I now live in Valley and I LOVE IT.  I’ve been exercising solely by walking with a pedometer.  But the other night Tim went out running and asked if I wanted to come along for the second mile so I did.  I was amazed at how easy it was.  And fun!  I ran 1.48 miles just like that- and I hadn’t run in months.  Crazy.

So the next day I went running after the radio show in the morning.  Another 1.48 easy.

The next day I walked with the girls from church.

The next day it rained.

Today I ran 1 mile to Langdale.  I’m enjoying this running thing again

Yesterday and the day before I ran 1 to two miles each.  Then today we went out for 6.5 miles.  I made it.  I thought I did pretty good and so did Tim.  The only problem is that I am getting frustrated.  It seems like I can never get up to the  mileage I am supposed to be doing.  I should have done at least 7 or 8 but it just takes me much longer to get there than one week.  I dunno.  I looked at trying for a half marathon instead of a marathon, but if I did that, I’d be running four miles tops for the next month and a half or so.  And that just seems loserish now that I’ve been running more.  And boring.  Not sure what to do.

It wasn’t that it was hard, it was just that I didn’t want to do it.  You would think that after running six miles, three miles would be exciting and fun because it’s so easy.  Not so.  After running six miles, three miles seems boring.  I kept thinking, “Why do I have to do this?”

But I did it.  And by the third mile I was enjoying it, I guess.  I just wish I wasn’t breathing so hard!  It should be a really easy 3!!

Seriously, though, no complaints.  I’m glad it was a decent run without much effort on my part.

In Gatlinburg: one 3.2 mile run up and down some VERY steep hills.  Difficult but fun.

Sunday the 21st: Sick but went out for six miler at Stone Mountain.  Had to quit and go home and rest.

Monday the 22nd: attempted 6 miles at Stone Mountain.  I failed.  Ran/walked 5.5. Tim did 6.  Very disappointing.

Wednesday the 24th: Even more disappointing.  Tried to run three miles in the morning around Rust lakes.  I quit at 1, then ran/walked to 2.  Tim ran three.

Friday the 26th:  Great 4 miler at Rock Island.  Didn’t stop except to walk up major hill!  Very tough- sore calves for us both all during the run- but finished at Grissom bridge.  Think I’m getting the hang of this again.

Saturday the 27th: 3 mile walk with Dad, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Kay, and Samantha.

Sunday the 28th: 6 miles!!!  2.5 miles through neighborhood, bathroom break at Publix, went to 3.5 at Tim’s work at Emory, turned around.  Very quick breaks on the way to 5 miles.  Breather at 5 miles.  Finished to 6 in spurts.  I’ve tasted discipline again.  I think this is a tipping point.  We were exhausted- walked another mile to 7 home- then went to Outback and tried to replenish.  Didn’t meet calorie quote for today, I’m sure.  Rest day tomorrow.

I think we ran a little harder than we usually would have though.  Just a little bit.  Still, though, a ten minute mile.  That’s ok.  I know in the past I could run faster, but it takes time to work up to these things.

It was a good run.  Didn’t have to stop.  My knees hurt a little (I have GOT to lose that last five pounds!) and I had to breathe hard, but what’s new?

We’re going to Gatlinburg on Wednesday with Tim’s dad’s family.  I’m sure it’ll be nice to do runs so that we can get outside a little bit, but it’s always strange running someplace you don’t know well.  At least it is for me.

Wednesday: Four mile run.  Raining. I wore my old shoes so I wouldn’t get my new ones all wet.  It was awful.  I had to walk/run the whole time.  But I didn’t finish that far behind Tim.

Thursday: Three miles.  New shoes.  Did ok, but still had to take little breaks.  Not sure what’s up.

Today: Five miles.  We’re in Birmingham, so we did a loop around Rust, two around the block plus Meadow Brook Road and some culdesacs.  Pretty tough.  Had to catch my breath a few times, but was doing fine.  FINISHED.  Now I’m tired.

But anyway we did the 3 miles.  We have a lot of miles to log this week.  It’s not going to be fun.  But I’m sure we’ll get it done.

I’m thirsty.  See you later.

Well, it didn’t go well.  The race was delayed and the longer I stood there, in the COLD, listening to these marathoners next to me pretend they weren’t going to do well at the 5k, the less ready I felt.  Still, though, I wanted to beat BE&K time from a few years ago, and I really thought I could.  So the gun went off and Tim TOOK OFF.  I mean I felt like he was going so fast.  And…all this happened in like a second…but it was bad.  Tim was going so fast, all these people were passing us, and I, well, had intestinal problems.  I really thought I was going to have to find a bush nearby.  I couldn’t feel my legs at all.  It was awful.  It was the Athens Human Race all over again, only much, much colder.  

Well, I made it up the hill at the beginning of the course, and even a little further.  But I thought I was going to throw up.  I told Tim to go ahead, but he wouldn’t.  So then I walked a little bit.  Then I ran more.  Then I had to walk again.  My lungs were burning.  Then I ran again.  But I had to walk again (this is all way before even a half mile mark).  I kept telling Tim to go ahead without me, but he wouldn’t.  He kept suggesting we just hang back and walk with Macy and Dad.  So finally I agreed.

I am so disappointed about this race.  I said to Tim, right before it started, that this is the first 5k we’ve run together that we’ve both been prepared for.  And yet- look how it turned out!  All the new shoes and training runs and reading running magazines didn’t even result in one mile.  

Yes, I had fun walking with Dad and Macy.  I tried to make the most of it, and it really was fun.  I’ve been trying not to beat myself up about this all day.  But it’s hard.  Before Tim left this afternoon, I took him aside and told him how sorry I was.  I thought he would be understanding when I explained what happened, but instead he said, “Well, this just can’t happen for the marathon.”  I felt a little heartbroken.  I don’t know how to KEEP it from happening.  I still don’t know why it happened.  I don’t know if I can do this.

Tonight I looked up some articles on stomach problems when racing.  Apparently, a ton of people experience this.  This just happens to have been my first time to go through it, and I didn’t handle it well.  So I don’t feel as awful about myself, but still.  What if I’m prepared for this in the next race, but then I run into a new problem?  (sigh.)

I also don’t know what to do about my running partner.  He is always, and everywhere, going to be an exponentially better runner than I am.  And I can’t change that learning curve.  So…I’m not sure what to do.

I’m going to be ok going to sleep tonight.  And I’m going to go out and start the marathon training on Monday.  I’m going to find another 5k to do soon enough, so that I can prove to myself that I can do this.  Maybe I’ll run it by myself, I don’t know.  I’ll remember today for the fun I had with my family, and I’ll try to take some lessons away (no cereal before races), and I can hope for a better race next time, I suppose.

Sometimes it’s hard to feel like a runner.  I’m trying to remind myself that going out there, week in and week out, putting in the miles, is what makes me a runner.  Nothing else.

We decided to run the hills at the old house again.  We figured, it’d be good for me to do better at them than last time.  Also, it was only two miles instead of three, so it actually seemed doable to me.

Someone suggested to me that I yell, “I Love Hills!” as I ran up the hills and guess what- it worked!  Also, I told myself that I could not think about the suffering I was feeling until I could see over the top of the hill.  And by then, well, it was pretty much done.

So I did GREAT and this was a great run!  In fact, on the tough, tough hills on the second mile, I even told Tim a story.  Sure, every sentence was divided into three or more phrases, with huge gaping breaths in between, but I did it.

This was a good work out to do right before the 5k, which is Saturday (!).  Also, our pace was good, too.  Go us!

Well, I was awful.  I was worn out but doing ok until the second set of hills.  Then Tim started talking to me.  As he was talking, I realized that he was not out of breath at all, that he was perfectly fine!  I suddenly got so frustrated.  And when he asked me a question, I just broke.  I walked for probably a tenth of a mile.  I did finish the three miles, but it was terrible.  I had to walk quite often.  Looking back, I didn’t do as terribly as I thought, and I DID finish.  But at the time I felt like such a failure.

It’s natural to have a bad run after such a good one the other day.  But it still isn’t fun.

The good news is that my shoes worked out great.  My toes felt a little weird the whole time, but I had zero pain in my feet, ankles, shins, or knees, so it was totally worth it.  I’m so happy about that!