9 Weeks To Go! Run 13. How Many People Does It Take To Put On Headphones?

Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Location: House to Apple store at Alderwood Mall
Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 42:30 minutes
Pace: 10:49 min/mile

I decided to run to my Tuesday night step class again this week. But I made a stop before class at the Apple store.


I've been on a mission to find earphones that fit my unusually small adult ears. I don't really like the head band ones and the kind that goes into your ear are usually too big. On this particular run I ended up running without music because the damn ear buds wouldn't stay in. So as I was running towards the mall, I remembered the Apple store and decided to go and take a look.


And then there they were...the Sennheiser MX75 Twist-to-Fit Sports Headphone. The description says it all. They twist snugly onto your ear! I bought them and tried them on right away. Well almost right away. I couldn't figure out how to put them on. So I asked the sales guy helping me out. He couln't get them on either. And then we asked another guy. Still couldn't get them on. And then I noticed how there were different size covers for the the headphones. I switched to the smallest one and voila!

I've already tested them out and they work! Yay!

Training Run 12. Hi, My Name Is Judy and I'm An Endorphin Junkie.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Location: House to Lynnwood 24 Hour Fitness
Distance: 3.21 miles
Time: 31:07 minutes
Pace: 9:41 min/mile

That's right. I ran to the gym tonight. And what did I do after I got to the gym? I didn't eat a hot dog (darn). I did my Tuesday night high impact step aerobics class! And I have to say, maybe I am beginning to get that runner's high.

Endorphins*: chemicals that release feeling of euphoria and that block sensations of pain.Well that explains why step class wasn't as painful tonight. Maybe it also explains the general good mood I've been experiencing lately too......Supposedly aerobics excercise (like running, swimming, cycling, etc) causes your pituitary gland to release this so called endorphins chemical. It's suppose to make you feel happy and energetic!

I changed up my running routine a bit tonight. I decided to just run as fast as I could. And I averaged at under 10 min/mile! This has never happened to me before. Surprisingly, I didn't really feel tired at all (the endorphins?). I think just seeing my time after I got to the gym gave me the endorphin rush.

I think I'm going to add running to the gym for Tuesday night step class a part of my routine. Half marathon here I come!

*If you want to read more about runners' high: http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Strenuous_Running_and_Endorphins_a599_f116.html

11 Weeks To Go! Training Run 11. Who Needs Fancy Energy Stuff When There's Costco Polishes?

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Location: House to Costco
Distance: 2.97 miles
Time: 30:32 minutes
Pace: 10:20 min/mile

Location: Costco to House
Distance: 3.07 miles
Time: 32:45 minutes
Pace: 10:57 min/mile

I slacked off this week. Too many things to do. Had to go down to the restaurant more than I like to. But at least I got a longer distance run in though.

This run is probably the closest I've ever had to run in the rain. It was just a bit drizzly the whole time. I thought that it would take me longer to get to Costco eventhough I knew it was only about 3 miles away. Running there was a lot easier because of the slight downhill route. Running back home sucked butt because of the uphills. But I still little red engined it.

Now that I think about it though, it was pretty much counter-productive. My friend needed my Costco access in order to get some beer. So I obliged. I then thought, what a good idea it would be to just run to Costco and meet her there! I ran to Costco, walked around for a bit, ate a Polish doggie and slurped down a coke, and then ran back home. Crazy Judy!

This is why my run was counter-productive. I only burn about 105 to 110 calories for every mile I run. So 6 miles = about 630 to 660 calories. Calories in a Polish and Coke = 770. Hmmm....

I don't even know how I made it back home without a side ache. I just like to think of the Polish and Coke as my energy booster. One thing I have noticed about me and running is my overwhelming desire to eat afterwards. And the greasier the food, the better it sounds. It's worth it to run just so that food tastes better. It's amazing I'm not gaining more butt.

Training Run 10. I've Hit the Wall (frowny face).

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT
Distance: 2.07 miles
Time: 21:00
Pace: 10:30 min/mile

I was planning on a 5 mile run this morning. I wussed out. I had no energy! My head just wasn't into it this morning.

I'm really beginning to rethink my half goal time of 2 and a half hours. Not only that, am I even going to be able to finish the half? Hmmm. I won't if I keep wussing out! I'm going to officially remove the title of "Hot Sauce". I'm not worthy.

The only thing I have going for me now is my pace. Still under goal pace of 11:30, but goodbye endurance. If I had to choose one to keep, it'd be endurance. I haven't really felt the same since Iron Girl. What's strange is that I felt great during the Iron Girl run. Even after the run I felt fine. I didn't even feel sore. So what happended?

Okay, time to beef it up. No more wussing out! (And no more going to Dicks - yikes!)

Training Run 9. Really Nice Ice Cream Guy At Greenlake!

Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Location: Greenlake
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 22:30
Pace: 11:15 min/mile

I went to Greenlake with my friend/roomie Heather today with the anticipation of completing 4 miles. Yeah, didn't happen. I finally admitted to myself that I didn't give myself enough rest after Iron Girl.

Not only were my legs killing me, my back was all messed up too. After finishing the 2 miles, I turned around and limped back towards Heather. On the way back I started to stare at the food/coffee stand by the boat rentals. Mmmmmm, ice cream. Oh I totally deserved ice cream. Running while in pain and all......

I walked up to the stand and asked if it was cash only. It was and I didn't have any cash. But the guy was so nice! He said I could have my ice cream and that I could just pay him back the next time I was there! This is one of the nicest thing a Seattle-ite has ever done for me! This just made my king size triple chocolate Drumstick taste so much better.

Since I was still feeling sorry for myself, after Greenlake Heather and I went to Sushiland for dinner and then found ourselves in a Red Mango for dessert....My ass probably won't be shrinking for much longer if I keep my post run grub habit going.

So I'm going to rest. Next run.....Saturday. Maybe Sunday. We'll see what mood strikes me. In the meantime, I'll be searching for a massage therapist.

12 Weeks To Go! Training Run 8. My Ass Is Shrinking?

Monday, September 8, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT
Distance: 2:05 miles
Time: 24:oo
Pace: 11:38 min/mile

I know that I just ran 6 miles yesterday. Why did I run today? I must be turning into one of those crazy people that run and run. I must admit, my calves and shins are a bit sore. But no pain no gain, right? Ouch. I didn't make it to my target distance of 3 miles.

I had to turn around shortly after I left the house today. I started to run and my pants started to fall off. I yanked them back up few times, but they weren't staying up. I ran a few more blocks before I got tired of pulling them up and turned back towards the house. I had to find something with drawstrings.

I guess it's a good thing my ass is shrinking?

Training Run 7. Iron Judy - Goodbye Weak Sauce, Hello Hot Sauce!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Location: Seattle Iron Girl 10K - Greenlake

Distance: 6.2 miles

Time: 1:03:32

Pace: 10:15 min/mile

Why am I hot sauce now? Because I woke up at 6 am on a Sunday to run in an 8 am event as a part of my half training. And after I finished, it turns out, the hardest part of it was the waking up.

Earlier this week Tanya asked me out of the blue if I was interested in running Iron Girl. I knew the event was happening, but since my sister was out of town, I didn't want to do it myself. So it was just me and Tanya (and she smoked me!).

For a morning run, it wasn't too bad at all. It's always strange how my legs seem to feel numb after a mile or two. But I just keep running. I ran the entire time. No walking at all. Yay Judy!

I was really excited that I beat my last 10K time of 1:06:44. And to top things off, I even received a finishers medal! Yeah, really cheesy, but hey, this is the first time I received a medal for anything. And now I can call mysel!f an Iron Girl.

My next 10K training run is going to be the Salmon Days Rotary Run (http://salmondays.org/rotary.shtml) on October 15th. My goal is to finish in under an hour! And then after that, grub at XXX Burgers to make up for all those lost calories. So come out and join me!

Training Run 6. Treadmills Suck Balls!

Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Location: Treadmill, LynnHood 24 Hour Fitness
Distance: 2.02 miles
Time: 24:05
Pace: 11:51 min/mile

I hate running on treadmill now. I'm convinced that the whole concept of time comes to a stand still while I'm running on a treadmill. I call it "running to nowhere". A mile seems to take an infinity to reach. It sucks balls!

Not only that, I'm so focused on trying to stay centered on the treadmill that my form goes completely out the window. I'm also convinced that if I could see how I ran on a treadmill, I'd bust out laughing.

For the last few months I've been going to a Tuesday night step class at my gym. I've nicknamed the instructor as "Hardcore Marissa". This woman is crazy/fun. Last night she had the class doing squats for probably 10 minutes straight! She also had us doing crunches and push-ups too.

But I was feeling good today. Not sore at all. Well that was the case until I hit the treadmill tonight. My plan was to run outside today, but I had to head down to the restaurant. So that meant treadmill running. Yuck. The minute I hit the treadmill, all my soreness surfaced. Everything hurt. Legs, abs, shoulders, everything.

My original plan was 3 miles. I couldn't even run after the 1.25 mile mark. I slowed to a brisk walk and that was still painful. I could tell that my calf muscles wanted to just cramp up. I gave up after 2 miles.

Tonight was more painful than all of the running events I've completed combined. I didn't feel like this after last week's step class. I'm very sure that it was the dumb treadmill that brought the pain on! I hate the treadmill! I think I'm also going to resort to running in the dark as well with running in the rain!

13 Weeks To Go! Training Run 5.

Monday, September 1, 2008
Location: Greenlake
Distance: 3.80 miles *
Time: 40 min *
Pace: 10:57 min/mile

* I thought I hit the start button on my Nike +. Today's time is an extreme approximate because I didn't have the exact start time. Oh well.

Today my friend Kelsey ran with me! It was the first time we've ever ran together! Well maybe we might have done some super light running back in high school for tennis practice. It was fun. She gave me lots of good advice about training for a half. She has completed 2 half marathons. I'm sad that she won't be around for my first half marathon.

I felt good after the run. Not really tired at all. Not too sweaty. I'm just glad that my days of popping Tylenol after every run are over. I'm turning into a pro! But then again, this is only week 2 of training. I'll have this conversation again in a few weeks.

Training Run 4. Breakfast of Champions.

Saturday, August 30, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT
Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 45:26 min
Pace: 11:03 min/mile

My first morning run. I was amazed that I even managed to drag my butt out of bed this morning. Waking up is the hardest part of my day (everyday). The sun was out. It was warm enough for me to run without a jacket. I felt good.

But then I started running and I was noticeably slower. I'm not too happy with my pace time. I don't run in the mornings very often. And I didn't allow myself enough time to grab some grub. I ran on an empty stomach. By mile 3 I started getting this dull side ache. I think if I do anymore of these morning runs, I might have to wake up earlier in order to squeeze in a light breakfast. Maybe I just need an extra boost of food energy.

After running, I'm always starving. I just want to find the closest restaurant and stuff my face. On this particular morning, I craved one my my favorite Seattle meals: Dicks Special with a Dicks fry and chocolate shake. And I can't forget about the 2 tarter sauces. Yum. So on the way to the restaurant, I swung by Dicks and had breakfast. I felt so much better.

Training Run 3. I Heart My Nike + and iPod!

Thursday, August 28, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT (same route as last night)
Distance: 3.05 miles
Time: 32:21
Pace: 10:32 min/mile

I made an effort to try and beat my time from last night since I decided to run the same route. And I did it! But my back is a little sore. Sometimes I find myself slouching when I run. I need to remedy this soon.

I've been using my Nike + and iPod (http://nikeplus.nike.com/nikeplus/) to track my runs. It's quite a nifty little gadget. But a bit pricey once you add everything up.....There is an accelerometer sensor that goes under to insole of Nike + shoes. The sensor sends a signal to the receiver that you plug into your iPod (I think the Nike + only works with the nano right now). The sensor is able to detect each step that a runner takes, and from this information, the runner’s speed and the distance traveled can be calculated. See. Nifty.

Here's another super cool trick with the Nike +. You can create an account at the web address above and when you sync your iPod to your computer, it automatically sends your workout to Nike Plus. At Nike Plus you can compare your runs. Map routes, set goals, join groups, blog, etc...

So here's what I know:

As of March 29, 2008 I've logged 32 Runs.
I've ran a total of 84.31 miles with an average pace of 11:32 min/mile.
The furthest distance I've ran is 7.66 miles.
My fastest mile is 9:13 min.

Very nifty.

And there's different settings you can pick from when you run. Time, distance, calories, etc. I've been setting it for distance. So at intervals there's a voice (you have the choice of a woman's voice or a man's voice!) that tells you how far you've ran. It's really helpful for gaging your route. Yesterday, I gaged my 3 mile route (which I've never ran before) perfectly! I finished the 3 miles a block from my house!

The first time I ran all the way around Greenlake without stopping I was surprised by Lance Armstrong! After I stopped, a man's voice came on my iPod and I was soooooo confused. "Hi! This is Lance Armstrong and I would like to congratulate you on your best workout yet!" Pretty cool, huh? But I have not heard from Lance again.....

The Nike + iPod is supercool, but like I said, not cheap...The sensor kit is about $30.00. It's probably the shoes and iPod that's going to set you back. My Nike + runners were $120.00. And since I'm taking running somewhat seriously, I bought two pairs! Ugh. But it still beats running on a treadmill or around a track to just keep track of distance. If you like Nike shoes and have an iPod nano, I say definately get the Nike + !

Training Run 2. It Didn't Rain!

Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Location: The Streets of MLT
Distance: 3.03 miles
Time: 33:05
Pace: 10:54 min/mile

Tonight I ran around my neighborhood. This is only the 2nd time I've done this. I've lived in MLT for about 7 years now and all I can really say is I sleep in this town. There is nothing here. Just mostly houses. I'm just grateful that it didn't rain. I still don't know what it's like to run in the rain.

It's funny how my perception of distance has changed since I started running. Places use to seem so far away, but lately I've been thinking to myself, "I can totally run there!"

Places that are less than 3 miles away that I should run to:

Work (in order to work) 1.5 miles
Costco (to get a Polish and Coke) 2.82 miles
Baskin Robbins (for a single scoop of cookies 'n' cream) 2.57 miles
MLT Albertsons (for some fried chicken) 2.11
MLT 7-Eleven (for a cherry slurpee) 1.01 mile
Hosoonyi's (for some soon doo boo) 2.39 miles
and while I'm at Hosoonyi's I might as well stop next door at Yunnie's and get an extra sweet Thai ice tea with tapioca.

mmmmmm.........I think I'm hungry. I just called Hosoonyi's and ordered takeout! But I'll be driving there.

14 Weeks To Go! Training Run 1.

Monday, August 25, 2008
Location: Treadmill, Lynnwood 24 Hour Fitness
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 35:01
Pace: 11:23 min/mile

It's been about a month since I've really ran. I went on vacation for a couple weeks. And I guess I just got busy with other things. I'm surprised that I was even able to finish 3 miles today. I just took my slow sweet time.

Tonight's pace is still under my half marathon goal though. Here's my goal:

13.1 miles in 2 hours and 30 minutes. That is about an 11:30 min/mile.

Basically I'm following the half training calendar from www.marathonrookie.com. It's a ten week train, but I decided to get a head start. I'm planning on running thru the first four weeks two times each before moving onto the next week.

Week - Mon - Tue - Wed - Thu - Fri - Sat - Sun - Total
1 ---------3-----Rest----3------3---Rest----4----Rest---13
2 ---------3-----Rest--- 4------3---Rest----5----Rest---15
3 ---------3-----Rest----4------3---Rest----6----Rest---16
4 ---------3-----Res-----5------3---Rest----8----Rest---19
5 ---------3-----Rest----5------3---Rest---10---Rest----21
6 ---------4-----Rest----5------4---Rest---11---Rest----24
7 ---------4-----Rest----6------4---Rest---12---Rest----26
8 ---------4-----Rest----5------4---Rest----9----Rest----22
9 ---------3-----Rest----4------3---Rest----8----Rest----18
10 -------3-----Rest----3---Walk--Rest--13.1--Rest----21.1

I got a late start on my run today. I didn't leave work until 5:30pm. I called my friend Matt who said that he would run with me. He changed his mind. He was boggled that I would even want to run in the run. He promised to run with me on Wednesday, but we'll see.....

I ended up not even running in the rain. I started to change and realized that I didn't have any pants for running that would fit me and would also keep me dry. I only had cotton pants or sweat pants. And I've learned that in running, cotton is not good friend to keep on you. So I threw on some sweat pants and decided to make a quick stop at The Sports Authority.

I couldn't find any pants that fit or were cheap enough for my taste at The Sports Authority. I did find a couple shirts on clearance. I then moved on to Joe's. I didn't find any pants there, but I did find gloves, an overshirt for cold weather running, headband/ear cover thing and a beanie that looks really funky on me. Since I still could find any pants, I moved onto Alderwood mall. I stopped at Nordstroms. Too expensive. Macy's, just as expensive. There was a New Balance store. I found pants on clearance!

By this time it was 8:30pm. I decided to just run at the gym since I was practically there anyways. But here was my mistake. I didn't change out of my sweat pants. By the time I was done with my 3 miles, my butt was so sweaty that I felt like I peed in my pants. Do not run long distances in sweat pants.

Witness a Miracle: Judy Completes Her First Half Marathon!

2008 has been a year of many firsts for me. One of those being running. Major, major accomplishment for me. I've never been good at running. Running was never on my list of lifetime to dos. I started running in March and the first time I ran half a mile (without stopping), I thought I was going to die. I swear, I thought my lungs were going to pop. Ugh.

And look at me now. Six months later and I'm still running! Not running very fast, but I'm running! I've ran in quite a few events in the last six months and I plan on doing my first half marathon this November 30, 2008. The Seattle Half Marathon (http://www.seattlemarathon.org/site3.aspx). This just goes to prove that if you just put your mind to it, you can do it!

So why did I start running? I wanted to get into shape for one. Or get back into shape. Back to skinny, scrawny Judy. And I really needed something to keep me pre-occupied. 2007 ended horribly and traumatically for me and I just felt like running away. Well I knew running away wasn't a realistic option so I turned to just plain old running.

My sister had been running for a year or two already off and on. So I decided to join her. I knew it was going to be a challenge. And I do love challenges. Another nice suprise about all this running is all the time I'm spending with my sister. I think that this is really the first interest that we've done together. I'm not as fast as her, but my finishing time is slowly creeping up next to hers. I'm really curious to see how we're going to do for our first half marathon. We've never done such a long distance before.

I wanted to document my training leading up to this first half marathon of mine and I thought it might be fun for others to take a peek into what goes on in this strange head of mine. So enjoy! And please feel free to comment. And any running advice will be much appreciated!