Tales of a Running Hater Part VI: The Stitch Edition

This week, I’m starting to feel it.

Week 4 of the Couch-to-5k program has come, and the length time of the running intervals are starting to get longer.

In my mind, and from my athletic background, running for five minutes straight is nothing. But, it’s been awhile since I was in any sort of running shape, so this week was the first of the program I really felt that it was starting to push my limits. Not that my limits are impressive. At all. 

The interval set was run for 3 minutes, walk for 90 seconds, run for 5 minutes, walk for 2 minutes and complete two sets.

In day 1, in the first five minute run, I got a cramp in my side. I worked it out and was fine for the rest of the run. On day 2, another cramp came and this time it lasted through most of the second set. It never hurt to the point that it forced me stop, but it did affect my speed on the last five minute run; I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted in the final couple of minutes.

So I looked up some info on cramps (or stitches, as they’re sometimes called) to hopefully avoid that problem tomorrow when I run day 3.

I read two articles to help me, one on WebMD and one on Cool Running and both said it’s more a breathing problem than anything else. If you learn nothing else from me in this life, remember that shallow breathing is bad. You can get stitches by simply not breathing deep enough. If you start breathing properly, a lot of times the stitch will go away.

When you get a cramp, it’s best to just slow down, even to a walk if necessary, until the stitch goes away. It usually won’t take too long to subside. 

There can be other contributing factors, like being dehydrated or eating too much before going on a run. Good breathing seems to be the key.

I’m coming up on the halfway point of this program, and I’m really glad I started it. As I mentioned in the previous Couch-to-5k posts (you can click here if you want to read them), I have never enjoyed running, but I wanted to challenge myself.

At first, I was struggling to stay motivated to do the runs. But now, I actually (gulp) look forward to run days. I can’t tell you how much better I feel on days I run. Even from start to finish of the run, my body feels drastically improved.

So, look out. I’m actually starting to enjoy this. Sort of.

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Tales of a Running Hater: Denver Edition

 

Yes, I did actually wear all of that at one time.

At 6:30 a.m. in Denver, which is 5:30 a.m. in my Los Angeles-based brain, I was laying in my warm bed trying to talk myself into getting up.

It was a serious battle in my head. But miraculously, I pulled myself out of bed. Three different times.

I put all of those clothes on and faced the snow-covered ground for Week 3 of the Couch-to-5k running program.

This was the first week that had a longer run. We’ve jumped up from running 90-second intervals to running a couple of 3-minute intervals. Still, not too bad. I know a difficult week is around the corner for me, but at this point, things have gone smoothly from a physical standpoint. I haven’t been sore afterwords. Running in the high altitude makes me breathe heavier than normal, but it hasn’t caused me near as many problems as I thought it might.

But I did come up against something new.

For the first time in my life, I had the chance to feel what it’s like to have my boogers start to freeze in my nose.

(At this point, I should mention despite wearing all those clothes at one time and writing about my boogers freezing, I did manage to get engaged this weekend. This probably surprises you that someone like that could actually find someone to propose to them. I won’t argue with you on that.)

Freezing boogers were only the first day, however. That was when the temperature was in the teens. Day 2, it was in the high 20s. Balmy. On Day 3, I didn’t even have to run with my gloves on. It’s like I’m a full blown Coloradoan now…except for the fact that I’ll NEVER wear shorts when the temperature is in the 40s, like everyone around here seems to. Other than that, it’s exactly the same.

Admittedly, I haven’t exactly gone by the book on the Couch-to-5k, because of getting sick and trying to fit runs in while I’m on a trip where I’ve worked some long hours. It hasn’t gone as smoothly as I had hoped in that department, but I have done all of the workouts required. Doing them in the proper time frame has proven to be a challenge for me.

Still, I am determined to finish, so I’m plugging away. In 12 layers of clothes.





 

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Tales of Running Hater Part IV: This is the Remix Edition

Week Two: The REMIX of the Couch to 5k program is well on its way.

I had stated in last week’s post that I was re-doing the second week, because due to an illness, I didn't complete Week Two. I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied at the end of this program if I cut corners. Thus, the REMIX.

Week Two is really pretty easy for me. The program is six intervals of running for 90 seconds, and each one is followed by two minutes of walking. The 30 minutes goes by in a flash.

My goal is to always run a little faster on each interval. I also do one of the intervals on an incline to challenge myself a little more.

As much as I complain about running (you can read my whining here) I always feel so much better after I run. It gives me more energy throughout my entire day. I’m not ready to say I like running yet…we are definitely not on those terms at this point. But I will say I’m warming up to the idea.

I am also excited scared because for the next two weeks, my Couch to 5k will be taking place in Denver. I am visiting my bro and sister-in-law and so I will have to run in two situations that are completely foreign to me: high altitude and snow.

It will definitely be an adventure for this snow-phobic (who am I kidding? Anything-below-70 degrees-phobic) Los Angeles girl. Any Denver runners out there have some good advice for me?  I have the feeling I am going to need it.

If you are running in Denver next week and you see a girl in her mid-20s in a parka, laying on the sidewalk panting for breath in an embarrassing, pathetic sort of way, say hi. That will probably be me after running 200 yards down the street.

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Tales of a running hater part III: Slacker Edition

 

Nope, I haven't put these on in a week. 

Well, that didn’t last long.

Two weeks ago, I was all gung ho. At least, about as gung ho as you can be when you don’t like what you are about to take on.

In this post here, I discussed that despite my hatred of running, I was going to get more serious about doing it on a regular schedule. I picked the program, Couch to 5k. I downloaded a super helpful podcast of the program that would play music, as well as tell me when to start and stop. I joined the facebook fanpage even! Don’t I sound seriously into it?

It took me a week and a half to ruin my streak of keeping with the program.

Impressive, I know.

See, I didn’t just stop because of laziness. I came down with a cold and suddenly my weekend got super busy. I only ran two out of the three scheduled days.

But in a turn of events that is quite different from the normal me, I am sticking with it. If this nine-week program takes me 20 weeks to complete, so be it. My New Years resolution, after all, is “finish what you start.”

My first thought after missing a day was, “well, I’ll just start on the third week Monday. I ran two out of the three days this week. That’s enough.”

It made me feel like a slacker; like I was completely incapable of sticking to anything. All the people that actually enjoy running would be ashamed. And I know and love some of those running enjoyers, as a one-year member of my high school’s cross country team. It only took me one season (it took a lot less than that, but I stuck it out to the end) to realize that running 10 miles a day is not my idea of a good time.

Also, I had read a story last week of a girl who continued to run while having cancer and going through chemotherapy.

So, um, yeah. What was my lame excuse again?

So, we’re going to give it another go, starting on Monday. Couch to 5k Week 2, the REMIX!

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Tales of a running hater: Part II

                                 Running isn't fun. Downloading podcasts on your new iPod is.

 Week 2 of the Couch-to-5k program has come.

Or more specifically, as I’ve seen on the Couch-to-5k facebook fan page I just joined, W2D2. People refer to where they are in the program by week and day. So in the interest of solidarity with my 40,000 new facebook friends, I’ll do it too.

As mentioned in my first post about the program (you can read it here), running and I are not BFFs.

Not even close.

But so far, the Couch-to-5k program has been exactly what I was looking for.

First, it’s free. You don’t have to sign up for anything. I’m a writer; needless to say, free is good.

Mostly though, it works for me because the program is 30 minutes long, three times a week. Much of my dislike of running is more dread than anything else. The idea of spending everyday doing long runs holds about as much interest for me as making a visit to the DMV. This program makes you feel like you can get in decent running shape (which is all I want) with 90 minutes a week. That, I can get on board with.

At this point, the workouts are pretty easy. This week, you run six intervals at 90 seconds apiece, and in between each of those you walk for two minutes. Doing intervals at this point helps too; running can be monotonous for me, but this helps break it up.

So obviously, “running” is pretty relative. I didn’t push it too hard on Monday, but went a little harder on the running sections today. As each running interval comes, I try to run it a little faster. By the sixth and final one today, I was probably running at about 90 percent of my full speed.

The podcast I use to help me through it is great too. It’s nice to not worry about looking at a watch to see when your interval is up. The podcast by Robert Ullrey I found on iTunes keeps track of all for me, playing upbeat music and telling me when to start and stop. 

It feels good now, but I’m wondering how long that will last. I’m sure by Week 6 I’ll be missing these 90 second intervals.

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Tales of a running hater: Part I

I don't have a picture of me running (thankfully), so my shoes are all you get. 

If running were on facebook, we would not be friends.

Running in a soccer game? Sure. Hustling from first to second base? I’m fine with that. Otherwise, running is not high on my list; unless that list is, “Things I don’t like doing.”

Use the words “running” and “Amanda” in the same sentence to any of the girls I played club or high school soccer with, and immediate laughter would ensue.

Running and I just don’t see eye to eye, despite my efforts to see the good in it. One agonizing sophomore year of high school, I even ran on the cross country team. The people on the team were wonderful; you really won’t find better people in sports than those who run cross country. But when the coaches would casually say on race day, “run a mile warm up before the race and a mile cool down after,” I could not imagine they were actually serious about that. That probably explains why I never did it (if you ever read this Coach DeLong, I’m sorry).

I made up this motto during my time on the team: “it’s good to suck and it sucks to be good” (it’s weird, I don’t get any calls to be a motivational speaker).The better you were, the more you ran, so why would I want to be good?

In spite of all of this, I started a running program this week. My resolution for 2010 is simply, “finish what you start,” because I tend to get started on projects or books or working out and not stick with it. Writing about it once a week, I hope, will help me stay on track.

I needed a program that was simple and something that wouldn’t be too much torture. So, I did what any self-respecting person would do in my situation: turned to iTunes.

The “Couch to 5k” running program started by Cool Running seemed to be the best choice (even though I don’t happen to agree that running is cool). There is no specific 5k race I’m training for or anything, but I just want to be in shape enough to where I could run about three miles and not look and feel like I just completed some ultra marathon. It’s only three days a week, and about 30 minutes a run. I think I can handle that. My days to run will be Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Robert Ullrey created a podcast for the program with music mixes to use while completing the runs, which are a really helpful.

Tomorrow is my last run of this week, and it’s been OK so far. I haven’t hated it, which is a step in the right direction.

Maybe, just maybe, running and I can be friends.

I make no guarantees. 

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