Friday Breakfast

1 cup homemade granola with a banana and 2% Milk.

~611 Calories 

124 g. Carbs

21 g.  Fat

16 g. Protein

Runner's High

I have had some really excellent runs lately. Last Friday, I crushed my four-mile run! I was pretty excited about this because it was the longest I have run continuously for since I started training earlier this month. It felt really good. Part of the motivation for this run was that I was leaving town as soon as I got back. I managed to hotfoot the whole way at a 12 mile pace (average). Leaves me feeling good about my first 5K this weekend.

Today I did a 2.5 mile run at a bit of a quicker pace. I picked up my running partner about a third of a mile in which increased my time a bit. However, he is 6 feet tall and keeping up with him is tricky. Even still, not too much of a push on this run. No major hills or anything. I think I am at the point now I can start working in some intervals and hill runs. Yay! Fun stuff.

I hit the perfect euphoria on my Friday run. It doesn't happen often but when it does the results are transcendental. Everything synchronizes, breath evens, body becomes mechanical and brain just floods with happy endorphins. Its the allusive "runners high" that everyone chases.

New Kicks!

I was in desperate need of new shoes! Last year, when I started running, I did a big runner no-no : I bought my running shoes at a thrift store. They fit me fine but they were probably not as safe. They did the trick but this year I knew I needed new shoes.

In reality this should not be such a big deal but for me it is. I wear a 5.5-6 size shoe. For those with dainty feet, you are probably well aware of this problem already. Running shoes don't come in your size.

When I went to the sports store, the salesperson says, "You may have to check the kids section." Yeah. Right. Kids shoes are not meant for training or running. They are for kids running around in PE for 30 minutes a day. Fortunately, there were two pairs of adult Nike's that were reasonably priced. I went with the mint green.

I was thankful to find shoes that fit. The lady trying on shoes behind me kept complaining, "They don't have them in the color I want." I really wanted to go over and give her a bit of a reality check. Be thankful they are in your size lady!

Fellow (female) runners : If you wear a size 7, 8 or 9, be thankful! You have tons of choices in shoes. Consider me and my little fairy feet jealous.

Friday Breakfast

I will probably blog more about my diet later but I would like to start the tradition of reporting my breakfast on Friday's as a sort of food diary.

Today's breakfast was a poached egg with a half of an avocado on whole wheat toast and a 1/4 cup of raisins.

Calories: 465
Fat: 21
Protein: 15
Carbs: 61
Fiber: 13

Sideways Rain

I am pretty comfortable with running in almost any kind of weather. I don't mind the cold because I can always layer up. The scorching heat isn't to bad either as I long as I start early enough in the morning and have a few built in watering holes on my run. Wind? Hah! La Grande will always have windy days. Snow and ice? Yep, done it. Ran through snow drifts on the track. The secret is running in your footsteps over and over again.

Here is a confession: I have never run on a treadmill. Just the whole idea of it bores me to death. Plus, I hate the idea of running in a gym full of fast, stronger and meaner people. Uncomfortable all the way around. 

There is only one type of weather that keeps me from running and that is sideways rain. Its the wind/rain combo that so frequently happens in Eastern Oregon in the spring. It makes running miserable as you are pelted by tiny rain daggers. Call me a wimp. I accept it. "True runners always run no matter what the weather!" Well fine, I guess I am not a "true runner."

So that is what happened today. I was all set for a 3.5 mile run this afternoon when it started up with the sideways rain routine. *sigh* So I shuffle over to my computer, find some cardio/strength training videos on the internet and do a 35 minute workout instead.

Thankfully it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow. 3.5 miles here I come...slowly.

I am a terrible runner...

I am a terrible runner, just awful. Believe it or not, I am pretty fit. I have always been active (until college ulg!) and genetics are on my side. Finally in the spring of 2012, my friends coaxed me into running a 5K.

I decided to give it a shot. I mean, why not? You can always afford to be a bit speedier in the case of say, a zombie apocalypse or, more likely, a thief chasing you. To be honest, I was scared of racing. I had not trained much. I was worried that people would make fun of me or even worse, I would be so slow that everyone would pack up and leave and I would still be out there running (dragging). It was a horrible thought.

The race course was challenging but I made in about 45 minutes. I was not the last person to finish either!

That was the only race I did for a while. Then after I graduated I found myself kind of board. I was not adjusting well to the life without school thing. I needed that sense of competitiveness back in my life. I needed to be able to push myself again.

Last year I challenged myself to run a 5K each month. I trained all winter, (a new sport I called ice running), and into the spring. I ran seven 5K races, one 10K race and one half-marathon.

...and then I started school again! Exercise has been on the back burner until this month! I am excited to finally force myself to get back into a routine. So that is what this blog is all about: me, torturing myself regularly. Enjoy!