Summer progress

I took the first half of this year off from regularly running, so starting back up at the beginning of June was almost like starting from scratch. At least physically – mentally I know everything I need to do, but my lungs and legs have needed time to catch up.

So for many weeks now, I’ve been mostly walking/running, with pretty abysmal final paces. This was okay with me for awhile anyway, especially considering how hot it has been. I wasn’t capable of running long or fast, and I didn’t really want to either.

This is slowly starting to change, and the handful of virtual races I have signed up for have really helped me to commit to goals to get better at running more and longer.
For the first time all summer, I really felt like I was finally seeing progress last week! It’s not much, but compared to how I was doing in June, and especially compared to what I was doing January-May – nothing – it’s a lot!

So last week I ran 3 miles under a 10-minute pace, then ran 2 miles at a 9:36 pace. And on Sunday, I ran 5 miles for my virtual race 8K (including a few walk breaks) under an 11-minute pace!

This is serious progress from where I started, and it makes me excited to keep getting faster and go longer once the Hades-level heat in Louisiana gets better (it was a heat index of 104 when I finished the 5-miler).

This week I didn’t get out to run yet until Wednesday, but I ran 4 miles at a 10:10 pace with just one short walking break.

I have done this so many times now over the last 10 years – I build up my conditioning and endurance, run regularly for a consistent amount of time, meet goals and feel accomplished… and then inevitably get in a slump where I don’t run much or at all. Then, when I finally get motivated to start running again, it’s like having to start all over. How many times will I do this?

I guess I should focus on the fact that I always come back to running and always start to see results again once I maintain some semblance of commitment and discipline, rather than feel disappointed in myself that I keep going through these slumps at all.

I suppose the most important thing is that 10 years later, I’m still doing this running thing, whatever it looks like in the moment, and I haven’t given it up for good. That is what counts.

Five months to go

Five months left of 2020, the weirdest year. March and April seemed to last forever, but the summer has gone by quickly for me.

Because the future is so uncertain and it’s hard to plan anything out very far, I’m trying to live in the moment and focus on what I can do today, this week. Not worry about what things will look like a few months from now.

Virtual race, part 2

I signed up for another virtual race, this one an 8K (or 5 miler) to encourage myself to continue trying to run longer without walk breaks. We had a stint in July where every single day was a heat index of over 100 degrees, and that made this goal very difficult. I’m not sure that we are completely past those temperatures for the year, but it’s been significantly cooler lately and I can almost smell the pumpkin spice around the corner. Well, maybe not quite. But Labor Day will be here before we know it.

Vacation, all I ever wanted

It had been seven months since I left the Shreveport area at all – a pre-Christmas trip down to Luling in late December. I just didn’t happen to go anywhere the first few months of the year, and then Coronavirus hit and we didn’t have anywhere to go. When things started opening up a bit, we planned a trip in driving distance to Oklahoma – a vacation cabin in the woods, where we could stay and be away from people as much as we wanted. The local attractions include Beavers Bend State Park with hiking and other socially-distanced activities available.

Another plus was that we could pay a deposit to bring our cat, who is diabetic and needs shots twice a day. I didn’t want to have to try and board him or ask someone to give him shots for us, so being able to bring him was such a nice perk for my peace of mind.

We went July 24-26 and just enjoyed some time away in nature. The weekend went by quickly and we mostly just hung out in our cabin, sitting out on the back deck, and using the hot tub. We did go to the park on Saturday for most of the day, driving around looking at the scenery and hiking. I’d love to go back in a couple of months when it’s cooler, too.

DietBet

I first tried DietBet back in 2013 and was able to lose 6 pounds, meeting my goal. Then in 2016 I needed a jump start again after gaining weight, so I ended up doing DietBet three times over a five-month period, losing weight and meeting my goal each time. Fast forward to 2020 and pandemic/quarantine weight gain hit me like it did a lot of people. I did a DietBet last month and once again met my goal – I’m undefeated! I signed up for yet another one this month.

The thing about DietBet for me is it’s not a fad diet or some trick that isn’t lasting… I know how to stay in shape and lose weight, it’s just a matter of motivation for me. Knowing that I’ve put money into this and that if I meet my goal I’ll get my money back plus a little more is very big motivation for me to eat healthy and exercise regularly. It’s why I’ve won every single time. (Hope I’m not jinxing myself for this current game!)

DIY

One benefit of not being able to do very much besides go to the work and the store is that I have gotten some projects done around the house – mostly just organizing my closet, pantry, cabinets, cleaning, etc. I’ve sorted out so many clothes, shoes, books, DVDs, random stuff we don’t need that I can toss or donate.

Picnic table – Before

I also decided this weekend to paint our picnic table that has gotten pretty weathered and ugly. I bought wood stain and white paint, as well as a weather-resistant protective sealant from Lowe’s this weekend. Then I spent Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours sanding, priming, painting, sealing.

Picnic table – After

I like the new look! I also want to get a canopy or umbrella of some kind so we might actually want to sit out at the table without the sun beating down on us.

Running Brings Us Together 5K

I got my virtual race packet in the mail Friday, so I set out to do my own personal 5K – officially called the Running Brings Us Together 5K (benefitting Girls on the Run) at 8 a.m. Sunday.

It has been brutally, terribly hot this two weeks. I have gone out to run usually in the late afternoons after work, and the heat index is usually above 100 degrees. It’s unfortunate that I’ve lost all conditioning and am now trying to regain it by run/walking in what feels like the bowels of hell.

But on Sunday morning it was about 78 degrees, with a heat index of just a little over 80, so it was much more manageable. It was still super humid which caused a lot of sweating, but I could deal with it.

I haven’t run 3 miles straight in, oh, seven months – my “running” the past month has included a lot of walk breaks. For my virtual 5K, I ran 2.4 miles straight before taking a walk break on an uphill climb. I was breathing a bit heavy at that point because of the humidity, and it seemed like a good idea to catch my breath.

After I hit 3.1 miles, I stopped my watch and then walked about .3 back to my car. I posed with my medal for a picture as if it was a real race 🙂

Not a good time at all, but since my paces have been 11-13- minutes per mile thanks to walking a lot, this was something to build upon as I try to work my way back to no walking at all.

Doing a virtual race was a nice motivator to run more, and I would like to do another one next month that’s a little longer as another way to challenge myself. I’ll probably forego buying a T-shirt next time to knock the price down a little, too.