Piece of Cake

I did two miles today, and it was a piece of cake.  That means the next time I run, I'll have to push harder than just two miles.  The regular exercise, stretching, and proper diet are making this seem much easier.  When you aren't working out regularly, pushing your body really takes a toll on you for several days.  After those miserable first days of soreness, the workout becomes much more bearable, with little recovery time.  I have never really understood the importance of regular exercise until now.

Committed

All that stretching and potassium yesterday really did the trick, because I feel a million times better today.  My muscles aren't at 100% just yet, but they are well enough that I don't have any excuses for not working out.

After work I did two miles, in a cold fog.  It was easier today then when I ran it two days ago, either from actually getting in shape or the cold moist air.  My stomach also wasn't completely empty, because I forgot that I had to run tonight.  I did cramp a little bit on my right side, below the rib cage, but I didn't get sick and make cake.  I really felt like I could do another mile, and can't believe how much stronger I feel compared to a week ago.  I think I will push it a little past two miles on my next run, and possibly three by the end of next week.  I do need to be careful, because now that I can push myself past the point where my body says stop, I could end up doing damage.  I also cooled down faster than last time, so there has been definite progress.  After a shower, I didn't even feel fatigued, and had enough energy to go out and do it again.  This was new and empowering feeling that I don't think I have ever felt.  Forcing myself to stay on my scheduled runs really is paying off, and I'm definitely starting to get hooked on fitness.  The only way I have been able to do this is by making this something that I have to do, like brushing my teeth or going to work.  I am committed to training beyond the Tough Mudder, and will continue to push toward higher fitness levels for the rest of my life.

I am starting to really hate my Vibram Five Finger KSO Trek shoes for running on concrete and I'm thinking of checking out the Bikila running model tomorrow at the Redwood Trading Post.  I haven't found any deals online, as the shoe is a newer model.  So if the in store price plus tax is on par with online plus shipping, I just might pick up a pair.  Don't misunderstand me, I love these shoes.  It's just that the tread on the KSO Trek can be painful when running on concrete, especially towards the end of the first mile.

Deserved Day Off

Well the work out on Tuesday, and the two mile run yesterday ruined me for today.  I'm forced to take a day off because I can hardly move.  My form would just be sloppy and I could hurt myself, at least that's what I'm telling myself.  I feel guilty because I have already taken days off that I shouldn't have, but this time I am in bad shape.  I did a lot of long deep stretching twice today, and that helped quite a bit.  I also walked around a lot, to get some kind of activity.  For breakfast and lunch I had mashed sweet potatoes, as well as a banana at dinner for potassium.  Lastly, plenty of water and green tea was consumed throughout the day.

Koolaid Man

Even though I was incredibly sore today, I went for a run.  I was scheduled for one, and didn't want to take another day off.  I was hoping that the run would aid in my recovery from my workout yesterday.  Turns out, it did help, so i kept going after my planned mile.  I finally broke through the wall I feel.....Koolaid Man style.  I did two miles, but more importantly, fatigue wasn't a limiter anymore.  I could have gone another mile too, but I didn't want to over do it.....especially after the previous day's workout.  Between the run and plenty of stretching, I felt much better for how sore I was earlier.

Another Day Off

Last nights dancing really helped prevent me from getting sore again; however, it may also be that my shorter aided in this.  Today I took it slow again, as I'm looking for a new job.  Most of the day was spent on the couch, staring at a laptop.  In light of this, I made sure to do a full session of stretching. 

I have decided that I need to put together a weight training or yoga routine for my non-running days.  If I don't ramp up this fitness training, I'm never going to be able to do the race in October.

Pushing Harder

I did my run today, but wanted to double it.  Partway into second mile, I decided to lessen it a bit.  Looks like I did 1.7 miles, and I barely made it back to the house.  I actually feared I was close to making cake or losing control of some bodily functions.  Afterwards I did my stretching and drank my after workout nutrition.  I think I pushed too far, because I was flush in the face and took forever to cool down.  I won't do 2 miles next run, but will try to repeat this run again instead.

A Touch of Hills

Getting back into my workout again. I did my first run with hills in my mothers neighborhood. Google Maps has determined that I did one mile, which was moderate paced and without stopping.  I'm glad I did the sessions on the stepper, because I was less winded and my calves weren't as tired this time.  I think I'm going to start going everyother day, and gradually push the distance farther.  After the run, I was sure to do some streching, have my after workout nutrition, and took a hot shower.  Later in the day, I did more streches, when I was standing around doing nothing.

Cardio

I wanted to skip a workout today, but forced myself to keep focus.  I did one hour of cardio on the stepper machine, hoping to be back to running next time.  Pushing it to one hour was difficult, but my legs held up fine.  I did a few minutes of two steps per minute, and then ramped up to do a squating while bending faster paced burst.  Bending over like that is ment to simulate some of the obsticles I will face on the course.  This was pretty tough, but cooling down to my regular pace did help.  I can now see how people are able to do longer workouts, as they aren't going full board the whole time.  Afterward, I did twenty minutes of streching, to be sure that I don't spend two or more days recovering.  Then I had my after workout nutrition, and went on with my day.  I did have a ton of energy and was very active for the rest of the day, so I see why people workout first thing in the morning.

Sore Again!

Yesterday's workout made my calves sore again; however, it wasn't as bad as before.  I did some deep and long stretching and ate some bananas.  Hopefully, recovery won't take as long as before.

Twelve Hours on My Feet

My calves are still killing me today.  I have been drinking water every hour, and eating like a horse too.  Stretching does help temporarily, and I'm popping two ibuprofen every four hours too.  The main stretch that seems to help was one my chiropractor showed me.  I put my foot up on a curb or step with the ball of my foot on the edge and foot bent, then lean in with the knee slightly bent.  This stretches the muscle deeper inside your calf.  For the outer muscle, I've been doing the standard stretch against a wall or door jam.  I even tried doing the downward dog yoga stretch behind the counter at work, but chose to stop when customers were giving me funny looks.  I decided not to go for a run today for two reasons, I had a 12-hour work day with half spent on my feet, and I can barely walk still.

Pain

What I thought to be a simple run, turned out to be over doing it. I now wish I had properly warmed up and cooled down. My calves are so sore that I can hardly walk, and each step seems to hurt worse. The clerk who sold me the shoes did tell me that they made your calves work overtime, but I can't attribute all this agony to just the shoes. I should have done the run properly or started off easier.