This week, she gave me two things to help me along the way!

First, after reading about my concerns with carrying water for Bella (and myself), she brought over this hydration pack she used when she was running. You tuck a water bottle in it, and it snuggly fits around your hips and is supposed to not bounce. It also has a cute little pocket I'm thinking about trying to carry my Ipod in if I decide to run with music.

Rick brilliantly suggested that I hook Bella's leash to the hydration pack, and see if it functions the way I need it to, so it may actually solve two of my problems. I am SOOO excited to try it out on Tuesday morning!

(If for some reason the leash doesn't work with the fancy new hydration pack, I did some research this weekends and this is the hands-free leash system I will probably get based on this article from The New York Times.)

The second thing that Ashley gave me this week was A MASSAGE at my favorite spa! It was so relaxing and gave me a lot of time to focus on my goals and de-stress while the therapist worked out all the kinks in my back from a week full of difficult patients!!

Thanks Ash!

Sunday Lessons

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It should not have been hard to get myself to yoga today. It was just one class. It saddens me to report that I didn't go to a single yoga class this week, but I didn't.

I really wanted to go because Week 1 was easy, and I could have really used some stretching and core strengthening. It's not just yoga, though, it's Bikram Yoga and it's SOOOO hot. All week, I had planned to go on Sunday because Sunday will eventually be the day I hope to do my long run, and I thought that since this "hot" yoga is such a mental battle to get myself through class, that it would be a good step in the right direction to go to yoga on Sunday.

I guess I forgot to factor in the "Sunday" factor. The Sunday dread that starts to set in about going back to work on Monday and the feeling of needing to soak up laziness and conserve energy. I wonder if I need to modify my plan of having long runs on Sunday? Will this be a problem when I start the official training program? I think my plan of running Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday will be most ideal because it gives me off days on either side of the "long run" day to recover.

I got to thinking about how I now feel disappointed in myself because I didn't do the "extra credit" and how, for me, sometimes I tend to be very "all or nothing" about goals and projects, and this has often thwarted my success because I am disappointed in myself and just give up on the goal because I feel like it's been "tainted" by one deficiency.

I also want to be careful to not add too many "hidden agendas" to my goal of running a marathon. These covert agendas that I've attached to my main goal (running a marathon) might eventually make the whole process become unrealistic, overwhelming and undoable. Adding weight loss, the brown monkey, even something as simple as a yoga class or other fitness aspirations onto the training program as an additioinal requirement may only be setting myself up for failure. I sure don't want to run 26.2 miles and feel like a failure because I haven't lost weight or stopped drinking Diet Coke.

So hopefully, even though I still really wish I had gone to yoga today, the result of not going has at least taught me something about myself and how this "all or nothing" attitude has led to previous failure.

That's the bright side/lessons learned of it all. The part I still feel upset about is that a large part of this process and goal for me is that I want to feel like I am able to hold myself accountable for the things I tell myself I'll do. That's the part that sucks.

Thanks for reading!

Running With Music?

I have yet to do any of my workouts with music. I have always been a little bit behind the times when it comes to this type of technology. I think I might have been the last person on earth to get an Ipod. It's not that I didn't want one, I was just slow and uninformed.

Last year, thanks to my super generous co-workers, I received the Ipod 4GB Nano. They pooled together and gave it to me at my wedding shower. All I can say is that as soon as I got it, I didn't know how I had ever lived without it. I started cleaning house with it on, getting ready in the morning with it on and admittedly, some of that excitement has faded in the last year, but every Friday, when Rick and I get the Ipod out to bring it outside for Poolapalooza, I think about how sleek and cool it is.

Do I run with music? Do I use the time to think? Do I do a little combination of both? I feel overwhelmed by having to create a playlist for my runs. How fast will I get sick of the playlist? Will it be a waste of time? Will it be safe? Will my earphones bug me? Will Bella feel I am less present for our work-out?

I think I'm going to slowly start to integrate music into the routine on some workouts. Please let me know what songs make you feel "pumped," so I can add them to my playlist.

Oooh, and I found this really cool site with lots of music for runners, and it even has playlists that are specifically picked for your target heart rate.

I Am Pleased To Announce the Arrival of . . .

That's right!! I arrived home from work yesterday to find this box waiting for me:




A Garmin Forerunner 305! But wait . . . it's not what you think. I didn't go buy it after work. I didn't have to. My husband had already ordered it for me early last week.

I think it is safe to say that I have the most incredible, most supportive husband EVER! I just think it is so amazingly sweet that he believes in me enough to know that this little beauty will be worth it! I hope that the look of delight on my face was enough to make it worth it for him. We immediately plugged it in and began its initial charging.

Bella was so excited she immediately ran and jumped in the pool! I hope Rick didn't think that, just because I didn't run and jump in the pool, that I was less excited than Bella. Instead of just using words of thanks, we, as people, should probably try to be more outwardly expressive of our thanks like animals. Nothing says, "I love my new super fancy personal trainer GPS" like a dunk in the pool.

This morning I awoke to find the Forerunner fully charged. When I turned it, on it began asking me many questions: date, time zone, sex, birthday, weight, social security number (no not really), and then I took it outside and it immediately found a satelite! Sooooo cool!

I am still in the process of reading the extensive manual, but I know that I was already able to set it up to do a "Time/Pace" workout so that it will track my Week 2 sessions (30 minutes at a 17 minute mile pace). It will be so nice to not have to think about my pace and my time. I can just listen to this fancy gadget beep to know when I need to slow down or speed up.

Next, I'm going to read about the heart rate monitor . . . stay tuned.

Happier

Bella and I just got back from our Friday morning session. I was determined to slow up a bit to see if I can address my "shin" issue. It was a beautiful morning! The other mornings that I've been out, I have passed quite a few people out early-morning exercising as well. Today, I didn't see anyone and somehow that made me feel cool! Like I was a Friday morning die-hard!

I got Bella a new leash yesterday. Just a regular leash but 15" longer than the other one I was using. It really didn't help anything . . . or, it did help somethings but made other things worse. I think I'm going to look into ordering this waist one I talked about before. No hurry and no biggie right now as we're not going fast enough or far enough for it to really matter.

My shins were okay. I realized that it is 95% right shin, 5% left shin. I could definitely feel it for most of the walk, even when going slowly, but it did feel like it warmed up a bit by the end. I think a few days off--this weekends just yoga--no woggling until Tuesday--and I'll be 100% again!

I realized today that I don't feel skinnier or healthier or more fit. There's not any reason I should. It's barely been a week. But I can say, without a doubt, that so far I feel HAPPIER. I've felt more connected to my husband and actually had a decent week at work. I also turned up the stereo really really loud yesterday and danced around the house for 20 minutes to some really great music (Talyor Swift, Lady Gaga and Poison--how's that for a combo). It just felt fun. Bella danced too!!

What I am NOT trying to say here is that one week of exercise changes everything. I actually think that the change that I feel has had nothing to do with the extremely small amount of exercise I have gotten this week. I think it has had more to do with having focus and a little bit of control over something that often feels out of control.

I feel like I've gotten a handle on the anxiety about the journey that I've written about by focusing on increments and only what I have to do for the week. I'll keep my blinders on and not let the panoramic view of the next 31 weeks get to me quite so much.

I'm also pretty sure that after work today I'm going to go buy a Garmin Forerunner 305. I found it on sale locally. Don't be disappointed in me . . . I still don't like instant pudding. Actually, I don't like pudding at all, but that's beside the point. The thing is, I've thought about enough ways it will be useful and helpful to justify the purchase and, well . . . one obstacle at a time. This year, marathon. Next year, instant pudding.

Seriously? My shins?

I think that my training schedule has been so easy this week that I have had too much time to over-analyzing everything. I'm also still somewhat petrified that the public nature of my journey will result in complete and utter embarrassment. After contemplating and considering the ways in which I can adopt a more Internal Locus of Control than I sometimes have, I DO understand that I have most of the control over the success of my adventure. However, mental training aside, I AM petrified of my body somehow telling me that I can't continue . . . so that it's not the usual lack of determination that causes me to fail, but the pure physiology.

I am choosing to assume that the reason I am dealing with this now, part way through the first week, is so that I can educate myself and have all of the information I need, early on, to prevent it from getting in the way. I'm also thinking that maybe this is happening to reinforce some of the things I've read this week about the training schedule.

I am MORTIFIED to type this because I've not even made it through the first week yet, but please continue to know and love me, even though this sounds so lame. MY SHINS HURT.

Here's a useful article that reassured me that what I am experiencing is caused by beginning a running training program. I think mine has been made worse by the fact that:

1. I am out of shape
2. I was doing mostly walking (in a heel-toe fashion casing hyper-flexion of the anterior tibialis as I tried to walk fast.)
3. I did not really monitor my speed this week. I assumed that the "moderate" pace that my preliminary training schedule suggested could just be estimated. I KNOW that I tried to go too fast. I even ran some. I think this is due solely to the fact that I don't have a Garmin Forerunner 305.

I think I'm also a little bit panicked because my brother, Kevin, has had major problems with compartment syndrome in the past (which can mimic the symptoms of Shin Splints). He even had surgery but still struggles to run because of it. I know that thinking about that is "worst-case scenario" so I will forget about that for now.

Shin Splints, fancifully know as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, are most commonly seen in people beginning a new running program. They are also most common in people who severely over-pronate their feet in motion. ( When I went to the running store a while back to be fitted for running shoes, I was told that I was a severe over-pronator. Yipee!! More on this in the future).

Anyway, for now, I'm going to keep a positive attitude, religiously do the stretches I've found that are focused on the anterior tibialis, take NSAIDs and keep my speed down. I'll re-evaluate if things aren't improving.

I really wouldn't have been too worried but my "shins" feel more sore today than they did yesterday. Thanks for bearing with me through my hypochondriac tendencies. It's just that I really want to do this . . . and do this right . . . so I have to figure out each obstacle.

PSYCH 101: Internal Locus of Control and Running

No, that's a locust and that's just gross! We're talking about "locus."

Internal Locus of Control (ILOC)

"Locus of control" refers to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them--who or what is responsible for what happens. One's "locus" (Latin for "place" or "location") can either be internal or external.

Individuals with a high ILOC believe that events result primarily from their own behavior and actions. Those with a high external locus of control (ELOC) believe that powerful others, fate, or chance primarily determine events. Those with a high ILOC have better control of their behavior, tend to exhibit more political behaviors, and are most likely to attempt to influence other people than those with a high ELOC. Those with a high ILOC are more likely to assume that their efforts will be successful. They are more active in seeking information and knowledge concerning their situation. The propensity to engage in political behavior is stronger for individials who have a high ILOC than for those who have a high ELOC.

This concept was first written about by psychologist Julian Rotter in the 1950s.

Visit this link or this one to read more.

According to Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer, "your state of mind creates a bodily reality!" If I spend my days picturing myself enjoying my runs, feeling energetic and capable, and finishing with a great sense of satisfaction, it is likely to help get me through those tough spots where I am feeling tired and spent. According to this theory, my body will actually get less PHYSICALLY tired if I spend time invisioning a smooth, strong run before I set out to accomplish it

Unfortunately, I tend to reside in the default position of: expect the worst, so that you'll be prepared for the worst, if it occurs. I blame my Dad (just kidding, Dad--I just wanted to see you were reading). I'm not particularly proud of myself for this, and I know that sometimes it frustrates Rick to no end.

So, here's to making my own reality a little more positive (and therefore maybe my running a little bit easier)!

Why a Marathon? and a BIG Thank You!

This post is combined, even though it, sort of, has two topics.

I have embraced the process of revealing to people this week that . . . this is me . . . and I'm training for a marathon. As I've said before, this has brought on waves of panic with the realization that now that I've announced it, it's not just me that will know if I fail. That being said, there have been two resounding themes in people's response:

1. Amazingly sweet support and excitement (I've saved all of the responses in a special folder to motivate me when I need it down the road).



2. With a few exceptions, people's responses have contained, somewhere in them the statement: "That's so so great, but I DON'T want to run a marathon."

Number 2 got me to thinking, why do "I" want to run a marathon? I'll try to explain:

The first time I thought about the experience of running a marathon was in college when my good friend (and future roommate) Beth went home to Chicago for a weekend to run the Chicago Marathon. I remember being fleetingly impressed at what it must have taken to achieve that, but she was always a runner when I knew her, so I really didn't think that much of it.

After that, Oprah grabbed onto the marathon idea and talked about it for an entire season as she trained to run one. (I am a die-hard Oprah Show fan and am fairly sure I have only missed a handful of shows, ever. Don't judge.)

Since then it's been a pretty common thing for someone I am acquainted with to be training or for it to be on TV. It seems like it is somewhat "the thing to do."

I've just always taken more than a passing interest in hearing about people's marathon experience, like it grabs at me a little more than it does for most people, and I feel like it's something that's built inside me over time.

Last January, I went with my family to cheer on my sister-in-law, Farris, when she ran the PF Chang's Half Marthon. I was looking forward to going, but was surprised by how emotional I felt, watching all of the people trot by as they were achieving their goal. It made me want to cry, and I felt so much admiration. I remember telling Rick on the way home how amazing I thought it was. He said, "well, you could do it too." Totally true, but I felt like, in some way, I'd already failed because I'd thought about doing it for SO SO long but just never got my act together enough to do it. I think that conversation planted a seed.

From Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer:

"You find another side of yourself when you actually put your heart into something. That is one of the things that makes marathoning special. It's one of the few times when you actually meet the challenge of doing something that is probably the most physically and mentally difficult thing you've ever done. It is maybe one of the few times you truly approach your potential."

"Along with the need to grow by testing and expanding our personal limits, we humans desire and value what psychologists call "peak experiences." Peak experiences are positive happenings that have a profound and lasting impact. They are life-changing, and in retrospect are often considered the finest moments of our lives. They are experiences we value and memories we cherish. Some people actively seek peak experiences, but most of us rarely get beyond weddings, births, and the occasional vacation."

That pretty much sums it up. With no more weddings on the horizon and no babies on the way, I want to do something cool . . . to learn something about myself and, mostly, to prove to myself that I can do it.

Thank you

I wanted to take a minute and comment on how amazingly lucky I am to have a life filled with amazing people! I feel as if my heart is overflowing with love from all of the advice, well-wishes and support I've received from everyone as I begin this journey. I really cannot express how much your words mean to me. Bella says thank you too--Bark, bark!!

Anyone Want To Join Me?

It was important to me that when I dedicated myself to doing this, that I decided to do it--for myself, with myself.

That being said, if by chance, as you continue to read my ramblings, you start wondering if maybe you could do it too, let me know, but not until your ready. . . . .

It would be fun to have companions--either cyber companions or in real life.

If not, don't you worry, I'll just keep on running. . . . .

Out of the Neighborhood

We left! We left the neighborhood this morning, and it was NOT a big deal. What I had forgotten when I was whining, last night, about the traffic is that it is not even 6am yet when I am out there. There really wasn't any traffic to speak of. Evidently, most people are still sleeping :)

In fact, leaving the neighborhood made the 30 minutes go by REALLY fast this morning because we were exploring new ground instead of looping around the subdivision trying to pass the time. Bella did great! She tends to be on the skittish side, so I was worried she'd be startled by everything new, but really she did well.

Even though I was just woggling, the muscles on the front of my shins got tired this morning. LAME that I am experiencing muscle soreness from little more that fast walking, but it also serves to reinforce what I said on Sunday about the fact that I have to train my musculoskeletal system too, not just my heart! Oh well, soon enough, I hope to look back on this easy training time and laugh . . .

This morning after I woke up and got dressed and got ready to set out on my woggle, I walked toward the front door and what happened next made any amount of struggle that I had to get myself out of bed worth it. Even though it was only the second morning we were going out, when Bella heard me readying her leash at the front door, she stopped what she was doing (eating something she shouldn't have been) and ran to the front room so quickly that her back legs beat her front legs as she arrived! She was so excited that she flopped her puppy self so fast toward her leash that she couldn't control her legs. Alas! She loves the morning workouts. It made me SO happy.

Instant Pudding

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Once I had a good friend comment on her husband's theory about the "instant pudding" nature of our society. Everyone wants everything, when they want it, without having to wait or work. This statement really struck a cord with me, and I too am often guilty of this.

I really want a Garmin Forerunner 305. It is super handy for tracking running distances and times and has a GPS as well as a heart rate monitor! My mind has decided that I can't run unless I have this . . . . which is absolutely absurd, because me stepping outside and moving my feet has nothing to do with this nifty device. It has to do with motivation and determination. It is interesting to notice how many times in the past I have decided that the latest and greatest fitness craze or device would be the key unlocking the door to fitness and health for me.

I really want the watch . . . . but I feel like I need to earn it. I am not good at holding myself accountable to goals in that sense. I tell myself, "Self, you work hard, you can afford it, you should just buy it now." And all of those things are true, but I think the process of working toward a goal is something I would like to be better at. It just seems like something a reasonable person should be able to do.

So, what shall I do to earn this watch I think is so cool?

Early Morning

Bella and I were up bright and early this morning. It was a beautiful morning out there. She didn't seem to have any problem waking up. Me either--in fact, annoyingly I was awake from about 4am on. I don't know why. I think I woke up feeling anxious about having to get up so early . . . and then couldn't fall asleep . . . . WHICH IS SO LAME. I do feel much more tired than normal tonight, and it has NOTHING to do with the 30 minutes of slight physical exertion. Hopefully, I'll sleep better tonight.

I thought I could knock out the 30 minutes and be able to just stay in my cute little neighborhood. Unfortunately, after winding around all the streets, I had only passed just over 15 minutes, so I had to improvise and do some more winding. It sounds dumb, but I don't want to leave my neighborhood because there's not really any traffic, and I'm not sure where all the sidewalks end once I leave my subdivision. Guess maybe I'll explore that tomorrow.

It's been crazy how much my mind thinks about the training. I'm at the EASIEST possible stage, but throughout the day, my mind is already thinking about that first week I have to run 5 miles. To experienced runners, that sounds like a silly thing to worry about. It sounds like a long way to me. At work today, I started worrying about what week it was that I have to run 5 miles for the first time, so I pulled out my "bible" at lunch and realized it's the first "official" week. Then I was wondering if the 30 minutes of continuous jogging that I'll be doing the week prior to that will really prepare me for the 5 miles (especially if I'm running 30 incredibly slow minutes). Ahhhhhh, trust the process. Maybe running will help me get out of my own mind a little bit and just not worry so much. . . especially when it's 3 months away.

Do you think a glass of wine will make it less likely that I want to get up to walk tomorrow morning?

Week #1 Goals

Mondays start my official training week every week, so each week I am going to list my goals for the week.

Training Days: 3

Total Time of Each Session: 30 minutes

Objective: Moderate walking pace (17-20 min./mile)

Extra Credit: I want to go to at least one yoga class this week!

Seems REALLY easy, right? I know. I felt like a bit of a slacker typing it. But then . . . . . I went back and read "my bible" AKA Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer and it emphasizes that the goal of the early phase of the training is "to condition the muscular and skeletal systems to be able to withstand the more severe demands that will be encountered in the formal training program." The authors also write that the more gradually the intensity is increased, the less likely you will get injured. They also emphasize that it is not a matter of if you are "cardiovascularly ready but again whether or not you are muscularly and skeletally ready."

Geez, someone needs to tell that to my dog. She was cruizin' yesterday!

Sunday Night Walk/Woggle with Bella

Bella and I took a short 30 minute walk/woggle (combo of a waddle and a jog) because I was feeling anxious about starting this whole process, and I decided that the best way to calm my nerves was to just get out and move my feet. I thought it would remind me that all I have to do is move my feet.

It also served to help me fine-tune some of the things I need to think about to run with Bella

1. I need a slightly longer leash or possibly something like this. I found that with the leash I was using, it was a little too short to push up my arm to hold it and when I grasped it in my hand, my arm (specifically my bicep) got really tired after a while while running-ish.


2. I think I am going to need to run with my camelback. Rick and I have used it to give Bella water on our walks before(No we don't let her suck on it for those of you getting grossed out. We squeeze it so it drips and she laps up the drips). I'm worried it might be really hot or bouncy on my back. We'll see how it goes and if I need to adjust because I really don't want to have to carry water in my hand for either of us.

We had SOOO much fun and she was such a great work-out partner. I think she was pretty pooped by the time we got home, but I think a lot of that had to do with her still being a little residually tired from a long day of swimming with her best buds (Abby and Maddox) on Saturday.

I'll give her 'till Tuesday morning to recover! That's when we we'll get up at 5:30am and do our woggle. We're usually up then anyway because that's when Rick gets into the shower, and the shower is pretty much in our bedroom. She and I usually laze away in bed until closer to 6:30am, but it's not like we're actually sleeping. Usually we are just indulging in watching the previous night's episode of The Hills or something. Time that would be much better spent moving our bodies!

Easier said than done tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off, but I'll try to remind myself of what Rick told me when I introduced him to my crazy marathon idea: "You are the best wife. I think you are a rockstar!"

That ought to get me out of bed.

Bellabelle

I know that she doesn't look like she is capable of it in the picture above, but I want to run with my dog! I think she will be the perfect running partner. She would benefit from the exercise, and I want her to live forever.

This Runner's World article says golden retrievers are perfect running partners. I know there will be a limit on how much she can run with me and that when I get to some of the longer runs, she may need to sit them out, but I really hope she can keep me company for a while! Looks like it will be best if Bella and I run first thing in the morning, before she's eaten and before it gets too hot here in Arizona. I've experimented with running with her on our evening walks around the neighborhood and she really seems to enjoy the speed and trots right by my side.

I wonder how she feels about me signing her up for this journey?

The Brown Monkey

I love Diet Coke. I love Diet Coke way too much. It may be the caffeine, it may be the carbonation, but whatever it is, I am an addict. I don't think it is reasonable to think that I will stop drinking it...ever. I think that in order to be successful on this journey, I'm going to have to find a better balance with it in my life. I absolutely know I need to drink less. Maybe running will make me want to drink less. We shall see.

The other day I was reading an article about Jennifer Aniston where she mentioned how much she too likes Diet Coke. She referred to it as "the brown monkey on her back." Good description and somehow comforting that she might have the same addiction too? I'll keep you posted on how it's going with the Brown Monkey.

Amazing Kevin

I have hesitated to tell anyone about this mission--even those who know me well and have watched me struggle to meet my fitness goals in the past. You'd think they'd be the easy ones to tell because they've seen me fail before, so what's the big deal if it happens again? It is said that you have a better chance of meeting your goals if you "tell the world" so that those within your world can support you and also hold you accountable. Heck, there's even a website dedicated to this idea. Needless to say, I'm still wrestling with this.

It is safe to say that my brother Kevin knows me better than just about anyone. He came over last night to hang out with Rick and I. He happened to notice the two running books laying on the coffee table, one of which was Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. I love him because he noticed they were laying there. I love him because he asked me about it.

Kevin (gesturing to the books): Is someone running a marathon?

Me: I've been thinking about it as I've had this book so long and have always wanted to do it?

Kevin: You don't really want to run a marathon, do you? You just feel like you should, right?

Me: No, actually I really DO want to run a marathon.

Kevin: Well, okay then, we start your running tomorrow! The first run is the hardest. I will do it with you.

That's why my brother is amazing!

Preliminary Training Program

By now, some of you are probably curious what my beginner's training schedule will look like. This is straight out of Non-Runner's Marathon Trainer. You will notice that I have read this book so many times that I even caught the math error in Week 8. And you thought I was kidding about how many times I have read this book!

Notice that the preliminary training is 11 weeks long. Unless I've miscounted, there are 31 weeks until the PF Chang's Marathon so as I progress, I'll have to count out when to start the official marathon training (the one in which I need to be able to run 3 miles) which is 16 weeks long. I think I might add the extra weeks on the beginning of the "official" training.

Sunday marks my first day of walking/running. Wish me luck!

The Book That Started It All…..10+ Years Ago

I think it is important to explain where this all began. Here is my best attempt:

You can often find me at my local bookstore, perusing the dorky "Self-Improvement" section, looking for a little inspiration or hope. Sometimes, I read about relationships, travel or money management. Most times, I read about all of the exercise and healthy habits that I wish were a more consistent part of my life.

I have owned the book pictured above for more than ten years. Since purchasing it, I have read it a countless number of times. Right now, you are probably wondering, why bother? You either read it, run it and be done with it, or forget about it and admit that you're not going to do it. Believe me, I rationally agree with you.

Let me tell you a little about the book. Maybe then you'll see why I love it and think I can do this...or maybe you'll still think I'm silly, in which case, feel free to leave me a comment and bring me back to reality. Either way, here goes:

• It was written by two college professors about a course they teach called "Seminar in Fitness and Mental Health." The sole purpose of the course is to train for and run a marathon. Hundreds of people have taken the course. All but one have completed the marathon (the reason for the one guy not finishing is discussed in the book--lack of hydration, I think). Almost all of the participants have never run more than 3 miles. 3 miles! Now I have your attention!
• The book gives detailed descriptions of one semester's participants--some are 50+ years old, some are more than 80 pounds overweight. Now you're really listening, right?
• One intriguing part of the book for me is that each chapter (corresponding to a week of training) is divided into three sections. One of the sections is all about the mental training and toughness aspect of running a marathon. I LOVE this part. I'll delve into more detail about this in future posts.
• The last thing that I think makes this book's concepts so tangible is that the beginning of the training schedule starts with only having to be able to walk 30 minutes at moderate speed (3.0-3.5 mph on a treadmill). The first three weeks are ONLY WALKING--three weeks to work up to the running!

I've never felt like a good runner. I'm just so slow. If I can build up my endurance and muscle stamina by starting with walking, who knows, maybe even I can run a marathon!