Thinning the Herd

It was only a matter of time. Remember when I told you that I have killed 2 exercise machines at the Y where I train? Add another notch to my wicking shirt. I took a treadmill out tonight!

It must be instinct, or else my hunting skills are as reflexive as a dry heave whenever Rachael Ray comes on TV, but I didn't set out to kill tonight. I climbed on the victim, set my workout stats, plugged in my earphones and within a minute of starting, felt a tap on my shoulder.

Wellness Director: [something I can't make out because I still have my earphones in]
(I remove my earphones)(I hear an inhuman screeching sound)
Me: I'm sorry what did you say?
Wellness Director: I need you to step off the machine, ma'am.
(I realize the screaming is coming from my machine)
Me: what's my kill tally now?
Wellness Director: three

Up went the "out of order" sign, and I moved to another machine. Where I clocked another personal best!

You might think that the Y would raise my rates with the number of machines I've demolished there, but I have talked them around to my way of thinking. I'm doing them a favor. I'm culling the herd. I'm removing the weak and inferior machines from the exercise pool.

It's a thankless job. Really.

Stats:
total time: 30:00
total distance: 2.37 miles.

That's a 12:39/mile pace. If I run this fast (and I used the term "fast" lightly) I'll complete the course in 39:12, which is 4 minutes faster than I ran it last year. I have a feeling I'll shave some more time off, but if I can get it done anywhere between 35:00 and 38:00, I'll be happy!

Here Piggie Piggie!

No, it wasn't swine flu. Just some sort of weird, weak, variant strain of the flu that my flu shot last fall didn't cover. It started Sunday, peaked Monday, and I was over the worst of it by Tuesday noon. Just headaches, body aches and a low temp.

So that's why there was no entry yesterday. I have a note from my doctor!

Back on the treadmill tomorrow night! 10 minute intervals! Egads!

I Think I Can

ignore the creepy clown sitting on the back of the Little Engine

Loooooong day. Lots of running around. It's also been a heck of a day in terms of donations to my race! A bunch of my facebook friends have skyrocketed my donations in the stratosphere! I am so blessed to have you wonderful, generous people as my friends. I am looking forward to making every penny count. And thanks to Dina, I'm wearing a purple wig on race day!!! WOOOOT!!!

I had another personal best on the treadmill today, despite being tired!

Stats:
Total time: 30:00
distance: 2.31 miles

YEAH!! I'm thinking with improvements like this, I might be able to run this race somewhere around the 35 min mark!! I just gotta keep chugging along!

The Few, The Proud, The Plodding

I am reading an absolutely remarkable book. It's this one:



Do yourself a favor and pick it up. You don't have to be a runner. You don't have to be an athlete. This book gives you tools that you can use - in any field, be it business, or athletics, or personal - to transform your life.

You will LAUGH so hard. Aside from being a totally life-affirming book, it is full of humor and wit. The pages fly by.

The author, a frequent contributor to Runner's World magazine, describes how he transformed his sedentary life into the life of a runner. He explains how 40 years of inactivity can be reversed. He describes the exhilaration of just being able to jog to the end of the driveway at first, then moving up, slowly but surely, to jogging around the block, jogging a mile, doing a 5K, half marathons and then full marathons.

The thing I love about this book is that it is for EVERYONE. The author was 100 lbs overweight when he first started to run. He gives you permission to be slow. He gives you permission to fail, as long as you pick yourself up and KEEP MOVING.

If you need inspiration to change, this is the book to read. I LOVE it, and I'm buying it for a bunch of people I know.

Best Run Ever!

if fist pumping were an Olympic sport, Tiger would take home the gold

Wow! Who would have thunk that I was injured last week? Who would have thought that I'd clock my best time ever after being up until 1am the night before assembling an audition packet?

I climbed on that treadmill thinking tonight would be a night where I could give myself a little break - I was still supposed to be easing back into the routine, and I was pretty tired. But I didn't need to! From the very first foot strike, things were easy, fluid, and my body wasn't fighting me at all! I kept the pace high, and even added a 1:30 sprint at the end! What an exhilarating feeling!

I even did a little fist pump as I got off the machine, which quickly morphed into a "I was only really reaching up to scratch the top of my head" when I noticed a guy on an elliptical machine chuckling at me.

Stats:
Total Time: 30:00
Distance: 2.27 miles (best yet to date!)