Runners World Forum

I haven't had the need to post to the Runners World Forum lately, but today I had a question. When I tried to log in, I was unable to with the new log in system. I reset my password once, and cleared my cache and cookies multiple times. I am still unable to log in. At least now my login is accepted, however, when I am redirected back to the forum page it says that I am not logged in. If I click the log in link again, the page just reloads. HELP!

Today's Run

Today I didn't feel like running at all. I took the dogs for a walk around the block. After the walk I felt like at least going for a short run. I ended up run/walking a mile. I was so cold, I pretty much hated every minute of it. I hate being cold.

What should I wear in order to run outside in fall & winter?

Another Run

I just returned from running (run/walk) 2 miles in 52 degree weather. I had high hopes how far I could run without walking since the temperature wasn't in the 80s or 90s. I did walk a little more than I wanted to, but over all I am very happy. My lungs on the other hand are not. I may have to start taking my inhaler with me when the weather turns cooler.

What kind of clothes should I wear when running outside in the winter?

State Fair, not running

Today I went to the NC State Fair! Instead of running, I walked the fairgrounds and pushed family members in a wheel chair. At the end of the day my triceps were hurting.

Running again!

Today I did essentially the same thing as I did on Monday. It is awesome and feels so good to be running again.

Finally!

Today I was finally able to run again! My clothes have felt tighter and I've just felt bad. First I took the dogs for a lap around the block, which was .6 miles. I dropped them off at the house and decided to go running. I ran probably another .6 miles, and then walked/ran another .5 miles, and ran another .1 home. Man it felt great, and I am glad that I did better than I thought I was going to. I'm looking at another few crazy weeks but I'm going to try to run as much as I can.

Week 22, Day 5

On my journey to getting back to running 3 times a week, I took the dogs out for a walk again today. Each one was taken around the block once (the hard way around). So that was 1.2 miles. Then I went out and ran the easy way around. My lungs were not happy and I was breathing a little heavy. However, there was very little walking! I did much better than I had anticipated.

Just brought all the things in from outside in preparation for the T.S./Hurricane Hanna.

Week 22, Day 4

I apologize for this blog being dead for the past 3 weeks, but life has been happening and I haven't been working out. We've had a week of my DW being hospitalized, a week of trying to get caught up on life, and now another week in the hospital with a few hurricanes on the way. To be blunt life has been crazy. I wish I were good enough to use running as my stress reliever, but I'm just not there yet. I've been eating lots of junk, and too much at meal times. Eating is my stress reliever and I've been chowing on chocolate and fast food. My excuse for the fast food is that I eat on the run when DW is in the hospital.

Anyway, today I was tired of feeling fat again and I decided to take the dogs for a walk as a precursor to running again. I took the Daschund around the block the easy way, and he did great! He didn't stop in the 90 degree heat and I didn't need to pour water on him either. That was .6 miles. Then I took the Italian Greyhound out and we went on a mostly flat route which is the route I started running on awhile ago; a round trip is a mile. He made about .75 miles when he decided that he needed a break. At least I noticed before he started doing that odd squat/walk thing. After a few minute of him first laying around and then sitting, he tried to walk but even at a slow pace he seemed to be having trouble. So, I picked him up and carried him the rest of the way home. So all in all, I walked about 1.6 pretty easy miles today.

Well, time to shower, pick up something to eat, and go see my wife at the hospital.

Week 19, Day 1

Today I decided to run outside. It was over 80 degrees so I thought it'd be pretty easy. I was wrong. My lungs weren't happy at all. I ran/walked the first 1.5 miles and walked the last .5 mile. I think I may have started out too quickly.

Week 18, Day 4

Today was another day where I didn't get much sleep, but I didn't want to miss another day of exercise. I dressed in my running gear and took my dogs for a walk in the 90+ degree heat. The block is 6/10 of a mile. When the sun was behind a cloud the was bearable. I brought the dogs back home, got my iPod and water and went for a mile run. It felt great! I ran the whole 1st 1/2 mile and ran/walked the last 1/2 mile. Doesn't look like I'll be getting to the gym tomorrow. :(

Week 18, Day 3

I didn't get much sleep last night so I didn't go running. I plan on getting much needed rest tonight and go running tomorrow. My arm still hurts a little from the weight lifting yesterday.

Do you go running even when you were only able to get 6 or 7 hours of sleep?

Week 18, Day 2

Well, I finally made it back to the gym today for a weight lifting workout. I has been just over a month! July must have been crazy. I took it easy and did 2 reps instead of 3, and lowered the weights a little... And I still hurt my shoulder! I couldn't even finish any more arm workouts. I ended up missing the row and arm curl. I finished the non-arm-related machines and headed home.

Week 18, Day 1

I was back in the gym today for a run. Today I ran 1.8 miles. My lungs were not happy with me. :( Wednesday! It was good though, I picked a treadmill in between two other runners. It kept me motivated for awhile. :D

Week 17, Day 5

I feel like crap today, I hope I'm not getting a sinus infection from my DW. Somebody kick my but if I don't go out running Monday. :(

Week 17, Day 3

Back in the saddle! Finally a day without running around the whole time!

I went to the gym and didn't feel like I could do the whole 2 miles. I ended up going 1.5 miles instead, but I did feel great. It did help that I was listening to Confessions of a Runner podcast titled "yes you can".

In summary, I ran a mile, walked .11, and ran .5 miles.

Week 16, Day 4

Today I was able to get to the gym and run. I ran on the treadmill for a mile, walked for .12, and then ran another mile. I really didn't want to finish that last half mile but I stuck with it.

Week 16

Life has happened, and I haven't been able to get to the gym or run. Perhaps Thursday will be different. :(

Week 15, Day 5

Today I felt tired when I woke up. I finally dragged my butt into the gym around 12:30pm. I ran for 1 mile, walked for .11 miles, and then ran another mile. Don't know what it is why it's so tiring to run when, what, a couple of weeks ago I ran 2 miles straight? Sigh.

Week 15, Day 4

Nothing today. I got less then 6 hours of sleep last night and have been running errands from 7:30am - 2:30pm. I exhausted. :( Plan on running tomorrow!

Week 15, Day 3

Unfortunately, I had to forgo the running today. Yesterday evening when I was grilling dinner my dog laid down in the grass and I could barely see him. It was then that I decided that I needed to mow the lawn today instead. It is almost as big a workout out as running, and takes longer, too.

Week 15, Day 2

Today is normally a weights day, but since I didn't get to run yesterday, I decided to run today. (And the plan is to run tomorrow, too.) It went pretty well, but I did stop and walk at the one mile mark for about a 1/10 of a mile. I really wanted to stop at the 1.5 mile mark but kept going all the way to the 2 mile mark. I've never run two days in a row, so we'll see how I feel tomorrow.

Week 15, Day 1

Sorry, I haven't felt well since Friday night. Had too many errands to run today on top of that. Hopefully I'll be able to go to the gym tomorrow and work out.

Week 14, Day 5

Today I felt crappy again. I didn't feel like going to the gym and the more I got ready, the more I knew it wasn't going to be good. Instead, I ran in the 80 degree heat with 72% humidity around my neighborhood. Of interest, I saw a couple of deer come out of a greenway:


Then instead of running on the road the whole time, I ran on a trail in the neighborhood which cuts through a large block. It was nice, but parts were a little flooded from all of the rain we've had lately. I mostly walked through it since it was unknown territory. Anyway, I ran/walked the whole way and it went pretty well. I'm glad I went out and the different scene was better than staring at the wall & out the window in the gym.

Week 14, Day 4

bad day -- nothing to report

Week 14, Day 3

Today I start with my excuse/reason... One of the people that work at the gym told me that their treadmills are no longer calibrated properly because of their age.

Both today and Monday I've run on a different treadmill (because someone has been on "mine"). This one feels faster than the other, so even at the same pace, I'm actually running faster on this other treadmill.

To that affect, I haven't been able to reproduce my 2 mile straight stint. Again, running at a 13:02 pace, I couldn't make it but 1.5 miles before needing to slow down. At first I slowed my pace, but that didn't help. At the 1.5 mile mark I walked to 1/10th and then ran and finished the 2 miles. Grrr. I don't want to stop and walk until the 3.1 mile mark.

Week 14, Day 2

Nothing today. Had a rough day yesterday and very little sleep last night. Hopefully I'll get enough sleep tonight to be able to run tomorrow.

Week 14, Day 1

Today I ran 1.5 miles, walked for 1/10 and then ran the rest.  A little disappointing but good nonetheless.  Wednesday we'll try again!

Week 13, Day 5

Happy Independence Day!

As it is a national holiday the gym is closed. I decided to run outside today.

It was 89 degrees F with a "feels like" temperature of 94. I ran around the block... the original block with hills. I'm pretty whooped but I did run about 1.5 miles and walked 3/10 miles. I'm pretty happy with myself right now. I never could have run that in this heat before.

Week 13, Day 4

Today I went to the gym, wimped out on one rep, and completely skipped the ab machine. Afterwards we went to see Wall-E. Great movie!

Gym is closed tomorrow. I'll have to see about running outside.

Week 13, Day 3

Today was a great run! I hit a milestone today! I ran 2 miles straight, and increased my speed to 4.6MPH which is a 13:02 pace. I felt like I could have gone farther, too, but I didn't want to push it. When I got home my wife said that I didn't even look tired. Awesome!

Week 13, Day 2

Today I substituted the gym for mowing the dense brush. Er, I mean the back yard so that the wiener dogs no longer require a machete to do their business.

Week 13, Day 1

Today was a good run. I didn't really feel like going today, either, but not as bad. Strangely, I really wanted to run last night. Anyway, I got to the gym and got on the treadmill for my warm-up. I actually think I was little scared I wouldn't make it, like Friday, which is why I was wanting to avoid the run. The warm-up went fine and I quickly put the speed up to 2.8 (wanted to go faster but wasn't going to chance it). I was nervous, but ran at 4.5MPH anyway. The first 1/4 mile was a snap; I didn't even feel it. By the 1/2 mile mark, I was a little tired, but not bad. The one mile mark came easily enough and I knew I was going to make it to 2 miles. I walked for 1/10th of a mile at the one mile mark. For the last few weeks my left ankle has been hurting off and on... A LOT less now that I've stopped wearing flip flops. But for the last mile my ankle and knee were starting to complain. It wasn't an unbearable pain, but at one point it felt like my knee was going to buckle. That didn't happen even though I started having visions of falling off the treadmill and making a scene. And the best part of the entire experience is that I actually RAN 2 MILES. Yes, I did my 5 minute warm up, ran 1 mile, walked 1/10th, ran another mile, did a cool down. Oh yeah!

Week 12, Day 5

Today was a bad run day, but I'm already getting over it. I didn't want to run at all and the negativity in my head started before I even hit the gym. I ran my first mile, walked my 1/10th, barely recovered and ran until 1.75 miles. I just couldn't do it today, and walked the rest of the way to the 2 mile mark.

Week 12, Day 4

Took an unscheduled day off. I woke up feeling crappy with a sinus headache. Additionally, I ache from running harder yesterday. I'll drink lots of water and give the body a day to rest.

Week 12, Day 3

Today was a good run. I went to the gym and ran on the treadmill. I increased my speed to 4.5MPH which equates to a 13:20 pace (mins per mile). I did my new routine... ran 1 mile, walked for 1/10th, and ran the rest with a 1/10th mile cool down after the 2 mile mark.

With this speed increase, I could feel like lungs not being happy (as they are every time I increase speed or distance). I don't have shin splints but I sure could feel my shins towards the end. I'll have to make sure I do some extra stretches today and tomorrow.

Week 12, Day 2

Today was a pretty easy one. Went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. My arms felt like rubber when I was done... Hard to believe it could be difficult to steer a car one handed.

Week 12, Day 1

Today was going to be the coolest day of the week so I decided to run outside. My running partner decided that he wanted to go too. The new route we run is just shy of two miles and I think he forgot that. The temperature was in the low to mid 80s when we started out. We made it about a mile with a limited amount of walking (hills, 'ya know). Then he started doing his "I can't go on" thing, which is difficult to explain, but I will try. Instead of walking normally, his back legs turn outwards from his body and he gets into a 1/2 sitting position and continues to walk slowly. When I come to a stop, he will do this "walk" while slowing squatting into a sitting position.

So, we stopped, he drank water from my hand, and I rubbed him down with water. We must have been there for 5 minutes. We slowly started walking again and ran maybe a block. When we reached the 1/2 mile remaining mark, he really was done. I carried him home. I'd take about 10 steps and he'd look back at me and I'd try to console him and tell him that he was OK/good/etc. A couple of times he wanted to try to walk but couldn't. I picked him up and carried him some more. When we were a house away from being home, he insisted that he finish walking to the house himself. He did the weird squatty walk to the house where he promptly stayed in bed for most of the day. He's walking fine now but I'm not sure how often I should take him with me when I run outside.

Week 11, Day 5

Today I ran on the treadmill at the gym. I didn't want to run at home due to it being garbage day and I didn't want to smell that and garbage truck fumes. I always feel like I'm not running fast enough at the gym. I ran my first mile, walked for 1/10, and ran the last 9/10. During that last mile, I turned the speed up a couple tenths and it felt fine. After my workout, I had to meet my wife at Staples, so I walk/ran from the gym to the store. Gee... maybe 3 miles isn't too far away after all. :D

ALSO:
Just needed to vent, and a general "WTH?"

Been at this nearly 3 months now. Pants are too big... more room in the shirts... and weight is the same. What is up with that? I know about the whole fat->muscle change, but come on. Not a pound? That's just going to make me work harder, you know.

Week 11, Day 4

Went to the gym and worked on the Cybex machines. Same old same old. :)

Bonus Post

I haven't been complaining about it, but my ankle has been hurting. I think it is due to the el-cheapo flip flops I've been wearing as my daily shoes. When I'm wearing sneakers it stops hurting. I'll feel it a little bit when I run, but it goes away quickly.

Another message from the complaint department: I ran outside today and my knee hurt a little bit when going downhill. That dang treadmill has made me weaker. :D

And... yesterday when I went to the gym I was told that I looked like I had lost weight, and was told it was visible in my face. That is great news to me! The scale hasn't said that was losing weight and it has been a few weeks since I last checked. Even though my clothes are loose, and my wife says I look thinner, it's always nice to hear it from another source.

Well there you have it... my first "bonus post".

Week 11, Day 3

Instead of running on the treadmill, I decided to run outside again since it was only in the 70s this morning. I took my running partner with me and that made him very happy. Instead of my normal route, I took a new route that is just shy of 2 miles... It's about 1.95 according to Google Earth. There were lots of hills and we took plenty of walk breaks. It took us about 37 minutes to get back home after starting. It wasn't that bad, but sure made me appreciate the flatness of the treadmill. :D

Week 11, Day 2

Went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. On the machines I could, I did 3 reps instead of 2. My legs feel weak probably from the 1.9 mile runs I've started doing. My arms feel like rubber from the extra reps. Whew, I'm beat.

Week 11, Day 1

Wow, what a day! Last week I had increased my running to run 1 mile, walk .25 miles, and run .75 miles. I knew last week that I didn't need to walk that entire .25 miles to recover, so today, I walked until I had recovered and then finished my run. That means that today I ran 1 mile, walk .1 mile, and ran .9 miles. Woo hoo! I'm now almost running 2 miles straight. I'm now finally entertaining the idea of running a 5K. I still run slow, but I'm OK with that.

Week 10, Day 5

Awesome! I really didn't feel like going to the gym, but I feel so good after a run, I got dressed and went anyway. I decided to see if I could run farther-at-a-time than I did on Wednesday, and I did!

I ran for an entire mile, walked for 1/4 mile, and then ran 3/4 mile. Woo hoo! Time to do the Snoopy-Dance!

Week 10, Day 4

Instead of going to the gym, I mowed the lawn. It counts as a work out because it's a push mower, right? The air is very smokey from the wild fires in the north-east part of the state. Local officials are telling people to stay inside with the a/c on and their windows & doors closed. They also told joggers and runners to not run outside tomorrow. Looks like I'm back at the gym for another day.

Week 10, Day 3

Went to the gym today to run on the treadmill. While it is cooler today than it has been, it was already over 80 degrees. Also, I wanted to run on the treadmill to see if I could run longer... which I did! I ran 3/4 mile, walked 1/4, and repeat. Awesome! I'm "this close" to running a full two miles!

Week 10, Day 2

Today was an unscheduled day off. I played chauffeur for many family members and spent the rest of the time running errands and going to the ER.

I just wanted to give this report: McDonald's makes me feel like crap. I've tried about three times since I've started running and eating better. Either I feel "blah" afterwards or my stomach is upset. I think Micky D's is now off the edible list. Man, I used to love those burgers but now they just gross me out.

Week 10, Day 1

Well I felt like a slug. I didn't run Friday which means I hadn't run since last Wednesday. Over the weekend it was my birthday and I pigged out on cake. So again, I felt really bad when I woke up today.

It has been over 100 degrees the past few days and will be again today, so I got ready to run and headed to the gym. I was a little uneasy about running in public, but it was good. In fact, running on the treadmill is a lot easier that running outside. I think I was running at a 14:36 pace which I know is slow, but I'm going. :D I was running at 4.1 MPH. When I was done running and got off the treadmill, I felt great! It was amazing how much better I felt. I think I'm hooked, y'all.

Week 9, Day 5

Too hot today.. over 100 degrees. Taking Fri-Sun off.

Week 9, Day 4

Today was another scorcher. I headed off to the gym around 11am and the outside temperature was 98. I'm seriously considering going to the gym tomorrow and work out on the elliptical machine instead of running outside.

Anyway, today I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. On the way home I stopped for gas and picked up some Japanese food for lunch.

Week 9, Day 3

Wow, today I got up late and it was near 80 before I was even able to get out and run. I didn't bring any dogs today, and had to stop and walk a little before the 1.5 mile mark, but I did it. The temp today was in the 90s.

Week 9, Day 2

Went to the gym today and worked on the Cybex machines. I think they finally fixed/greased the arm curl machine. The workout was a good one.

Week 9, Day 1

It was hot, muggy, and hot today. I took the dog for my run with me, but dropped him off after the first mile as he was looking tired. I did the second mile and then took my other dog for a walk around the block.

Week 8, Day 5

It was the hottest day yet. I ran/walked my two miles with my dog. He almost didn't make it on the way home, but he did a good job... I was dragging him most of the way. *I* didn't think I was going to make it either, which is strange because I've been running this path for awhile. Shouldn't it be getting easier?

See you Monday.

Week 8, Day 4

I went to the gym today and worked out on the Cybex machines. I forgot to raise the weight on one machine. I also told the staff that the arm curl machine was sticking. They said that they'll grease the machine.

Week 8, Day 3

Today was cloudy and was rainy. I got my run in, in between showers. It's a good thing it was cool because I forgot my water bottle. My running partner slept, so I ran without him. Overall it was a good run.

Week 8, Day 2

Today I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. I bumped up the weight by 10 pounds on all of the machines except the arm curl. There's still something wrong with that thing. When I returned home, I took two of my dogs for a walk around the block.

Week 8, Day 1

Today was a good run day. I wasn't at my 100%, but it was good anyway. I had to sleep funny due to my dog needing to be babied because of her neck, and I didn't get good sleep. When I woke, my back was a little achy. I was going to run by myself, but my "running partner" heard me getting ready and jumped out of bed. I brought him with me, and since it is a holiday, we had to dodge people, kids, and other dogs. That is why I've stopped running on Saturdays.

I think I'm beating a sinus infection. That first 1/2 mile was tough. I didn't feel like I was able to breathe deep enough, coughed up the crap, and felt a lot better. I had to make myself finish running the 3rd 1/2 mile and gave myself a little Rocky cheer when I did it.

I only ran 1 block of the last 1/2 mile as it's a little hotter today than it has been, and we started out late. After the first mile I tried to get my dog to drink, but he didn't want anything. I thought he might want to go inside, but he didn't want that either. And as I stated above... neither one of us really felt like running during that last 1/2.

Week 7, Day 6

I took today off from running. Why? Because I don't like running when there's a bunch of people out in the neighborhood. I'm also a little bummed that even though I've been running for 2 months now, the scale says that I haven't even lost 1/2 a pound. Maybe the scale is broken because I know my stomach is smaller. Anyway, I'm taking the weekend off.

Week 7, Day 5

I ran today with my dog. Afterwards, I took my other dog for a walk around the block.

The run was good even though I didn't feel like going at first. Around mile 1.5 my dog decided he wanted to stop and smell something which made me land on my ankle. It didn't hurt, but I sure was startled. I walked it off a little bit and continued the run.

Week 7, Day 4

Today I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. I think the arm curl machine is broken since most times there feels like too much tension and at other times (rarely) it actually feels quite easy. And yes, this is at the same sitting.

I'm thinking about bumping up the weights next week.

Afterwards my wife & I went out to see the new Indiana Jones movie. I really liked it and give it a 9 out of 10.

Week 7, Day 3

Excellent run today! I've stopped using my iPhone for tracking my time since I'm not really tracking my time anymore, I'm going for running time. I brought my dog today and was dragging him near the end. I kept tugging on his leash saying, "Come on, don't make me drag you." He was exhausted by the end but loves it. He wants to go running with me every time. I'm still doing the 1/2 mile run, 1/2 mile walk (and repeat). However, on the walk section, I'm running a little more. Excellent.

Week 7, Day 2

Today was gym day. It got cut short so that the window people could replace the windshield on my car.

Week 7, Day 1

Today was a good run! Still doing the 1/2 mile run/walks. This time I took my dog with me. He really enjoyed it. I'm going to have to pick up the running during the walk section, though.

Overall I'm doing well. My left knee still tingles once in awhile, but it never hurts anymore. I really like my running shoes as well. I forgot to stretch before I left the house, so I did a quickie stretch in the front yard before we started.

---

Wow, I just keep thinking about what a good run I had today. It makes me want to run tomorrow instead of going to the gym. I guess I'm getting hooked on running.

Week 6, Day 6

Instead of running today, I did yard work. Back to running on Monday.

Week 6, Day 5

Even though it was very humid today, it was a good run day. I ran 1/2 mile, walked 1/2 mile, ran 1/2 mile, walked a little, ran a little and walked a little more (total of 1/2 mile). Excellent! I feel that progress is being made.

Week 6, Day 4

Went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. Everything is getting easier except for those dang curls.

Week 6, Day 3

Today I felt like changing things up a bit. After six weeks, I was tired of watching a clock all of the time and I felt like it was slowing me down. So, instead, I ran 1/2 mile, walked 1/2 mile and repeated. Man, after running 1/2 mile all at once, I felt ecstatic! After doing it a second time, I felt like Rocky and wanted to jump around with my hands in the air! All of the running was downhill or flat, so the pain will come when I start running back up the hills instead of walking. But for now, I did a great job! Woo hoo!

Week 6, Day 2

Today I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines. I can tell I'm getting stronger and that makes me happy. :)

Week 6, Day 1

Today I just didn't feel like it. My back was aching, I was tired, and I just didn't have any energy. I ran anyway. I only ran for 12 minutes of my 30 minute workout, but I did run. Part of the problem was the headwind plus the uphill climb... wasn't going to happen today. At least I went out and did something.

Week 5, Day 6

Today was awesome, another great run. 5 mins run/2.5 mins walk. Again, I did poop out on the way home the last mile, but that just gives me a goal to work on.

I've been stretching before I run and can feel the stretch in the bottom of my feet. That is the same spot that was hurting when I first ran in my new shoes. I'm thinking that I wasn't stretching enough.

Week 5, Day 5

Today was an unscheduled rest day. I was up until 4:30am thanks for HP (Compaq) and Microsoft. I was up again at 11:30am reinstalling computer software until about 5:30pm today. :(

Week 5, Day 4

Today I went to the gym and used the Cybex machines. My legs felt a little weak during the leg press... probably due to the extra running I did yesterday. Hopefully I'll be able to run 5 mins again tomorrow.

Week 5, Day 3

Awesome! Today I ran 5 mins/2.5 mins walking. I was so excited that I laughed! No more 2 minute running for me! Today was a great milestone and I'm very happy. I did poop out at the end and walked 4 minutes, but I can live with that for now.

Week 5, Day 2

Today I walked the dogs and went to the gym to lift weights. When I went walking I used my old sneakers instead of my running shoes and tonight my knee is bothering me a little. Perhaps I should use my running shoes when I do my walks.

PS: My DW came home from the hospital last night.

Week 5, Day 1

Today I ran. I ran in my new GT-2130s and my (lack of) arches hurt. It is strange that my arches didn't really hurt in my plain old sneakers. This was my first run since last Wednesday so maybe I ran too fast; I'm not sure. Overall I feel pretty good even though I pooped out somewhere around 20-23 mins and ended up walking the last bit home. I'll chalk it up to not running Friday nor Saturday. We'll see how it goes on Wednesday.

Off to the hospital... hopefully my DW will be coming home today.

Week 4, Day 6

Today was another day spent at the hospital. No running today. Hopefully I can run on Monday before going to the hospital again. I really want to try out my new shoes.

Week 4, Day 5

Today was another unscheduled day off. Bummer. My DW is in the hospital.

My new running shoes came in and I picked them up along with some running socks. Hopefully the new shoes along with these two days off will help my knee feel better.

If I get up early enough tomorrow, I will probably test out my new shoes by running before heading off to the hospital.

Week 4, Day 4

Today was an unscheduled day off. My knee has been bothering me a little. It doesn't really hurt, but I am aware of it, it is warm, and sometimes tingles. I'm going to take the day off.

Week 4, Day 3

Today I ran. I took my dog with me and ran my new route which is mostly flat. I felt stronger today and even though I was tired during the last few minutes, I still ran up the hill back home. Once again, I was dragging my dog towards the end which just made me cranky. He has twice as many legs as me and is supposed to be able to run 40MPH! Anyway, today was another 2 min run / 1 min walking.

Emotionally, I haven't been wanting to exercise lately, but once I start, I feel great. Is that normal?

No line dancing class today, my DW & MIL wimped out on me and went to the mall instead... Sigh...

Week 4, Day 2

Easy day today. I walked about a mile with the dogs, but first I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines.

Week 4, Day 1

Wow! I have much to tell today!

First and foremost, I ran today! The hills have been killing me, so I changed my route to be about 90% flat instead of a long slow incline and a short fast incline with a smaller one in between. Today I did 2 minutes of running and 1 minute of walking, except uphill, and I am fine with that. I am so happy that I have progressed to this point. And the most interesting part of it all is that I didn't want to run today because it has been raining and was gloomy, I was tired, and I didn't want to go to the gym. But, it stopped raining for a short period of time and I went out and ran. Oh yes, and I saw no dogs on my new route.

Yesterday I went to Fleet Feet Sports to get fit for running shoes. My feet are so wide that they are going to special order the shoes in a 8 4E width. Unfortunately, it will take 1 to 2 weeks to get them in. I believe the new shoes are Asics GT 2130s. Thankfully, my wife found the extra new pair of sneakers in my closet. These are the same as I've been wearing but are new.

Week 3, Day 6

Today I'm a little bummed. You see, last week my wife said that jogging was different than running. To which I rebutted that I am supposed to start slow and speed will come, and that I wasn't going to listen to anything negative that she or her mother, who was also in the car, had to say. I felt like saying, "at least I'm not sitting on the 'couch of doom' all the time. Then yesterday my mother-in-law said, "I saw you out running this morning." She then turned to my wife and said, "He's not running, he's jogging." To her credit, my wife came to my defense and said that I'm supposed to be starting slow. I felt like saying, "At least I'm not buying a dozen doughnuts every other day." What depressing negativity. How is one supposed to work through that? I dunno. Dave Ramsey says, "If your broke friends are making fun of you, you're doing something right." The same can probably be translated into exercise. I'm glad tomorrow is a rest day.

Today I tried to mix things up to push myself forward because two weeks at 2 & 2 is enough right? I first walked 2 minutes then ran for two. Then I tried walking 1 running for 2; I don't know why it is so hard. Maybe it's because I don't having running shoes, maybe there are too many hills in my neighborhood. I'm now going up the long, low incline and down the steep hill. I changed it up so that I would walk 1 minute when going down the big incline and walk 2 when going up the long incline, and I still don't feel like I could do it and ended up walking 3 and then 4 minutes up hill. Maybe I'll chalk it up to making slower-than-wanting progress and change my route to a more flat one.

Week 3, Day 5

Today felt like a bad day. I had to get up early (for me) to run before I was gone all day. I got maybe 7 hours of sleep, and my back has been hurting since yesterday's extra outdoor activities.

Anyway, I did run my 2 / 2 walk / run. Once, I just couldn't catch my breath so I ended up walking 3 minutes, which I just took out of my last walk. Overall I guess it was OK today, but I just didn't feel up to it. But you know what? I RAN today! I could have slept in or sat on the couch of doom. Great job B.Ginning Torun!

Week 3, Day 4

Today I got up and headed for the gym after a quick bowl of cereal. As I'm walking towards the treadmill for my warm up, I think to myself, "I don't really want to be here." I quickly put that thought out of my head and do my 5 minute warm up. After working out on the Cybex machines I came home and walked my dogs. Once I finished with them, I mowed the lawn. I'm sure I mowed it just a couple of weeks ago, but much of the grass was 2 feet tall, and higher in some places! Mowing the lawn took over an hour since I had to keep cleaning out the lawnmower... yes it is a push mower. As the lawnmower ran out of gas I took a water break and finished the yard. Since hurricane season is around the corner and I've been slack, I pulled out the generator and let it run for about 10 minutes as I made my lunch. After lunch I put up the generator and lawnmower, and turned the water back on to the hose bibs. Man, what a day of labor. :)

Week 3, Day 3

Today I started out by going to a line dancing class for an hour. I'm starting to follow about 80% of the steps which is a lot better than last week. I then came home and took one of my dogs for my run. Again, walk 2 mins / run 2 mins. I think I was running a little faster today so I kept trying to make myself slow down. When I started to run, I initially thought I could drop down to only walking 1 minute on Friday, but that uphill was killing me. I did push myself for the last minute of the last 2 minute run to run just a little faster than I wanted to, and I ended up pulling the dog along for the ride. I guess he was tired. :)

Week 3, Day 2

Today I worked out on the Cybex machines at the gym, and stopped at Moe's for lunch. After I came home I walked for 1/2 hour... first I took one dog, then the other. Tomorrow is line dancing and running. Have a great day!

Week 3, Day 1

Yay! Today I ran! Instead of following the old routine, this week I'm running 2 mins / walk 2 mins. At first my lungs weren't happy, but they kicked in. Walking the 2 minutes gave me time to catch my breath in between runs. I really feel like I made progress today, which is awesome.

My knee has been tingling since Friday but felt pretty good this morning and still feels OK. At one point I think I was trying to go too fast since my ankle and knee were starting to hurt. I also started feeling shin splits. Oh yes, today I had my first side stitch! LOL

All in all, it was a great run!

Week 2, Day 6

Today was a good day, and I ran. I was tired when I got up, but I ran anyway. I ran 1 min / walk 2 for 30 minutes. At one point I was going a little too fast and my left ankle started to hurt. I slowed down and all was well. For the record, I don't like running my neighborhood on Saturdays. There are too many people out/around and too many vehicles parked in driveways that are blocking the sidewalk. Next week, I think I'll try to run 2 mins / walk 2.

Week 2, Day 5

Last night my wife was in the ER for pain and I was very tired. I went to bed around 2am which used to be normal for me, but now it is a little late.

Today, I didn't feel awake, nor did I feel like running. So, I ran anyway. I went back to the first stage... run 1 minute, walk 2. I did that for half an hour and felt great. Today I am a runner. While I was running a met a friendly lady walking her dog, twice. I also met another woman who said hi, and asked how far I was running. I told her two miles, and said, "wow, that's great". It made me feel really good. Perhaps mid next week I'll switch to running 2 minutes.. we'll see. I'm going to go slow.

Week 2, Day 4

Today I walked for 1/2 hr and took my dogs. I took one, had to run an errand, and took the other. We were almost attacked by another dog. This dog always barks and jumps around when we pass, and is usually restrained by his chain. This time, the chain didn't stop him. I put my dog behind me and started yelling at the oncoming dog. This dog stopped at the edge of his lawn, and after I stared him down, he started slinking away. After we moved on the dog realized that he was free and started wandering around. I was going to tell these neighbors that their dog was loose but, as usual, they weren't home. Maybe the dog will find a new home. Maybe I need to invest in some pepper spray.

Anyway, after the walk, I went to the gym and worked out on the Cybex machines.


After talking to some other runners, I have also decided to not follow the training schedule completely. I am going to listen to my body, and it is saying that this schedule is too accelerated. Instead, I plan to run 2 minutes / walk 1 until it is easy for me. Then I will increase my runs by a minute, a week at a time.

Week 2, Day 3

Today kind of sucked. If I'm supposed to be running according to this guide, then I'm failing. I was supposed to run for 3 minute intervals and walk for 1 and it just wasn't happening. I changed my route so that I now run down the big hill instead of up, and I'm sure that helped. If I'm lucky, I ran for 3 minutes once or twice. Another time I know I only ran for 2.5 minutes. It doesn't feel like I'm going to be able to keep up with this 8-week schedule. Maybe I'm asking too much of my body; I don't know.

Enough of the depressing talk... I ran with my dog today, but earlier, I took a line dancing class for about an hour. I used it as a warm up. When I was running, I did make sure that I stayed out and moving for just about the whole 1/2 hour.

Afterwards, I took my wife out to lunch and walked the other dog about a 1/2 mile.

Week 2, Day 2

Today I walked for 30 mins and took the dogs. Afterwards, I worked out on the Cybex machines at the gym for about an hour. Tomorrow is my first day learning how to line dance. Wish me luck.

Week 2, Day 1

Today I ran, and I took a dog. Let me tell you that running for 2 minutes straight is a lot different than 1 minute at a time. By the 3rd time around my block I refused to even try to run up that big hill. I really think I need to go "backwards" around the block. I don't really feel like a failure, but it does make me wonder how I'm going to run 3 or 4 minutes at a time. And let me tell you, those steps get closer and closer together as you wear out. Once or twice I just couldn't catch my breath enough to start running again after only a minute break walking, so I took two. My dog was happy when I stopped running, as well. After I finished and started resting, my lungs began to spasm. Near the end of the half hour, my calves were really tight. A couple of times after resting, my legs were wobbly.

Week 2's schedule

I am really nervous about my success of week 2. They seem to be ramping up awfully quick.

Mon: Run 2 mins, walk 1 min; for 30 mins.
Tue: Walk 30 mins
Wed: Run 3 mins, walk 1 min; for 27 mins. Run 2 mins.
Thu: Walk 30 mins
Fri: Run 4 mins, walk 1 min; for 30 mins.
Sat: Run 4 mins, walk 1 min; for 30 mins.
Sun: rest

Week 1, Day 6

Today I ran. I really hate running uphill. I think I may go "backwards" around my block. That way I have a long less-steep incline, which is the way I started walking last year.

I am scared about next week's schedule.

Week 1, Day 5

Today I ran. Still hate going uphill, but at night I can't wait to run the next day. Once as I was going downhill my left ankle started to hurt. I skipped that minute of running and walked for 3 minutes. After that it was fine.

Today I was "trained" on how to use the cybex machines at the gym. I went to the gym right after my run. We are to have a cold snap next week, and I may utilize the gym more. It was suggested by my trainer that I use the cybex machines on my "walk" days.

Week 1, Day 4

Walking again. Simple, no problems. Took the dogs.

Week 1, Day 3

Today was the fitness exam. I've lost 2 pounds already. Is that good or just a fluctuation? My BMI "needs work" (duh). Everything else was either "Fair", "Fit", or "Excellent". I'm better off than I thought I was.

Today I ran. No lung spasms this time!

Week 1, Day 2

Today was walking. Simple and easy as usual. I took my dogs with me as they're used to me walking.

Week 1, Day 1

Today, all 240 pounds of me ran (or jogged, who knows).

As I started, my lungs started spasming.. they weren't happy. Uphill, I couldn't run an entire minute. I'm glad I lasted the 1/2 hour, and am glad it is over.

Downhill and level are easy, uphill sucks.

I also joined a gym last week. Wednesday is my "fitness exam".

Making a game plan, week 1.

I've decided to start running. I found a run/walk plan on the Runner's World web site and am listening to a couple of running podcasts... Confessions of a Runner and Phedippidations. The Week 1 running plan is..
Mon: Run 1 minute, Walk 2. Repeat for 30 minutes.
Tue: Walk for 30 mins.
Wed: Run 1 minute, Walk 2. Repeat for 30 minutes.
Thu: Walk for 30 mins.
Fri: Run 1 minute, Walk 2. Repeat for 30 minutes.
Sat: Run 1 minute, Walk 2. Repeat for 30 minutes.
Sun: Rest

I Want To Run

I think I've always wanted to run, but never felt I could. I've been heavy since high school. I hated running track in gym class, but I could walk it. Any time I would attempt to go faster than a walk, my lungs would spasm.

Last year, after a physical (and seeing my weight), I started walking for my health to help lose weight and help my cholesterol levels. I started out slow and ended up walking 3 miles a day, even in 90+ degrees F... then the winter came and it was "too cold" to be outside for an extended amount of time.

I did miss walking and was depressed that my weight plateaued even with walking 3 miles daily. What to do? Can I run? I couldn't in high school, or could I? Many things seemed to be pointing me to running...

• I seemed to be envious of other runners
• Runner's World magazine kept drawing my eye
• My wife's nurse is a runner
• Dave Ramsey is a runner
• I have a friend, in Italy, that is a runner
• The problem with me is the person I shave with
  

Running seems to be the next logical progression from walking. I hope I can do it.