Comments (31)

By kilax, December 16, 2009 4:17 am

There was an interesting article about bad gift-giving and how it can be straining on marriages this Tuesday in the Wall Street Journal. I found it humorous, but also, disappointingly sexist – both for men and women.

The article gives the classic examples of “bad” gifts given to wives from their husbands – vacuum cleaners, over-sized sleepwear, cooking pots, golf clubs, etc. Those stories are always good for a laugh or two.

But I felt like the whole article made men sound like thoughtless idiots who don’t listen to their wives, think twice about what they are getting them, or care if they are given a “bad” gift. It made women sound like they are overly emotional about receiving a “bad” gift, elusive about what they want, and the perfect gift givers.

Well, I always say “stereotypes are stereotypes for a reason,” but come on*. I know this isn’t true in our relationship. Since we’ve been together (7 years) I have not been able to get Steven the “perfect” holiday** gift. First it was an XBox. Then a printer. Specialty items for the Saab. A nice watch. A Garmin. So on and so forth. Run-of-the-mill things. How do we measure the worth of a gift? By the excitement of the person opening it? By how much they use it? How much they talk about it? If they thank you?

Steven has given me amazing, thoughtful gifts. Probably the most amazing was the first thing he ever gave me – a handmade box for holding my drawing pencils. He made that!

So, I am not anti gift-giving or saying I am awful at giving gifts, but… maybe it’s not all that important, in the long run. Maybe it’s not something worth getting upset about. Maybe we should just be excited when someone was thoughtful and generous enough to get us something. You can tell when it is sincere and from the heart, not matter how good or “bad” it is.

What do you think? Are these gift-giving stereotypes true?

*I would love to see this article include some examples of same-sex relationships as well. I wonder what the gift-giving stereotypes are there.
**Steven, it doesn’t help that your birthday is THREE days before Christmas!

Comments (14)

By kilax, December 6, 2009 5:17 pm

Note: We were training for the Disney Half Marathon on January 9th but decided we should not go. We are still somewhat following Hal Higdon’s Novice Half Marathon training program for fun. We will probably modify the training schedule to coordinate with our schedules (and aches and pains, ha) but I like to report it here on Sundays to hold me accountable!

Day 43 | November 30, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

Blah blah blah, same routine as last Monday and Wednesday. I was a bit sore from the 30 Day Shred. How sad is that?!

Day 44 | December 1, 2009: 4.5 m run

If someone would have told me I’d be wearing shorts for an outside run on December 1st, I wouldn’t believe them! But, I was. We had a high of 50º and it was still pretty warm when I got home. I wish all of December could be that warm!

This run felt mostly effortless. Of course, we weren’t running fast, but it’s a good sign to me that running is starting to feel really comfortable and natural again. We ran through our neighborhood and got to check out everyone’s holiday decorations. We saw some pretty funny ones. Too bad I didn’t have the camera with me…

Distance: 4.5 | Time: 44:35 | 1: 10:20 | 2: 9:57 | 3: 9:54 | 4: 9:44 | 5: 4:38

Day 45 | December 2, 2009: 3 m run or cross + strength

The schedule didn’t call for it, but I did some strength training during my lunch break – same routine as Monday. To all of you who exercise in the office gym – does it weird you out when you see coworkers down there? On Wednesday I saw a lot of guys from my floor, then two girls in the locker room. So yeah. Not that I was looking, but now I’ve seen my female coworkers semi-nude.

Check out the map of our walk below – wondering why it is so random?

Because we wanted to take pictures of some of the more… elaborate decorations we saw on Tuesday to share with you all. Sadly, they do not look as funny in the photos as they do in real life. I guess they look silly in context. Now I just seem bitchy for posting these. They just had a lot of mis-matchy stuff and it made us laugh.

Brr, it was a cold walk! It was windy and neither of us had our heads covered (dumb, I know). When we got back, both of our faces felt cold for quite some time.

Distance: 2.17 | Time: 32:45 | 1: 14:47 | 2: 15:16 | 3: 2:41

Day 46 | December 3, 2009: 4.5 m run + strength 3 m run

I was all ready to run in the 29°F weather with Steven when I left work… until I stepped off the train to walk to my car and immediately realized the day’s snow and rain had turned into a dangerous icy combo. So, first treadmill run of the season…

I always use the treadmill on a 1% incline. I started running and had pain in my left shin (this happened last week on the treadmill too – what does that mean?). It went away, but then I kept getting twinges on the outside of my right leg above my knee but below my thigh (What the hell is that?! This better not be an IT band issue!). Then I snapped my headband across my eyes (ouch!) and got entirely too hot. Steven actually opened the window for me. I cut it short at 3.00 – I did not feel good. Definitely a fail run. I am running outside next time, as long as it is not icy.

Do you run on a certain part of the treadmill? I always stay too close to the front because I think I might slip off the back! There are tread marks from my shoes on the front of the treadmill cover thingy. Oops.

Distance: 3.00 | Time:  30:21 | 1: 10:21 | 2: 10:00 | 3: 10:00, plus 1 mile total warm-up and cool-down

Day 47 | December 4, 2009: rest strength

On Thursday, Erin was kind of enough to show me a few moves on her office’s cable machine. The schedule didn’t call for strength on Friday, but I was planning on fitting it in since I can’t next Monday (on travel). I tried two of the moves Erin showed me – the Woodshop, and what’s she’s calling the Drinking Bird. The first works the transverse abs and the second works the weakest parts of your body when you do it. I was happy to have some new moves to add (although I am uncertain if I did them correctly). Thanks, Erin!

I did the routine below. Note, I didn’t do any leg machines because of my legs being sore on Thursday. 

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Lat Pulldowns: 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Lunges: 10 each side with 5 lb weight each hand
Crunches: 15
Bicycle Crunches: 16
Woodchop: 10 each side at 30 lb
Drinking Bird: 10 each leg at 15 lb

Day 48 | December 5, 2009: 50 min cross

We had a super busy day and only managed to fit in a short walk. Oh well.

Distance: 1.67 | Time:  25:52 | 1: 15:20 | 2: 10:32

Day 49 | December 6, 2009: 7 4 m run

This run was powered by Vegan Cinnamon Rolls!

We put vegan cream cheese on them when we ate them.

Yum! We made vegan cinnamon rolls to take to our friends’ home on Sunday morning. Steven followed a recipe making them. Shall I share the recipe and a post of our cinnamon roll pictures?

Steven has a sore hip, so we cut this run down to 4 miles. He had to stop at 3.1 though, because his hip started to bother him. I hope it goes away. We are going to adjust our running schedule until he feels better.

The run felt pretty good for me (love those 35° temps!). Must have been the vegan cinnamon rolls! And the fact that I wasn’t on the treadmill.

Distance: 4.0 | Time: 38:48 | 1: 9:57 | 2: 9:54 | 3: 9:49 | 4: 9:04

Week Summary: 13.01 miles

Steven and I had a discussion this week about how we want to move forward with our training (hence the message above in italics). We were originally training for a half we are not running anymore, so we’ve decided to loosely follow the schedule, by running three days a week, but increase our mileage more slowly. I am really grateful to be able to do my runs with Steven. I feel like it is a good way for us to catch up, and a good way to connect. It’s sometimes difficult to coordinate our runs depending on how our bodies feel that day, but we are dedicated to working out together. I feel lucky that I have a partner to help me get in shape (especially as we go through the holiday season).

Did you read the article on Well this week about shinbone (tibias) stress fractures? Since I had a stress fracture in my shin this summer, I found it particularly interesting. The article covered two studies. The first study recommends strengthening your calf muscles to prevent stress fractures (but says this is only applicable to women), and the second study (from the university I went to) recommends shortening your stride.

I have been muchos careful when my shin, icing it often, and paying close attention to how it feels. I did have strange leg aches ALL WEEK, all over my legs. I wonder if it is from the “hills” I ran last Sunday. Ha ha.

Comments (8)

By kilax, November 29, 2009 2:59 pm

Day 36 | November 23, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

I did the same routine as last Wednesday plus lat pulldowns (15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb) per Erin’s recommendation. And no one in the gym harassed me about the legitimacy of my routine! Yay!

Day 37 | November 24, 2009: 4 m run rest

Reasons to Not Run:

1. You feel exhausted
2. Your lower back is sore (why is my lower back sore?)
3. Your legs are sore (why are my legs sore?)
4. It’s raining outside. Hard.
5. You’re sick of running in the dark.
6. You just don’t feel like it.

Okay, some of those reasons are more valid than others, but they’re ALL reasons why I didn’t run on Tuesday night…

Day 38 | November 25, 2009: 2 m run or cross 4 m run + strength

… and ran Wednesday morning instead – at 6:30 am at the office gym treadmill, meaning I caught the 4:56 train. The nice thing about working out before work is that you save time at home by not putting on makeup and getting ready – you do that at the office.

Both shins hurt for the first half mile, so I iced them later in the day. I listened to Holiday Music on 93.9 and watched the Today Show while running. It was kind of fun combo.

I visited the gym again during my lunch break and did the same strength routine as Monday. I had to be careful not to overdo it, because my back hurt all day Tuesday, but surprisingly, I felt fine.

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 40:44 | 1: 10:32 | 2: 10:11 | 10:11 | 4: 9:50

Day 39 | November 26, 2009: 4 m run + strength 5K Race

We ran the Crystal Lake Thanksgiving Day 5K in 28:40. This is my first 5K since the one I ran in August with Erin (side note – I miss running with you, Erin!!!). Three whole months without racing! It felt good to race again – not that I race to be competitive – there were plenty of people ahead of me. I just like to get out there in the running community.

Distance: 3.09 | Time: 28:40 | 1: 9:49 | 2: 9:11 | 3: 8:52 | 4: 00:46

Day 40 | November 27, 2009: rest or easy run

Yeah. This was a day of REST. Unless Wii Rock Band counts?

Day 41 | November 28, 2009: rest 6 m run

Warning: Photo Heavy Recap Ahead!

To take advantage of higher temps (50°) and a lower chance of rain, we decided to do our run on Saturday, and we tried a new trail! On the way to our 5K on Thursday, we drove by a sign for the Moraine Hills State Park. I was intrigued, so on the way back home, we drove through it to check it out.

We found that the park has four seperate trails (crushed limestone), as well as some dirt trails! I feel so ignorant for not knowing about it! This State Park is only 10 miles from my house and I am JUST NOW finding it? We decided to go check it out for our run (and hey, we actual got there at a decent hour!).

What a treat it was. This park has real trails and real HILLS. And the trails were so beautiful. We ran by prairie areas, by lakes and streams, and through the woods. Actually, the trails we took went through mostly wooded areas – I bet it would be a great place to run in the summer.

We took a very easy pace – around 10:20. And we were very stop-and-go. At first it was to make sure we were following the correct paths (they are directional) then it was to stop at the car so Steven could change (I was WAY overdressed) then it was to stop and take silly photos and look at neat wildlife.

I am excited to go back there again, especially because of the hills. And maybe even in the winter, Steven and I could do some snowshoeing.

Hills,

hills,

and more hills.

Like my improvised shorts?

Lake Defiance

Steven and Kim

Wetlands

Distance: 6.00 | Time: 1:02:05 | Our splits got messed up but you can see them here.

Day 42 | November 29, 2009: 5K Race 30 Day Shred (Level 1)

Oh, the 30 Day Shred. How I’ve neglected you. Usually, when I do it after I haven’t for awhile, it completely kicks my butt. Well, not this time! I found the strength and ab moves easier than before. It was the jumping jacks, butt kicks and jump rope that were bothering my shin. Someday, maybe someday, I will move on to Level 2. Ha ha.

Week Summary: 13.09 miles

Ha, I am not sure if there was even a point of putting the base Hal Higdon Novice Half Marathon Training Schedule up this week. We basically did our own thing to accommodate for the holiday and the 5K. Coincidentally, the plan did call for a 5K race this week, so that worked out well.

I would really like to see my weekly mileage increase, but I want to take it slow so I need to be patient. It’s kind of hard to up your mileage very much when you are only running three days a week! I really think that is the best plan for me right now though – I don’t want to overdo it and hurt myself.

Comments (7)

By kilax, November 22, 2009 5:37 pm

Day 29 | November 16, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

I’ve only been doing my little strength routine for a month but I can already feel definition in my legs, arms and chest. I am excited to see how my body reacts if I keep it up!

So, what’s up with people who don’t clean off the gym equipment after they use it? They go from machine to machine, do a bunch of quick moves, and never clean up. Do they have some special privilege I don’t know about? Are they germ free? Am I just paranoid?

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Leg Press: 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 80 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb
Lunges: 10 each side with 5 lb weight each hand
Crunches: 15
Bicycle Crunches: 16

Day 30 | November 17, 2009: 4 m run

I don’t know if it’s the cold weather, losing a few pounds, or having to poo, but we’ve been running faster, and it’s been feeling pretty good.

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 39:31 | 1: 10:17 | 2: 9:51 | 3: 9:42 | 4: 9:36

Day 31 | November 18, 2009: 2 m run or cross Strength

I had to fit my strength routine (same as Monday + shoulder press) in Wednesday morning because of my busy schedule this week. I enjoy using the office gym when it’s so empty. There’s hardly anyone there, except for the well-intentioned gym manager (a new one this time, goes by “Captain Ed”).

He waited until I was done with my routine to introduce himself. Then he asked where I got my routine. And I told him the truth – I just made it up using the machines available. He kind of laughed at me. I know he was trying to be helpful. He mentioned classes he teaches and offered to help me develop a (better?) routine. Unfortunately our schedules don’t match up any time soon. I was somewhat annoyed that he was laughing at me. I used to not do any strength training at all, so I’ve been giving myself huge pats on the back. I guess it’s time to get more serious about it?

Day 32 | November 19, 2009: 4 m run + strength

I only got 4.5 hours of sleep, so I took a rest day. I don’t feel good when I run on so few hours (and I am already kind of worried about exhaustion and running burn-out after this summer).

Day 33 | November 20, 2009: Rest 4 m run

I (selfishly?) ran this 4-miler alone while Steven and my dad were working on the car, and my mom and grandma were cutting up pizza toppings. My mom, grandma and I walked around Chicago for about 6 hours during the day. My legs felt SUPER tired while I was running. But I really wanted to get out there and run, because I knew I would not be eating so healthy the next day… and needed some time to decompress too!

I was surprised that I could run negative splits without Steven with me. Maybe that means I am getting better with pacing? That would be great! I keep telling myself “the slower you start off, the easier it is to run negative splits!”

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 39:55 | 1: 10:35 | 2: 10:19 | 3: 9:43 | 4: 9:18

Day 34 | November 21, 2009: 40 min cross

I really wanted to fit in a whole 40-minute (or more!) walk with my family, but we were just TOO busy. I am happy we at least got these 25 minutes in. I was excited to show my grandma and mom the Nippersink Forest Preserve. I enjoy showing family members the areas I frequently visit.

Grandma and mom…

… mom and me.

Distance: 1.26 | Time: 24:52 | 1: 19:41 | 2: 5:10

Day 35 | November 22, 2009: 6 4 m run

After cutting it so close (with sunset and the park closing) last week, I though we would work out our schedules better today – NOPE! We were super busy and didn’t start running until 3:50. Then we both had to stop and poo at 3.66 miles. After that, it was too dark, so we just finished the 4 out, and decided to do 6 next week (I think it’s a slower week or something).

I felt good running, at least! But damn, my calves are SO SORE from all of the walking downtown and standing in the kitchen all weekend.

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 41:16 | 1: 10:17 | 2: 10:28 | 3: 10:24 | 4: 10:03

Week Summary: 13.26 miles

I think our trip to Disney World for the Half Marathon is off. Sounds like we are just following a training plan for fun now! That’s fine with me – I need something like this! And running has been getting much easier and more enjoyable so I am happy about that.

Comments (9)

By kilax, November 15, 2009 5:45 pm

Day 22 | November 9, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

Same strength routine as last Thursday. I was having a very stressful and hectic morning at work, and tried my hardest not to let it affect my workout. I hoped breathing slow and taking my time would calm me down. It did, a bit, but I still did the routine faster than normal. At least it felt somewhat easier, which I take as a sign than I can start trying heavier weights soon.

Day 23 | November 10, 2009: 3.5 m run

All of our evening runs are in the dark now. Did you read the Runner’s World online article Run to the Dark Side (it’s an old article that was in this week’s newsletter)? In the third paragraph they mention how runners have always been warned not to run too close to bed time, because they’ll feel wired all night and won’t be able to fall asleep. But then they go on to discuss a University of South Carolina Study showing that people who exercised intensely for one to three hours were able to fall asleep a half hour later.

First of all, I hope the people in the study refueled with food and drink since they were working out for so long. And secondly, they were able to fall asleep because they EXHAUSTED their bodies! Anything over an hour is fairly taxing. For me, anyway.

Do you ever have issues falling asleep after an evening workout? I don’t. Not recently anyway. I have had issues of waking up an hour before my alarm since we switched off of Daylight Savings Time.

I decided to wear shorts for this low 40°F temperature run. I told Steven that my white legs would work well as reflectors! The wind on my legs made me feel like speeding up, so I did! Or so I thought. Our first two miles were almost the same as last Tuesday! Wah. Hmm. At least we’re consistent?

Distance: 3.50 | Time: 36:24 | 1: 10:42 | 2: 10:38 | 3: 10:18 | 4: 4:44

Day 24 | November 11, 2009: 2 m run or cross

Hooray for Veterans Day and having the day off! Steven and I went on a relaxing, slow and long bike ride at the same place we rode last Saturday. We both had sore legs before, during and after.

If you click on the “cross” link above, you can check out our garmin stats, and it shows an interactive version of the little map below. It’s fun to get home and look at the map and see how far we went!

Bike Time: 1:25:47 | Distance: 12.30 miles

Day 25 | November 12, 2009: 3.5 m run + strength

I didn’t get my full strength workout in because my fellow gymmates were annoying me so much – I had to get out of there! (One person was using the weight machines to balance themselves while they did karate moves. WTF? A few other people were chilling on the weight machines, waiting for the gym manager to show them how to use them.) On the plus side, the gym manager interrupted me in the middle of using the leg press machine to show me how to improve my form. And, I upped the weight on a few moves.

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 31.25 lb, 15 @ 43.75 lb, 15 @ 43.75 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb
Leg Press: 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 80 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb

I don’t know what my deal with Thursdays is, but I always just want to chill. So I asked Steven if we could run on Friday (We ended up watching The Ugly Truth and chilling. It was kind of funny? I love Gerard Butler but he didn’t look as good as he normally does. This is Sparta!)

Day 26 | November 13, 2009: Rest 3.5 m run

I am getting really sick of running circles in the park, so we ran through the neighborhood instead. I could feel it on the top of my right foot (we did right turns) right away. And the next day. Boo.

Distance: 3.51 | Time: 36:51 | 1: 10:45 | 2: 10:39 | 3: 10:29 | 4: 4:57

Day 27 | November 14, 2009: 40 min cross

We took a very leisurely walk through the neighborhood. It was nice enough to ride our bikes during the day, but I accidentally (?) feel asleep and kind of wasted the daylight. So… walk it was.

Distance: 2.77 | Time: 44:53 | 1: 16:18 | 2: 16:12 | 3: 12:22

Day 28 | November 15, 2009: 5 m run

Whoa! Check out those awesome negative splits below! The rapidly setting sun must have made us speed up – I was worried we were going to get kicked out of the “we close at sunset” forest preserve. We had a super busy day and were trying to get out of the house to run. We didn’t make it to the park until about 4:00, and yeah, doesn’t the sun set at 4:30 now?

Who cares! This run was a whole 5 minutes and 28 seconds faster than last Sunday’s 5-miler. Boo-fuck*n-yeah!

(Okay, my breathing sucked the last mile (Steven kept saying “breathe!”) and my shin was a bit achy. But I feel pretty good!)

Distance: 5.00 | Time: 49:48 | 1: 10:18 | 2: 10:06 | 3: 10:01 | 4: 9:50 | 5: 9:30

Week Summary: 14.77 miles

I feel really good about our training this week. I hope we can keep it up! We bump up to weekday 4-milers next week and a Sunday 6-miler. We have a crazy week ahead of us (see tomorrow’s post) so it will be interesting to see how much we can fit in!

Comments (6)

By kilax, November 8, 2009 5:11 pm

Day 15 | November 2, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

Same routine as last week, plus the ab moves, minus the 90 Degree Chest (I think the machine was broken or something).

So, when are these darn arm curls going to get easier? I am using a machine like this… which makes doing arm curls look easy, when they are really NOT. I wonder if I have the seat too low. I guess I’ll keep trying. What strength move do you find to be struggling?

I totally wish we had weight equipment like this at home. Doing strength training makes me feel so worn out and calm… I bet I would sleep well after doing it in the evening! (“It” being strength training!)

Day 16 | November 3, 2009: 3.5 m run

Ha. The temperature was about 37°F but I was being a total baby about the cold and got all decked out in my Under Armour and hat and gloves! I love running when it’s cold like this. I felt like Steven and I were going super fast, but alas, our splits say “No. You weren’t.” I do like that I am not constantly looking at the watch when I am running in the dark.

A super bright shirt and a reflective belt for safety!

Distance: 3.51 | Time: 36:58 | 1: 10:41 | 2: 10:40 | 3: 10:29 | 4: 5:06

Day 17 | November 4, 2009: 2 m run or cross

We made this a functional walk – we somehow managed to get exactly 2 miles in between our home and our neighbors – where we were picking up some pizza kits we ordered from their daughter. Steven asked if walking counts as cross-training. Well, Hal Higdon says it does! Ha ha. I hope it does. I feel like it works my calves more than running. And it makes me sweaty so… it counts, right?

Distance: 2.00 | Time: 29:36 | 1: 14:46 | 2: 14:49

Day 18 | November 5, 2009: 3.5 m run + strength

Early morning strength training at 6:30 am (that means I got up at 4:30, people!). I did Monday’s routine, plus the 90 Degree Chest, which was fixed. Damn, I hate getting up that early, but LOVE having the gym mostly to myself.

I convinced Steven (it wasn’t that hard) that we should do our run on Friday in the daylight, at a park. I won’t be surprised if I put off every other Thursday run to my Friday off!

Day 19 | November 6, 2009: Rest 3.5 m run

We “ran” at the Rollins Savanna Forest Preserve. It was nice and sunny and warm (about 53°+F) but DAMN was it windy. The last 2.5 miles were straight into the wind. I felt like I was running through water. Or wading, actually. Bleh. We got to see a lot of beaver dens at the end. That was fun.

Matchy McMatchersons!

Distance: 3.50 | Time: 38:00 | 1: 10:19 | 2: 10:38 | 3: 11:22 | 4: 5:40

Day 20 | November 7, 2009: 40 min cross

Steven and I celebrated the 70°F  (!!!) November weather by taking our bikes to the Singing Hills Forest Preserve to explore a bit of the Millennium Trail.  The Millennium trail will eventually connect 35 miles of trails (with forest preserves as hubs) in the county I live in. Only certain parts of it are completed right now – 11 of those completed miles are very near our home, but we had never visited! I wanted to run on the trail this summer, but there are not many toilets on the path. Ha ha!

We had a fun ride. We actually really enjoyed the scenery, and are sad it will be winter soon and we won’t be able to ride much on this trail. I noticed that our mile splits were lower than an elite runner, but that doesn’t mean we weren’t getting a workout! Plus, we spent about two hours painting when we got home. That counts for something, right?

My brother-in-law gave me a gift card for my birthday and I used it to buy a bike helmet in August! I didn’t have one!

The start of the trail at Singing Hills – can you tell it was getting dark when we got there? We both wished we could have started earlier! We wanted to keep going!

Wouldn’t it be great to have a home right off the trail? Easy access AND fun people watching!

Bike Time: 44:00 | Distance: 7.39 miles

Day 21 | November 8, 2009: 5 m run

Sad Face McMatchersons. Have you noticed I like for us to match? I don’t think Steven likes it, but he puts up with it! Another runner started a conversation with us by asking about the shirts. See – good conversation starter!

I don’t know what to say about this run. I actually had high hopes for it, since we had a nice temperature (low 70s) and since I was feeling pretty crappy all day. I figured the run would make me feel better.

But, it didn’t. We started off well, and I felt like I had to go to the bathroom about 1.4 miles in. When I finally got to a toilet at 3.4, the phantom poo went away, and I was very upset, because I have been feeling constipated for… well, too long (I went when I got home).

Steven took off ahead of me at the last mile, and then I felt even crappier for being slow. I am going to blame it on the weather, and my sour mood. At least my shin felt good!

(And I have a suspicion I should be running all of my “longer” runs at the pace of my last mile. Ha. 5 miles used to be a SHORT run!)

Here are two pictures of the beaver dens (is that what they’re called?) we saw on Friday (we ran at the same place on Sunday). I thought it was neat to see them all together!

Distance: 5.00 | Time: 55:16 | 1: 10:32 | 2: 10:53 | 3: 10:50 | 4: 11:11 | 5: 11:46

Week Summary: 14.00 miles

I enjoyed our workouts this week, except for the last one, because painting, website issues, and a work report left me in a bad mood. I have a feeling that the workouts will be even more fun when I am carrying LESS weight around. I’ve lost 9 pounds in the last three weeks so let’s HOPE I keep that up!

Comments (6)

By kilax, November 1, 2009 3:16 pm

Day 8 | October 26, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

I followed the same “Strengthen” routine as last Monday – minus the crunches, plus the moves below. I am really enjoying strength training. I feel focused while I am doing it, and nice and relaxed and tired when I am done.

Lunges: 10 each side with 5 lb. weight each hand. Thanks for the recommendation diane and ChezJulie!
Hip Abduction: 3 x 15 @ 115 lb.
Hip Adduction: 3 x 15 @ 55 lb.

Day 9 | October 27, 2009: 3 m run

I felt like I was pushing it, in a good way, this entire run. It made me hopeful that I will get back to my normal pace soon. Of course, it’s still too slow for Steven… unless he has to go to the bathroom, that is! Muah ha ha.

Distance: 3.00 | Time: 32:34 | 1: 10:55 | 2: 10:55 | 3: 10:37

Day 10 | October 28, 2009: 2 m run or cross

This was pretty casual cross-training… we took a walk but didn’t even change out of our street clothes!

Distance: 2.00 | Time: 30:02 | 1: 14:58 | 2: 15:01

Day 11 | October 29, 2009: 3 m run + strength

I got up super early (4:30) so that I could do my strength routine (same as Monday) before work. Usually I do it at lunch and take it nice and slow, but I felt rushed because a coworker asked me to go to an 8:00 am meeting for them at the last minute. Meh.

Steven and I ran together in the evening, in the light rain. I like running together in the evening. It gives us a good chance to talk to each other with few distractions.

Distance: 3.00 | Time: 32:14 | 1: 10:57 | 2: 10:47 | 3: 10:26

Day 12 | October 30, 2009: Rest

Day 13 | October 31, 2009: 30 min cross

We took a walk during trick-or-treat time, so it was fun to see kids in their costumes and our neighbor’s home decorations.

Distance: 1.79 | Time: 27:30 | 1: 15:22 | 2: 12:08

Day 14 | November 1, 2009: 4 m run

Ugh. I really thought this would be an easy run since the other two this week went so well, but my breathing was all off, and I felt like I was struggling. And I also felt bad that I was slowing Steven down. I hope this gets easier soon.

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 43:31 | 1: 10:52 | 2: 10:57 | 3: 10:57 | 4: 10:32

Week Summary: 13.79 miles

I felt pretty good while running this week, so I am hopeful that my speed and ease will continue to increase each week. I am still icing my shin a few times a day and massaging it.

These recaps have been pretty lame. Sorry. I just like to keep track of my training here!

Comments (10)

By kilax, October 25, 2009 1:21 pm

Last Sunday I was cleaning off my desk and found a printed-out copy of Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Novice Training Plan. “Hmm,” I thought, “I should see when I need to start training for the January 9th half marathon we signed up to run.” Even though we may not do it, I still want to train like we are.

Yeah, it’s a good thing I checked. I needed to start training on the next day – Monday the 19th! (Um, so I was originally going to run a marathon on the 17th and start half marathon training the 19th?! Bad idea, Kim!)

So… my Sunday training posts are back! MUAH HA HA! I am not sure how much I will have to modify them, because of my shin, but my plan is try to to run three days a week, but cut it down to two and walk one if I need it.

Day 1 | October 19, 2009: Stretch and Strengthen

I used the office gym weight equipment for the first time the week of October 12th and damn… my arms were SORE! Like, “you can’t put your coat on” sore. I am hoping that will go away!

I don’t know much about weights, so I did three sets of 15 reps (to build endurance?) on each machine. With the arm machines, I rotated back in forth between two at a time, but with the leg machines, I did all three sets together.

So… I am doing it right? I put my workout in small print below because it’s boring.

Seated Row: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @45 lb
Lateral Raise: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 37.5 lb., 15 @ 37.5 lb
90 Degree Chest: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 40 lb
Shoulder Press: 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb, 15 @ 20 lb. Yeah, these are killer!
Pectoral Fly: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 30 lb
Arm Curl: 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb, 15 @ 25 lb. OUCH!
Leg Press: 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 60 lb, 15 @ 60 lb
Leg Extension: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 45 lb, 15 @ 45 lb
Leg Curl: 15 @ 30 lb, 15 @ 40 lb, 15 @ 20 lb
Crunches: 10
Bicycle Crunches: 10

Day 2 | October 20, 2009: 3 m run

Steven and I “ran” these 3 miles together, in the dark, but in a perfect running temperature – 55°F! The nice thing about running in the dark is that you are not constantly checking your Garmin. The bad thing about running in the dark is that you CAN’T check your Garmin to see if you are running too fast (well, I can’t figure out the back light). Oh, and that you might trip and fall. Or mistake a branch for a snake, as Steven did. Ha ha.

Distance: 3.00 | Time: 32:33 | 1: 10:23 | 2: 11:10 | 3: 10:58

Day 3 | October 21, 2009: 2 m run or cross

Yawn. Treadmill walking…

Distance: 2.00 | Time: 30:00 | 1: 15:00 | 2: 15:00

Day 4 | October 22, 2009: 3 m run + strength

I did the same strength work-out as Monday, just mixed it the order a bit. I’m liking it so far. I can feel its effects. I think I need to add some lower-leg strength moves though. Do you know any lower-leg exercises?

I put the 3 miler off until Friday, since it was raining.

Day 5 | October 23, 2009: Rest 3 m run

So, I ran in the rain, on Friday with Steven! The “hills” in our neighborhood were killing me, but I can tell my fitness level is increasing!

Distance: 3.00 | Time: 33:05 | 1: 10:48 | 2: 11:08 | 3: 11:07

Day 6 | October 24, 2009: 30 min cross rest

Day 7 | October 25, 2009: 4 m run

Another “run” with Steven, with more difficulty on our neighborhood “hills.” I am struggling with breathing now. I used to not have to think about it at all, so it’s frustrating. But I did enjoy the nice fall weather – clear blue skies and a nice temperature in the 50s.

Distance: 4.00 | Time: 46:02 | 1: 11:02 | 2: 11:19 | 3: 11:47 | 4: 11:51

Week Summary: 12 miles

Starting over is exciting (because it seems like you are reaching a new goal each day) but frustrating (because you feel like the goals you are reaching are something you did months ago). I have been making sure to take it nice and slow, and stop if I feel any strong pain in my shin. I hope I don’t have to modify this training schedule too much!

Comments (7)

By kilax, July 26, 2009 8:47 pm

Welcome to week 6 of marathon training! If you click on the activity links after the dates, it will take you to the Garmin connect website for full stats.

Day 36 | Monday, July 20: Cross-Train for 30 minutes

I finally did it – real cross-training! I went to the office gym during my lunch break and put in 30 minutes (6.2 miles) on the stationary bike. I am not a biker, so I have no idea if that is a decent pace or not. Maybe it isn’t, because I didn’t get sweaty enough to take a shower (read: I was too lazy to take a shower!).

Bike Time: 30 mins | Distance: 6.2 miles

Day 37 | Tuesday, July 21: Run 3 miles

On Tuesday I ran without music to try to become more in touch with my breathing and form/rhythm, but just ended up being frustrated with my breathing being off. What I thought would be an easy 3-miler felt difficult. My lower legs still hurt, despite stretching before running. Maybe I should stretch after running as well (rather than jumping into the shower immediately!).

I got pissed off when I uploaded the Garmin 405 and it didn’t send my stats to Garmin Connect. Ugh. Does that ever happen to you? Apparently the new firmware is supposed to help with that… ugh, if I ever figure out how to install it! When I connected on Sunday to upload Saturday’s run, Tuesday’s run miraculously appeared.

Distance: 3.00 | Time: 28.05 | 1: 9:38 | 2: 9:26 | 3: 8:58 | 4: 00:01

Day 38 | Wednesday, July 22: Run 5 miles

Lately, I have been having some problems waking up at 4:30, so I slept in until 5:30 on Wednesday, meaning I wouldn’t get home until 7:15… making it pretty late for dinner and a 5-miler. So I ran the 5-miler on one of the treadmills in the office gym (too pissed off at the Garmin to bring it and run outside, plus, it takes more time to run outside) during lunch. I was excited to be able to control my pace with the machine – I just sped it up every mile.

BUT, the shins were still bothering me. Mostly the left one. I was doing some reading, and found out that shin splints come from overtraining. Hmm. The remedy seems to be rest. Hmm. And icing and stretching. I will try that first.

Distance: 5:00 | Time: 46:54 | 1: 9:41 | 2: 9:31 | 3: 9:23 | 4: 9:14 | 5: 9:05

Day 39 | Thursday, July 23: Run 3 miles

Another lunch break workout. Jeez! That is three this week. You would think this made my evenings relaxing and quiet but it actually didn’t. Oh well. I felt happy during my hectic weeknights because I knew I got my run in.

My left shin hurt on and off again. I iced it after the run and that felt pretty good. I talked to a coworker who does marathons (14 so far!) about my shin and he thinks I need new shoes. Yeah… I was thinking that (Carol suggested it too in last week’s training post!). I got mine in March and have probably put 300 miles on them by now. I wear the Brooks Adrenaline GTS (does anyone else?). I am hoping someone will get me a pair for my birthday next week. In size 12. Normal width. The ones with the red accents. These:

This is my last 3-miler for awhile! Next week, I bump up to 4-milers, then 5-milers a four weeks after that. I won’t see another 3-miler until it’s almost marathon week!

Distance: 3:00 | Time: 28:33 | 1: 9:31 | 2: 9:31 | 3: 9:31

Day 40 | Friday, July 24: Rest

I was in Kansas City this weekend for a wedding so my grand plan was to bump my Saturday and Sunday runs up to Friday and Saturday because I figured I would be more likely to get them done that way (probably true). But I took Friday off to rest and iced my shin a bit. Maybe I should have ran – my schedule didn’t work well for it the next two days.

Day 41 | Saturday, July 25: Run 6 miles at marathon pace Run 4 miles

I went to Macken park with Steven and his parents and brother to do this run in the afternoon. I think it was close to 90° when we were there. I kept my pace up for 3 miles, then pretty much felt like I was going to keel over. So I slowed it down for the fourth mile, and decided that was enough for me. I didn’t want to make myself sick running in that heat. My shin did feel better while I was running though!

Distance: 4:00 | Time: 36:31 | 1: 8:48 | 2: 8:39 | 3: 8:58 | 4: 10:03 | 5: 00:01

Day 42 | Sunday, July 26: Run 9 miles Rest

Here is what my Sunday was like – wake up (still exhausted from wedding the night before) and eat with Steven’s family then catch plane to Chicago. Drive to party in Chicago. Drive home where friend is spending the night on the way back to Toronto. My schedule just killed me. I wanted to get up early and run before we left for our flight home, but I knew I needed the extra sleep with my crazy schedule. Instead of feeling bummed about it, I will look at it from the perspective that I am giving my shins extra rest.

Week Summary: 26 Miles 15 Miles

This is the first week I haven’t met my training schedule. I shortened my Saturday run and completely missed my Sunday run. I do need to be more flexible with my schedule, but… of course, I am bummed I didn’t get my mileage in. It was probably bound to happen with the way our schedule has been packed. Do you struggle with running while out of town? This is the first time I have had a problem with it, but I’ve only been out of town twice during training!

This weekend, Steven’s mom brought up her concern about the hilly terrain on the course. Check out the elevation… I don’t have any reason to be worried… right?

No, seriously, those hills are going to SLOW ME DOWN. Hopefully I can finish under 4:30. But I know it may be killer and I may have to adjust.

Comments (20)

By kilax, June 28, 2009 10:30 am

Welcome to week 2 of marathon training! If you click on the activity links after the dates, it will take you to the Garmin connect website for full stats.

Day 8 | Monday, June 22: Cross-train for 30 minutes

Welcome summer, you’re right on time! On Monday, it was 85°F but “felt like 90°F” according to weather.com. Uh, wasn’t it just in the mid 70s last week?! That’s okay, the heat was no big deal on this 2 mile walk. Steven joined me again. I really miss running with Steven. I enjoy chatting with him while I work out.

I’ve been wondering if I should get my bike ready, or do my cross-training at the office gym on Mondays for something different than walking. I think for now I will stick to walking.

Distance: 2.00 miles | Time: 30:04 | 1: 15:12 | 2: 14:49 | 3: 00:02

Day 9 | Tuesday, June 23: Run 3 Miles

I worked out with a coworker at the office gym on Tuesday night. I wasn’t really feeling up to it (I have been feeling down and not too social lately), but figured it would be better to work out indoors, as opposed to the mid 90 degree weather outside. I still had a rough time though. After one mile, I felt like I was going to throw up (Hello falafel pita!). I slowed it down, since it was supposed to be a “comfortable” run, and spent the next two miles bitching about my Memorial Day Weekend (we had some catching up to do!). The bitching made the last two miles zip by.

Lesson learned – stick to my diet throughout the day! My coach took me out to lunch to celebrate a project we completed, and I had an awesome falafel pita and homemade chips (A shout out to Cafe Mediterra is due. If you’re just south of the loop, check them out.)! It didn’t sit well in my stomach though. I need to be even more careful about what I eat before I run!

Distance: 3:00 miles | Time: 29:23 | 1: 9:23 | 2: 10:00 | 3: 10:00

Day 10 | Wednesday, June 24: Run 5 miles

Well, this was an interesting run! I didn’t start until 7:30 pm and it was still 92°F outside! I realized it wasn’t going to be a super speedy, easy run, so I went with the mentality that I would just go out there and have fun. I strapped on my hydration belt (and brought my cell phone in case of an emergency), and put two full water bottles and a bucket of ice on our porch. My plan was to run a loop around our house, stopping for water and ice.

During my warm-up walk, I ran into my neighbor, Fritz,  and his daughter, Maya. We walked together for a bit, and she said, “Daddy, I want to ride in the stroller.” Then the words came out of my mouth, “Do you want me to push her in the running stroller?” So, Maya got strapped in, and off we went. I ran with her from her house, all the way around the park, and back home, making up the first 1.6 miles of the run. It was actually fun to run with the stroller. Those were my fastest splits! She told me cute little stories for most of our run together. When we got back to her house, Fritz and his wife, May, were waiting outside with the camera and video camera. How cute! And they brought out cold water for me. What a fun way to start the run!

Isn’t Maya cute?!

While I was running with the stroller, I passed a group of three young girls, whom I actually ended up passing 5 or so more times during my run. Well, the first time we passed them, instead of warning the younger girl that we were coming, one of the older girls just pulled on her pig-tails to pull her off the sidewalk and let us pass! Poor girl. That must have hurt!

After I dropped Maya off, I noticed there was a group of about 8 kids riding their bikes in their street. It was mostly boys, probably ages 12 or so. They were taking up the entire two-way street with their bikes. Cars would come by, and slow down, and the kids wouldn’t let them pass. When the cars honked their horns, the kids would finally move, but finger the cars as they drove by. This made me feel really disappointed. I wanted to follow these kids home and ask their parents if they knew what they were doing, but hey, if the kids were doing that in the first place, I doubt their parents would really care. That’s just so dangerous, and irresponsible.

I stopped by our house to go to the bathroom about two-thirds into the run, and when I came out of the house, I dropped some ice cubes in the front and back of my bra. Of course, those three young girls happened to be walking by our house then. Ha ha. They probably thought that was a strange thing to do. Hey, it felt good.

And, this question isn’t related to the ice cubes, believe me, but how can I be nipping out for an entire 5-mile run in 90 degree weather?! (see paw prints in photo above)

This was a surprisingly good, fun run, despite the heat! It left me in a good mood.

Sweaty Happy Kim

Distance: 5.01 miles | Time: 47:32 | 1: 9:02 | 2: 9:16 | 3: 9:42 | 4: 9:47 | 5: 9:40 | 6: 00:02

Day 11 | Thursday, June 25: Run 3 miles

Another fun lunch time run with Erin! The forecast called for rain, but it never happened, so we ventured out into the scorching sun (I don’t really feel like I am exaggerating when I say that). I was definitely drenched with sweat by the time I got back to the office, and boy, did that shower feel good!

No rain in the view from my office!

Every other Thursday is a “tele-work” (meaning “work at home”) day for most people in my office, so it’s fairly quiet. With that being said, I was looking forward to running with Erin! I needed to talk to someone! I hope I didn’t talk her ear off.

We did a good job of running slower than we did last week, but we were still running considerably fast (for us). I wish I could run with Erin more often. I can tell we are going faster when we run, but it doesn’t bother me because my mind is on the conversation. I love runs like this. I am looking forward to our next one together!

Distance: 3.18 miles | Time: 29:06 | 1: 9:19 | 2: 9:31 | 3: 8:49 | 4: 1:25

Day 12 | Friday, June 26: Rest

Day 13 | Saturday, June 27: Run 5 miles

I was super excited when I checked the temperature at 6:00 am and saw cooler temps:

59°F and feels like 59°F! Hurray!

That forecast totally makes getting up “early” on a weekend worth it!

I met my neighbor, Fritz, and we ran an easy 5 miles around the neighborhood. It just flew by. That is what happens when you have great company to talk to! I am so lucky to have this happen two runs in a row!

Around mile 3.5, I knew I had to go to the bathroom, so we started to run back towards my house. This is the second time this has happened while running with Fritz. He’s such a cool guy. He said to me, “If you have to go, just go! It’s no big deal!” Ha! I told him that during a race, I would, but that we were so close to home, I could make it. It’s nice to know it wouldn’t bother him if I went on my leg though. Ha ha ha.

Distance: 5.01 miles | Time: 49:25 | 1: 9:54 | 2: 10:09 | 3: 9:58 | 4: 9:39 | 5: 9:40 | 6: 00:02

Day 14 | Sunday, June 28: Run 9 miles

My alarm was set for 6:30 Sunday morning, but I was having a hard time getting out of bed. Enter Alarm Clock Kitty Cat:

Data seriously makes me crazy by rubbing his teeth and whiskers all over my face when I am trying to sleep, but today he actually helped me get out of bed. Thanks, Data.

I got to the park by 7:00 and started running at 7:20 and got back home after 9:00. That is a lot of time for a 9-mile run! What am I going to do when I have to run further… wake up at 5:00?!

I think I ran this a bit faster than I should have for a training run, but that’s okay. I will surely slow down as I add more mileage. I enjoyed this run. It was nice and sunny and breezy.

More photos from the Nippersink Forest Preserve:

My savior – the public restroom!

Distance: 9.00 miles | Time: 1:22:16 | 1: 9:10 | 2: 9:11 | 3: 9:22 | 4: 9:09 | 5: 9:00 | 6: 9:04 | 7: 9:16 | 8: 9:15 | 9: 8:44 | 10: 00:02

Week Summary: 25 Miles

Compared to last week, my runs this week were more fun and easier. I think that’s because I went out prepared for the heat, and because I ran with friends more often.

One thing I noticed though, is that my running clothes are really starting to stink. I wash them twice and they still won’t come clean. The July issue of Runner’s World has an article called “Stink Stoppers,” reviewing eight new shirts that are stink resistant. Unfortunately, I don’t have the cash right now to buy a new wardrobe, so… any advice?